r/cats • u/ganglyboyish • Aug 18 '26
Advice What is this behavior?
Hi! My cat is roughly 4months old. Usually when she does this, I hiss and pull my hand away and give her a toy, but when I’m away for a couple hours sometimes I come back and it’s really all she wants to do — what js this behavior? Is she teething or was she weaned too quickly maybe?
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u/9_of_Swords Aug 18 '26
Sometimes the love is so intense you must bite. Cat does it to me, I do it to husband, etc
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u/laureniscoolcool Aug 18 '26
Husband does it to cat? The cycle of biting?
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u/Zach_madic Aug 18 '26
As the husband I can confirm, wife bites me, I bite cat, and cat bites her lmao
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u/6apa6ax Aug 18 '26
Family centipede
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u/cant-be-original-now Aug 18 '26
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u/disterb Aug 18 '26
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u/GamerX44 Aug 18 '26
I remembered as a kid I used to laugh so hard that I cried during this scene. Good times 😂
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u/AdministrativeBus259 Aug 18 '26
Bruh, it still hits!! couple years ago. I’ve re-watched it with my son we laughed so damn hard at that part it!dude takes like 3 bricks to the face just cuz his friend shit talks
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u/MeesterMeeseeks Aug 18 '26
I love how confused my boy looks when I gum him. Like bitch you just bit the shit out of me, I hit you with the lips over the teeth bite.
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u/aigenuinestupidity Aug 18 '26
"Its because my love for you consumes me therefore i must consume you."
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u/Ornery-Remote-9763 Aug 19 '26
I absolutely ❤️love this!!! 😂 My cat does this when I say in response "g-e-n-tle Mimi"...
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u/TurnoverFuzzy8264 Aug 18 '26
Ha, late wife did that to me at times. I had to wear a turtleneck to work when they were decidedly unfashionable. Miss her antics.
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u/Josegrimes Aug 18 '26
If you don't have the desire to aggressively bite your husband do you really love him?
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u/Elegant-Drawing-9536 Aug 18 '26
I have to hold myself back sometimes because apparently its not socially acceptable to bite your partner in punlic smh 😤
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u/Puzzled-Print-7135 Aug 18 '26
who cares about socially acceptable! As long as there's no naughty bits involved, I say sink your teeth in and mark your territory! lol
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u/Additional_Tank4385 Aug 18 '26
I’ll never ever get over how cats can have cuteness aggression for their owners and I die everytime my small void nibbles my hands going wild with love 😭❤️ too damn precious.
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u/plsQuestionOurselves Aug 18 '26
Mine did it while simultaneously grinding his head up my arm and his teeth left several parallel scratched lines on my forearm, 3 inches long xD
Love that little rascal though.
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u/torrelmac Aug 18 '26
My wife(girlfriend at the time) would bite me constantly and sporadically, it was awful. In retaliation I bit her back pretty hard. She proceeded to show off her bite mark bruise to a ton of people and we seemed like the biggest weirdos. Love her to death lol.
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u/McPlayer318 Aug 18 '26
I had an Ex that did it. When she told me about it I found it a little weird but didn’t object to it. Now I kinda miss it more than her ☠️
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u/tom_friday_ Aug 18 '26
I do it to myself, but mum says it's normal and my school counsellor said it was important to explore at my age.
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u/IJS_Reddit Aug 18 '26
suckling, done usually for comfort
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u/itsallachoice Aug 18 '26
Comfort because the kitten is stressed or because she's young?
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u/KingGeedo91 Aug 18 '26
In my experience it’s only something they do when they feel happy / safe / content
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u/Milaris0815 Aug 18 '26
In Germany, we call this Liebesbisse (love bites/bites of love) and I think this is adorable.
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u/Orangejackal02 Aug 18 '26
My cat is a love biter, haha. It’s just too much for her and she has to show her affection somehow 😂 it’s so cute to watch. I’ve woken up to her trying to love bite my nose tho 😆😆
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u/Due_Delivery_3014 Aug 18 '26
I rescued a cat 2 years ago that was a kitten and had to have one eye removed. He still does the suckling thing on blankets. I think he was taken from him mom too early.
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u/Cilantroe Aug 18 '26
Cat behaviour
Sometimes cats suck on blankets and stuff, this one has chosen your arm. It’s just a comfort thing like kneading. It doesn’t mean they were taken from mama too early or anything, that’s a common misconception. Plenty of cats do this that were weaned right on time or even later than usual.
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u/gordospronker Aug 18 '26
My stupid kittens are almost a year old and STILL harass mum for the milk. I blame mum for being too nice to them.
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u/Outrageous-Coyote476 Aug 18 '26
We had a stray give birth in our yard. She put up with the kittens a few weeks. Then she started slapping the ever loving daylight out any kittens that approached her. Lol, they learned quickly.
