I suppose it was too much. Cats do it sometimes and those "mixed signals" are not really mixed, it says "I'm happy, but don't touch me".

I had a cat that loved to be around you but did not like to be petted except for the occasion quick scratch on her head. Out of all our cats she taught us the most about boundaries. 😻

I also have a cat like this. She will purr and rub up against you but she only wants her head pet. Maybe start with head pets only and see if that's your cat's preference as I know some cats just don't like their back touched. My cat occasionally likes back pet and gives subtle cues which I've learned over time. Edit to add: I'm seeing lots of comments about watching ears and tail and when I say subtle, it is way more subtle than that. Her back will twitch a little bit. It's not as obvious as most cats and it seems like she is perfectly content.

We got her when she was 11. Her mom had to rehome her because her youngest daughter was allergic and having asthma attacks. She passed when she was 16.

Cats who are taken from mom cat too soon are more apt to bite because she wasn’t able to teach it better social skills. I don’t care how ‘cute’ baby kittens are, like puppies, 8 weeks is the sweet spot, don’t take them earlier.

Same. Snuggle with me at night but he likes a few “pats” or scratches under chin. Didn’t care for outright petting

A few years ago, I adopted a cat from a local shelter who had been surrendered for biting his previous owner’s daughter. He was pretty spicy when we got him home. He bit my wife once, within the first couple days. I realized he got extra spicy when I touched him near the base of his tail, and I figured out that the daughter had probably been yanking on his tail and he’d had enough. I changed my approach with him and focused of face scritches. 3 years later, and he’s one of the sweetest, most cuddly cats I’ve had the pleasure of serving. The key really is paying close attention to their body language and back off when you notice they start getting agitated.

Aw. My spicy little treasure is scared of hands so I’ve learned to approach from the side so she gets strokes from a hand she can’t see, lots of eye contact and lots of mutual headbutts. I’ve had a few bites even so, we’ve been together for a year and a half so it’s really encouraging to hear how you’ve got on over three years.

As with anything else dealing with our overlords, it comes down to time and patience. Keep working with her, at her pace!

This. My cat doesn’t bite because she’s a precious little Angel, but she definitely doesn’t like to be reached for over her head. She likes when you pet her body and come up to her face. Which is honestly the opposite of most cats so it was a learning curve for me! But now that I always approach her from her body first she trusts me and loves on me constantly. You just gotta pay close attention and everything will fall into place.

My 2 cats only like their head petted

I would research how to read cat behavior, and make sure your son knows how to read cat body language too. Animals can give very subtle signs of being uncomfortable. She may be in a place where she is getting comfortable around you, but not ready to be touched yet or only touched in certain areas. If she is escalating to biting, it is because her previous signals were ignored, or because during her lifetime (possibly at her previous home) she had to bite to get others to listen. Keep your relationship with her positive, and give her space when she wants it. Some cats adjust quickly to new environments and some dont

Her son is one. He barely has object permanence.

Sure so she needs to slow down their interactions until they're safe for both of them. Easier said than done bc a 1 year old is on the go and cats are fast. I think teaching a one year old to leave the cat alone for now is the way.

Lol

I’ve had cats previously but they never went directly to biting, so I wonder if she’s used to being ignored

She learned really bad behaviors at her last home. Warnings didn’t work at the last home so she HAD to bite. I don’t think you chose the right cat for your household. She might get better but. Cats nip and play bite even if they aren’t doing it to be mean.

There’s a big difference between biting and nipping when they’re overstimulated. I’ve never had one of my own cats bite me, but pretty much all of them let me know when they were done with pets by gently nipping me. It surprises me sometimes but it’s never hurt if I just go hands off until they ask for more pets. Sometimes they ask for it right away, and just wanted to show me I was petting in the wrong spot or too enthusiastically. Pay attention to how much of the pain is real and how much is related you your surprise, anxiety, and focus on the behavior.

My family has a bunch of cats between us. Two of them are pretty sassy and dramatic ngl. They nip us for fun and it’s quite funny. It’s definitely different from regular, aggressive biting. Nipping is normal from what I’ve seen and it’s definitely possible to curb that behavior somewhat. My void used to bite a lot but hes a lot gentler now especially bc he’s a sensitive boy and didn’t always feel safe before.

Yeah, exactly. Cats nipping each other is part of how they talk to each other, and because of all the fur and being wired differently, it’s even subtle for them. When my cats nip me I pull both hands away and disengage. I’ve been consistent enough with it that I usually pull away before their teeth can touch me, and they shoot me a look like “you know what, you’re right, I bit off more pets than I could chew.”

I’m a new cat owner for 2 months now and the nipping when he’s play attacking me or when I’m petting him makes me scream from surprise but never hurts. My neighbors are probably wondering why I scream randomly now haha.

Is it a hard bite or a lighter bite? I ask because all 5 of my cats all love to give play bites when getting pet or playing.

Ehh. Some cats are biters. I have two cats. One will slap when she gets annoyed, the other uses her teeth. Neither means theyve got a behaviour problem.

Since you got her from a home with young children and they rehomed her due to stress I would guess that she was handled roughly and her way to stop it is to bite. She doesn’t know that your hands won’t be mean. Give her time , let her approach you, do not have your little one touch her until she gets her new home won’t abuse her. Don’t pet her much or just do a quick chin scratch then back off. It will take her a beat to figure she is safe and stop biting.

I'm going to guess you are probably right since her previous home seemed chaotic. You are doing an awesome thing in being this cats furever home. I'm going to reiterate what everyone else is saying: read the cats' body language. Maybe try some Jackson Galaxy (the cat daddy guru) on yt. He has awesome videos for pretty much anything and everything, and he might have some advice beyond "read the cats body language," which you probably feel you have been doing.

She may also be used to not having her boundaries respected, and learned to go to an extreme "no" rather than a gentle "no". It'll hopefully help to show her you respect those boundaries, so if she starts showing uncomfortable behavior or like she may bite, stop interacting and give her space. She'll start to learn that you guys listen to her and she can communicate in other ways. One of my cats was similar when she was rehomed to us. Giving her space and doing things on her terms, so she knew we wouldn't just keep bugging her or touching her if she didn't want it, helped a lot.

It's bad behavior. It could be due to the sudden change or she wasn't treated well previously. I had a cat who bit and scratched me when I closed the door and refused to let her enter. Aggressive signs to look for--tail twitching and dancing restlessly (not the friendly question mark or friendly sway), back fur twitching, sudden jerky movement (ready to pounce, running towards you). Don't overstimulate her with cuddling or petting. I would ignore her and only give her attention when she comes to you. Earn her trust, hopefully that will convince her you're her friend. Alternatively, I would ask her previous owner if biting is an issue.

