Hi, I’m Dr. Lauren! Read my introduction to learn more about me and my two adventurous cats, Pancake and Tiller.
Love bites. No, not that kind…cat love bites.
We’ve probably all seen them: the loving cat who gets excited, then bites you. Or the one that comes up to you and taps you, and gives you a gentle bite.
Tiller is one of the great love biters in the world. In fact, you’re more likely to get love bitten than pur if you hook up with him. Even Pancake is not immune- a few licks, and then a good bite. No wonder Pancake no longer shares Tiller-zilla’s bed.
And Tiller is not alone.
I have met many different types of cats in my work: felines, cat people, feral cats, and biters. Clients often come in saying: my cat is biting me. You might think that people are talking about a cat that is aggressive or bites out of fear, but that is rarely the case. Most clients who talk about their bitter cats, are referring to cats who occasionally trade a gentle pat for a gentle bite. They don’t break the skin, they cause surprise rather than pain, and sometimes they are lovely, when they do it slowly, gently, and just hang in there.
But why do cats do that familiar, gentle, constant biting?
To be honest, no one really knows! If only cats could talk… But here are some theories:
- Maternal/kitten instinct and nurturing: It is possible that this instinct involving oral stimulation of the kitten to the queen along with the release of bonding hormones, extends into biting, into adult life, and into the human family of adult cat.
- Biting is a way in which cats express many emotions – not just anger. Sexual desires, play, social boundaries and more are all formed through biting. Could it be that cats use biting to communicate more than we realize?
- The vomeronasal organ: In cats, the roof of their mouth holds the vomeronasal organ, which detects various pheromones. Pheromones are chemical signatures that this organ can “smell” (people have lost everything but them). It’s possible that biting puts the cat in a better position to use their vomeronasal organ to “play out” (excuse the pun) the situation when interacting with familiar people.
But, in the end, we don’t know. Tiller will remain the “carpet shark” of the household and his “shark bite” will remain a fun and interesting hazard every time we cross up or down. Such is the danger of owning cats.
This article is part of a series by Dr. Lauren, Pancake, and Tiller.
