Ever wake up to a cat nibbling on your hand? Cat hand biting in the morning is a common occurrence, and many cat owners have no idea why their pet would do this. This post will show you likely causes and what you can do about them.
So, why does my cat bite my hands in the morning? Likely reasons why your cat bites your hands in the morning are to get you to get up and feed it or because it naturally has more energy in the morning.
There are actually multiple possible reasons why your cat bites your hands 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 hands in the morning
Below are likely causes 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 hands, 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 hands 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 hands 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.
You’re petting it wrong
It might also be the case that it does not like the way you pet or touch it in the morning. This would be more likely if your cat tends to bite your hands when you pet it in the morning and if you tend to pet it differently in the morning.
It likes how your hands taste
It might also be the case that your cat likes the way your hands taste or that it likes the smell on them. This would be more likely if it tends to bite your hands when they have a strong smell on them such as after you have given it food or made your breakfast.
Intimidation
It could 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 hands.
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 hands 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 hands 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 hands 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 hands.
Things to consider
Below are a number of possible reasons why your cat has been doing it.
If your cat has always bitten your hands in the morning
If your cat did not bite your hands, in the past, it would help to consider what else happened when your cat first started biting them. If your cat started biting them 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 hands, a change in the time you feed it or a change in its environment.
What is different when your cat does not bite your hands in the morning
If your cat does not bite your hands on every morning, it would also help to consider what is different when it does not bite your hands. 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 hands in the morning
Below are options you have when getting your cat to stop biting your hands.
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 hands 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 hands 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 hands 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 hands, and to give it attention when it is behaving the way you want.