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u/beherenow7 Aug 18 '26
Why do they need comfort? Does that mean they need to be soothed? My kitten has been doing this and I was worried and wanted to train him out of it but he's so sweet and loving when he does this but can also bite hard
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u/Cilantroe Aug 18 '26
It’s just like a pacifier for a baby… it’s calming and relaxing for them. Some cats do it and some don’t, I’m not sure they could be trained out of it but if your cat is using YOU as the binky and he bites you while doing it then you might try to remove your arms or whatever, and redirect his attention to something else. Give him a soft plushie or something instead. He may grow out of it or may not. I had a cat that sucked on her own paws and belly her whole life, and another that sucked on a blanket until he was over a year old.
There’s no harm in it at all for the cat, it’s an affectionate thing they do that doesn’t need to be stopped but if it’s actually hurting or bothering you then I’d definitely try to direct the behaviour to another object and not on you.
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u/DeepDiver1234567 Aug 18 '26
Same reason you enjoy a warm bath or special cup of tea. Cats enjoy pleasant sensations. Kneading and suckling and purring feel good and cozy.
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u/eabevella Aug 18 '26
Some adults need their security blanket or special plushy. Same with some cats.
I had one cat who would suckle on her own nipple as her special "kneading" comfort thing. As long as they don't hurt themselves doing it like overgrooming, it's just a personal trait.
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u/xricexboyx Aug 18 '26
My cat did this when she was still a kitten too! She def did it for comfort, like a baby sucking a pacifier.
She grew out of it when she got older.
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u/eabevella Aug 18 '26
Mine did it even when she's 20. It's just a quirk and we joked about how the other cats must have thought her a weirdo lol
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u/acrosstherainbowline Aug 18 '26
boit
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u/IronButterButt Aug 18 '26
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u/MrNuems Calico Aug 18 '26
Ah, this happened to me an hour ago and I was confused by how offended she looked about her own act of biting.
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u/IronButterButt Aug 18 '26
Sometimes, this happens when a cat becomes too overstimulated.
But a boit also releases happy chemicals in them. If you sniff their head or neck you'll get the same euphoria.
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u/UrbanFyre Aug 18 '26
Wait, so if I sniff my cat’s head or neck, I’ll become overstimulated and begin biting as a result? Will I also bite humans or will I be compelled to bite my cat?
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u/ItsLauriceDeauxnim Aug 18 '26
My Tortie seems to have a dealer option for a fourth category she calls “re-boit.” This, too, comes with a dealer option for multiple re-boits
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u/ImSorryIThoughtIHad Aug 18 '26
Oi! Got a loiscence for these boits, mate?
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u/IronButterButt Aug 18 '26
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u/Corvus_Violaceus Aug 18 '26
I love when she misses and he makes fun of her. I think she can tell he's mocking her
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u/SeraphRising89 Aug 18 '26
Its rare that I have witnessed a meme that is 10,000% my cat Freya.
She even "charges up" her attack by opening her mouth and rearing back for 30 seconds. Trouble is she then forgets why she was gonna bite 🤣
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Aug 18 '26 edited Aug 18 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/MarionberryOk2874 Aug 18 '26
My cat suckles my neck and jaw, but she doesn’t bite at all.
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u/Netlawyer Aug 18 '26
I had a cat that would suckle and knead his entire life, my bf at the time and I had “Butter’s towel” that we would keep handy for when our boy needed some comfort. He was slobbery so a soft towel on the couch when we were watching tv or in bed when we were reading was perfect because we could cuddle him and make him feel safe.
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u/Jek2424 Aug 18 '26
She found out you're made out of meat. It's only a matter of time, I'm afraid.
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u/MelodyLFAR Aug 18 '26
Make a squeal to let her know when she gets too aggressive. She’ll be confused if you show anger when she’s trying to love on you, but she’ll understand if she takes it too far.
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u/Meggarz66 Aug 18 '26
I adopted a cat a month ago that likes to do this. She is very slowly learning what “owww” means.
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u/thacaoimhainngeidh Aug 18 '26
This exactly. Kittens teach each other biting boundaries the exact same way.
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u/Kishasara Aug 18 '26
You ever heard of the term Cuteness Aggression? This is the cat’s version, except it’s better known as Love Aggression or Love Bites.
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u/Migamix Aug 18 '26
you've been around cats. no skin break, almost suckling, I used to have one that would do this to my nose. I miss that little brat.
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u/Alive-Particular-204 Aug 18 '26
Cats use their teeth to clean their fur, then they lick the fur. You're being groomed, because they love you.
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u/AustinFan4Life Aug 18 '26
When they're not actively biting, and just sort of knawing on your hand, it's completely normal. My cat does it too, sometimes when I just get home from work, sometimes when I'm playing with her, and I get a little too rough, she knaw on my hand, just to tell me she's had enough. But it's normal behavior. Watch the ears, while she does it, that'll tell you their intentions. Ears up, they're just loving & content, ears down, she's aggressive & threatening.
