What to do when your cat bites you

Reviewed for accuracy on May 1, 2018 by Dr. Katie Grzyb, DVM

You’re gently petting your cat when she begins nipping at your hand, which leaves many cat owners wondering, “Why is my cat biting me?” These so-called “cat love bites” don’t typically draw blood, but they happen suddenly, which leaves you wondering what caused the change in your cat’s behavior.

“Biting owners during petting is one of the most common behavioral problems of cats,” says Dr. Kelly Ballantyne, a board-certified veterinary behaviorist at the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Illinois, Chicago.

Veterinarians weigh in on what cat love bites are, why cats engage in this behavior, and how pet parents can react appropriately when their furred family member feels the need to bite.

What Cat Love Bites Are and Aren’t

Don’t confuse cat love bites—also referred to as petting-induced aggression—with the type of overly-aggressive biting associated with fear, defensiveness or acting territorially.

Cat love bites don’t typically break skin. “It starts off with licking, and the grooming behavior becomes more intense, and you may feel little teeth on you,” explains Dr. Wailani Sung, a staff veterinarian with San Francisco SPCA.

Another clue that your cat is engaging in love biting is that other signs of aggression, such as hissing, growling and clawing, are typically absent, says Dr. Liz Stelow, Chief of Service of Clinical Behavior Service at the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at University of California, Davis.

“The cat's body language is usually fairly relaxed, although the cat may become slightly tense immediately prior to biting,” Dr. Stelow says.

Why Your Cat Bites You During Petting Sessions

There isn’t much research on why cats engage in love biting; most of what’s known is based on speculation, says Dr. Stelow.

The term “love bite” is somewhat of a misnomer. “When cats bite in this context, it’s not a sign of affection, but rather a signal that the cat is done with the interaction. If the petting continues despite the cat’s efforts to signal that he or she is done with being petted, the cat may escalate to a bite,” says Dr. Ballantyne. A cat love bite can certainly be a result of overstimulation.

Cat love bites can also be unintentional, as part of the cat’s grooming process. They could be “licking for a certain period of time, then using their incisors to get a particular area. Your cat may choose to groom you, your hand or face or head,” says Dr. Sung.

Additionally, not all cats enjoy petting. “Some cats may want to, or enjoy resting on their pet parent’s lap, but may not really enjoy being petted. It’s also possible that the pet parent is petting the cat in areas that the cat finds unpleasant, such as on its belly or near or on its tail,” says Dr. Ballantyne.

How to Appropriately Respond to Cat Love Bites

Studying your cat’s body language is one of the best ways to learn how to appropriately react and prevent future occurrences. “Watch for signs of discomfort, such as ears to the side or a twitching tail, and stop petting if these are seen,” says Dr. Ballantyne.

Pet parents should notice if the cat biting stops when the cat is being petted with more frequency, or less, says Dr. Terri Bright, Director of Behavior Services at MSPCA-Angell in Boston. “The owner should then respond appropriately before the cat bites. Thus, if the cat typically bites after five petting strokes, the owner should always stop at four strokes. They can even teach the cat that ‘All done!’ means they will get a favorite toy for the cat.”

Dr. Ballantyne recommends keeping petting sessions brief, pausing frequently to gauge the cat’s interest. “I also recommend that people always invite their cat over to interact, rather than approaching and handling a sleeping or resting cat. And focus petting on areas that cats generally enjoy, such as around the ears and under the chin, and avoid petting cats on their bellies or near their tails.”

Never react negatively to cat biting. “The owner should never scruff, shake, spray or frighten the cat in any way; this can cause the cat to respond with true and dangerous aggression,” says Dr. Bright.

If a cat bites you and breaks the skin, be sure to wash the wound immediately. Look for any swelling, pain or redness that spreads. If you see any of these, see your doctor or go to a walk-in clinic.

Love biting is a common behavior in cats, but one that can be managed by studying your cat’s body language, learning to redirect undesired behaviors and respecting her tolerance for contact.

By: Paula Fitzsimmons

Featured Image: iStock.com/vgajic

Cats are loved and respected by many cultures across the world. These adorable, fluffy creatures provide emotional support for their owners and can help improve moods in the form of animal therapy.

However, they can also bite or scratch if spooked or if they get defensive. Their razor-sharp teeth and nails can puncture deeply, sometimes penetrating tissues, ligaments and tendons. 

While domestic indoor and outdoor cats are usually vaccinated against certain bacteria and infections, stray cats (and sometimes even your domestic cat) can certainly carry bacteria. When these cats bite or scratch you, the clock starts to tick. 

“See a doctor within eight hours to cut your infection risk,” says emergency medicine physician Stephen Sayles III, MD. “You may need intravenous, or through the vein, antibiotics or, in some cases, you may even need to be hospitalized.”

Infections can be severe, particularly for people with diabetes or those who are immunocompromised, and their infection risk is even greater.

Infections cats can pass along

Cats can introduce staphylococcus aureus, campylobacteriosis or pasteurella bacteria into your body.  

Staphylococcus aureus is commonly found on the skin of humans and animals and is spread between humans and animals through touching, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Be aware that cats don’t often show signs of this infection, so it may be hard to tell just by looking at it.