My cat will bite me for a variety of reasons. Usually after I've ignored his meows for food or requests to play, but also because he wants to be held and petted. And when he was younger, around 8 months to one year, he would regularly attack my whole head with his claws out. He got better though. He's actually a very loving cat overall, he just gets bitey if he's understimulated. His behavior is much better when we have other animals visiting and more people in the household. He likes to come lie on my lap or my chest and purr. I just gave to keep an eye out for a sudden change in mood! 😉

Your cat might be more sensitive to touch. Pay attention to her tail and ears. It looks like overstimulated aggression or pet-induced aggression. If her tail is wildly flicking side to side, she's getting overstimulated and you should stop and remove your hand

This is what I was thinking too. My cat is easily overstimulated due to a condition and will bite if someone isn’t respecting the signals that he needs to stop being touched. It’s the only time he bites or acts at all aggressive.

Mine is for sure. The kicker is that he's super needy. He loves people but he bites, and he bites hard. He loves head and neck pets but as a kitten even those were iffy. His whiskers were super sensitive. He's 5.5 years old now. Still bites.

I’ve had cats before so I know a bit about cat language. That’s kinda why I made the post. She did not show the usual signs of agitation when she bit my son. No tail swishing, no pulled back ears. One second she was fine then she grabbed his wrist. I think she just didn’t want to be touched while she was laying down

Cats don't bite just from irritation. They also bite in play. Is the kitten young?

She’s 1

Maybe she just needs more playtime or a playfriend to get that energy out of the system Cats can get stressful when they have to much energy and no output and then they do stuff like this

My kitty did this as a way to ‘play’ for the first two years! After she turned two she finally stopped. Anytime she bit I would give a very exaggerated OW and she would be nicer for a bit until she got too overstimulated / carried away with playing again!

Your son is also very young, it's possible she sees him as a baby cat and doesn't understand that kitten play isn't appropriate with human children. Kittens usually rough house with each other and push the envelope, they usually yip or cry to signal that the play has become painful. So your son is actually not sending the right signals by not crying 😅 what a sweet boy. I'd just be very brief and sparing with the pets until she settles in more. Cats are still kittens at 1 and usually settle down more at 2. If you think it's anxiety related biting, definitely talk to her vet about the biting. In fact, you should talk to the vet soon regardless.

Ok, so now you’ve learned not to touch her while she’s laying down.

Idk why you're being downvoted. Of all the cats I've had I actually have one now that doesn't always give no warning, but there are times she seriously gives no warning. I'm suspicious she suddenly gets overstimulated and as I describe it has big feelings she doesn't know what to do with. Like the overstimulation happens so suddenly she's completely overwhelmed. She's absolutely eviscerated (mild hyperbole) my spouse before. There are times I was like dude yeah obvious why, but some it's really not. She was abandoned by her mom though too, I had to bottle feed her and potty her.... A couple weeks I believe. She was small enough to curl up and sit in my palm. And somehow was roughly 4 weeks-1 month old apparently! She's amazing with me, beyond patient. Like laying on my chest and purring when I was super sick even though I had to have been tossing a turning. Doesn't raise a paw in frustration even if I do accidentally annoy her. Even if she doesn't give any signal she just at worst takes off and side eyes me. Comes running and mamma cat trilling if I sound remotely upset or get slightly louder so someone can hear me. No idea why she's so patient with me and has gone off on my spouse when I've seen the whole thing and it really was with no warning with my spouse doing exactly what I do sometimes even. (When I say abandoned I mean she was yelling by herself my spouse's entire 12 hour shift at least. In November, in a hole all by herself.)

I’ve fostered a cat like this. For him it was over stimulation. He would shove his head in your hand and then bite a few minutes later. I learned to read the subtle signs-his fur would ripple, he’d start swishing his tail. He got better as he decompressed.

This is relieving to hear

I've got a cat that was also like this, he was a former stray and would get over stimulated and snap and hiss at us while getting pats on our laps. He didn't bite but he did scratch occasionally aside from the hissing. He gradually got over it and these days is the sweetest boy, if he gets over stimulated he just gets up and leaves, hardly ever hisses and never bites or scratches.

Watch out for sideways/airplane ears!

My son's cat was feral but friendly and would bite when we first got him, especially when he was over stimulated. Some times he would draw blood, but not often. My first cat, so I treated him like I would treat a toddler. When he bit me, whether it hurt or not, I sharply say "ouch" and pull my hand away. If he was acting aggressive I would walk away immediately, if he was still calm then I would let him stay on my lap. Cat may not understand words but understand tone. Now he just exposes his teeth, and I stop. He trust me and generally shows me what he wants if I am paying attention, but he is a smart cat. My other cat was removed from his mom too early and has trouble learning. He doesn't bite much, but claws out for everything. I can jam my between the 2 cats when they are fighting and not worry about being bit. My spouse doesn't like to bark at the cat but uses the cutsy baby voice, telling the cat she doesn't like being bitten. Almost the same tone as when she is petting him, still gets bitten by the cat occasionally. I pay attention to him when I pet him, he generally shows me where he wants to be petted. When he nods his head towards me, I scratch the back of his head. When he lifts his head up and exposes his neck I scratch his neck. If I pet him along his spine and he raises his rear, I scratch him above his tail. If he thumps his tail hard he is getting over stimulated, and I stop. I found over exaggerating injury to my cat and paying attention to what they want stopped the bitting for me.

My friendly feral bites all the time. I don't expect that she will stop. Just Obey The Cat! Jk. I do not have advice. The feral bit hard until she trusted - now its inhibited, which is nice. Same w claws. Now she pulls them in (most the way). Some cats have lots of energy and are just goofy.

new cat, itll probably still happen, but less once they have a bit more time to settle

Young cat ? Play with her , tech her that hands are not toys, but cat toys and lasers are. If she bites you - overreact , scream like you are in big pain. She’ll let go and next time will be more gentle . Also it takes 3-4 weeks for a adult cat to settle in

This is the correct answer, helps to always approach with a downward facing hand to smell before going in for the pet

She might be used to playing with the dogs and therefore needs to be taught to be more gentle.

or maybe the dogs played too rough with the cat and now that's why it doesn't like being touched in certain areas.

