Do you have a nippy cat?
‘Mews and Yips’ from the Central Aroostook Humane Society
By P.J. Russell
Special to The Star-Herald
“Ow! That hurt!” The cat bit me, why did he do that?
Well, like most things in life there are many reasons. Some are just “love nips,” others are a bit more painful. Some reasons are easy to see, while others are not.
One reason for this reaction with a bite is the cat’s sensitivity to scents and their associations. Benny, one of my gray and whites, hates certain types of soaps and lotions. If the scent is on my hand, he would act as if he didn’t know me (it wasn’t my scent) — ears back and a nip to the hand. The scent may be offensive or unfamiliar to the cat. The smell could be anything to trigger this reaction: a dog, something you handled in the garden or car, or your laundry detergent. The cat may just not like the smell or it may have a bad association from his past. This is easy to remedy, just change brands and wash your hands of that offensive odor. My Benny doesn’t seem to mind glycerin soap.
Another reason cats bite is anger. Cats are very independent animals and know what they want. They meow for something and they can bite, scratch or yell at you when they don’t want to do something. One of the biggest dislikes of cats are closed doors — in a home, car or cage. If we force them to go where they don’t want to go or are afraid to go, then they may lash out at us. This is especially true of caged animals. Some just can’t tolerate the confined space. Many a sweet caged animal has been put down due to this reaction. A cage is no place for these cats. It would be like putting a claustrophobic person in a box. They just need to get out and will do anything to get there! They just can’t help themselves. Cats need plenty of space.
Yet another reason is fear. Your cat may be in a situation that has frightened him; he feels cornered. An example is being chased by another animal. This puts him in a wild state to help him defend himself. Be cautious, his fear is so great he may not know who you are. Give him time to calm down; reassure him and stay with him. Don’t try to grab him, you’ll only scare him more and he may then bite you. He will calm down in time. Let him come to you. When he is calmer, a few of his favorite treats and a big hug will do the trick and a world of good.
Pain or sensitivity to certain parts of their body can be a big factor in biting. One of my cats, “T.T.,” had a severe ear problem. You could not touch them without getting his teeth around your hand. He had lots of tiny blood blisters in his ears. Luckily over time and cleaning them with hydrogen peroxide, the problem slowly disappeared.
Now some cats react badly when you try to scratch their bellies, while others love it. The cats may have bruises you cannot see. He may also not be feeling well and is warning you to leave him alone. Watch where you touch him and see his reaction. You may need to see a vet or just give him time to heal.
Now for the ‘love nip.’ I once had a cat named Jimmy. God rest his soul, he was all skin and bones at 10 years old. I just had to fatten him up. Well Jimmy had a tendency about 2 o’clock in the morning to wake me with a love nip on the nose. From what I understood from his former owners this was his usual thing, but with a new baby in the house, Jimmy had to go. At first they were just a nip to wake me and be reassured I hadn’t died on him. Then one night, I guess, I was so “dead asleep” the bite was hard enough to draw blood. You can guess my reaction! “Och! Bad cat!” I brushed my hand over his face, sternly saying “No biting,” Jimmy was shocked. I don’t believe he realized he had bit me so hard. Well, I can tell you I was leery of him for a while, but he never nipped me again. He didn’t want to be yelled at, poor boy.
Another thing to remember about the love nip is that cats have loose skin. They don’t feel the nip of another cat the same way as us tight-skinned humans. So, before a nip becomes a bite, sternly tell him ‘no biting.’
There are so many reasons that a cat bites, but we love them anyway, so lets keep them and learn the reason why.
Car wash
By the way, the Friends of CAHS are having a car wash July 26 at the Dead River site on Main Street in Presque Isle from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. If you would like to volunteer, please come or email gailwieder@yahoo.com. This is a good reason to get wet! If you need your car washed, we accept any and all donations to help our shelter. Thank you all for your support.