People can contract the campylobacter infection by coming into contact with an infected cat’s poop or through contaminated water or food. If you contract the campylobacter infection, symptoms may include stomach cramps, fever, nausea and diarrhea. 

“If you contract pasteurella bacteria after a cat bites or scratches you, initial signs of infection can appear in a few hours,” says Dr. Sayles. “Hands, joints and tendons are at greatest risk.”

People can also contract cat scratch fever, also called cat scratch disease (CSD). This comes from cats infected with Bartonella henselae bacteria from flea bites, blood transfusions or fighting with other infected cats. A bite, scratch or even the saliva of an infected cat can pass it along.

While it may be difficult to avoid petting unfamiliar cats (who can resist those sweet meows?), the CDC recommends being cautious with them, even if they seem friendly. This will help decrease your risk of contracting an infection. Always remember to wash your hands after touching or playing with a cat and after cleaning their litter box. 

What to do if a cat bites you

First, you want to try to flush out as much bacteria as possible and then irrigate the wound with water.

Next, wash the wound with mild soap and water. Slow the bleeding with a clean cloth and apply over-the-counter antibiotic cream if you have it. Then, wrap the wound in a sterile bandage. Keep the wound bandaged until you see your doctor.

“After you see your doctor, change the bandage several times a day,” he says. “Watch for signs of infection, including redness, swelling, increased pain and fever.”

How a doctor treats a cat wound

“Cat wounds most often are left open to heal,” says Dr. Sayles. “This makes cleaning the wound easier for you and reduces infection risk.”

Your doctor will likely do the following:

• Clean the wound again and apply antibiotic ointment.
• Prescribe antibiotics, such as Augmentin, if there’s an infection concern.
• Give you a booster shot if your tetanus vaccine is out-of-date.
• Determine whether the wound needs stitches.

Remember, it’s important to act quickly if you get a cat bite. Call your doctor as soon as possible to help cut the risk for infection.

Related Articles

Cat and dog bites are common injuries. A family pet or a stray animal could bite you. But you can treat, and even prevent, animal bites.

Path to improved health

If a cat or dog bites you, you should:

• Wash the wound gently with soap and water.
• Apply pressure with a clean towel to the injured area to stop any bleeding.
• Apply a sterile bandage to the wound.
• Keep the wound elevated above your heart to prevent swelling and infection.

Severe bites may require additional medical attention. Call your doctor if:

• Bleeding doesn’t stop after 15 minutes of pressure.
• You think you have a broken bone, nerve damage, or serious injury.
• Your bite becomes infected. Symptoms include redness, swelling, warmth, and pus. You also may have a fever.
• You have diabetes or a condition that weakens your immune system. This includes liver or lung disease, cancer, or AIDS.
• Your last tetanus vaccine was more than 5 years ago. If so, you may need a booster shot.
• You got bit by a wild or stray animal.
• You got bit by a pet of unknown vaccination status.

Treatment for cat and dog bites varies. It’s based on the situation and severity of your injury. Below are some things your doctor may do.

• Check for signs of infection.
• Clean your wound with a special solution and remove any damaged tissue.
• Use stitches to close your wound. However, open wounds often heal faster and are less likely to get infected.
• Prescribe an antibiotic to prevent infection.
• Give you a tetanus shot if your last vaccine was more than 5 years ago.

Your doctor may want you to follow up with them. If your wound gets worse or infection starts, call your doctor right away. You may need to see a specialist if your injury is severe.

Things to consider

There are many things you can do to help prevent cat and dog bites.

• Choose your family pet carefully. Be sure to keep their vaccinations current.
• Never leave a young child alone with a pet. He or she may not know how to be gentle with the pet. This can cause the pet to get mad and bite.
• Don’t try to separate fighting animals. You may get bit in the process.
• Avoid contact with animals that are sick or have unknown vaccination records.
• Don’t disturb animals while they’re eating. Animals often are protective of their food.
• Keep your pets on a leash when in public.

The disease rabies is uncommon in cats and dogs in the United States. And most people who have cat and dog bites don’t need a rabies shot. However, rabies is common in wild animals like raccoons, skunks, bats, and coyotes.

If you’re bit by a cat or dog, and you know the owner of the pet, ask for the pet’s health records. They will show vaccinations the animal has had, including one for rabies. To be on the safe side, it’s a good idea to isolate the pet for 10 days and monitor it for signs of rabies. If the animal does show signs of the disease, a veterinarian will test it. If positive, you will need to get a series of rabies shots. You’ll get 2 shots right away and 3 more shots over a 14-day period.

If the cat or dog that bit you is a stray, or a wild animal, call animal control. They will try to find the animal to test it for rabies. In this situation, your doctor may or may not recommend the rabies shots.

If needed, report your bite incident to the proper authority. This could be animal control or the police.

Questions to ask your doctor

• What should I do with my family pet if it bites someone?
• What are the signs or symptoms of rabies?
• When should I get authorities involved?

Resources

National Institutes of Health, MedlinePlus: Animal Bites

World Health Organization: Animal Bites

Copyright © American Academy of Family Physicians

This information provides a general overview and may not apply to everyone. Talk to your family doctor to find out if this information applies to you and to get more information on this subject.