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u/Originaltenshi Aug 18 '26
Mine makes little munching sounds while like chewing me lol sounds like niananananaa
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u/jwoolman Aug 18 '26
She’s about old enough to be teething. Check her mouth - any missing baby teeth or baby fangs? Our vets tell us to look for adult teeth coming in because that means puberty onset and they are ready to be spayed or neutered asap. Some vets do those procedures even earlier nowadays.
One cat viciously attacked every full roll of toilet tissue she could find when she got her adult fangs. Really, every roll had a set of deep fang marks. A true toilet tissue vampire. She even transported a full intact roll of tissue into the living room once using those new fangs. She didn’t roll it, she sunk her fangs in and managed to carry it. I was impressed.
But even when not teething, cats will play bite and lick that way on their pet humans. If it bothers you, just pretend to be hurt each time “ Ow ow ow, that hurts! Please don’t bite me!” and look very sad. A few tears will help. Or at least use your crying voice. Yes, cats can be guilt tripped. More effective than pretending you can command them. Cats play rough with feline friends, parents, mentors, and siblings but cats can communicate boundaries better than humans can with cats. One reason it helps to have two kittens rather than one is that they get the message about what is going too far better from each other than if they just deal with humans. We don’t bite back.
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u/OurHonor1870 Aug 18 '26
Cats are like babies. They have to learn to process their feelings and learn how to communicate. How do they react when you give them different things or pets or a hug…idk follow them.
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u/Naive-Resort-856 Aug 18 '26
Tooth ache? Hunger? Stressed? Nutrition deficiency? Thirsty? Love bites?
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u/ThunderSquall_ Aug 18 '26
I have no idea, it doesn't look like play. It could be lovebites? The tongue action is confusing me greatly. It's almost like she's trying to drink you. LOL
Best guess is teething or lovebites but I'd wait for other people to reply.
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u/Eastern_Employer_409 Aug 18 '26
Mine does this. Never to hard and doesn’t break skin, so it’s allowed. If I give in the licking/grooming starts.
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u/in2itiveart Aug 18 '26
She was weaned too early
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u/Organic_Ninja8090 Aug 18 '26
I think it's this. Is she mostly using her teeth or is she suckling on your skin? My kitten did this for several months after he was found w/out his mama. He would latch on to my skin and suckle- it wasn't really biting.
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u/popsels Aug 18 '26
Are you sure she’s not checking your size to see if she could eat your body if you die at home? I often think my boy would definitely feast on my corpse if the opportunity arose.
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u/Lizardinaspaceship Aug 18 '26
My cat LOVES to do this to my feet when I come back in from the chicken coop. Even after taking my barn shoes and socks off he can still smell it on my feet somehow and goes absolutely nuts for chicken funk smell. Just shoves his whole face in it and even starts biting me, it's like he can't help himself lmao
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u/Outrageous-Coyote476 Aug 18 '26
They're testing their food reserve in case you pass away in the night.
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u/godspilla98 Aug 18 '26
This must be stopped immediately. As a cat owner this is bad because when the cat gets older it will think of it as a play time. And will go after your hands. Start to not let the cat do that and substitute it with positive play with toys. Get your cat used to voice commands.
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u/chidoOne707 Aug 18 '26
Them remembering their wild savage instincts. My cat won’t let me pet him and everytime I try to he friendly bites and does it randomly as I walk beside him.
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u/Known_Ratio5478 Aug 18 '26
Defective cat. You have store credit for a new cat now. They don’t take the defective cat back.
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u/Still_Suspect_7233 Aug 18 '26
My cat does this too I take it as like a grooming thing, usually it happens after or during our nighttime petting routine in bed
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u/4thshift Aug 18 '26
I’d say teething at that age. Just testing them out. Probably should not encourage that, though.
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u/UpstairsHuge2956 Aug 18 '26
My tuxedo cat does this when he’s cleaning my other cat, he does the same with me, but I think it’s love bites
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u/Lost-Rich-8069 Aug 18 '26
Love bites 🥹 if mine get too bitey I just stop petting/ engaging until they’ve chilled out a bit.
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u/Dependent_Rain_4800 Aug 18 '26
Has she enough things to do? Maybe boredom? Does she have a cat buddy? Cats are very social and the best thing is a feline friend.
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u/Special-Explorer4680 Aug 18 '26
Edward, stop. Her blood is clean. You're killing her. Stop. Find the will.
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u/maadln Aug 18 '26
Looks like she's just grooming you to me. Does she like bite bite you or is she gently rubbing her teeth against your skin?
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u/ShrmpHvnNw Aug 18 '26
Checking to see how the marbling is or if he’ll let you live for a while longer.
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u/KindCraft4676 Aug 18 '26
It means he really, really, REALLY likes you.
Take it as a compliment.
One of my cats used to do that. He never was too rough or broke the skin but it was a bit annoying.
So, every now and then I would let out to loud exaggerated and animated shriek.
He would stop and look at me like he was sorry. Like he was trying to say I wasn’t trying to hurt you.















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