Many years ago a tailless kitten showed up at our door. Sunshine was probably 4 weeks old. He immediately adopted my spouse as his person and a great love affair began. In February 2019 my spouse died after a long bout with cancer. Sunshine saw me leave the house with my spouse and when I returned home alone his world was shattered. He disappeared inside the house for 6 months. He would come out to eat, drink water, and use the kitty box, All activity was done covertly either when I was otherwise occupied or at night. After 6 months he decided to “forgive” me. He is now 17 and very fragile but the vet says he is in great shape for an old cat. He has adopted me as his replacement person and when he wants petting will sit on my chest and let me pet him and groom him. He gives love bites at times but never hurts me. He is declawed and will ever so gently reach out and pat my nose if he wants more petting.

Yes. My cat is very loving and affectionate and when I pet him he always gives me very gentle little nibbles

My sister gave me her cat due to behavior issues. The family’s previous cat was very very laid back and gentle, but this one would go outside the litter box and “attack” my young niece’s feet as she walked by.

Since living with me she’s been very affectionate, first sleeping at my feet at night and within the past week or so sleeping near my upper torso where we’ll frequently “snuggle”. I’ll not simply place my arm over her torso and she’ll start purring, then lick and bite my hand. We’ve become quite fond of each other over the past few weeks since moving in with me, I wouldn’t trade her for the world.

My cat is often lonely at night when the household goes to sleep. If I should happen to come downstairs in the dark for some reason, she seems excited that I have come down, but sometimes she also seems to get aggressive. She will charge at me, follow me closely and try to bite my legs. I am
not sure if this is affection because it seems more like actual aggression – the bites are harder than love bites! She sometimes gets so intense that she corners me when I’m trying to walk. She never behaves like this during the day,
only sometimes at night. Is this playing or not? I’m
never sure.

Our cat, Tye B., will open her mouth and put her mouth over the bridge of our noses. We feel that this might be her way of giving us kisses.My husband, rescued her from the road beside where we live. a lady was in front of him and almost ran over her. She is a Calico. we’re not quite sure of her exact age but we feel that maybe she was born around April or so. She is very attached to us.She has some very weird things that she does. She fetches dollar bills
I have her on video. She likes to have her belly rubbed and loves to be held like a baby. She loves chicken and bacon and eggs. Also, if we both walk outside, when we open the door to come back in she is usually hanging on the screen about halfway up the door. She also takes toys and gets on the couch, throws them off the couch and does a backflip off the couch. She is a very happy and a social butterfly! She is so unique and that makes her the best dang cat in the world!!!!!!

2 nibblers here. My girl likes to nip my face when cuddling – she’s a chest cat and loves to suckle on my shoulder, turns to look at me and grabs hold of my face (usually lightly although she does gradually increase pressure).

My boy seems to be more bitey for attention or over stimulation – he’s a knuckle biter and usually only stops trying once he has got you at lease once during a cuddle. But bare legs in the bathroom are his fave – normally in the morning when his bowl is empty.

My cat is extremely affectionate, but she rarely bites. Even when she does bite, it is never hard nor does it break the skin. She does this when I am petting her or if she is laying on my arm which makes me curious to know if this is a love bite or a way of showing she is overstimulated. Her tail does flick when she bites me, but she continues to purr so I Don’t know what her bites signify.

Have a mixed breed Siamese who has a serious fascination with my legs when I’m sitting, and it doesn’t matter where—bedroom, desk, bathroom(!) Every now and then if I’m petting her during her figure eights, she’ll give my legs some dainty nips if I’m not giving her enough worship. They don’t hurt, only feel a little strange.

She’s also a biter sometimes when I pet her if she’s on the bed, desk or lap. There’s an affectionate bite, that’s sort of a “who said you could take that fabulous scratching device away,” and that one usually involves paws grabbing hold of my hand to keep it close as well. And then she has a bit more aggressive of bite saying she’s had enough of human germs, thanks.

I’ve had so many cats in my nearly 60 years that understanding what their mannerisms say is either second nature, or comes easily once I adapt to a different cat’s unique quirks.

