While cat animals may look soft and cuddly, we should always remember that they have descended from a strong line of predators and still have some very sharp teeth and claws!
Cats even have peculiar ways of showing affection – which can range from rubbing against you to biting! Cat bites can mean different things and may often feel odd to humans. For example, trying to attack or bite you when you are crying or having a breakdown. Seems rather cruel for your pet to do that, but the reason behind it is simple – they think the sounds you make when you cry are sounds of prey!
However, there are different reasons for cats biting you when you cry too. Let me share with you some of my observations and experiences.
Are Cat Bites Dangerous?
Cat bites can prove to be fatal even if it is your pet cat. This is mainly because of the bodily differences in our species. There is a large number of bacteria that cats carry in their mouth which can cause tissue infections on human skin. If wounded, swollen, or red, it can even cause a skin infection called cellulitis.
Note that scratches or bites that barely graze the skin do not have a heavy chance of infection. However, due to the presence of bacteria, I advise that you clean and wash your wound properly and give it first aid at least.
Remember to hold your wound – whether major or small, under the water for the length of time to get rid of any remaining germs.
If the cat has bitten through the skin, then the chances of infection are high and after cleaning it thoroughly, a visit to the doctor is advised. Cat bites can get infected very quickly, and it is always better to be on the safe side.
Why Does My Pet Cat Bite Me When I Cry?
There are many different reasons if your cat bites you when you cry, such as:
- Cats are inbred to relate high-pitched noises to the sound of prey. Your pet may very well be thinking that you are something they can hunt (given their preys are mostly small, squeaky animals) and try to see if you are consumable when you cry.
- It might be that your cat is trying to stop you from making crying noises. To these highly sensitive beings, the crying may upset or faze them. So, they try to stop you from making these sounds by biting. I have also noticed that in a litter, biting or fighting is the only way kittens stop each other from crying.
- Biting can sometimes mean that your cat is trying to comfort you by trying to get your attention. Since you and your cat do not speak the same language, it does the only thing that comes to its mind to comfort you and stop the negative aura.
Remember that you should never be aggressive towards your cat when you are upset. They do not understand that your crying is out of sadness at once and the loud noises along with hostile behavior of any kind will make your cat think you are coming to harm them and even make them trust you less.
How To Stop Your Cat From Biting You?
So your cat thinks you are a four-course meal and keeps wanting to bite you! Now, what can you do to stop these attacks? While you may not be able to stop them completely, there still are a few good ways to stop your feline friend from trying to bite you.
- Never give your cat your hands to play with. This is the first rule of cat keeping as it might encourage a negative habit and make your pet think your hands are toys.
- Make noises of pain or shout a little if your cat bites you. Kittens learn to distinguish painful and playful bites by jabbing at each other when in their litter. If you are an owner of a single cat, then the duty falls upon you to teach it that the bite hurts by reacting similarly.
- Get your cat toys as replacements for your hands. Some cats love soft toys or those made out of rubber and enjoy biting into them. Make sure to give your cat lots of options to choose from.
- Do not ever physically attack your cat back. Not only is it cruel to animals who have a different set of understanding, but the hitting or even gentle smacking can make your cat think you are playing with them and stimulate their playful mood even more.
- If you live in a family, tell everyone to give the same responses to such behavior. Different reactions may confuse the cat, so you should try to maintain consistency and have everyone be gentle with your pet.
Can Cats Understand That You Are Upset?
Cats are extremely sensitive and sensible creatures. They are not capable of pinpointing the exact reason behind why you are upset, but they can definitely sense a change of atmosphere if you get sad or start crying.
While some cats may not respond to this change very well and get depressed along with you, some cats will even try to comfort you when you are sad by trying to be close to you.
The reaction of your cat upon seeing you sad depends on their adaptive behavior. If you cuddle your cat more during your sad periods, they will learn to come to you when they notice this change.
Final Thoughts
Contrary to popular belief, cats are amazing creatures and even better companions with great intelligence and understanding. Though they may be infamous for unpredictability, your pet cat has very little chance of behaving out of character!
Finally, here’s a personal tip to train your feline companion – anything is achievable with the help of food! Use cat treats and all kinds of edible items to make your cat learn behaviors and actions that will get rewards. With training that involves food, you will probably get faster results and your cat will also be content with learning.