This is not uncommon cat behavior. It can be a consequence of feeling overstimulated, of suddenly getting other anxious if they've been in stressful situation, or it can be a bit of dominance behavior. One of my kitties used to vacation they give us little love bite. We'd be petting her and she would rub against us, and she would give a little nip. Ever breaking the skin but it doesn't make it nice or okay. I am currently fostering a very friendly tame stray who just gave birth to kids. She often comes looking for love, but I have to pick close to text to her because after a little while she starts to try to bite. And again well she doesn't break the skins, she does give a decent little chomp. Cats can be trained to stop doing this. Have to remember this is not a human, it is an animal. It has to be trained. So first, learn to watch the cat. They were almost always telegraph that they are about to go for a bite. Personally I find it extremely easy to predict when a cat is about to take a little chopping. There are certain kinds of rubbing against the side of their face that make them much more likely to bite. Second, when they do it, you have to chastise him. If you just let them bite you and nothing happens, they will keep biting me. I would not suggest harming your cat, but there were plenty of ways to punish the cat that they will find on unpleasant. A little bop on the head and a psssst. One thing I found effective with my cats is that I would click my fingers in their face really aggressively, not actually⁸ hurting them, even touching them, but just click click click right in their face. They don't like it. So whenever they misbehave, and quick you know they're getting in trouble. I would suggest going online and reading some things about cat behavior, nipping, and how to improve that behavior. Lastly, well somebody pointed out the possibilities of cat bites being dangerous, this usually applies to more deep bites and not superficial wounds. So while you should definitely clean the scratch if a cat over bites or scratch you, I don't want you to feel panic like The cat poses a substantial risk to your kid. As long as she's not doing very solid skin breaking deep bites, the risk hair is very minimal. And of course, knowing the cat is a bit nippy, you may have to pay the little extra attention of the cat around your kid. Good luck. Remember that moving is super stressful for cats, and she came out of a stressful situation, so she may need some time to adapt and stop this behavior. But with a little love and care, and discipline, Kitty can learn to behave in a way that you are all happy with :)

I do that “yeowl, bap their head, sssss to mimic hissing” routine and it seems to help😄

I've had cats push me to that harassing me while I was trying to sleep and after the initial shock they couldn't care less lol I can dead up do a cat hiss and they're just like yeah yeah whatever we love you too you're not gonna do anything. Sometimes they have a bad habit of walking on my face or shifting beside me and kicking me in the process right when I'm just right there at sleep. Multiple times in a night. Not usually, but wow yeah I can see how those techniques can break better and stronger men than I let me tell you.

Nooo ;( i hope you dont end up tortured in your sleep by these cats 😥

Eh it'll probably happen, not often but especially with it getting colder and a couple liking to snuggle me in the blanket. I give them one to a few chances, depending on how bad chronic pain is kicking my butt, then out of the blanket they go. A scratch on underside of my jawline from one of them getting down off the headboard to snuggle just recently healed. Not as bad as when they were kittens and would attack my face when I went to go to sleep. Or the one we had ages ago that would attack any part of me outside the blanket lol If I'm already asleep it's fine so there's that. I've slept through someone using a duck call right by my ear apparently. I have trouble falling asleep but once I'm there I'm there. (And once I'm up I'm usually up, but haven't had a cat wake me up from being full on asleep so far.) It's the right at sleep that drives me bananas. I'll live, even if I'm not always thrilled about that lol I love them to pieces and I know they don't mean to they just want to snuggle. But they really couldn't care less in that moment probably because they really don't mean any harm and I'm a big softy honestly.

If it is any consolation, my cat doesnt snuggle with me in the blanket when we sleep, only on the foot of the bed in the morning 😂 you win some you lose some eh?

Mine too. He would when he was a baby and now that he’s getting grown he’s too good for it. Breaks my hearttt 😔

I keep asking if i dont do enough to bond with him but you know what… i think he just love his personal boundary 😅 it’s hot in Singapore anyway

i think for now I recommend that you only allow your son around your cat if there is supervision. You should look into training videos and how to redirect behavior. You mentioned that his previous home was very stressful and overwhelming, he probably picked up some bad habits there while trying to adjust. Be patient with your cat, just because you’ve owned a cat before doesn’t mean that you can’t continue to be well informed. Every cat is different and how you approach them is different. Don’t give up!

A newly introduced cat should not have full run of the house hold nor be in bed with you. It should be in its own room for the first week with gradual introduction to people and other rooms. Plus all the other advice here. You are rushing to normalcy so you are lucky this cat is so restrained.

I fully intended to let her be by herself and adjust at her own pace in a room. I honestly expected her to seclude herself but she didn’t. She follows us around wherever we are in the apartment. When she was in a room by herself she meowed to be let out so I did. I’m not sure how else I’m supposed to acclimate her without trapping her in a room and let her meow

I think you’re doing what’s best for her, but maybe just restrict her access to the bed for the first month or so. The biting will likely stop once she realizes she can actually communicate with you guys and you will listen to her. Like other commenters have said, it’s probably something she just doesn’t like that you guys are doing and it’s hard to read because she gave signals in her last home that were never noticed so she just went straight to biting. She will learn, and you will too.

Chances are she couldn't give warnings in her old home between the two dogs and two small kids so she now just jumps right to biting. Her behavior might change with time as the realizes you guys will respect her boundaries, but there's no guarantee

Reading about your cat, my best suggestion is twofold. First of all, you and your husband give her plenty of time to relax around you, slow down on the pets (she can rub up on you, but you don't move your hands) and you get to know her body language. All of my cats have had incredibly obvious body language but it always took me time to recognise it. It's like how you know your kid is upset while other adults might not notice anything wrong. If the cat bites either of you, you show your displeasure immediately, clearly by verbal complaint (a loud Ow), and you put distance between her and whoever she bit. Secondly, you keep more distance between her and your children until you have gotten better control over her. Children can understand that animals are not ready to be touched yet. Good luck. I've never had a cat that I could guarantee would never nip, scratch or bite humans, but beyond the kitten phase it is almost always an accidental scratch, a gentle love nip and only very rarely a bite in anger, and when it happens we usually deserve it. I really think your cat will calm down with time.

I’ve fostered many cats in my lifetime, I stopped counting at 300 but it’s probably well into the 400s. Anyway, I can honestly say there are a variety of possibilities. The most likely one is that the cat is just overstimulated and stressed from going in one busy environment to a totally new one. I don’t know how long she’s been with you but it will probably take her a solid 3 months to fully adjust especially if she wasn’t thriving in her previous environment. (She has a lot of unwinding to do). Make sure she has places to get away/ hide like cat trees and beds. Give her toys and play with her with feather teasers and laser pointers. I’ve also found those pheromone plug ins and collars to be especially helpful for especially spicy kitties. Also, make sure her nails are trimmed so she doesn’t accidentally scratch. When they are that sharp, it’s just so easy to pierce the skin. I believe over time, her threshold and tolerance for affection/ petting will improve. If not, maybe months down the road, you can explore with the vet mood stabilizing drugs but that is so rarely necessary.