Most newbie cat owners don’t get that cars are closer to lions in personality, which means they’re more social and “pack” oriented than their reputation indicates. When a new cat takes you on as a burden (how they really see us), there’s an adapting process on both sides to sort out the pack code of conduct, and that has to be nurtured and respected. It doesn’t take long to realize if you have a cat more paw/claw-prone to communicate, or more bite-prone. The pattern is clear soon enough.

I knew my new baby was a biter when of course she nipped at me, and then when all of her “claw” needs were satisfied with a simple scratching post. She never claws furniture or people. Only her post (good girl!). But the nips are just about a daily thing, and almost entirely directed at her favorite burden, me. My husband doesn’t get the nipping action I do, but then he doesn’t give our dear leader as much attention as I do. He’s the designated feeder/entertainer, while I’m assigned worship duties of head scratches, cuddles, perches, and intermittent warming device (my back while we sleep is a favorite heat source). So my greater close contact = more nips.

I have a bonded pair of brothers, one of which gives me love bites on my calf when I’m prepping their meals. He will also give me love bites when he wants attention…generallly biting my leg. Both instances are generally preceded by him rubbing up along my legs. I undetstand it’s a sign of affection but i wish he’d stop.

My adult cat gives me loves bites while I am dishing up her food. It makes me quite twitchy while I’m trying to get her food together. Is there a way to stop this behavior?

Just today. I was sitting on my couch. My cat climbs up on the couch and starts kneading on me then out of nowhere gives me a “love bite” on my hand. Twice.

I have 2 hairless cats. Blue is a lover as I got him at 5 weeks old he will grab my finger or skin an just hold it in his mouth for awhile then just let’s go. Angel my little girl is timid an fearful. We got her at 3 month old an she is very timid. Never bites but not affectionate She wants to be but just can’t get passed being scared it seems. She’s getting better she does sleep with me then becomes a different cat totally. They bring a lot of joy to us! Love them

We have two kittens, one of which we rescued from a sewer at 4 weeks, and the other we adopted at 4 months. Pennywise is now 10 months and comes for cuddles whenever she feels like it. Bughuul is 5 months and is the most affectionate kitten I’ve ever come across. He sleeps on my neck, my face, my pillow or under the blankets between my boyfriend and I. He always insists on cleaning my eyes while I sleep, much like his sister used to do. However, I’d never experienced love bits until he came along. He religiously nibbles on my nose and my nose ring and doesn’t stop until I start petting him. He purrs the entire time this is happening, and absolutely HAS TO sleep on my hands, no matter where they are. He’s an odd lil guy, but he made the perfect addition to our furmily, and definitely keeps his sister on her toes 😂

I have had my cat Jackson for over 10 years now. He is a gentle loving cat and has on occasion licked my hand but recently out of nowhere he has started to give light nibbles on my arm with the licks. It was really weird at first as he had never done that before.

I have had my cat Jackson for over 10 years now. He is a gentle loving cat and has on occasion licked my hand but recently out of nowhere he has started to give light nibbles on my arm with the licks. It was really weird at first as he had never done that before.

I have 2 cats, Kitty and Polka Dot. Kitty does head bunting to show affection. She is also a very social cat and likes to cuddle with just about anybody. She also LOVES to have her belly rubbed and be scratched everywhere. She’s never given live bites and never groomed any of us. She used to like to sleep on my shoulder or hip, but now she’s too big for that. My daughter is her “person” and she now sleeps wherever my daughter sleeps. Polka Dot loves to give love bites. She also likes to lay on my face and groom and “love bite” my ears…in particular. Or she will lay next to me and bury her head under my chin. She also likes to cuddle in my lap. She only does this to me. She does give love bites on fingers to other members of the family but I am the only one she grooms. She does t particularly like the belly rubs and she isn’t really social. If there are too many people in the house, she will hide where Kitty will garner attention. I love both of my cats and love how they show me love in different ways.

My cat does give me love bites, but I think that it is sweet, it is her way of showing affection, but when my cat bites my hand to hard, I just pull my hand away, I have been doin that for 2months now, and she is now be gentle when she gives me love bites. And my cat Jazzy DOES have 3 legs, so I try my best to not yell at her as Often as other cat owners do.

