Cats are funny. Not always humorous or funny, but often funny in a strange way. They have mood swings where one moment your cat will be pestering you constantly for attention and other times will completely ignore you. As odd as that may seem, it just comes with the territory of being a cat owner.
One particular behavior of cats can prove to be bothersome if it is left unchecked. That is when your cat chooses to bite your toes or feet. There are both good and bad reasons why this may be something that your cat does to you. In this article, we will take a closer look at why cats bite feet and the potential reasons behind this odd trait.
Why does my cat bite my feet?
It’s a good question because there are times when relaxing with your cat can become a painful experience just from the unexpected nibbling that can take place. As our feet are often sensitive, the sharp little claws and teeth are quite noticeable when your cat latches on.
Here is a list of possible answers to the question, why does my cat bite my feet?
Your Cat Thinks It Is Playtime
Playtime is serious business for the average cat. It is a time to simulate hunting and if your cat bites your feet, it could be a signal that your cat wants to spend some time playing with you. It also means that your cat has designated you as the object it is hunting.
You have to accept this simply because your cat has instincts that direct him or her to hunt for prey. This does not go away, even in domesticated cats. Hunting as playtime is a good stimulus for your cat and getting your feet bitten every now and then is just part of the process of your cat doing what comes naturally.
Your Cat Is Trying To Get Your Attention
Believe it or not, cats sometimes crave our attention. Sure, there are times when he or she could care less if we are around and prefer to either be left alone or to just nap all day without any activity. But there are times, and there are cats who want to be the center of attention and the only way they can achieve that is to get a bit physical.
Normally that translates to a nip on the toes or feet and basically says something like, hey, I’m over here and I need you to notice me. So, if you are asking the question, why does my cat lick and bite me? It could just be as simple as your cat telling you to pay them more attention.
Your Cat Is Distracted By The Smell of Your Feet
Okay, we need to explain this one a bit better. We are not talking about your personal hygiene by any means. What your cat is picking up is the smell of something delicious. We are not suggesting that you eat with your feet, but possibly there was something spilled on your feet during meal prep or while you were eating and you didn’t get around to cleaning it properly.
But your cat has taken notice and since he or she has sensitive smelling senses, your feet have become an object of desire. No wonder your cat is licking or biting them. Your feet are making your cat hungry.
Your Cat Is Trying To Tell Your Something
Because your cat doesn’t speak English, but appears to have a good understanding of it, he or she can’t really tell us when something is wrong. An example would be when your cat is feeling ill or has a deeper problem that does not appear to be all that obvious to us. Cats get distressed, depressed, and anxious.
Sometimes they have had enough stimulus for the day and wish everything would just stop taking place so they can relax. However, they don’t have any other way to tell us that they need a break so our cats choose to send us a signal through the only means they have - by biting our feet.
Stopping Your Cat From Biting Your Feet
If you ask yourself Why does my cat bite my feet? There are ways to curb your feline friend’s painful activities. There are a few tricks you can try that will serve to distract your cat and hopefully cause it to do something other than focus on biting your toes or feet.
Use A Toy To Redirect Attention
This is a rather effective way of changing the direction of your cat’s claws and teeth through a bit of a distraction. There are many different cat toys on the market that will pull your cat away from your feet. They include wand toys, throw toys, and kick toys.
The idea here is to introduce something different to your cat that will pull their attention away from your feet. Do not use your hands to bat your cat away as he or she may eventually start biting your hands instead of your feet.
While that solves one problem, it quite literally creates another one. Redirection through distraction is the best way to combat this.
Avoid Making Noise Or Punishing Your Cat
Why does my cat bite my feet? Well, you should have a number of answers to that question now, but how do you stop him or her from nibbling on your toes or feet? You can’t yell at them or punish them simply because that is going to just add more stress to your feline friend which compounds the problem even more.
Once your cat gets stressed about the loud way you react to them biting your feet, it may cause your cat to adopt other stress-related behavior that could become a much bigger issue. So, the best thing to do is to not get loud and refrain from punishing your cat for biting you.
Be Firm And Step Away
If your cat gives your feet a bite during playtime, or any other time, just respond with a firm “No!” and remove yourself from the play area for a few moments. You can return to playtime, but if your cat continues to bite your feet, stop playing again.
This should show your cat that biting and playing are two different things and that each time he or she bites you, playtime ends. This may take a few play sessions to get across to your cat, but if you remain consistent, everything should work out in your favor.
Just remember to be firm and to bring playtime to a halt whenever your feet get bitten.
Do Not Jerk Your Foot Away
The first reaction to getting bitten on the foot is to pull it away from your cat. Typically that is a quick reaction and the foot goes away fast. While that may get your feet out of the way, a fast moving foot sends a different signal to your cat.
What it does is it tells your cat that your foot is part of the game and your cat will chase and cling to your foot even more. What you should do instead is gently push your cat away from your foot separating them from each other.
When you do this, you tell your cat that your foot is not a toy or plaything and that you are not allowing it to become one.
In Conclusion
Why does my cat bite my feet? Well, there could be more than one reason why this happens. The main thing to remember is that your cat is not purposely trying to hurt you. He or she may be trying to play, seeking your attention, honing their hunting skills, or trying to tell you something you need to know.
The way you react to getting bitten will have a lot to do with how the situation is remedied. The tricks listed above should give you all the assistance you need in dealing with a cat that bites your feet.
