bite of the cat: that's what's behind it?

Have you ever wanted to bite your girlfriend just because you love her, then you probably already know what a cat's love bite means.

bite of the cat: that's what's behind it?

The predatory dentition of our house tigers with their long pointed canines may be ideally designed for hunting mice. But no one likes to experience firsthand what it's capable of. Because once the cat bites, it can hurt quite a bit.

However, cat lovers know that not all bites from our furry noses mean the same thing - they differ in their severity and in their cause. We want to shed some light on the mystery of the love bites of our cats. We will also show you how to read the body language of your four-pawed friend so that the cat bite is not completely unexpected for you.

A cat bite often occurs while you are playing while you are comfortably sitting with your cat on the couch and hitting him tenderly. Suddenly he bites your hand or bites your finger. Of course, you may wonder why your cat is treating you like this, did you do something wrong, and why your cat is showing aggressive behavior for no reason. Perhaps in our article, you will find the answers.

Don't worry my friend: Neither you nor your little tiger friend did you wrong.- Your cat only bites because it feels comfortable and loved. Cats show love through unexpected behavior such as biting.

What are cat love bites?

Love bites are also described in American as "petting-induced aggression".  This term aptly describes what a love bite is and what it is due to. It is a form of attack on a person or object whose trigger is tenderness and intimacy.

You can recognize a love bite by several characteristics:

• Usually, it happens in a completely relaxed situation, while petting, fondling, or dozing.
• It happens suddenly and seemingly without warning. Only if you know your cat very well, observe, and can read, you can recognize it early.
• Bites out of affection usually occur after an intense licking of the hand that is stroking and caressing. The licking gets stronger and stronger until the affection bite - after that, the cats continue to lick the hand and act as if nothing had happened.
• A love bite rarely breaks the skin.
• It is never accompanied by hissing or growling and no claws are used. The cat remains basically relaxed - only shortly before the love bites its body language may betray a slight tension.

Why does the cat bite out of love?

Advisors actually see the origin of this behavior in the mating behavior of cats. When the male cat wants to mate with a female cat, he bites her neck tenderly several times beforehand. Shortly before the actual mating, the male cat then bites really hard. According to the guidebook, cats want to reduce an excess of energy and tension with the love bite, which builds up during the crawling and caressing - similar to mating.

If you as an owner have such a great intimacy with your cat that it bites you lovingly, you should actually congratulate yourself on a successful and trusting animal-human relationship. At least, the bond with the cat seems to be very much in order.

What do love bites of the cat mean?

The actual meaning behind the love bites can thus be explained: they are part of the cat's normal social instinct. The relationship among conspecifics in a pack is strengthened by mutual affectionate biting. Counselors confirm that the same is true for the relationship between purring housemates and their owners. That is why here and there a cat bite out of love can be observed there as well.

How do love bites differ from "real" biting?

Careful, it gets short technical: The biting force quotient indicates the ratio of biting pressure and body mass. We humans have a biting force quotient of about 5, a groin crocodile bites with a quotient of about 30. As far as their biting power is concerned, our cuddly cat is about in between with a quotient of 16.

However, cats bite with full force only during hunting and defense. In these situations, they also use their claws, which they use to hold on during hunting and to scratch during the defense.

In love bites, cats use only a fraction of their biting pressure and do not use their claws - at most they extend and retract them, but without scratching. Such a cat bite does not announce itself like a real bite by a tense body and warning sounds. This sign of affection often comes out of nowhere for inexperienced cat owners who cannot yet read body language.

Why are cat bites dangerous?

The more force cats use when biting, the more likely they are to puncture the epidermis and the more likely bacteria are to enter the body.

The hand and wrists are particularly at risk from this behavior: many tendons and tendon sheaths are located here. In the event of a bite, pathogens can settle in these regions and spread before the immune system intervenes via the blood. Thus, 50 percent of all real cat bites result in infections that can lead to blood poisoning (sepsis) or tetanus if not treated. So in the case of a true bite, you should have a doctor check to see if anything needs to be treated.

Dogs and cats bite differently

The teeth of cats are sharper and finer than those of dogs. Cats reach with their fangs - similar to the needles of a hypodermic syringe - deeper tissue regions than the dog. In contrast, in dogs, infections occur in only three percent of all bites. However, the dog with its powerful teeth also causes more damage due to the more severe injuries.

Is it possible to get rid of love bites?

Many cat lovers do not find the love bites of their pet so unpleasant - of course, only if he does not overdo it with his proofs of affection. If it does not remain with a light prick or pinch, you should train your purring friend to trick the undesirable behavior off.

Negative linking

Not all advisors advocate this method, because after all, nibbling or biting is a sign of love, but linking the love bite with an unpleasant experience can make cats stop this behavior.

The first prerequisite for this is to closely observe the cats' body language. Learn to read them. So you can more or less easily determine in which situations they bite and by which signals you can recognize and determine this. When they start to bite, you have to connect it with a negative sound for the cats. A whistle, a loud boo-hoo call, or a squawking no could, according to the guidebook, ensure success with the cat after just a few training sessions.

Distract

Another learning method for cats is a spontaneous distraction. The unwanted behavior must be skipped very shortly before its outbreak by giving the cat something more interesting to smell or lick than your hand. So you watch your tiger and simply give him an inch of salmon cream each time just before he bites.

For most cat lovers, however, knowing that their cats don't bite viciously is enough to stop worrying. Advisors for cats confirm that this behavior is genetically controlled and does not allow conclusions about deeper-seated problems. So let's just be happy about this sign of affection ... even if it sometimes pinches a little. ♥

Thanks for reading: bite of the cat: that's what's behind it?, Sorry, my English is bad:)