Why is my cat suddenly biting my hand when I try to pet her?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is an attention seeking behavior. The best way to avoid this behavior is to discourage it by firmly saying no, and most importantly praise her when this behavior is not observed. For example, when she is begging you pet her, you firmly avoid doing it if you do not desire to do so. If there is any biting, you firmly say no. You then praise her when this behavior is not observed and pet her at those times. This is basically sending a message that you will pet her when you would like to do so. Consider using treats for rewarding her when a positive behavior is observed (such as not begging/biting). Good luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. By far the most common cause of biting in cats is anxiety. Has anything in her life changed recently? New person or pet in the house? New routine? Did you move? Painters or construction in or around your home? And sometimes we can never identify a cause. If she is an indoor cat, it is unlikely to be infectious in nature. Try the following which are all shown to reduce anxiety in cats. If these do not help, talk to your vet about prescription behavior modification medications that can help.

 -Feliway- calming cat pheromone- comes in many forms from pet stores or online. 

- Adding a litter box. Studies show that the ideal number of litter boxes for a home is #of cats +1 . This is regardless of how clean you keep his current litter box.

 - making sure she has plenty of “high space”. The safest (and therefore least anxiety-inducing) place for a cat is UP. If you don’t already, get a cat tree or put up a shelf or two that she can go perch on. Best wishes to you and Mitzi!

Thanks for using PetCoach. This is a normal play behavior. (So is reaching out to claw your pants as you walk by or trying to catch your hands with her claws while you pet her.) There are two ways I handle this. One is to stop petting and leave so that she knows play time is over. Honestly it hasn’t really worked yet (she still does it sometimes) and my cat is now 18 mos. What seems to work better is to get up and grab her favorite toy and start playing with that. That is something she CAN bite and claw at and get those natural play behaviors out- without chomping my hands. My girl is OBSESSED with one very similar to the one in the link below. https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/leaps-and-bounds-caterpillar-cat-teaser?rrec=true Hope this helps and best wishes to you and Raven!

I recommend you put some Feliway diffusers in your house and do some environmental enrichment for her. Usually these two things help. ( https://www.feliway.com/us/Products/FELIWAY-CLASSIC-Diffuser ) ( thedrakecenter.com/materials/environmental-enrichment-indoor-cats ) Hope this helps. If you have more questions you can always opt for a private consultation where we can chat back and forth. That way you can ask as many questions as you'd like. Best wishes.

Some cats start biting because they are overstimulated by petting, or are trying to warn you that they have had enough attention. I would stop petting her before you bite her, so you can stop this behavior before it becomes a pattern.

It can be difficult to stop this behavior! Make sure you never use your hands during play - toys only. If she begins to play using her claws or biting you should try offering an appropriate toy to play with. If she still tries to bite at you play time should stop, and you may even need to remove your attention or confine her somewhere alone until she’s able to calm down. Be persistent and with time she should realize that this is not an appropriate way to play.

This is extremely concerning since cat bites are very serious. You can end up in the hospital for multiple days because of them. I would make sure you have a place for him to hide in, climb on and look out the window. I would also make sure you really wear him out. Playing with him with toys only (not your hands) and seeing if that helps. You can also talk to your veterinarian about trying behavior medication. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.