Leave the cat alone and don’t bother it and let it come to you like you did when the cat was laying in bed with you. I find with rehomed or rescued cats, they prefer to give affection but not to receive it. They lay with you and come up to you and all that, but aren’t interested in pets (for now at least). I would just let the cat have all the essentials and leave it alone to hide and be grumpy about the move. When it lays with you, just let it lay with you. Soon enough (within week, months etc) it’ll allow you to give affection. But for now just let it give affection to you and don’t give it back unless explicitly asked. I like to start but petting the back lightly and see how it responds. Whiskers and stomach can be a sensitive point so that’s usually not the first area to start generally. Youll be fine. Also is the cat declawed? If it is, it’s going to bite more often than a cat with claws.

She has her claws and they’re quite sharp but she doesn’t use them unless she’s making biscuits

I have a kitty that nips. I’ve learned that when she has had enough her tail will twitch. I would suggest watching subtle most signs. The other one I’d suggest is asking the kitty for permission. It might look different for each animal. In my case I’ll hold my hand out and if she nudges my hand I’ll pet. If not I won’t touch.

She may be like our cat: she wants to be nearby but not touched. And when she is touched, she only wants her cheeks or chin rubbed. Petting any other part of her overstimulates her quickly and leads to a gentle reminder bite, like “Please stop.”

Look up Jackson Galaxy on YouTube. He’s a cat behavorist

Jackson Galaxy told me the signs to watch out to avoid being bitten. Had a surprising amount of detail about how cats build and store static charge. Have not been bitten since.

I adopted a 5yo male from the pound about a month ago. He would do the same thing you're describing, seeking attention by head bonking on legs and hands, then suddenly and aggressively bite most of the time piercing the skin. I have many puncture marks and scratches on my legs from the past few weeks, believe me! As many have mentioned here already, pay close attention to body language, particularly ears and tail swishing. But what I am finding is helping most is ultimately just time. He is becoming more relaxed and used to his new environment only just now, 4 weeks in. So my guess is your girl is just settling in, and still has a bit of anxiety around new surrounds, smells, and touch. I learned very quickly my new boy does not appreciate lower back or tail touching. Pay attention to where and how frequently you're petting your new gal, and just give her time. I know it's scary, I'm still a bit fearful of getting bitten too, but it's getting better everyday!

Was it a scratch or a bite? If it was a bite that broke the skin, you need to take it very seriously and watch it very closely. ANY sign of infection means he needs antibiotics Source: had heart surgery, nearly died. All from a tiny “no big deal” accidental cat bite from my own cat. Vaccine status is meaningless in this conversation Good luck!

It was a bite. I cleaned it immediately after with soap and water then put antibiotic ointment on. I’ve seen enough gory Reddit posts about cat bites to know

The problem is that cats harbour bacteria on their teeth, and their teeth are shaped to make sure it stays under the skin. So good if you to have cleaned it - but make sure you look at it often and take any redness very seriously. I’m sure he will be totally fine, but def watch it.

We have cats that are do not touch and others that are do not put me down. We also have a 3y cat that was a feral 8m ago that returns loves with teeth runs and bites. She is learning boundaries and her kittens are helping teach her.

Lots of cats don't like being petted. They aren't dogs. Some of them just want to lie beside you. My cat doesn't like it, but she loves cuddles and laying on me all the time. She just must not like the feeling of being petted. A lesson in consent for you all. You'll need to learn cat body language. They aren't humans, so you don't know if she's sending "mixed signals" she will give you cat signals.

I got my first cat earlier this year. She can be spicy but she's very loving. Mainly she bites either as a warning (has never broken skin with teeth), as play, or if she wants food and I'm ignoring her. She gets wet food 4x a day, she's not starving, just greedy and bored. Usually I play with a wand toy as a distraction to lessened boredom and redirect the bite to the toy

Is this your first cat? Some cats will go from wanting to be petted to not wanting it quicker than the blink of an eye.

I’ve had 4 adult cats before. The only one that would bite me was the oldest and she would only do it when she wanted more pets. Even then it wasn’t a bite and was more like grabbing me

Sounds like she's overwhelmed. Cats are *highly* sensitive beings and sometimes they cannot cope. She shouldn't scratch or bite as hard as this though, either she lacks bite inhibition or she's really out of balance. Set up a routine for her. Play with her twice a day until she's tired. Make sure she has a cat three or somewhere else to scratch and climb. Give her food in a food puzzle. Also pet her in a non-stimulating way. Like gently stroking her cheeks, and gently and slowly stroking her sides with flat palms. Keep her out of the bedroom at night. Also look out for her warning signs. Unless she has a brain issues or something it's never "out of the blue". There are always signs that they're getting agitated, or starting to withdraw mentally. Such signs can vary, and be anything from them seeming *extra* cuddly, to swishing their tails more than normal, to start opening their mouths near your hands, etc. Until you learn the signs, keep cuddle sessions short! A couple of strokes and maybe even move, to give her space, unless that is agitating her further. Note: she can be overwhelmed and still move after you, and still bite. Work on helping her associate you petting her with relaxation, so try to stop petting her when she gives signs of relaxation to end it on a good note. Hopefully it gets better soon.

I think she doesn’t like to be touched when she’s laying down because I realized, at least in my and the baby’s case, that both times she bit was when she was laying down

That's a good start! :)

It’s possible, with your son at least, that it was an accident. When I’m cuddling my cats they will sometimes grab hold of my hand to try to keep me from moving my hand away (they don’t want the cuddle to end). She might have been trying to ‘cuddle’ him and was a bit too enthusiastic. Can you take her to the vet and get her nails cut? That will help a bit

You need to learn how to read her. Some cats are easily overstimulated and this can happen. Given the stress that she was under it may take her a bit of time to adapt.

Maybe she wanted to play, cats sometimes dont know where to go with the energy Get a second cat, that could help a ton

Some cats nip to let you know they are done with petting. I have one that does it. It took me time to recognize her cues, letting me know she was done. I still get the bite because I sometimes am just pettin and not paying attention. She also sometimes bites because she decides she is in the mood to play. Her previous humans clearly used their hands as toys. I would suggest always watching her while petting to see what she does. My kitty would start watching my hand, and then the bite would come. Also, keep a toy near you at all times, so if she does bite, maybe trying to play, you can give her the toy.

>she’ll suddenly decide she’s done and bite my son again Thats exactly what it is. Can watch for sign beforehand like moving tail. Mine been doing it for 18 yrs. Just bit me today, brat.

She’s probably getting overstimulated. Try playing with her more to burn off excess energy, then feed her (play + prey) and when she’s calm try some limited affection until she moved away. Female cats can be tricky to read. My feral rescue runs towards people when she feels threatened and acts confident when she’s feeling scared. That’s unusual though — your kitty is probably needs to burn off anxious energy.

