Cats bite humans for many reasons: anxiety, not having access to a less dangerous set of defenses, and frustration are common reasons. In some cases, the reason a cat is biting you is an attempt to get you to play with them. We call this play aggression. While bites are common, it can also include scratching or pouncing.
This type of aggressive behavior in cats can be really frustrating because your cat may not seem nervous or upset, but then chomp! Let’s talk about what play aggression is, how to tell if it’s what your cat is experiencing, and go over a few things you can try before calling in professional behavior help.
What Does Play Aggression In Cats Look Like?
Differentiating play aggression in cats from other types of aggressive behavior can be done by examining your cat’s risk factors and the behavior itself.
Risk Factors
Play aggression is more common in cats that:
- Are younger. Play aggression is more common in kittens and younger cats. In some cases, it may resolve as the cat gets older and mellows out.
- Were raised without littermates. Kittens help each other learn boundaries (which is why adopting a pair of kittens is the way to go) and how to be a cat. If they are removed from their litter too early, they may not understand that biting too hard hurts.
Behavioral Clues
Age isn’t the only thing that would clue you into biting being play aggression. Look for:
- Minimal vocalization. Aggressive behaviors due to fear or stress (such as food aggression) are more likely to be loud, whereas play aggression is silent. Cat play imitates hunting so it makes sense the cat wouldn’t make noise to scare off their prey!
- The cat leaping from behind something. Much like a real hunt, the cat doesn’t want to be spotted before they pounce.
- Where the cat bites. Ankles, feet, and sometimes arms are common places to get bitten. Some cats may latch onto your calves (which you can try redirecting them to a kicker toy if this happens).
- A “love bite” that doesn’t do much damage. While play aggression can hurt, it’s less likely to result in deep wounds. The cat will also release quicker. All cat bites should receive proper first aid and examined by a medical professional regardless.
- “Hit and run” behavior. The cat may bite or scratch, then retreat in the opposite direction. This is similar to how cats play with other cats.
- The butt wiggle. Cats may do a cute butt wiggle before pouncing. Obviously it’s not super cute if you’re being pounced on, but this is a characteristic piece of cat body language suggesting they’re feeling playful.
Addressing Play Aggression In Cats
If you suspect your cat’s biting or scratching is play aggression, what can be done? You can try DIYing a solution yourself (ideas in a moment), but the best first step is to ask a veterinarian or professional feline behavior consultant to make sure it’s actually play aggression. A veterinarian visit is particularly important as medical conditions and pain can sometimes lead to aggressive behavior in a cat.
Start By Changing Your Thinking
While you wait to meet with your veterinarian, preventing injury is important. The first thing to do may seem odd, but it’s important: reframe your thinking about the cat’s behavior.
A cat biting you is scary experience regardless of the reason, but your cat is not actually trying to harm you. They’re trying to play! Looking at the behavior differently will help you maintain your relationship with your cat and take steps that will actually help with the behavior.
Be Careful How You Play
Training cats is fun, but accidentally training your cat to scratch or bite at you is not anyone’s definition of a good time. Never use fingers, hands, or other body parts to play with your cat. It may seem harmless to do once in a while, but it teaches your cat that you are a fun cat toy.
You are not a fun cat toy.
Consistency Matters
Even if you don’t have a cat with play aggression, it is good practice to only play with your cat with toys so you don’t run into trouble. This doesn’t just stop with you, though: consistency matters. Everyone who interacts with your cat needs to only use toys to interact with your cat. That may mean having a tough conversation with your kids, but it ultimately will keep them safe.
Not sure how to get your cat engaged in play? Check out Play With Your Cat by Mikel Delgado. It’s an excellent read with a ton of ideas.
Reacting To Bites
When your cat does bite or scratch, be careful not to reinforce the behavior. This may seem counter intuitive, but cats who are bored or looking for attention may actually enjoy (to some degree) any attention you give them. Yelling at your cat or using a squirt bottle gives them that attention. They may be more likely to repeat the behavior.
In the case of spray bottles or anything that startles your cat, they have another downside: by scaring your cat, their overall level or arousal increases. It may also change the valence of their emotional state (a fancy way of saying the quality of how they’re feeling) from being playful to being afraid. That can make the aggressive behavior worse!
What To Do
Your best reaction? As little of a reaction as possible. Do your best to not saying anything or move. It’s particularly bad if you run as most prey would try to escape rather than just sitting there. This also makes you really boring for your cat. You’re not accidentally training them using play to encourage the behavior.
Obviously if your cat breaks skin, seek immediate medical attention to prevent an infection.
Redirecting your cat toward an appropriate toy once you can reach one is the next step. Wand toys are great for this because you control the movement, but any toy your cat likes playing with can help. Kicker toys are great redirection tools for cats that grab onto calves!
If this is a frequent problem for your cat, have toys stashed in places you spend a lot of time in case they are needed. I have a wall hanger that I keep my wand toys stored in so two curious cats don’t get to them outside play sessions.
Wouldn’t Playing With My Cat Encourage Them To Bite Me?
Unless the only time you play with your cat is when they bite you, it’s unlikely to encourage play aggression to redirect them to a toy. Your cat is bored or trying to meet a behavioral need. Giving them an acceptable outlet to meet addresses the root cause.
Thinking of it another way, you’re actually training your cat to play with a toy instead of with you!
Play Is The Ultimate Solution
The best thing you can do? Play with your cat every single day. Yes, daily play!
Interactive play, or play between you and your cat, should be part of your daily routine. Exact play needs vary from cat to cat, but a good rule of thumb is at least two (if not three) 15 minute play sessions per day spread through the day.
Kittens typically need more play as they’re basically tiny nuclear power plants. Seriously, where can I get some of that energy?!
While this may seem like a big ask, you will be rewarded with a happy cat and a reduction in play related aggression. Preventing the behavior from happening is more effective than reacting to it.
If you are short on time, you can supplement play sessions with a food puzzle, solo play toys if your cat likes them (Poutine really likes these chirping birds), or an electronic toy on occasion. These can help prevent boredom, but they don’t fully replace active play. Think of them as a supplement to all the fun you and your cat are having together as you play the day away!
If Play Doesn’t Work
While these can be a great starting point, some cats need a little more help. There may be something deeper going on or you may have multiple cat behavior concerns at once. Remember, if you cant’ figure out what to do, ask for help. There are professionals who can help you and your cat get back on track.