To Sheryl Hankins : The kitten that wakes you up in the night is a normal reaction. Due to the nature of kittens they feel the need to wake up like they did when they were with their mom. In the kittens mind you are his/her mom. Kittens and cats love warmth and when the kitten wakes you up, move the kitten away from your mouth and have it lay beside you. This will become a loving bond and builds trust between you and the kitten, and the behaviour will end. The other idea is to take the kitten and lay it at the end of your feet, or lay the kitten at the top of your head. between yourself and the headboard, make sure to talk to him/her. The last resort is to either keep the kitten out of the bedroom by closing the door and make sure he has something to cuddle with for comfort or have a spray bottle with water in it and spray the kitten for unwanted behavior. I found that patience, perserverance, correcting while talking to the kitten works, with out squirting water on the cat does work. Cats will learn the words
" no, get down, off the table" and they will learn that with the action and the words at the same time. I had adopted a kitten last October and I used my words and actions with the kitten. If he was on the table, I would go and pick him up off the table and while doing so I would say " off the table" and I would put him on the floor. Now he doesn’t.

I’ve always found i can stop the love bites by gently pushing INTO the bite! I think it confuses them, and they let go. It’s not easy to start doing automatically, as it’s kinda counter- intuitive, but it does work!

Without announcing herself, Zing loves to gently jump in my lap and quickly settles down always facing my left arm. Then she gives me love bites and sometimes won’t let go until I nudge her head and say ouch even though it doesn’t hurt. Afterwards she settles in for a loving catnap. She is no doubt a hands on cat and if I stroke her more than she likes she’ll just jump off my lap and onto her blanket close to my chair. I’ve had a lifetime of cats and Zing is the only one to ever do this. The others have all had their own way of showing affection. And one more thing… she is SO stubborn and likes to drum single strokes on the window. Her full name is Zingo Stubbs:)

We have a Turkish cat and i pet her most of the times. A week ago i was playing with her using a spong ball and while playing i just showed her the ball and she grabbed it with her claws scratching one of my finger and again after few days i was brushing her fur and she intentionally scratched my knuckle. I gave her a bath some days ago and after that i picked her up she though i was going to put her in the water again and she bit me but it doesn’t hurt me and just now before posting this comment i was peting her and she gave me a love bite and i was afraid and hit her with my phone and she ran and hid under the bed and now after reading this post i am feeling very sorry for her. I literally said sorry to her after some time i called her and she came running but i think she is still mad of me because she didn’t let me cuddle her like she used to but i believe i will make her more attached to me than before.

For the last few weeks I have been homeless have been sleeping in a secure spot but recently within the last week a beautiful little gray and white kitty has been working its way closer to me. But never really letting me pet her so I did the only thing I could I went and bought her some cat food and after the first can of food I brought she has finally allowed me to pet her she has been purring kneading at me and his gives me soft little bites and rolls on her belly she doesn’t bite hard at this moment she is laying in my lap after reading about The Love Bites nothing you just shows she’s happy so am I nobody wants to be alone on the street

I have 2 rescue kittens Midnight the oldest was maybe 7 weeks when I found him abandoned by his mom in the ceiling of a garage and he accepted me as mama instantly. Then I found my second rescue Seven 2 days before Christmas when it was -9. He was maybe 6 or 7 weeks old and so malnourished that he couldn’t meow until 2 days after I brought him home. Midnight adopted him straight away and again i became mama to another kitten. Both love to be attached at the hip to me at all times when home and give love bites and head butts. Recently their newest way to show love has been to start grooming me. As much as I saved their lives I believe they saved mine

We have 3 cats all adopted off the streets at the same time when they were 8 weeks old. The article about love bites is 100% spot on. However, not all cats do love bites. Just like humans they have highly varied personalities. The only commonality among cats is that if you, the human owner raise them properly they are extremely loving and fond of attention. Our cats want to be around us 24/7 and crave physical attention. But because of the varied personalities all out cats show affection in different ways. Luna (our female) does love bites EXACTLY as described in the article. Wolfie (the most dog like of our cats, he even fetches and likes rough doggy style petting!!) does the “head bunt” which is another classic sign of affection for cats. Toki is the most unique one in how he shows affection. He does something that most cats never even think about doing. He likes to jump up on your shoulder (without using his claws since he knows claws hurts humans), sit there and purr!