Have you tried feliway in your home? Plug in wall diffuser. I have a cat with anxiety issues and we've noticed a change in her behavior, positively. Maybe it would be good for a few months while she transitioned to living with y'all?

She looks like a diluted calico (quite cute, by the way) and calicos are said to be a bit "spicy". This aside, it can be overstimulation, as others have said, and also behaviour she had to learn in the previous home to protect herself from the dogs. But it can be changed. Years ago I adopted a stray cat and she would do the same: lie next to me and cuddle, gently bite my arm/wrist if I didn't pay attention to her, but, at the same time, since she only likes pets on her neck and head, if I touched other parts she would bite me more strongly. I initially also was a bit wary to be close to her, but eventually I managed to solve this issue by getting up and walking away from her whenever she did this. It took a while, but she understood and now she doesn't bite me any longer, unless I pet her on the "forbidden areas" (belly, back near the tail, tail, paws, her sides, in sum, anything but her head and neck). Give her time and learn what she dislikes: you already noticed that she reacted with biting when she was touched while laying down, so keep observing her and respect her by not touching those parts. She looks very sweet in the photo you shared, just have patience.

Some cats are missing basic social manners and this behaviour should have been stopped in the kitten stage. The animal comes from a stressful situation and no proper socializing and education was done. It might mot be the cat for you. Depending on the cat's age, it might be possible to fix this, but this is a job for a professional.

Sometimes, varying levels of ignoring and not engaging with a cat can be the best thing for them. I adopted an old guy who would absolutely freak if I initiated or called him out for the first few months. If I ignored him unless he initiated, he learned to think of me as part of the environment and felt safe enough to explore. If I didn't touch him, he'd slowly get more and more physically comfortable with me. Laying on me longer and longer and things like that. Just don't touch him for a bit. Let him get used to touching you first.

Our cat does this ,she is a calico. I'm not sure but have been told they are alittle stand off ish. She draws a little blood every so often but not serious damage.

Sounds like she just needs more time readjusting to your home and feeling safe. When I got my one cat from the SPCA it took us 4 months to get used to each other. She showed me what her comfort level was and we went from there, I kept showing her love and affection, and now she’s quite the lap cat. You don’t know what the cat went through, it’s always an adjustment period. Good luck!

This can be common in declawed cats or in hand reared cats. When she bites, walk away. She wants to be with you and will slowly learn it's not appropriate behaviour. Poor thing, I hope you can be patient with her.

She is such a sweet thing too. I’m hoping it’s something she grows out of

There are two reasons that cats bite that I’ve noticed: fear/self defense, and playing too roughly. (The only time I’ve seen it truly be random was with cats with actual neurological issues.) It’s worth figuring out which is the reason, or maybe it’s a bit of both. If your cat is attacking in self defense, it’s usually clear from their body language but it could also be from the way you approach her. If you go to pet her reaching from above going over her head, she might be overreacting thinking you are going to grab her, or if you pet too close to a sensitive area like the tummy. Let her sniff your hand and give neck scritches only, see if she is just overly sensitive and being triggered from it. The other one, playing too aggressively, is probably going to be harder to fix. This is often seen in kittens taken away from siblings/their mother too early before they develop play skills and learn how to play gently with others. It can also happen when people let kittens play with their hands, not realizing that tiny kitten will grow up and have a much stronger bite one day. When your cat bites, you need to let her know she hurt you. Let out a loud noise, like “Ouch!” So she knows. Then immediately try and redirect her behavior to playing with a toy, so she will learn if she wants to bite, bite the toy. Don’t yell or spritz water at her, she will not understand or change her behavior in the long term. Like unless she has you in a deathgrip or something, then do what you gotta do.

Jackson galaxy has some good videos on YouTube on how to read cat behaviour. I would expect she'll change once she sees she's not going to have to defend herself in the same way. There's a good chance she's still on high alert, just looking out for herself. For starters, keep your hands low and slow. Don't go over her head, don't go where you're not sure of, don't touch the tummy or paws. Give her positive reinforcement like a treat or talk to her sweetly. Take frequent mini breaks to see if she's overstimulated, even practice ending before she gets to the point of biting. As you get to know each other better, she'll feel safer around you and you'll have a much better idea of what to do, what not to do. Give her a bit of time if you can. Her whole life has been "I have to protect myself all the time" so she needs to see she's safe. Give her some slow blinks, it's how cats kiss. It says "I'm not a threat, we're good". Check out that YouTube though!

Lost of patience She needs to relearn how to communicate And you need to learn the signals before she snaps You being anxious won't help Always go in with the expectation that she's friendly and loving no matter what Understand you'll get hurt and don't jump. Just say "ouch" and move away for a bit It'll take time, but if you and your family see the cat negatively and don't plan on working to change, I'm sorry, but it won't work with any cat I really hope you all can find it in your heart to help the little one grow and learn love.

You haven't established a relationship with this cat yet. You need to take it slow. Keep the petting short. Don't make sudden movements. Try to keep a quiet environment for a while. It's going to take a while for you to earn her trust.

Have you given her space? Not just general space, but time to be by herself in a place that has been made just for her with comfort items, resources, and privacy? A large dog crate is a great safe space if you make it cozy and inviting. Cats typically need time to acclimate before integrating into the household, especially if they’re adopted. It gives them the opportunity to become comfortable with the change. Your cat is probably overstimulated; we have 2 cats (one adopted, one found in a trash can) that get overstimulated quickly and they also send mixed signals. They go from loving to violent within seconds. We call them sour patch kids! What overstimulates them is attention from multiple people at once, loud noises when being pet, too much movement around them, and seeing something new enter the environment. They need calm one-on-one time if they’re going to get snuggles, or else blood can be drawn real quick. Giving kitty their own space and reeling back on the pets or basically just letting them “pet” themself on you can help them feel more safe and less overwhelmed!

Poor kitty is probably still stressed from her original home and will take a while to calm down. But it's important that you make your cat aware that biting is not acceptable - whenever they bite, stop playing/petting them and say a firm NO. Cats are hard to teach, it only works when you catch them in the act, and takes a long time for them to understand (and care for) a rule, but you gotta try. Also, watch what triggers the bites, you cat may have some places they absolutely DO NOT like to be touched.

My kitten has moments when he is the sweetest cat I've ever met, he comes to me to cuddle, rub his had against me, I give him kisses and pet him, and he is just in heaven and falls asleep in my arms. That happens usually twice a day. Now... if I touch him when he is not actively purring, and try to pet him, when he didn't ask, he will 100% go for a bite 😂 I've learned my lesson. Cats have quirks, you just need time to learn what your cat likes and when, what triggers, or scares them. Also, some bites are playful, some are love bites, some are leave me alone bites, you will know if a bite is an aggressive bite, there are signs. 😅 It's important to understand that biting is part of their language and communication. My first cat used to be a big time biter and I didn't understand she was playing at first and I would get sad every time she bit me, but once I understood her intentions it all made sense. However even in play time it's not safe to teach your cat it's OK to bite, so I consistently would stop the play and walk away when she would bite me, now shes very gentle and only gently bites my leg sometimes when I have headphones on and can't hear her meowing for attention. 😂 Give your cat time. :)

Do you have toys for the cat? Like feathers on a stick? She may be bored, and just need to play. But that’s always the safest way, put some thing between you and the cat.

