My cat bites me or my boyfriend sometimes out of the blue, usually when we're petting her. Just now she came and cuddled on my lap for a good amount of time, and when i moved my arm in front of her face she like, hugs my arm with her paws and bites. It's not hard, it can sometimes scratch my skin but it's still a behavior I don't want her to do, especially if I don't know the reason behind it. I realize mostly the position I put myself in that gets a hug and a bite, so I haven't been bitten in a while, but I just don't like it. Any thoughts?



She's starting to 'get' the tones and words of 'good kitty' and 'BAD KITTY!' so maybe that will help?

If you do ANY playtime that involves fingers/hands/arms STOP! No matter how cute it is you are teaching the cat that it's okay to attack human bits.

A supposedly random attack on your lap could be the cat telling you it's annoyed and had enough petting. If you're not petting at that moment then it's a play attack. A sharp 'No!' and removing the cat from your lap should work. Also, moving your finger towards the cats mouth instead of away usually gets them to let go. Try very very hard not to move your body part that is being bitten as that could be an initiative for play.

I notice this behaviour in my two cats when they are cuddling. One will begin to groom and it will turn into a play session until someone falls off the couch. Indicating to the cat you do not like it will probably work, even a sharp 'yow!' may work instead of a 'no'. Always remove your cat from you lap after indicating you do not like it or a dominant cat will merely stare at you, then continue the play.

No, we don't play with our hands or anything like that. BAD IDEA lol.

I figure she used to do this to the other cats she lived with. I just don't want it to keep going and have to explain to my kids how to not get bit.

If it is when you are petting her, then you might me overstimulating her. Try petting her for a few minutes at a time and then giving her a break for several seconds and then petting her again.

Usually you can tell some things by their body language. If she turned her head away and doesn't look at you or her tail starts flipping pretty hard, let her cool down, because that usually means they are getting ready to bite or nip. Good luck!