If your cat has been affectionately biting you, this post will show you a number of possible reasons why and what you can do about them.
So, why does my cat affectionately bite me? Likely reasons why your cat affectionately bites you are that it is grooming you, it is finished interacting with you, it wants you to stop petting it or that it is playing.
There are a number of possible reasons why your cat has been doing it and it could be due to a combination of them. However, there are some things you can consider to help figure out the main cause and there are some things you can do about it.
Reasons why your cat affectionately bites you
Below are likely causes and what would make them more likely.
Love bite
It could be the case that your cat is giving you a love bite. This is where it starts by licking you and then gradually starts to gently bite you instead. The cause could be that cats will sometimes start biting, when they are grooming each other, in order to deal with tougher patches of fur. It could be the case that it likes then bite you because it is grooming you and showing affection. This would be more likely if it also purrs and kneads when it does it.
It is finished interacting with you
The cause could also be that it no longer wants to interact with you and it is biting you because it actually wants you to go away. This would be more likely if it starts biting you after you have been interacting with it for a while and if it also does things such as push itself away from you, flick its tail and stop purring.
It does not like how you are petting it
The cause could also be that it does not like how you are petting it or that it wants you to stop petting it. This would be more likely if it starts biting you when you have been petting it for a while or when you pet it in a certain manner. It would also be more likely if it starts scratching or clawing at you.
It is playing
Sometimes, cats will also start biting and scratching when they are playing. This would be more likely to be the reason why your cat does it if it also does things such as roll around at the same time.
Things to consider
Below are some things to consider to help figure out the main cause.
If your cat has always given you love bites
If your cat did not always affectionately bite you, it would help to consider what else happened when your cat first started doing it. If it started doing it suddenly, it could be due to things such as a change in the way you pet it or a change in the way you interact with it.
What else is different when your cat bites you
It would also help to consider what is different when it bites you. For example, if it bites you when you pet it in a certain manner, it might be the case that it has an issue with how you are petting it.
What to do about your cat biting you affectionately
Below are options you have when dealing with the behavior.
Pet it differently
One option would be to pet your cat differently and to be calm and gentle with it. Generally, you will find that cats prefer to be rubbed bellow the chin instead of having their backs rubbed strongly.
Observe its body language
It would also help to observe and to react to its body language. If your cat does things such as stop purring and kneading and start flicking its tail, it is likely that your cat has decided that it wants you to stop interacting with it.