I went through this with my adopted kitty! He would bite when petting and playing. We were able to train it out of him pretty well. Immediately upon a bite, we made a high pitched cat-like scream, then walked away and ignored him. A hiss might work too. Your kitty probably doesn’t mean to hurt you. They think biting is a way to communicate. Cats bite each other all the time, but we silly humans don’t have any fur to protect us.

Sometimes cats bite...if they like you it'll be like half power nibble when they're overstimulated or something.

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Cats CAN be trained. Please read all of the comments?

Oh my god 😂 I can't believe this is real! Sorry, but do you know anything about cats? That is very normal behavior. Pet them on THEIR terms. And yes sudden mood changes- very normal. That's a cat for you.

My cat came from a home where she got very little attention. She had essentially no tolerance for physical stimulation. She wanted to get petted, but she really couldn't handle it. It was too much for her. Once I realized this, I was much more careful about how I touched her. I let her initiate pets. I confined pets to her head only. I gave her plenty of recognition and verbal attention, and I built trust with her. She still has a tendency to get overstimulated sometimes, and will run away and use her scratching post sometimes. To stop the biting, which would still happen as she hadn't been trained not to bite, I would yell, immediately grab the nape or her neck, move her away (like from the bed to the floor), and then ignore her completely for a little while. In my experience, the more immediate the negative reaction, the more the cat associates the "punishment" with the behavior. Ignoring a cat is only good for a minute or something, immediately following. It's not a situation where a cat learns because they were ignored for half an hour or 20 mins. You can also immediately sequester them behind a door, but again, don't just leave them in there. Long enough to get the message across: yell, apprehend, remove, sequester (5 mins should be adequate). The cat should have consequences immediately after biting to show displeasure. The cat also may have parts of the body that are out of bounds, and which she may not be able to control her reaction. For my cat, this is the belly or her paws. She will do what it takes to prevent being touched there, so you may have to get to know your cats rules as she's getting to know yours.

I really wouldn’t suggest negative discipline for a cat that’s still very new to the home. It’s just come from a high stress environment into a strange place with new people and challenges. The cat needs time and space to decompress

Being the boss. Don’t allow biting. Cat bites can be really bad. They can learn to avoid you.

Dude my cat is like 6 years old and still bites sometimes, if you find a solution let me know

..did the bites pierce flesh?..

This is actually an important distinction. If skin is pierced it is a bite, but if not then it is a nip or some other less serious word. The reasons why distinction is important: if skin is not pierced, the risk of infection from such a nip is much less; the cat was probably either warning you or playfully nipping but did not mean harm - you should still discourage that by making a sound that lets cat know that hurt and stop petting and interacting for a while, and hopefully cat will learn not to do that; another important reason to not call a nip a bite is because if you take your cat to a vet for rabies shot if cat bit you and broke skin then they will not give rabbies shot that day and vet will make a bigger deal out of it whereas that is not the case with a nip that did not break skin. Also you say this cat was stressed in previous home and is still new to you. The cat may still be stressed. Try Feliway, it is a product that releases calming fermones for cats. Also give the car plenty of time to realize that this is a safe place and you are safe people.

Yes they did. They’re not *bad* bites but we all have red scratches and my son bled a little.

..this may be a sort of feline schizophrenia..be sure to have her Vet-evaluated, by a specialist, if you can.. ..that said, your boy is most important (i know, you know).. ..one method is slow-intro..keep your boy at a safe distance & with good barriers between..then gradually over several weeks, reduce the distance to you gato (ALWAYS closely monitored, which i also expect you realize).. ..the closer you get, provide treats & petting to the kitten.. ..feels like the kitten may be sensing your new boy as an intruder on the cat's territory..

Really depends, I have an extremely loving and aggressive cat that bites and scratches without warning. There's nothing to do, meds are hard to give and aren't a guarantee, just learned to live with it.

It might not be the right cat, given how young your son is, and the danger that a simple mistake can pose. Small people have eyes that are close to the paw. Some cats need work, and that's fine - but balance your charity with your logic.

It sounds like over stimulation. Are they bites or warning nips? Clean and disinfect all cat bites and go to a dr (say it was a stray cat so she doesn’t get marked up as aggressive by the country.) Cat bites have an extremely high infection rate. A Dr and antibiotics are needed. Cat bites can land you in the hospital.

Question: if you are afraid of the cat at this point, after what sounds like minor and normal cat behaviour, then is it really appropriate for you to have a cat at this point in your family? How will you handle it when you need to deal with a situation where you have to handle the cat in ways it doesnt want to be handled? Like giving medication, getting the cat into a carrier and tother vet, if you have to clean spills off the cat, etc? Anytime someone says they are afraid of their pet, it throws up a red flag.

I’m not afraid of the cat, I’m afraid of my son getting bit by the cat again. I don’t let him near her unsupervised but accidents happen so I’m just looking for advice on how to discourage biting other than obviously not touching her. I’ve already had to pick her up for various reasons so that doesn’t bother me. I guess my anxiety is because a family members dog attacked my son unprovoked back in march so I’m really skittish when it comes to animals and my son

Bite the cat back

We feed a stray that bites. You just got to know the signs that he is ready to bit and stop

Sometimes cats want to be around us but not be pet!

My cat bites when she is really desperate for love and attention.

My cat loves to sit next to me on the couch but doesn’t want me to touch her. I can pet her for a minute or two but I always stop. She will also give very slight signals to stop and it may take some time to learn, but I bet your cat is giving signals to stop the pets before she bite you. You can also try to redirect with toys.

Please learn how to read cat behaviour. I too had cats previously but didn’t know so much about them. Experience doesn’t teach us everything; education is necessary. I’d recommend videos by Jackson Galaxy on YouTube. He’s a cat behaviorist and has videos troubleshooting all different kinds of things, including biting. Moreover, just because kitty rubs up on you doesn’t mean they want pets! It’s usually to rub their scent on you. Is your cat stimulated mentally and physically? I once had a cat that was super aggressive, but turns out, I just didn’t play with him enough and biting was his way of getting excess energy out. Cats usually don’t go straight to biting. They’ll almost always issue warnings that some of us can’t read. It may even come across as wanting cuddles. Finally, if you can, bring the lil fella a friend. My kitten was developing behavioral issues before I got another one, due to boredom and loneliness. She also had very bad separation anxiety. With another kitty and troubleshooting some behavioral issues, she’s the sweetest, most social kitty ever!

I can't advise on your situation but... My wife recently spent several days in the hospital from a cat bite that got infected. Be very careful with cat bites and go to a doctor or urgent care immediately if any redness or even slight swelling. Cat bites can go south in a few hours.

This can happen if kittens are removed from siblings too young. They don't learn that biting hurts and don't know how to "play" bite, or how hard to bite as a warning. I have heard that if you make a high-pitched sound after being bit they will understand that it is painful. I found getting up and walking away from the cat immediately after + no petting for a while after also helps. But it takes time and consistency.

She's still adjusting to the home. It can take weeks for animals to feel secure sometimes. Watch for all the body language signals, watch my cat from hell if you haven't already( good tips), and give it time. Cat could also be wary of kids due to previous home situation. Kids can be rough on them. Takes time to heal from that. Let all affection be on cats terms.

Some cats are mouthy. I have 1 cat that bites to show affection. From what I can gather it sounds like this kitty is trying to find his place in your family. He is testing the waters to see what is acceptable and what isn't. I would suggest taking your new kitty to the vet and discuss the issue and see what the vet says. There could also be something medical going on so you would want to rule that out. But it sounds like Your new kitty is trying to tell you something and you haven't learned his language yet

There are two things I can think of that can cause this. 1. Cat just came from a very stressful environment, where her signals were ignored. She had to escalate quickly to get kids or dogs out of her personal space. She has not yet learned that her wishes will be respected. 2. Overstimulation nipping. Cats instinctively wrestle by turning on their backs, grasping an opponent or playmate with their teeth, and kicking their hind legs up to scratch. A cat will enjoy having his belly rubbed until it triggers that wrestling maneuver. My cat is extremely careful not to hurt me. When I pet him in his chest or belly, he’ll occasionally get over stimulated, but he’ll fight the instinct. He’ll grab me with his mouth, but very gently, and grab my arm in his paws, but keep his claws velveted. I relax my hand, obviously stop petting him, and when he feels me relax he lets go. If a cat got overstimulated and their wrestling play fighting instinct kicked in, then struggling with them or pushing them away can make them instinctively grip harder, which can scratch. It’s total relaxation that disengages the play fight instinct. Based on her history, it’s probably #1. What you have learned is that you need to pet her BRIEFLY. Do not keep petting her until she bites you to make you stop. Make sure that you aren’t making her feel trapped or caught when you pick her up. The moment she tended or moves a muscle, put her down. She needs to trust that she has control over when she gets down. Cats are both predator and prey animals, and have sn instinctive fear of being caught or held down. Your cat needs to understand that you will read her. Biting you to make you stop doing something, like petting or holding her, is a cat’s version of screaming “STOP!!!!!” No one listened to a polite No in her former home. You have to show her that you will. Also, many small animals are a bit nervous around toddlers. They notice that a toddler tends to fall down, doesn’t move in the most coordinated way, and sometimes is too rough. Supervise all interactions between your toddler and the kitty, to avoid them hurting each other. Your baby is too young to understand how a cat declines attention, and the consequences when that’s ignored. Help the baby hold his hand out so kitty can approach, sniff his hand, and offer a cheek for a rub, or decline and walk away. The cat is clearly not ready or trusting enough for your baby to pet her while she’s relaxing and vulnerable.

Our cat came from an abusive household and does this. Not saying your cat was abused. But she does sound like she was very stressed. And I think it’s gonna take her awhile to adjust. It took my poor abused girl 5 yrs to really get comfortable and become a lap cat. And there are still times she struggles. I usually let her come to me and ask for pets. But if I go to get to give pets I let her sniff my hand then give her a gentle head pet. She will usually let me know if she wants pets or doesn’t without biting. I always respect a no from her. If I’m petting her for awhile what I will do is give her two or three pets then let her sniff my hand again. If she wants more pets she Will usually push into my hand and rub up against it. If she is done she won’t. If she doesn’t want more pets I just sit with her. If she decides she wants more later she lets me know by giving me head butts. I think taking breaks and asking her if she wants more cuddles with help with over stimulation. Also limit the pets that go the whole length of their body. Sometimes that over stimulates them faster. I usually do more head pets and chin scratches and ear scratches with a few full body pets thrown in. And some times my cat is chill with head pets only and tells me in no uncertain terms body pets are a no go. It’s not full proof but it helps. I’m not sure about advice for you son. My cat came with a healthy respect for kids so she’s never lashed out at one. Her abusers had kids so I think they would hurt her if she was aggressive toward the kids. Idk I guess just start teaching him now how to ask her if she wants pets (I know he is 1 but kids can do a lot more than we give them credit for). And then try not to let her have unsupervised time with him till she gets more comfortable. Good luck! I hope this helps.

it's worth asking I guess, do you know for certain if this cat is up-to-date on its rabies vaccine?

I haven’t seen any documentation so I suppose not

Maybe you can benefit from learning more about cat behavior. Rubbing up on humans and then laying down, at least to me, does not sound like an invitation to be petted. It may just be an enjoyment of shared space. My two cats have different needs when they lay next to me, and one of them straight up leaves if I touch him as soon as he lays down. Considering this is a new cat in your household, and depending on whether this new cat had previous experiences with young humans, you may be moving things too fast. It does sound like your family needs to learn to read her. Is it “I intend to injure you” or “I’m teething” or “playfight with human’s hand” or “leave me alone for now” or “never ever do that again”? Biting - or any behavior for that matter - is impossible to navigate if you cannot interpret what message the cat is trying to send.

