Why Does My Cat Grab My Hand And Bite Me – 6 Reasons

It’s happened to even the best cat owner. You’re petting your cat, and you pull away suddenly. Almost instantly, your cat grabs you and bites you! As you shake away the pain, you ask yourself, why does my cat grab my hand and bite me?

Your cat grabs and bites your hand because they dislike how they were touched. Cats also display this aggression when you inadvertently hurt them, touch a sensitive area, stop a petting or play session too soon. This is unexpected behavior and something cats do without warning.

Getting bitten is never a fun experience, but there is always a reason behind why you’re getting grabbed and bitten. Continue reading to understand some of the reasons why your cat has this painful habit. 

Reasons Why Your Cat Grabs Your Hand And Bites You

Getting bitten by your cat is never much fun, and here are six reasons why it may happen:

You Accidentally Hurt Your Cat

You think that you are being gentle with your cat, and even if you are, there is a chance that you accidentally hurt your cat.

This could be simple. You could have actually scratched his skin with your nail, pulled some fur out, or even stepped on his paw without realizing it. 

Once you realize that you’ve hurt your cat, then you might be willing to apologize to him. Of course, your cat won’t know that you’re apologizing. However, it will make you feel better about accidentally hurting him! 

Your Cat Is Trying To Play With You

Biting and scratching is painful in any situation, but your cat might not understand that if he’s trying to play with you! 

Your cat may grab onto your hand with his claws when he wants to play with you. He doesn’t want your hand going away before he’s finished with you! 

After your cat has your hand in his grip, he will start to bite you and start to kick you with his back feet.

According to your cat, your hand is one of the best toys that your cat can find! 

Your Cat Doesn’t Want To Be Touched Or Bothered

Sometimes your cat will attack you when he doesn’t want to be touched or bothered.

You might think that your cat is always ready and excited to get some attention from you, but that isn’t always the case. 

Even if your cat loves attention, he may not want to get attention at that time.

For instance, if it is hot outside and your cat is overheated, he may not like to get pet. The heat is one of the easiest ways to make your cat feel grumpy. 

Your Cat Had A Burst Of Energy

When cats get a massive burst of energy, you might end up getting grabbed and bitten! 

There may or may not be a direct reason why your cat grabs you – he may get a case of the crazies! 

The bite from your cat may not last very long, though. Your cat will bite you and start running out of the room before you even know what to do! 

Your Cat Doesn’t Want You To Stop

Cats don’t always like you to stop, especially if they’re enjoying getting attention from you.

When you go to pull your hand away from your cat, he may dig his nails into your hand to keep it closer. Biting may accompany it too, which is probably the worst part! 

Even if you keep your hand close to your cat, he may still hurt you and bite you. 

There is no winning with some cats! 

Your Cat Thought You Were Trying To Play

Your cat may not want to play with you, but your cat can misinterpret your intentions as trying to play with you.

In this case, you might not be sure if your cat is playing back or upset that you want to play at all. 

Why Does My Cat Grab My Hand And Bite Me While Purring

Purring and biting don’t seem to go together, but this is how your cat shows you that he is overstimulated or overexcited. 

Even when your cat enjoys what’s happening, he can easily become overstimulated or overexcited. 

When cats are too happy or excited, they may not know how to deal with these emotions. Their reaction may be sudden, which could lead to grabbing and biting. 

All of this can happen while your cat is purring too, which can be a confusing experience for you! 

If you hear your cat’s chest rumbling with a purr while you’re getting bitten, don’t be too scared. Your cat hasn’t suddenly turned on you; he’s just trying to figure out all of these happy emotions. 

Why Does My Cat Grab My Hand When I Pet Him

Your cat is leading your hand to where he wants you to pet him. 

When you’re having a petting session, you don’t always know where your cat wants to get pet, but that doesn’t mean your cat will settle for anything less.

Not paying attention to your cat’s cues will lead to your cat grabbing your hand while you are petting him. 

A lucky person won’t get grabbed with claws, but most cats will grab with claws on instinct. Your cat will curl his claws into your hand to make sure you can’t get away. 

Once you move your hand, unfortunately, your cat might not let go of you, even if you’re now scratching the spot he wants!

To save your hand and your skin, you’re going to want to carefully pull your cat’s claws out of your hand and pull it away. As I said – be careful. If your cat gets a case of the zoomies, then you may end up getting bitten too. 

Why Does My Cat Bite Me When I Stop Petting Him

Your cat bites you because he’s mad that you stopped petting him.

Biting may be an indication that you did something to upset your cat. In this case, you stopped doing something that your cat liked! 

Cats don’t have many ways to tell you that he’s unhappy, so biting is one of the best ways for your cat to show negative emotion.

Since your cat wasn’t sure, he may not bite with the intention to draw blood, but it could still certainly hurt!

When your cat also gets his claws involved, then you’re bound to start bleeding at least a little bit. 

Why Does My Cat Grab My Hand When I Pull Away

Your cat grabs your hand when you pull it away because he wants you to continue to pet him.

When your cat decides that he wants to be pet, there is little you can do when your cat doesn’t.

If you decide your petting session is over too soon and your cat disagrees, you’ll soon feel your cat’s nails digging right into your skin. 

Your cat isn’t trying to be aggressive when he grabs your hand, but you may want to bend to your cat’s demands unless you want a scratched-up hand! 

Why Does My Cat Bite Me Gently Out Of Nowhere

Your cat is giving you love bites when he starts to bite you gently out of nowhere.

There is always someone who will say that cats aren’t affectionate animals, but cats who are affectionate love to give kisses – even if they may be painful! 

When a cat gives you a love bite, he will nip your skin gently over and over. Your cat is not looking to break the skin, so he won’t bite you hard or draw any blood.

Some love bites from your cat may even tickle if he bites you in precisely the right way.

Love bites will also have more saliva than an actual bite, so this is another indicator that your cat is giving you love.

Bites usually aren’t any fun, but if you’re getting them out of love, make sure to tell your cat thank you!