Yes! My cat gives me love bites all the time! Every time I fuss her but she only does it to me? There r 4 of us in my house but only me? Is that normal? X

I own 9 cats, all feral converts, and only 3 of my cats give “love bites”. However, every one of them love their bellies rubbed and scratched.

My 14 month old male Lynx Pointe Siamese gives me those wonderful “love bites” all the time. Usually when he comes to me for attention. He rubs up all against me giving me hand kisses while his motor is running with purrs and then here come the “love bites” all over my hands and fingers. While sometimes they do come along the lines of being uncomfortable.. he’s never crossed the line and I don’t want to deter his affections, so I let it slide. He only does them to me, so as long as that continues to happen, I am fine with it. He’s a loving cat and has never shown aggression, so I’m good with my fury baby. He can give me all the “love bites” He wants 😁. He also shares those “love bites” with our female Lynx Pointe who’s just about to turn 1 year. He grooms and cleans her but she seems to love it.

My big 17-pounder gives me love bites on the nose. He comes over to me so I can kiss him on the head and nose, then he licks my forehead and gives me a careful love bite on the nose. I’m very glad he is careful!

I have several cats, and no never set out to get this many, but one feral not fixed female cat happened. Well those guys live out of my garage, I lock them in at night because of the coyettes if that’s spelled wrong sorry, but however I got my half feral cats I’ll keep them. They love bite me, and if I’m paying attention to another one… Another one gives me a little nip for me to pet them.
I will never again have these many cats, but it pissed me off when that person said something about that couple that has sixteen cats. Smh we all have something we are passionate about, and reasons why. Leave those people alone…

One of the reasons I know my cat’s nibbles are love bites is because she also grabs my hand with her paws and holds me tight but with claws retracted. Understanding how a cat communicates is important in building a relationship with them. They are very intelligent and communicative, but you need to know how to read the signs.

I have two kittens that were separated from their mum at 4 weeks. I weaned them etc. One sleeps through the night but we have a half hour cuddle after breakfast. At about 2am the other one wakes me by putting his cold, wet nose over one of my nostrils. We have lovely purry cuddles during which he explores my face and gently nips my chin and nose. I think this is because he sees me as ‘mum.’ I don’t sleep well so being woken up doesn’t bother me.

I have a few outdoor cats and kitties. I found this unusual behavior in one of the kitty. I fed her and then was cuddling with her. She purred and suddenly bite me gently. I scolded her and she became silent with a cute face. I didn’t know about this love bite then. Next time I will allow her.

Keep the kittens put of your bedroom at night. Close the door, put a cat bed outside the door. If you let the kitten keep waking you up, they will just learn to keep doing it.

You could also put a petsafe Ssscat (not a misspelling) deterrent as a guard outside your door. It only took two times for ours to learn to stay off the kitchen counters.

Help. We adopted 2 kitties from a no kill shelter. They are both the most loving kitties we’ve ever had. The little girl has a strange behavior I’ve never experienced. Every early morning about 3 or 4 am she starts head butting me, trying to get as close as she can, under my chin etc…she then starts kneading with her paws, purring and nipping my face. She licks and love bites. No skin breaking but sometimes the bites hurt and I’m afraid she might bite too hard. She hasn’t so far. I will put her down on the floor or the bottom of the bed but within 3 seconds she’s right back up starting all over. Then she wants to sleep right on my face. It’s creating serious sleep issues 😊. She does not do this to my husband. Any advice? Thanks.

I love cats, and found the more I learnt, the more there was to know! Cats are incredible and unique. Sadly, I was unable to fix behavior problems and think my cat is “just born that way”. It wasn’t until I stumbled upon this goldmine guide on how to communicate with your cat I found HERE (
http://talk-to-yourcat.hqtips.net ). I now understand exactly how my cat is feeling and what he has always been trying to tell me.

I adopted my sweet kitty almost a year ago. She was painfully shy but non-aggressive. She gradually warmed up to us and became very snuggly. She licks me ( and my husband) and gives love bites. I usually tell her “no bites” and sometimes gently scruff her and she switches to licks. But sometimes when she is snuggling me she will chew on the buttons of my shirt.

