Cat keeps nipping/biting, what can I do?

catieeb06

Hi,

Adopted a new little girl after our last one passed away and all was well, she was a bit playful but that soon calmed down once she was allowed to leave the house and do her own thing in the garden and woods around our house. She was a stray before she got handed into the sanctuary so she's a very outdoorsy cat.

However, for the last week, maybe 10 days she keeps getting a little bit nippy. Don't get me wrong, when you tickle her tummy she's been bit playful but take yesterday for example, she walked in the room, walked up to me and sniffed my feet and then suddenly went to nip me, no provocation, nothing. She tried to nip my DH yesterday when he was stroking her. Really not sure what to do, taking her back to the sanctuary isn't an option at all as I love her too much and she was getting really stressed in the sanctuary but at the moment all we can do is make a loud nose and tap her backside when she goes to nip but I really don't like the idea of hurting or scaring her.

Any ideas please?

Thanks xx

Fire_Fox

Is this a new behaviour or has she always nipped? How hard is she biting, is she breaking skin or is it a warning? Nipping to tell you to stop stroking can be absolutely normal behaviour, it can mean she is being overstimulated/ in pain/ discomfort and probably that you have already missed her other body language. Does her back skin ripple when she is being stroked? Is she up to date with a veterinary flea/ worm/ ear mite product and can you definitely not see any flea dirt on her?

catieeb06

She was a little nippy when she first got here but like I say, she calmed down a hell of a lot once she was able to begin going out and about.

She's up to date with everything and i've not noticed anything on her back end so it's a bit of a mystery to me at the moment.

She's not breaking skin or anything like that because we're not giving her the chance, as soon as we feel her nipping we pull away.

Fire_Fox

I'm confused by your use of the word playful in the OP, so you actually mean she bit you? You also haven't said how long you've had her, so how long was she not biting for? You say you aren't giving her a chance, but how do you know it would escalate? Are these other nips/ bites the same as the ones you get when you tickle her tummy?

Generally if cats are attacking they will use teeth and claws, it's fast and you won't get the chance to pull away the teeth will be in. Some nips are warnings others like love bites, those tend to be particularly slow and they may hold you in their mouth briefly. Those are just part of natural cat body language not something you should be punishing or really that bothered about. By all means make a high pitched noise or give her time out if the nips are bad but tapping/ smacking is responding to an 'attack' with another 'attack'. Punishment is unfair if it's actually you misinterpreting or missing prior warnings - which most humans do TBH.

McKneff

Excellent advice from Firefox.

Our cat will tell you to stop, with a look, keep doing it and you dont geta second chance. I have learnt through the scars on my forearms.

She hates being stroked on her back or tummy so we just dont anymore, although strangely you can be as rough as you like with her head.

We dont pick her up anymore, she doesnt like it. If we do, and put her down the legs and claws are clamped round our legs.

She is telling you to stop. 'So stop immediately.
And if she does things that youdont like she will start to understand a sharp NO.........

prowla

Put your fingers in her mouth when she nips you, and eventually she will conclude that it's a waste of time.

catieeb06

In all fairness the bite she tried to give me yesterday was very slow as I had a chance to get away from me so it may well have been a love bite as Fire Fox says.

The bite she tried to give my DH yesterday was a "get off me" nip judging by the different types of bites that you're describing.

themull1

My cat still 'bites' and she's seven!!! If she bites on purpose, i blow on her face and she lets go, i would never hit her though.

mrs_B_5

Sounds a little bit like our old lady cat She's has never been a nipper, ever, but she started nipping my husband. He's only ever been around our 2 boys who are quite big for cats (about 6kg a piece) & has never been used to a cat as slight as Jumble is. He's since learnt that she doesn't like having her back end stroked when she's sat (only when she's laid flat), doesn't like people stroking her front legs or feet & that she gets mardy if you ignore her talking to you (such as when she wants more food!) You can definitely tell the difference between when you've annoyed her and when she's trying to get your attention, the nips are totally different.

Fire_Fox

catieeb06 wrote: »

In all fairness the bite she tried to give me yesterday was very slow as I had a chance to get away from me so it may well have been a love bite as Fire Fox says.

The bite she tried to give my DH yesterday was a "get off me" nip judging by the different types of bites that you're describing.

That's great! :beer:

Fire_Fox

mrs_B wrote: »

Sounds a little bit like our old lady cat She's has never been a nipper, ever, but she started nipping my husband. He's only ever been around our 2 boys who are quite big for cats (about 6kg a piece) & has never been used to a cat as slight as Jumble is. He's since learnt that she doesn't like having her back end stroked when she's sat (only when she's laid flat), doesn't like people stroking her front legs or feet & that she gets mardy if you ignore her talking to you (such as when she wants more food!) You can definitely tell the difference between when you've annoyed her and when she's trying to get your attention, the nips are totally different.

Lulu has nipped me for attention when I am on the phone! Or she finds something to chew, like one of my shoes or the end of an umbrella. :rotfl: