Why Does My Cat Bite Me In The Morning?

Biting is a common characteristic of cats; your cat may bite you in the morning for different reasons.

Their sharp teeth and claws make it normal for them to bite, which often happens in the morning.

However, the intensity of their bite is what matters. 

Still, you can teach them how to be gentle with their bites.

They can learn how to use their paws without drawing out their claws.

Kittens often bite for socialization, while older kitty pets bite for various motives.

Therefore, teaching them how to restrain themselves from biting unnecessarily is essential.

Mothers usually teach their kittens these manners, how to avoid hurting others with their teeth and claws.

However, some kittens are separated from their mother at a tender age and do not learn this basic training.

It falls then to the owners to teach them in kitty language.

Reasons Why Cats Bite In The Morning

Your cat may bite you often in the morning for reasons you may not understand. Some factors that cause them to bite you and others around it at the slightest opportunity include:

1. Cats Bite You In The Morning To Show Affection

Young kittens may bite you in the morning because that is how they show affection.

While asleep, your cat may also walk into your bed and bites you softly.

While you may wonder why that might be a simple way of showing love, some cats express their feelings and fondness towards their owners through biting.

You may also notice that it stares at you after biting you, perhaps for you to cuddle it.

2. Cats Bite You In The Morning To Express Hunger

When your cat wakes in the morning and feels hungry, it may bite you. Even as humans, we can often become restless when we feel hungry.

If you are wondering why your cat bites you in the morning, hunger may be the reason.

Cats do not like being denied their meals.

3. Cats Bite You In The Morning As A Means Of Communication

The conventional method of communicating in cats is meowing and gnarling.

In some cases, cats may attempt to communicate in other ways, including biting.

Your cat may have something to show or tell you in the morning.

Therefore, instead of meowing, it bites you to get your attention.

It may be that it needs you to open the door or get food.

For example, if your cat bites you in the morning, it may be trying to say it wants to go out.

4. Cats Bite You In The Morning Because Of Altered Routine

Kitty pets are creatures that maintain a habit and often stick to a specific routine. As a result, they have time for feeding, sleeping, and playing.

A new pet in the house, a new baby, or guests may alter their habits, making them jealous and insecure.

With such an altered routine and availability of needs, your cat may feel uneasy and reacts by biting.

It begins to fight to maintain its usual routine and may become aggressive, resorting to biting.

5. Cats Bite You In The Morning Due to Threat Or Insecurity

Another significant cause of why cats may bite you in the morning is the feeling of being threatened or overcome by fear.

When they feel bothered and uncomfortable, they may start biting you or use their claws to express their anger.

They also bite when you try to play with them, and they are not in the mood.

They are animals that enjoy doing things their way, so they feel uneasy when you caress their fur or poke them.

6. Cats Bite You In The Morning Because Of Unmet Needs And Attention

Cats behave similarly to humans when they get agitated and edgy when their needs are unsatisfied.

They have basic needs such as shelter, food, water, and attention, and they always expect to get these at their convenience.

As mentioned, kitty pets love to maintain their routine and expect certain things at a particular time.

Your cat may also come to bite you in the morning if there is something it needs to show you.

It may be something in its litter or some other things that require your attention.

The bite from the cat should be a sign that it needs something from you.

Therefore, you should observe this biting habit to discover what it needs.

How To Stop Them Biting You In The Morning

• Stopping your cat from biting you may be difficult or somewhat impossible due to its nature.
  However, you can practice some techniques to lessen how often they bite.
  First, you need to know its age to understand if its young age causes the biting.
  Identifying why your pet bites are essential to help you know how to stop them.
• When you have guests at your home that your kitty is unfamiliar with, explain your pet’s routines to them.
  More so, advise your visitors not to disrupt your cat’s routine to prevent them from feeling threatened or jealous.
• Minimize or completely stop how often you allow your cat to play with your fingers, hands, or toes.
  It needs to understand that your hands and other exposed body parts, even your clothing, are not toys they can bite at free will.

Instead, you can provide inanimate interactive toys to play with. These toys should not appear offensive because your kitty becomes irrational with them.

• Always be friendly around your cat, and lessen how often you express anger.
  Say tender and caring words to them.
  Train them to understand that biting or using claws is offensive and can be dangerous.
• Reduce how often you punish your cat physically.
  This makes your cat defensive, and may feel the urge to fight back someday.
• You can also teach them several cordial behaviors and reward them when they learn.
• Begin to train your kittens as soon as you get them.
  Kitty cats separated from their mother have a higher tendency to bite.
  Hence, educating them early on how to behave would be best.

Conclusion

As stated above, there are various reasons why kitty pets bite in the morning.

Therefore, you should be observant to identify the reason before it causes you more harm.

Even though using their teeth and claws are an inherent trait, you must teach them how to manage it.

Adopt the following ways listed above to stop your cats from biting.

Amanda

Purrfect n’ Pawesome is the brainchild of Amanda, who has been into researching and writing about pets to help other pet parents in nurturing their adorable pets. Currently, she runs Purrfect n’ Pawesome along with her team of experienced and dedicated pet experts. Along with being an awesome writer and entrepreneur, Amanda is a cat mom to two innocently spoiled cats, Balanca and Scruffy.
She has been writing about pet care and nurturing and wants to share her readers’ experiences, learnings, and knowledge.
Over the years, she had the opportunity to work with various pet owners having multiple breeds, and that exposure gave her experience and the lessons of a lifetime.
Her family, her entire universe revolves around her two cats, who give her endless support and inspiration to move ahead with her objectives in life. Amanda is a live example of a balanced approach to all parenthood questions we all face in life.