If your cat has been biting your hair, you might be wondering why and what you can do about it. This post will show you a number of possible causes and what you can do about them.
So, why does my cat bite my hair? Possible reasons why your cat bites your hair are that it is looking for attention, it is playing, it is grooming you, it likes the taste of your hair, or it might be due to an illness or diet issue.
There are actually a number of possible reasons why your cat might have been doing it and it could be due to a combination of causes. However, there are a number of things you can consider when figuring out the main cause and there are a number of things you can do about it.
Why does my cat bite my hair?
Below are a number of possible causes and what you can do about them.
Play
The reason why your cat does it could be that your cat is playing with your hair. Your hair will move about and it could be the case that it causes your cat to want to bite it. This would be more likely if your cat shows signs of excitement when it does it such as by having wide open eyes.
Your cat wants extra attention
Another possible cause is that your cat is trying to get extra attention from you. This would be more likely if your cat does it more when you have not been giving it much attention and you tend to give your cat more attention when it does it.
It’s grooming you
Another possible cause is that your cat is grooming you. This would be more likely if your cat licks your hair more than it bites your hair and if your cat seems to be relaxed when it does it.
It likes the taste of your hair
It might also be the case that your cat does it because it likes the taste of your hair. This would be more likely if your cat chews on your hair and if it does it more when you have just washed your hair.
Illness
Some illnesses can cause cats to start chewing and eating things that are not food, including hair. The reason why your cat has been biting your hair could be that it has gotten a disease or illness. This would be more likely if your cat is elderly, it has started doing it suddenly and if it has been chewing on other things a lot as well. In this case, it would help to take your cat to a veterinarian for a checkup.
A diet issue
Sometimes, cats will also start chewing hair when they have an issue with their diet. This is because, when they are not getting the necessary nutrients in their diet, they will chew other things in order to try to get the necessary nutrients. An issue with its diet would be more likely to be the cause if your cat has been doing it since a change in its diet.
Things to consider
Below are some things to consider when figuring out the main reason why your cat has been doing it.
If your cat has always bitten your hair
If your cat did not always bite your hair, it would help to consider what else happened when your cat first started doing it. If it started doing it suddenly, it might be the case that there was a change in its diet, it got ill, or you started interacting with it differently.
What else is different when your cat bites your hair
If it seems to bite your hair more at a specific time, it would also help to consider what is different about the timing. For example, if it does it more after you have just had a shower, it could be the case that your cat does it because it likes the way your hair tastes.
What to do about your cat biting your hair
Below are a number of options you have when dealing with the behavior.
Avoid encouraging it
As mentioned above, it might be the case that your cat has learned that the behavior is encouraged. Instead, it would help to avoid giving your cat things such as extra attention, when it bites your hair, and to try to reward it when it is being calm.
Get your cat to sit somewhere else
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 hair.
Give it distractions
Another option would be to give it things to be distracted by such as toys, when it seems likely to start biting your hair.
Why does my cat bite my hair at night?
If your cat tends to bite or chew your hair more at night, it could be the case that your cat is doing it due to some separation anxiety which would be more likely if it does not sleep where you sleep. However, it could also be due to any of the other reasons mentioned above and it would help to consider what is different when your cat does it.
Why does my cat bite my hair in the morning?
If your cat bites your hair in the morning, it could be because it is trying to get you to feed it which would be more likely if it does it more before you have fed it.
Why does my cat bite my hair after I shower?
If your cat bites your hair after you shower, it could be because your cat likes the way your hair tastes after you shower which would be more likely if it chews your hair. It could also be because of the way your hair looks after you shower which would be more likely if your cat attacks your hair.