A feline expert has revealed the reason cat’s bite your hand when being petted (Image: Getty)
Ever wondered why your suddenly bites your hand whilst you’re stroking and petting it?
Don’t worry – your feline friend hasn’t had a mood swing, nor does it intend to scratch you or cause you any pain. It’s all part of their affection, according to cat expert on social media.
user Oh Charlie Cat asked explained in a video that the behaviour is called “petting aggression”. They continued: “It’s most common in younger cats and sometimes the repetitive stroking stimulates a hunting behavioural instinct.”
They reassured their followers: “It doesn’t mean they want to tear your hand apart. But cats do have an instinct to catch anything that moves.”
backs up the claim, penning on its website: “If your cat bites you while playing or when you pet them, it could be that they are overexcited and have misdirected some of their hunting behaviour onto you.
“Cats are natural hunters and enjoy stalking and catching things. But if they don’t have appropriate prey to hunt, such as cat toys, they may pounce on you instead.”
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If your cat starts “hugging” your arm, meanwhile, this another classic hunting move, the charity says. “When cats catch large prey, they will often grasp it with their front legs and then bite it while ‘bunny kicking’ with their back legs,” they continued.
“If your cat is doing this to you, they are misdirecting their hunting behaviour onto you. Try playing with them using appropriate cat toys instead, such as a kicker toy they can direct their bunny kicking onto.”
Responding to the video, which has been viewed a staggering 26 million times, one user revealed: “My seven-month old kitten immediately bites and kicks us as soon as we go in with a rub after she has been rubbing up against us first.”
A second cat owner advised: “You need to read their body language and check every few pets if they are leaning into the pets or not. If not, stop.” A third said: “My orange one does this but he has never done it to hurt me. I know he could bite hard but he just nibbles.”
Meanwhile, a fourth person shared another behavioural trait. They wrote: “People sometimes think when pet wagging their tail it means they like it like dogs, but to cat it is a warning before he attacks.”
However, someone else disagreed with the explanation, sharing their theory behind the behaviour. They said: “I read that too but I disagree. It’s a dominance thing. Cats groom each other to assert dominance sometimes the cat wants to be dominant.”
And another argued: “For my cat it usually seems to mean I pet the wrong spot. She licks me after the bite to tell me it wasn’t a real bite.”