Why does my cat suddenly bite me after first licking my hand?

[clmh]

She doesn't bite hard but looks irritated when she does it. I play with her a lot with a wand with feathers on the end and she really goes wild with it. I wonder if she is getting more wild because of that type of playing.

She is not a lap type of cat and sort of skittish. I adopted her a couple months ago, she is a year old, and she has slowly warmed up to me but lately she has been biting me more. I have been taking it real slow with her but I'm worried she is becoming a little too wild with the playing. I was hoping playing with her would build a bond but she seems to becoming more aggressive with me instead.

I thought at first her licking my hand was her way of being friendly but now I am realizing a little nip will follow if I don't back off. Any idea why she licks then bites?

[rrtzac]

Cats lick meat to soften it up first before eating it! She thinks your habd is food, sorry to say!

The waving toys and whatnot has got her to thinking that everything that is waved around is a toy!

And she is playing at being the top cat in your relationship, a firm no! will help to teach her that this is not ok. You should get on to this as she might start biting others.

Good luck

[Kristy S]

She is just grooming herself if you watch her when she cleans herself you will see her bitting its just a way to clean.

[Unregistered]

First of all, I've never heard of cats getting aggressive towards humen from playing.

The licking and biting is actually a cat's way of showing affection to you. The biting part is a way of marking it's territory. It makes you smell more from the cat.

If it doesn't bite too hard, don't worry about it! Otherwise try to gently tap it and say no. I've heard of people "punishing" their cats by squirting just a little bit water on them as well, but don't know if it's effective... Or good to do it.

That the playing makes the cat think you're food is completely off the charts - probably just a joke.

[Unregistered]

my cat does that too!its like she tries to eat me then goes phyco!i agree with rrtzac

[Unregistered]

ya my cat does that... idk y btu she does... i guess ur cats cleaning u then when they bite u there saying that theyre done cleaning u... lol idk... something like that i guess or maybe like what Kristi S. was saying

[Unregistered]

dont listen to the other answers. your cats doing this because shes marking her territory on you, also cus she loves you. my cat did this to me, she'd lick, then lightly bite, then lick again! its just their way of saying that they love you.

[Unregistered]

My cat does this as well. Its an affectionate gesture. If you watch them cleaning you see that they lick, then bite to help dislodge dirt, then continue to clean. This is what she is doing to your hand because she loves you