My cat is about 10 years old and every time I go in the kitchen to give him his food as water he nips at me he runs after me he nips at me he’s broken the skin a couple times I have no idea why he’s doing it and would like to figure it out cuz he’s a good cat he just likes to nip at me only and he’ll follow me around the house to nip at my legs one time he jumped up out of nowhere and grabbed me by the arm and bit me and scratched me

I have a visiting cat. His owners moved without him. We have become friends and I give him his main source of food and care. He likes being an outdoor cat. He’s male, but fixed. He’s always glad to see me, but if I’m not quick enough to feed him or while I’m preparing his food, he nips me. It hurts a little. Is he being a brat or is he just happy?😊 Help!

By the way your comments read here…I think most of you have toxoplasmosis. :P especially if you have 16 cats, come on that isn’t healthy for them or you!

By the way your comments read here…I think most of you have toxoplasmosis. :P

My cat was taken from his mom too early and wasn’t raised properly. He loves cuddles, purrs and drools and then bites me out of nowhere. He bites me so hard I have to pull his jaws apart to free my chin, or nose. And he just continues purring and cuddling. I love him.

My cat Rascal was found in a bush by me in 2007. She would hiss and slap away everyone but me, so I took her straight home when I could not locate her mother. My mom was hesitate to take her in since we had a cat, but my elder cat simply took the kitten as her own and claimed the little kitten as hers. But Rascal took me as a secondary mother. She would snuggle in my shirt. Purring so loud and aggressively. And then “love bite” my nips on accident. She knows when it’s snuggle time and she drools in excitement every time, and nips me very gently during it.

I try not to stop her, no matter how discomforted I am. Because I take it as “I love you” and welcome the affection she gives me. She is still warming up to my husband, I try not to force her to accept him, but we are taking big steps, as today she sat on the couch with him. A few inches away. My husband did not dare pet her, but gently extended his hand for her to sniff. And that was it but he gets so jealous when I’m getting love bites. He wants the love. Lol

Yes, my female cat gives me love bites when she wants me to stay with her. She also allows me to pet and groom her stomach. In addition, she lets me know if another cat comes into our backyard and then we both go outside to protect “our” territory. She considers me her hunting partner and co-protector of the entire territory. Sometimes, she actually obeys me when I tell her something and she loves to talk to me.
Great cat. The neighbors dog who came on our front lawn is scared of her. She got her back up and went at his face because he came to close.
She has all her claws. Cats should NEVER be de-clawed.

My gorgeous cat Dennis, now one years old was rescued by me along with his sister and brother at about three weeks of age. I have sadly lost Rodney who was a gorgeous little boy who would happily suckle away at my finger and touch my face adoringly, Beryl, his sister still likes to suckle on my fingers and Dennis never got the hang of suckling he loves to gently bite me – often the end of my nose and purrs all the time and he also likes to groom me. It’s definitely love, I reckon it’s because they were so young when they came to me having lost their mum. Cats are such wonderful creatures, each with their own little quirks of character.

My 5 month old cat, Yum Yum, always gives me love bites when she cuddles up with me and I pet her. My bf brought her home after she wandered into his place of work. She was an absolute sweetheart to everyone there so he brought her home. She seems really happy to be in a loving home.

ASPCA.org

My cat definitely gives me love bites. When I lie down to rest, sometimes she would start making bread on my belly while purring then moving up to my chest staring right into my eyes. Then climbs up tp my face and bites it super gently that it tickles a bit. At first i found it scary cuz the face she gave me was really intense, the stare.. her eyes are just too big and round staring right into my eyes in 15cm distance. Now i just find it super cute.. and worried cuz my cat is too attached to me. She sleeps right beside my head everyday and gets stress during the hours I’m at school ㅠㅜ

So good to.hear abouts cats being so.well treated!
My Angel’s name is Bridget abd I.love her so.VERY MUCH!
AND she.lets me know she loves me too!
I never had a cat so.demonstrative:-)

I have a beautiful black cat named Boo, I adopted him from the humane society about 4 years ago and he’s my baby. He gives me “love bites” all the time, but he’ll nibble until he gets a small pieces of skin and then bites harder, resulting in a pinching feeling. Also, when he gives me “love bites” he’ll start twisting his head while he’s biting me. During all of this he’s purring and is completely relaxed. I’m wondering, how do I get him to bite more gently? Because his “love bites” tend to hurt!

