Many of us have had the pleasure of petting our cat, when all of a sudden; the cat bites your hand and runs away. This is called petting induced or overstimulation aggression. It’s a common behavior in many cats, and is something that can be both frustrating and frightening until you learn how to manage this behavior with your cat.

 

What causes this behavior?

Your adopted cat may have historically had their comfort level with touch pushed, with someone ignoring their cues to stop touch. Poor socialization, lack of touch as a kitten or young cat can also cause this behavior concerns. Sometimes a kitten who didn’t have littermates or a mother cat to teach them bite inhibition and proper interaction can display handling sensitivities. Here are a few thoughts to keep in mind when understanding why this happens with some cats:

Sensitivity threshold: The cat enjoys the human contact at first, but then the repetitiveness of the petting becomes irritating. The cat turns and bites as a way to say, “I’ve had enough.” An analogy to human behavior can be made. If someone pats you on the back, it feels good. If they continue to pat you, it becomes annoying and you will either move away from them or ask them to stop.

Pain: If a cat has a painful medical condition, your touch or even the cat’s perception that he may be touched in a painful area could cause the reactive behavior.

Control: The cat is attempting to control the situation – when the petting starts, and when it stops.

How can petting related aggression be managed?

Have your cat examined by a veterinarian. It is important to find out if your cat has a medical condition that may cause pain when he is being petted. For example, arthritis in the neck, back or hip joints, or a sore tooth or ear infection may be painful. Petting may cause the pain to worsen or the cat to become anxious that you may touch a painful area.

Realize some cats just do not like to be cuddled. Each cat is unique. Some cats enjoy human contact, love to be held, and never seem to get enough petting. Others may enjoy human closeness (sitting on your lap) but not necessarily human-initiated contact. Some cats love a good chin scratch but aren’t comfortable with repeated full body pets. Understanding what your cat prefers is important to help build a good relationship with them.

 

Know the warning signs. Some owners will report that their cat suddenly turns and bites them. However, if the owner is very observant, certain clues will often become apparent:

• The ears may go back or shift from a neutral position
• The coat or tail may start to twitch
• Tail energy may change
  • Slow movement to rapid swishing
• Coat or tail may fluff up slightly, especially at the base of the tail
• The pupils may dilate or constrict from a neutral state
• There may be a low growl
• The body may stiffen
  • Body posture in general may change
  • Cat may “freeze”, stopping all motion
• Your cat’s gaze my begin to follow your hand as it moves near her
• Slight movement away from touch
• Head might turn quickly to your hand without bite before you see a bite happen

If you see any of these signs, stop all movement and allow the cat to leave. You can toss a treat or toy off of your lap to direct him away before he becomes tense and tries to bite. It’s best not to pick him up to move him off of your lap, redirection with a toy or food motivator is the safest way to remove him from your space.

Predict the time. Once you are aware of the warning signs, you can start to time how long your cat likes to be petted. If the warning signs start about two minutes after you begin petting the cat, then never pet the cat more than a minute and a half. (But still watch for warning signs!)

Change the way you pet the cat. Some cats may prefer to receive short small strokes, similar to those they would receive if another cat were grooming them. Some cats prefer to be scratched under the chin or between the ears instead of receiving whole-body strokes. Try using one finger to pet gently on the face and cheeks, nowhere else. Let them rub on you, often cats are happy just to rub on their person and don’t need extended handling at all.

Do NOT physically or verbally correct the cat. Remember, any attention is still reinforcing, even if it’s negative attention. If you redirect into another activity or direct them out of your space, you’re giving them time to relax and focus on something positive and appropriate, this is where learning happens.

Increase play time. Sometimes this overstimulation is due to frustration from boredom. Make sure that your cat gets a good play session with you daily. Keeping your cat active and engaged is a good way to reduce frustration. This behavior often stems from frustration, if we can provide a good outlet for that energy, we can sometimes overcome sensitivity threshold issues.