Cats are primarily cute and friendly creatures, but sometimes, they can seem a little ungrateful with a little nibble here and there.
The most common reason your cat bites you after licking is that it wants to show you affection. In the first place, licking is a sign of affection. However, the follow-up bite can be a reaction to overstimulation or a part of their grooming behavior.
Communication is vital, and cats have a lot of ways to tell their owners if they are happy, angry, sad, or stressed. If this is a new scenario, it might feel like an attack, and one might be left to wonder what that bite was all about.
A bite is usually not without motive. Therefore, I will teach you six causes why, one moment, the cat licks you and then all of a sudden gives you a bite.
The Cat Is Showing You Affection
Perhaps you don’t recognize the bite as very affectionate when it happens. Especially when the cat goes from licking to biting in a matter of seconds, as mentioned, the cat might want to show you their love and sign of affection – if it licks and then suddenly gives you a gentle love bite.
You can expect this interaction among our feline friends, especially kittens who test their teeth on their moms and cat owners in general. However, their sharp canine teeth will often not feel very pleasant, especially not suited right after their rough tongue has been scraping your skin for a while.
Cats Lick and Bite When They Groom
If you’ve ever watched your cat, you’ve probably seen it lick itself for hours and bite its fur with its teeth. This technique might also be applied when your cat has grooming plans for you.
Cats spend a lot of time grooming and caring for their fur during the day. The grooming action itself is wired in their brain from a young age after watching how their mother did it. As a result, cats might bite you even though it doesn’t make sense to bite on human skin.
It’s simply how they do things regarding grooming, and it does not mean you have done anything wrong.
Your Cat Might Be Overstimulated
Another common reason your cat licks and then bites you out of nowhere can be overstimulation. Here’s why.
So, let’s say you are petting the cat, and the cat is licking you while you watch the TV. Then, all of a sudden, the cat feels you have petted enough, and you are not picking up the signs – then the cat can give you a little nip to tell you they are satisfied and want to do something else.
Cats tend to do what they want and can act on their emotions quickly. But, like their best friend, humans, they have a tolerance limit. Of course, tolerance differs in every individual cat, but here are a few signs cats communicate when they start to feel overstimulated.
How Can You Tell A Cat Is Becoming Overstimulated?
- The pupils in the cat’s eye start to dilate and become larger
- The cat’s tail starts twitching back and forth. The more power and speed on the tail, the more overstimulated the cat becomes.
- The cat turns its head towards your hand and starts observing.
- The cat flattens its ears.
- The cat’s body starts to freeze and tighten up.
To avoid overstimulating your cat, learn to look for the signs above and observe if the biting keeps occurring while petting.
The Cat Wants To Play With You
An inactive cat can feel stressed due to built-up energy and is looking for a release, making them even more prone to bite while licking. Your cat probably has some toys already, and toys you can throw significantly stimulate the cat. Either kitten or adult cat, this sets their brain in motion.
Our furry friends are great playing partners, even tho licking and biting may also occur during the play. Especially if the cat wants to play with you and does not get the reaction it is looking for.
Biting can be a cat’s way of showing its wishes to you. Of course, when playing with a cat’s toy, you can also expect some licks or nibbles if you are trying to pick up the toy. But, as you know by now, it can just be an affectionate kiss because it likes playing with you.
The Cat Might Feel Stress
We all know how it is to stress over something that doesn’t deserve the amount of anxiety playing out, and the result can often be anger. Stress has the same aggression effect on our cats, and there is often a reason behind it. Changes in the environment can cause stress in cats:
- A new house.
- New people around the cat.
- Another cat or pet.
- Noises from inside or outside.
All these things can make a cat feel anxious, even if they are licking you and you think your cat is having a peaceful time. Chewing can be a typical response to stress in some breeds.
If you believe there is no reason for the cat to feel stressed at the very moment and the biting keeps occurring, I would recommend contacting a veterinarian for a check-up.
What’s on Your Skin May be Appealing to Your Cat
In the end – your cat can start to lick if it wants to taste the salt on your skin after an exercise or if your work has made you sweat throughout the day. We can’t forget to mention that cats have very powerful noses and can easily smell if you have eaten something delicious.
The smell of hand cream can also appeal to your feline friend.
As you learned previously, a little nibble might come, but it is most likely affectionate if your cat is enjoying something on your skin.
Last Thoughts
Now, we have gone through the six most common reasons why a cat might first lick you but then decide to bite. It’s not unusual, and the bite might feel horrible to begin with because it is unexpected and because of their sharp teeth.
While it is more common for kittens to bite, you can also expect this behavior from adult cats. By having this complex animal as your pet, you can expect a lot of different reactions and actions, whether you think they are necessary or unnecessary.
