Why does my cat seem to enjoy being petted but then suddenly bite me?

Generally, cats aren’t contact animals in the same way as dogs. Some cats can only handle a certain amount of petting or touching before it leads to over-stimulation. If you watch your cat carefully, you’ll notice that he’ll begin sending messages to you as he becomes more uncomfortable. The problem is, owners overlook these warning signs and don’t realize that the cat has had enough until they get bitten or scratched.

Some of the signals to watch for include: skin twitching, tail thumping or lashing, cessation of purring, growling, meowing, frequently looking back at you, flattened ears. If you ignore any of these signs, the cat probably feels that he has no choice but to bite you in order to stop the petting.

If you notice that you can pet your cat for ten minutes before he bites, then stop petting after about five minutes. If you cease petting while it’s still a very enjoyable experience, you’ll leave him wanting more. If you keep the experience very positive, you may be able to gradually increase the petting session to six minutes, then seven, etc.

Another thing to keep in mind is timing. Don’t try to hold and pet your cat if he’s in the mood to play. Just because you’re in the mood to relax doesn’t mean that your cat shares that desire. For a better understanding on how to read your cat’s body language, refer to Think Like a Cat and Cat vs. Cat.
141 days ago

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