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Why does my cat bite my lips?

If your cat bites your lips, this post will show you a number of possible causes and what you can do about them.

So, why does my cat bite my lips? Possible reasons why your cat bites your lips are that it is looking for attention, it feels intimidated, it wants you to let go of it, or sometimes, to show affection.

There are actually a number of possible causes and it might be due to a combination of them. However, there are also some things you can consider to help figure out the main reason and there are some things you can do about it.

Why does my cat bite my lips?

Below are a number of possible reasons why your cat has been biting your lips and what would make each of them more likely to be the main reason.

Affection

It might be the case that your cat is actually being affectionate. Sometimes, when cats are very happy, they will start biting and this could be why your cat has been biting your lips. This would be more likely to be the reason if your cat does it when it is showing positive body language signs such as purring a lot.

For attention

Another possible cause is that your cat is trying to get extra attention from you. This would be more likely if your cat tends to do it more when you have not been giving it much attention and if you tend to give it more attention when it does it.

Related: Why does my cat bite my cheek?

It feels intimidated

The reason might also be that your cat feels intimidated. This would be more likely if your cat does it when you are touching your cat, your cat seems to pull away from you and if it also scratches, or hisses. In this case, it might be the case that you are not being gentle enough or you are approaching it too boldly.

It is playing

The cause could also be that your cat is playing. This would be more likely if your cat does it when you are playing with your cat yourself or moving something, such as a necklace, around your lips.

It wants you to let go of it

Another possible cause is that your cat wants you to let go of it. This would be more likely to be the cause if your cat bites your lips when you are holding it.

Things to consider about your cat biting your lips

Below are some things to consider to help figure out the main cause.

If your cat has always bitten your lips

If your cat did not always bite your lips, 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 that you hold it, pet it or approach it.

What is different when your cat bites your lips

If your cat seems to bite your lips more in certain situations, it would also help to consider what is different about the timing. For example, if it tends to do it more when you are holding it, the cause could be that it does not like the way you hold it or because it does not like being held.

What to do about your cat biting your lips

Below are a number of things you can do about it.

Avoid encouraging it

As mentioned above, it might be the case that your cat has learned that the behavior gets rewarded. Instead, it would help to reward your cat when it behaves the way you want it to and to avoid rewarding it when it bites your lips by getting it off you when it does it and ignoring it.

Be gentle with it

If you have been petting or holding it a bit forcefully, it would also likely help to try petting it more gently and holding it in a different way.

Pet it differently

Another thing to try would be to pet it in a different manner. Often cats prefer to be rubbed below the chin instead of having their bellies or backs rubbed. It could help to try scratching below its chin instead.

Get it to sit in other spots

Alternatively, another option would be to get your cat to sit next to you instead of on top of you, that way it will be easier to prevent it from biting your lips.