Why does my maine coon bite

It is showing its vulnerable belly and throat to you. Sometimes a dog will even turn its head to the side exposing its throat further and pointing its teeth away from you. This can be either a showing of complete trust "I can do this because I know you won't hurt me. For a cat, being on its belly is a very aggressive pose. Cats use their forelegs and claws to hold prey or an opponent, then use their powerful back legs and sharp claws to rip open the belly of the other.

Rubbing the vulnerable belly of a dog is a pretty safe bet. Rubbing the belly of a cat on its back is playing with fire. When he snaps at you, say a firm NO and give a quick tap to his nose.

If you are consistent, he'll learn to stop doing it. And, don't worry, he'll still come for snuggles and bellyrubs! She writes about behaviours, etc. I think you can read posts without joining, but honestly I'm not sure. It's a great resource, but it's not a free forum, so that's why I'm not sure if you can read the posts without joining. If I had more time, I would have written a shorter post. That's normal for cats. They prefer to be petted on their head and back.

Also I should note, cats will rub up against you, headbutt you, or give you an instense stare down in front of you usually blocking whatever you are doing whenever they want to be petted. However, sometimes when a cat nuzzles up against you, it's not always a sign they want to be petted For starters, why does a cat think that biting its owner will encourage them to continue playing, or even want to play games on another occasion?

They are quite literally biting the hand that feeds them! The fact of the matter though, is that most cats do not realize they are hurting their owners when they bite.

Instead, they see biting as an acceptable part of the play process, that commonly occurs when they play with another cat. Biting is also a sign of the Maine Coons natural hunting instincts. One useful characteristic of the Maine Coon cat breed is that they are very intelligent and trainable.

Therefore, if you are keen to avoid biting during future play sessions you should start by limiting playtime to smaller bursts of time to prevent overstimulation from occurring. This is mainly because adult male Maine Coons are well known for being more stubborn in their nature, than their female counterparts! Older Maine Coon cats are also harder to train than kittens who can have their behavior molded. Maine Coon kittens will often bite their owners whilst they are teething, to help limit the discomfort in their mouths whilst new teeth push through their gums, into their mouths.

Therefore, if you notice your kitten is chewing on your fingers, or the surrounding furniture, etc, they are likely to be going through the teething process. Whilst this stage of the process happens before owners collect their kitten from a breeder, it is not the end of the matter.

Instead, teething is a valid reason for explaining why your Maine Coon cat bites you since it is likely to continue on and off until your kitten reaches 6 months of age. Owners who suspect their Maine Coon kitten is teething should give them plenty of these cat chewable toys to gnaw on link to Amazon. These toys will not only soothe the kittens teething discomfort but also help keep their new teeth clean and healthy. All animals have a natural instinct to survive.

So, how does this explain why your Maine Coon cat bites you? Basically, your Maine Coon is biting you because they are feeling threatened by your behavior or actions. In situations such as this, it is vital that owners take a step backward, and assess which of their actions caused their Maine Coon cat to feel threatened. Here are some possible reasons why your Maine Coon cat might feel threatened:. Angry cats place their weight on their hind legs back legs in preparation for pouncing on you.

Whilst the Maine Coon cat is known for being extremely sociable, often following its owners all around the home for more on this subject click here , this cat breed is still extremely independent. If your cat has decided to attack you then at least in its head there will be a very good reason to do so. It is this reason that you need to work out. When we talk about socialization and cats what does this actually mean?

To give your cat the best chance of being comfortable around other pets and other people not including your family members then it needs to be socialized. During the first 14 weeks of its life and bear in mind you may only get her around 12 weeks you need to introduce as many people including lots of children and babies if you can to it as you can.

Also, you should do the same with other animals so make sure she has lots of encounters with other pets, specifically other cats and dogs. Of course, you need to do this carefully and in a controlled manner.

So, why are we socializing your Maine Coon? The more interaction she can get during this crucial part of her life, the better. A cat not just a Maine Coon will, generally speaking, be a lot more comfortable later in life with other people and pets if she has been properly socialized during this time. As a kitten, a Maine Coon will play with their brothers and sisters.

When it gives its brother or sister a little nip, the recipient will give a little cry that will shock it into letting go and then stopping.

After a few responses like this, it will soon learn that biting can hurt and will be less likely to do it. Problems can arise when a Maine Coon is taken away from its siblings too young and it misses out on this experience and learning opportunity. After taking the right steps you still might have to deal with aggressive behavior from your Maine Coon. One step you should certainly take is to consult with your veterinarian.

They know your cat and can provide suggestions for your situation. A good approach is to use a combination of preventing and fixing aggressive behavior. By dealing with it in the early stages, it will be easier to correct. For example, wildcats get lots of exercise hunting prey for their meals. Avoid aggressive interaction and try to read your Maine Coons body language. If you think it might have had enough, then stop. And give them a treat. This will teach it that its behavior has crossed the line.

If they bite hard or use their claws, then hiss at them like another cat would. If you pull away, it will encourage the cat to bite harder. As a general rule, male cats are more aggressive than female cats, so neutering can work to calm them down. Essentially, immediately after the bite, so the Maine Coon can connect the two incidents, consider a very light punishment such as tapping the head with a rolled up magazine.

Another option, as cats are known for not liking certain smells like citrus is to dip your finger into a citrus juice and stroke their nose. Your Maine Coon may just be trying to get your attention. Thus they will bite and then try to figure how to get what they want. Place the injured body part under the faucet and wash the wound for 5 minutes.

Make sure to avoid scrubbing since this could damage tissue. This includes a spike in redness, swelling, drainage, or pain. If you or your household member develops a fever, then contact a doctor immediately. Contact a doctor if other treatments are needed like an antibiotic or tetanus booster.

You should also contact them if flu-like symptoms like headache, fever, or swollen glands start. Always make sure your Maine Coon is up-to-date with this vaccinations and deworming. For example, rabies vaccines are needed every years depending on the one used. This will help to prevent your cat from acquiring rabies then passing it on to your family members.

Your Maine Coon might bite you for different reasons. These behaviors will be tougher to change if they continue. You can often prevent it through providing a personal feeding station or litter box, or giving your feline more play time. If you are concerned, then it probably is. It may be in pain a bad joint for example so I would cease the activity that premeditates a bite. A kitten I personally allow to chew and bite as much as it wants, but it should grow out of the behaviour.

Something to consider is to truly ask yourself whether you are a justifiable cause of the cat biting you. Are you too rough with playing with them? Are they in pain somewhere and you keep hurting them, unknowingly obviously? If my Maine Coon ever decides to bite me for no reason on a regular basis then I would try and correct the behaviour.

Which I am fine with.