Many people might have requested: Why does my cat chunk my head’’ at one level or the opposite. It isn't as easy as you assume. But when biting your head happens now and again, you may see it as a means your cat reveals its possessiveness and like to you, the proprietor.
However in a state of affairs the place this has transitioned into regular conduct, it might present some critical behavioral or well being points. Your cat could possibly be anxious, ailing and even harassed. It ought to encourage you to be taught the rationale your cat does this and decide the very best steps for limiting or stopping this type of conduct.
On this article, we will be studying a couple of causes your cat engages on this conduct and methods you may curb them.
Table of Contents
Causes your cat might chunk your head
There are quite a few causes which you'll require to be taught and take note of perceive the case on your feline. After studying that, it is possible for you to to take care of the state of affairs accurately.
Beneath are a couple of of the first causes:
Soothing and Stress
Your cat might chunk your head or hair as a way of calming himself when he's anxious. If adjustments in your residing state of affairs, routine or housing have left your cat feeling insecure, his consideration to your head might simply be a means of confirming your bond collectively or reasserting her declare on you.
If you don't discover this conduct annoying and it doesn't occur a lot, you may loosen up and luxuriate in as your cat helps in your grooming.
Compulsion
In case your cat has a compulsive behavior of biting and you're unable to distract him as soon as he has your head or hair in focus, its finest to seek the advice of a licensed behaviorist or vet. Noting the seemingly triggers can help you in averting the biting.
Nonetheless, the conduct could also be attributable to exterior stress or a necessity your cat wants to meet. If this happens, a behaviorist can help you in coping with the underlying issues and direct the urges of your cat in additional wholesome and applicable methods.
Exhibiting Affection
As said by an article within the Journal of Feline Medication and Surgical procedure, allogrooming, a type of mutual grooming happens when a cat grooms the neck and head of one other cat.
It's a means of them expressing their affection and love. With cats, mutual grooming helps within the discount of stress and the event of the communal scent. If a cat does this with you, it means the cat sees you as a facet of its life.
It likes your Hair’s style.
Presently, there's a broad vary of product manufacturers on your hair that comes with smells which might be interesting to your cat. That's the reason your cat enjoys biting your head, to entry your hair.
When it has to do with this subject, all that you must do is exchange your hair product ideally to 1 with no scent. When you do want a product that has a odor, make sure you choose one with lemon, grapefruit, or orange. It's because cats don't like citrus scents.
Your cat is coping with Pica
Pica is a situation the place your cat tends to chew non-food-related objects like material or hair. The causes of pica can encompass medical issues or dietary deficiency.
Biting hair additionally reveals how cats that don’t have plenty of bodily power or are harassed redirect power. In line with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, in some cases, weaning too quick might end in pica in the long term.
Compared to others, Siamese cats are likely to develop Pica simply.
How do you take care of your cat biting your head?
Generally, cats chew or lick the top of their people as a means of exhibiting affection. It's just like the way in which they groom different feline counterparts. In different conditions, this conduct generally is a results of well being points or stress.
They'll additionally happen when your kitten will get weaned too shortly. The sentiment could also be good, however not everybody likes getting their head and hair messy with cat saliva.
Step one to curbing this conduct is to be taught why your cat does it within the first place.
Pinpointing the Trigger
Decide if this can be a regular conduct
In case your cat chews or licks your hair or head routinely in little or reasonable quantities, it may be regular conduct on your cat. It may be a means of exhibiting affection or how your cat claims possession over you.
Though it's possible you'll not discover this conduct interesting, and it's possible you'll wish to take measures to curb it, you don’t must be extraordinarily anxious about it.
It's because:
- Grooming is a core side of the emotional and social lifetime of cat’s proper from the moment they're born. Just like how cats lick or chew each other to show affection, your cat might give your head a couple of licks or bites right here and there to show its love for you.
- Your cat may be inserting its scent on you. This marks you as a part of its group or territory.
Assess disturbing conditions
Cats might typically begin biting or licking conduct in periods of stress. This could possibly be for instance, in response to a transfer or whenever you introduce a brand new pet to the family.
Contemplate in case you simply launched any appreciable change to the lifetime of your pet that will have led to or elevated its head chewing or licking.
