Have you ever wondered why your cat bites your fingers in the morning? This is a common morning occurrence with many possible causes. This post will show them to you and what you can do about it.
So, why does my cat bite my fingers in the morning? Likely reasons why your cat bites your fingers in the morning are that it naturally has more energy in the morning or that it is trying to remind you to feed it.
There are multiple possible reasons why your cat bites your fingers in the morning and it might be due to a combination of reasons. However, there are some things you can consider when figuring out the main cause and there are some things you can do about it.
Reasons why your cat bites your fingers in the morning
Below are likely reasons why your cat has been doing it and what would make them more likely.
Nature
In the wild, cats are often lively in the late evening and early morning. Even though your kitty might spend a lot of its time sleeping or lounging around during the day, its internal “clock” tells it when to be active, and the early morning is the prime time for it to be on the prowl.
The reason why your cat nibbles your fingers, in the morning, is likely to be that it naturally has a lot more energy at that time and naturally wants to hunt things. This would be more likely if your cat also does things such as run around a lot and play with things in the morning and if your cat chases you when you are moving around. It would also be more likely if it is not only your fingers that your cat bites.
It wants something from you
Another likely cause is that your cat wants something from you, such as food, and your cat is trying to remind you to give it to it. Wanting something from you would be more likely if your cat tends to bite your fingers more before you have given it food it in the morning. It would also be more likely if it does it on weekends when you get up later than usual.
It likes how your fingers taste
It might also be the case that your cat likes the way your fingers taste. This would be more likely if it tends to bite your fingers when they have a strong smell on them such as after you have given it food or made your breakfast.
You’re petting it wrong
It might also be the case that it does not like the way you pet it in the morning. This would be more likely if your cat tends to bite your fingers when you pet it in the morning and if you tend to pet it differently in the morning.
Intimidation
It might also be the case that you have been causing it to get intimidated in the morning. This would be more likely if you interact with it differently in the morning and if your cat also does things such as hiss and scratch when it bites your fingers.
It is anxious
The cause might also be that something has been causing your cat to be anxious. This would be more likely if grabs your fingers it more when there are loud noises inside or other pets around that it does not like.
It wants attention
It could also be the case that your cat bites your fingers in order to get more attention and it has learned that the behavior results in you giving it attention. This would be more likely if your cat does not sleep in the same room as you and it tends to attack your fingers when it first sees you in the morning. It would also be more likely if you tend to give your cat more attention when it bites your fingers.
Things to consider
Below are some things to consider to help figure out the main reason why your cat has been doing it.
If your cat has always bitten your fingers in the morning
If your cat did not bite your fingers, in the past, it would help to consider what else happened when your cat first started doing it. If your cat started doing it suddenly, it could be due to things such as a change in the way you interact with it in the morning; which would be more likely if it does not only bite your fingers, a change in the time you feed it or a change in its environment.
What is different when your cat does not bite your fingers in the morning
If your cat does not bite your fingers on every morning, it would also help to consider what is different when it does not bite your fingers. For example, if your cat tends to bite them more on the weekend, the cause could be that it is expecting you to get up at the same time you do during the week and feed it.
What to do about your cat biting your fingers in the morning
Below are some things you can do about the behavior.
Give it distractions
A partial solution would be to give your cat things to be distracted by such as toys. This would be more helpful if your cat tends to be very energetic in the morning and if your cat tends to do things such as chase your hands around.
Feed it sooner and give it access to water
If it seems like your cat might be biting your fingers because it is trying to remind you to to get up and feed it, it would likely help to feed it and give it access to water as soon as you get up instead of making it wait.
Pet it differently
If your cat has been biting your fingers when you pet it in the morning, it might also help to pet it in a different manner such as by rubbing it below the chin instead.
Avoid encouraging it
It would also help to avoid giving your cat things such as extra attention when it does bite your fingers since your cat might have learned that the behavior is rewarded. Instead, it would help to move your cat somewhere else, when it bites your fingers, and to give it attention when it is behaving the way you want.