My singleton bottle-fed cat is now 2 years old. He bites and breaks the skin. I don’t think it’s love bites. I don’t know what to do. I have bruises and scars from all the “love bites”. Even on my face!

We have triplets that my husband rescued. We had to bottle feed them because they were so young. The smallest of the 3 is Mogwai. She likes to nuzzle her way under my husband’s t-shirt when he’s sitting in the recliner. Then she will bite his belly. Not sure what that means. His belly is hairy, so we thought it might remind her if her momma.

I have a cat we found 5 years ago & decided to keep him, he was full of fleas & soaking wet, well long story short, he rubs & head butts & love nips but only does it to me, I’m the only one that feeds waters & cleans the litter box, he lets other people pet him but I’m the only one he does this stuff to, he’s a great cat, his name is Clyde, how can I send a picture of him

I have a cat we found 5 years ago & decided to keep him, he was full of fleas & soaking wet, well long story short, he rubs & head butts & love nips but only does it to me, I’m the only one that feeds waters & cleans the litter box, he lets other people pet him but I’m the only one he does this stuff to, he’s a great cat, his name is Clyde, how can I send a picture of him

My little rescue guy tends to curl up near my neck, give me a nose nip and stretches out a paw to touch my face before falling asleep. He’s the sweetest. He never nips in anger, just before nappy time.

Of our two current cats, the male (neutered) is the one with the “problem”….just recently he (at 9 years of age!) began for the first time to nibble and bite us.

These start gentle but then become “real”….ie, they do break the skin.

The thing that is strange is this an entirely new behavior for him, and nothing else in our lives has changed.

He’ll nibble my forearm, to the point that it breaks the skin a bit, and leaves a mark, and ditto with the “play” biting. We had no choice but to tell him “no” sharply and remove him from our laps.

No idea how to “positively reinforce” stopping this or any other behavior!

(It has pretty much stopped, in the last 2 months).

We have a rescue kitten, a domestic short hair), who was found in a storm drain, wet, muddy and poopy. We thought he was about 6-8 weeks old (he weighed 1.4 pounds), but the vet said he was 3-4 months old as his molars were coming in! He will never be a large cat as his dietary needs were not met before we got him. He loves to wrap himself around my neck and nibble on my ear lobes. His name is Li’l Guy and he is the sweetest kitten ever.

We have two Siamese ragdoll litter mates, now 4 years old. The male, POOH is a 20lb bundle of love and the female, PEENIE is a 9 lb sweetie. They sleep with us, eat with us, and are on our laps constantly and understand everything we say. When POOH is cuddled, he smiles and sticks his teeth out and PEENIE gives gentle love nips that never hurt.
They look Siamese with huge blue eyes but have the ragdoll temperment,and are like little humans in fur coats!

My neighbour’s cat gives me love bites but,he tends to go overboard and try to use his back teeth to take a munch out of my finger.He is a sweetheart but,sometimes I wish he didn’t love me so much.My cats just nibble because their love isn’t so desperate and full of the fear of abandonment.

I have several kitties that give “love nips.” TwoFace is a little old lady of 13 who likes to wake me with hand licks & nips! The name? She is a torture with half calico & half black face.

We have 16 cats & some of them give Love Bites but never to hard so no need for us to discourage this behavior it doesn’t hurt & let’s us know we are loved & that’s the most important thing..Carol G

I have a 17 year old female cat named Kissy. from the time she was a kitten she was always licking her siblings and me. Thus the name Kissy. Her “kisses always include a bite at the end of her licking session. Her favorite place to lick me is on my nose up to my forehead and she always bites the tip of my nose before she’s done. It can be uncomfortable but she’s such a sweetheart I let it go. She never leaves a mark.😁

I just got a little nipper for Christmas. He’s about 6-8 months old, Ziggy was a rescue seems to be very high strung very high energy. I think he loves my husband more because he snuggles with him. He always puts his head right under my husband chin and Ziggy hugs him. Me I get the toe licking in the morning when I put my feet on the floor then he nips me. The past new days he has been better he licks the top of my toes then walks away. This kitten has a huge personality!