It is usually supreme to notice the next:
- It's essential to not use bodily punishments or elevate your voice when making an attempt to cease the hair chewing or licking. They solely have a tendency to boost the quantity of stress your cat might really feel.
- Be aware {that a} cat might not discover the identical factor you discover disturbing. Attempt to place your self within the sneakers of your cat to know the rationale for the stress. Typical stressors for cats embrace:
- Listening to an argument between relations
- Having guests over
- Seeing different cats through the window and unable to achieve them
- Having a loud canine close-by
Head to the Vet
If the conduct is steady and you may’t distract it from licking or biting in your head by participating it in different actions, it may be a compulsive conduct and would require a go to to the vet.
In some extreme cases, medication that help in altering moods like Clomipramine or Prozac can help in breaking the compulsive behavior.
Additionally, if this conduct begins when the cat is older, it could possibly be an indication of a extra critical subject like hypothyroidism. This happens in additional than 20 % of cats 10 years and above, and it requires diagnoses and remedy from a Veterinary physician.
Therapy can help in decreasing conduct. If that's not the case, you may preserve discouraging the conduct after treating your cat’s hyperthyroidism.
How do you discourage this conduct?
If you wish to discourage this conduct in your cat, you may check out the next:
Step away out of your cat when it tries to chunk your head
When you keep in the identical location and maybe a pet or converse to your cat whereas it bites or licks your hair or head, you ship the sign that it's fascinating conduct. Higher nonetheless, stand up and depart the neighborhood.
If you're laying in your mattress, you may place your head beneath your sheets to get away out of your furry buddy. You can too attempt to place a pillow between the cat and your self though this isn't efficient.
When discouraging the conduct, it's important to keep consistency. For this technique to operate, you would need to resist the licking and biting every time your cat goes after your head. You could additionally act swiftly. Responding inconsistently by permitting the conduct at occasions and rejecting it different occasions might ship your cat into confusion.
It could take some time on your cat to start to know, however in the long term, it would be taught that biting or licking is just not acceptable conduct and it'll not be rewarded along with your firm if it doesn't drop the behavior.
Supply Distraction
Top-of-the-line strategies of getting your cat to depart your head alone is to offer it with an alternative choice to chew on. These might vary from:
- Treats
- Cat Grass
- Toys
Psychological stimulation and bodily train, which it could attain from extra playtime with you're terrific distractions that don’t price a penny.
Be aware that:
- Day by day Workouts lasting from 5-10 minutes could also be satisfactory to eliminate this conduct. It does this by minimizing anxiousness. You might also wish to take into account using a feather wand or laser mild to encourage your cat to maneuver.
- Though treats could also be an awesome choice, it's important to train warning and never overfeed your cat. It might result in well being points and weight achieve.
- All the time be certain that the toys you supply your cat are safe and wouldn't result in it choking.
Help your cat in coping
When you observe that stress is just not the problem, attempt to search for methods to assist your cat in coping with cases which might be triggering its anxiousness.
For instance, you may supply a protected location that has all of the objects he's aware of to ease the stress of a brand new dwelling. You can too spend extra time collectively along with your cat to assist in relieving the anxiousness that has to do with the arrival of a brand new child or cat.
Be aware that:
- Eradicating particular stressors is just not unattainable. For instance, in case your cat is biting or licking your head on account of stress from seeing one other cat within the again window, you may pull the blind on that window down, so your cat is unable to see the opposite one anymore.
- You possibly can equally buy feline pheromone merchandise that are available in collars, sprays, diffusers, and wipes. These chemical compounds copy the pheromones that come off contented cats. It will help your troubled cat in dealing with cases you each can’t management.
Conclusion
If you're nonetheless questioning why my cat bites my head, let’s check out the abstract beneath:
The everyday purpose for hair and head biting embrace:
- Exhibiting Affection
- Experiencing Pica
- Being interested in your hair style
Primarily based on each case, you may put the next therapies into consideration:
- Providing your cat a distraction
- Offering distance between your cat and your self
- Helping your cat in coping
When you check out all of those strategies and none of them appear to do the trick, your cat could also be affected by an underlying situation, and it's possible you'll have to pay a go to to your veterinary physician.