Cats: What's their deal? As any cat lover will happily tell you at length, cats can be wonderfully cuddly and emotionally supportive little purr engines, so soothing that science shows there are actually health benefits to petting a cat. And then, one second later, with no warning, they can start biting you for no apparent reason.
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00:00Over half of the world's population are pet owners, with some sources, such as PetFood
00:05Industry, estimating that 57 percent of people in the world have a pet.
00:09Of that percentage, approximately 23 percent of pet owners have cats.
00:14For a lot of people, cats are delightful beasts to have around.
00:18According to The Spruce Pets, many pet owners report that relaxing with their pet cat helps
00:23lower their own anxiety and stress levels.
00:26In fact, according to HelpGuide.org, there's evidence out there that suggests a cat's purr
00:30can even lower one's blood pressure, in addition to calming the nervous system as a whole.
00:36One way many cat owners derive a sense of peace from their cats is by petting them.
00:41But sometimes, a cat can react negatively to exactly that attention.
00:45I want you to meet Kian.
00:49What?
00:50No.
00:51No.
00:52No.
00:53No.
00:54While cats can be amazing pets, they can also be super confusing.
00:58For instance, one second you're sitting there petting your cat and watching TV, and the
01:02next, your cat has flown into full rage mode and is trying to bite you as you pet her.
01:08What?
01:09Many cat owners refer to these nips as, quote, love bites.
01:12However, people who study cats and their behavior have a much more formal name for it.
01:17Petting-induced aggression, according to VetStreet.
01:20If you find the behavior confusing, you're not the only one.
01:24Experts themselves are still trying to figure it out.
01:27According to VetStreet, there are three possible reasons why a cat might bite back while you're
01:31petting them.
01:32Your cat is trying to control the interaction, via status-induced aggression, your cat has
01:38a negative association with being pet for a long time, or your cat is unhappy but has
01:43been subtle in expressing it up until that point.
01:46Other sources are quick to point out that not all cats have this negative reaction to
01:50being petted, which can make it even more confusing for cat owners.
01:54As Feline Engineering points out, if you're experiencing petting aggression from a cat
01:59for the first time, it can feel like a very personal attack when your cat bites you for
02:03just trying to provide love.
02:06Feline Engineering has also asserted that cats who nip back after being petted are trying
02:11to communicate their own preferences, which cats do have, just like nearly every other
02:16being on this planet.
02:18Luckily, the site says there are typically warning signs that indicate your cat is getting
02:22tired of your behavior, including flicking their tail, vocalizing instead of purring,
02:28trying to walk away, grooming themselves, and raising a paw to get you to stop.
02:34Of course, sometimes the best experts to consult are just regular cat owners, as they often
02:38have the best ideas for how to deal with undesirable behaviors from cats.
02:43If you've been worried about why your cat is demonstrating this kind of behavior in
02:51response to being petted, don't worry, cat owners are on the case.
02:55Cat owners all over the world have taken to discussion forums such as Reddit to get advice
03:00for what they should and should not do in response.
03:03One cat owner, for example, offered a suggestion that hasn't been mentioned yet.
03:08The cat could have hormonal reasons that explain their behavior.
03:12They wrote,
03:13"'Don'ts' wreak havoc on a cat's mood, and being spayed has a whole host of health benefits."
03:18Another person added that while the behavior might have an explanation, it shouldn't be
03:23tolerated, writing,
03:24"'Cats don't really realize that nips and bites hurt us.
03:28The way cats teach each other not to bite is pretty easy for humans to mimic.'"
03:33Happily, the same person has a solid idea for how to respond to the nips and bites if
03:38they bother you, suggesting a, quote, "'loud and high-pitched yelp' to associate with the
03:44bite, and then walking away, so the cat understands it's not okay."
03:47You may look and feel like an idiot, but it could be worth it.
03:51PetMD, meanwhile, says that love bites and cats can indeed be a misnomer, depending on
03:57the context, and that there just isn't a lot of concrete research at this time into why
04:03cats bite sometimes when they're petted, resulting in a lot of theories.
04:07The outlet also notes that, simply, some cats do not enjoy getting petted, even if
04:12they are perfectly content with resting in your lap.
04:16So the best advice?
04:17Get to know your cat's personality, and go from there.