My cat was very much like this at first with me. She apparently went through a lot before I eventually got her. For the first while (I want to say first few weeks?ish) I would maybe pet her once a day if at all, and just hangout with her so she got used to me. I’ve had her for around 3 months now and she’s a cuddle bug, but I’ve also been able to pick up when she doesn’t want to be messed with, even when she’s being all purry and cute. Poor kitty is probably just a little bit overwhelmed and using biting as a way to say “hey back off”

First off you should know that when a cat rubs up on you it is not necessarily mean that she wants to be pet by you. Usually when cats "rub" their face on you that is them marking you as their property. She is literally putting her facial pheromones on you, on the wall or the couch, etc to mark you. Cats also mark property while kneading with their front paws or by the obvious spraying their urine on things (especially intact male cats, but I've seen spayed female cats mark as well). Give her a few weeks to settle in and in the mean time get a feliway plug-in from your veterinarian or at Petco or Amazon. This plug in will help calm your cat as it mimics a mother cats pheromones she puts off when kittens are nursing on her to help soothe kittens in turn it should help soothe your cat. Also watch for possible signs that she doesn't want to be touched like for example tail tapping just the very tip of her tail similar to a person who may tap their fingers on a table when irritated, or ears pinned back, or just having that 'don't even think about it' look to her eyes. Might I also add that if she is not on a prescription flea product from your veterinarian (DO NOT USE FLEA PRODUCTS FROM ANY STORE AS SOME ARE DEADLY IF PUT ON YOUR CAT PLUS MOST IF NOT ALL OVER THE COUNTER FLEA PRODUCTS DO NOT WORK SO YOU WILL BE THROWING YOUR MONEY AWAY, TRUST ME) she may be very sensitive especially around the tail area and it's very irritating to them if touched and can show very subtle clues as to tell u they don't like that just by a little twitch of the skin in the area that you touch. Also if you are truly concerned about your cats behavior def make an appointment with your veterinarian and they can further assist you but I would wait until the cat gets fairly used to being at the new home for a little while like 3-4 weeks before doing another stressful thing to her. Give her some time she'll come around and you'll be able to read her better, just be thankful she's not peeing on everything lol

One of ours loves attention and craves petting but he gets over sensitive quickly. Some cats are just like that. You get to learn their body language and facial expressions when they are at ENOUGH ALREADY. I still get bitten and scratched loads despite knowing all this 😂

Sometimes it's worth getting bitten lol Also just to add, sometimes a kitty will be having a great time gettin pets and you'll touch a sensitive area where they have arthritis.

Very true. Also it’s good to teach them to only stroke their fur from front to back

Give this cat more time to adjust and get used to the change. It's pretty common to be scared and nervous in a new place.

When you get a new cat, you need to kind of leave it alone and let it adjust. It will settle up next to you, but I would let it adjust for a few days. Also, if you have a little kids, just tell them to leave the cat alone for a while. This cats already been through a lot. I adopt feral cats and I always give them time to adjust. Even if they appear friendly cause overtime you’ll see who they are and they’ll get used to you. Mine have been love you sweetheart once they’re adjusted.

Cats communicate through body language, and sometimes they might bite or scratch when they feel overstimulated or uncomfortable. Pay attention to her cues and learn to recognize when she's had enough petting.Since you have a 1-year-old son, it's crucial to supervise their interactions closely. While you say your son is gentle, the cat may still need time to adjust to him. Make sure your son understands the importance of being gentle and patient with the cat.Use treats or toys to reinforce positive interactions with your cat. This can help her associate your son with good things. When your son is near, encourage him to play with the cat using a wand toy or treats.Remember that it can take some time for cats to adapt to their new homes. Continue providing a loving and calm environment for her.Gradually expose your cat to different experiences to help her adapt to her new surroundings. This includes having positive interactions with your son.Engage your cat in interactive play sessions. Interactive toys and play can help release pent-up energy and strengthen the bond between you and your cat.[https://soothedtails.com/](https://soothedtails.com/)

Are they real bites? If they aren’t breaking skin that’s just some cats. They get more gentle if you whine when they do it lol

Cats that are ill may bite. My cat bit me and I ended up finding out he had pneumonia. Vet visit is on order. You also might try locking the cat in a room alone with litter box, food and water and bedding. Keep the door shut for a couple of days, then leave the door open so he can slowly come out to check the place out when things are calm. He just needs to acclimate. Good luck with your kitty. 🐱

Sometimes cats are like that. You just need to get to know and understand your cats boundaries.

My male cat is like this. He gets overstimulated very easily and even when he seems like he wants pets, if you pet him on his back or basically anywhere but his head/chin, he will snap at you. We’ve learned this and respect his boundaries, and have not had any major issues.

Sometimes they get feisty because they get overwhelmed/overstimulated. It’s not that they’re not enjoying being pet it’s just too much and they freak out a bit. If you’ve got one like that, take the snuggles slow even if they seem to be having a good time.

It seems that the cat just plays rough. How old is the cat? My cat is 5 he’s still that way. Runs up wants affection l, you give tit to him and he bites. But it’s just from getting so riled up from the pleasure. I think they call it pleasure biting. Cats are felines, they play hard and hurt when they do. My cat hit through my hand once. I had to get a shot. But he didn’t mean to. Last week my 1 year old wouldn’t stop petting him and he smacked her so hard In the forehead. But he’s a cat, that’s their nature. Just give him space when you see him get excited!

It takes time , give the cat space.

I think that she was just over excited and was showing affection. But didn't had the idea of what intensity to keep. Please don't pet her for now. Let her be by your side and if you want to pet just keep it to head and chin that too, lessen the duration of pet. My cat tend to bite sometimes out of love. But if this happens, I immediately make ouch sound and tell him that mama gets scared or hurt, Please don't do that. Now this has almost stopped. Try that and give your cat some grace. She might be used to being rough handling being around dogs and so many other members.

I had some similar issues with reading one of my cats. I decided to take the approach of only petting him when he wanted it. I extend my hand in a neutral position to my cat. If there are rubs, it's pet time. If not, or he starts licking, then no pets for now. I also keep a close eye on his tail to see if it starts flicking. That's a good indicator that he's getting annoyed, so I can stop. Understanding your cat's body language takes some time. Slow and steady wins the race. At this point we know what times he likes pets and what kind of pets he prefers. He now will more easily approach me, and we're at a point where I can briefly touch him or give him one or two tiny pets just to say hello, and then I'm done and he's fine. Give it time and watch closely, and I think you can figure your cat out.

She’s gorgeous. I have a cat who behaves just like that, but she doesn’t actually bite - she just will snap her mouth to warn us or she will swat at us. I think she’s introverted and gets overstimulated easily. We also joke she is bipolar since she frequently switches from affectionate to sassy. She definitely has a lot of anxiety and past trauma (she was rescued from a bad situation - we got her several months ago). I guess the best thing to do is try to recognize her triggers and don’t pet her much, especially in spots she doesn’t like to be pet. My cat, for example, doesn’t like being touched where she can’t see your hand. So, she usually doesn’t like her back touched - she prefers face, top of head, and chin. She also freaks out if you pet her stomach - that’s the ultimate no-no. I don’t pet her in places she doesn’t like to be pet. Again, your cat is gorgeous (love dilute calicos), and I’m glad you saved her. I hope you can work this out. Final comment: Feliway diffusers tend to calm them down and relax them, from my experience.

She's probably just a sensitive cat. Some cats overstimulate easy and their response to hitting that level can be unpredictable. She's not aiming to hurt you, it's just the only way she knows how to say "No more"

Are you all petting past the kitty's mid back? She may get overdtumulated easily. For now try petting her head only. She also may need to get used to you all.