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I know some of you out there keep cats as well as fish; thought I'd throw this question out there until I find a kitty forum for the new kitty and the questions that accompany him.

My dearest Lucky is hugely affectionate (read "Kitten got a kitty!" for details). He is constantly in my lap, rumble-purring and cheek marking me.

My question is this: why does he give me love bites? I don't mean like, full out bites, just like, nibbling along the skin.

You'd think after a few times of "Mommy" making funny noises and shaking the abused body part (sharp teeth on this guy!), he'd figure it out. He never breaks the skin or even comes close, just enough for me to feel it. Actually, I think he's getting better, I just got half a dozen love bites that didn't make me yelp in surprise.

I guess I'm just curious. The paw-pats and cheek-rubbing and licking and snuggling I'm cool with. I'll even get over the tabby-tipped white fur on my black clothes... I just don't get the nibbling/biting. I know he's not trying to hurt me, but I don't know how to tell him that when he does it, it makes me itch!

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

My parents had a cat that did that from kitten until it passed. it was just his way of saying he likes you or the way i seen it was that he wanted attention.

Fish tanks are an expensive addiction

Three of our six cats do that too. I'm thinking it's more or less sexually related......... as I see the same interaction between the cats, even though they are spayed & neutered. I believe it to be instinctually based. It's just something they do, especially the males, since they use that same action while mating, grabbing the female by the back of the neck. That's my theory anyway.

One of mine does it quick & easy, (a female) so there isn't much time to react there or any need really. But when the other two do it, (males) it can be quite hard at times, & being startled, I naturally holler. That lets them know I didn't like it. Not that it helps. ha

I just try to be cautious with those two & anticipate a nip & keep my face away from them at times I think it might be too inviting.

Neither of my cats nips my face or any other part of my body. Mooch likes to put one of his paws on my face when I'm laying next to him. Pepper likes to lick my cheek when I'm laying next to her.

Both of them do knead when they're content, they're not declawed so it can be a bit painful.

I think your new kitty could just be showing you affection, he may even be marking you with his scent.

OK... I just went on another forum I frequent and one of the girls there told me she visits this site to talk about cats: http://mycathatesyou.com/

I think I'm going to check it out myself!

Our tank: 45 gallons
7x Cardinal Tetras 7x Black Neon Tetras
7x Glowlight Tetras 2x Ottos 2x Ghost Shrimp 3x Spotted Corys 3x Panda Corys

Yeah nipping is usually a sign of fondness, a cat is perfectly capable of biting you down to the bone, so this is purely affectionate communication and attention seeking. You can train them out of it but combine nipping with the treading and kneading they do, not to mention the tongue is like sandpaper then basically as a cat owner you have to be willing to accept a little pain. Love is pain and all that. My gf moans about the nipping too and im always taking the mickey out of her for it!

I cant imagine declawing a cat, what kind of wimp do you have to be to wanna do that? Extreme life quality affecting wimpiness that is. Should be illegal as far as im concerned. Its another of those things that prove americans lead in the field of animal welfare. NOT.

Whats next? toothless rabbits? and bottom free skunks? Seems like is a person can remove a part of a creatures anatomy at will these days, but as far as im concerned that isnt accepting the animal for what it is, and it isnt truly loving the animal. Even if I had a friend who was a haemophiliac, i would tell them just to NOT get a cat, not have its claws removed.All sense has left the human race.

Excuse me while I go and wrap pillows around lamp posts, In case some idiot feels the urge to walk into one.

As the great John Cleese and Graham Chapman were often known to say.....

"This is just getting silly".

Opps! You said not really bites, but nibbling along the skin. I was talking about actually biting. That's what I call love bites. Nibbling along my skin is not something my cats do to me although it's something they do to themselves when they're after a flea.

But one of my dogs does that nibbling thing along the skin to humans. He's acting as if he is trying to get a flea that is on us. He also does it to his "buddy" dog. He's not actually after a flea though......... he's just going through the actions. It reminds me of like when chimps groom each other.

On the subject of cat de-clawing........ I saw it done to a kitten on tv. once. It's not like they just pull the claw out. What they do is cut the end of the "finger" off at the first joint.

Hi,
When we first got our cats, Susan asked about having them
declawed. The response was "its like having your finger
nails pulled off, and the ends remain permanently super
sensitive." Enuff said. We never had it done.
Instead we trained them not to use the furniture as their
clawing post. When they were really little they would
try what you were describing. When they did it to Susan
she would jump, shout, and shake the injured part, loudly
scolding them. Being a guy, when they tried it with me,
it earned them a tap on the nose and me shaking my finger
at them loudly, gruffly, saying "NO."
Which was a mistake as the shaking finger became
a new toy and they were alot faster stiking at the shaking
finger than I was at retreating. Eventually "we" all
learned, and the practice has gone away with age.

Now that they are "old ladies" (15 years) they get fiesty
when you rub their fur the wrong way as they are laying
in the sun sleeping, and that will usually earn you a
hiss, and if you continue, a fake bite. A sort of a
warning.

As far as kneeding... They love you, they are content,
they kneed.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Both my cats give love nibbles....it's just a cat thing to do. LOL

I disagree with declawing as well, but, as far as I know, America is not the only country to do this (now or in the past), so I could do without the America bashing. Yes, we're slow to outlaw barbaric behavior over here....has a little thing to do with "freedom of choice" that so many yell about at the top of their lungs.

But, I digress.....

Here's a cat site for you: www.felineadvice.com

I'm there as much as I am here....come on in....we love new members!!!

---

~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

Oh, I totally agree, declawing is like, cruel and unusual punishment. I wrote several papers in my school career on the subject. Even though this is my first experience with Owning a cat, I've adored them for as long as I can remember. The only way any cat of mine would be declawed is if I happened to fall in love with a cat who had already been declawed.

Lucky does get to go outside (supervised when he had a backyard, and I'll bring him out on harness and leash when it gets warmer here), so it would be totally unfair to declaw him even if I didn't have a huge issue with the process. He'll also get to go back "home" and wander around his backyard come spring or summer. It's only fair, he's used to being able to go outside. He's already been basking in front of the open window (we're the top floor of the apartment building and the heat from below us was roasting our apartment) and sniffing all interestedly.

Thanks for the link, crazyred, I'll definitely check it out.

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

I would never declaw a cat, I consider it animal cruelty. I always ask, "How would you like to have your fingernails ripped out?"

Pepper learned to use a scratching post when she was a kitten. Mooch has never liked scratching posts, he prefers carpet.

Both of my cats are about 12 years old, neither of them bite. If Mooch is laying about and I'm bothering him he will swat... but not before he warns me with a few quick flicks of his tail. Pepper will mutter a low meow, a warning signal for me to back off before she swipes. By now I know both of my cats very well, and sustain very few injuries.

Our tank: 45 gallons
7x Cardinal Tetras 7x Black Neon Tetras
7x Glowlight Tetras 2x Ottos 2x Ghost Shrimp 3x Spotted Corys 3x Panda Corys

Thanks for the link, crazyred, I'll definitely check it out.

You are most welcome. It's a great site....a little slow sometimes, but I'm always posting pics of my beasts and discussing their antics. LOL

---

~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."