Like birds sing, dogs bark, cats tend to pounce and play. We would instead consider it to be intuitive about how they sneak and pounce. However, sometimes it is disturbing for the owners when the cats walking under the cover and suddenly jumps at your feet. The other instance is when you are comfortably snoozing, and the attack occurs. Rather than just considering it as just a game, it will trigger you to push her off the bed.
Given that you are unpredictably reacting, your cat pets are not going to like it either. We understand that these situations are irresistible. But don’t you have a little bit of curiosity to know more about why cats tend to attack feet only? In this article, we will understand this behavior of cats on why they are keen on attacking the human feet.
Why cats choose feet?
Cats are highly intuitive; they tend to chase the things that are moving or innate in behavior. Since they are predators, it automatically flourishes in them, and eventually, they attack. For some cats, the drive is so strong that even moving feet trigger them to attack. From their early period when they were kittens, they have seen that your feet are moving under bed covers, which gives them instincts on high alert.
Vets and behavioral scientists also say that the cat, in particular, feels that the feet are in the perfect shape or size. It looks like prey that they would hunt on. Also, you must know that cats tend to hunt alone, especially when their prey is in a smaller size. Therefore, as soon as they find the movements of your feet, they want to pounce on it. It is also seen that the cats are trying to show that they can hunt on their own. Some owners have also noted that the cats attack the feet only when they are wearing slippers and socks. They started looking conspicuously, and thus they will be encouraged to attack.
Always remember that it is not human cats that they attack. It is a moving object that is of perfect size. They also not tend to hurt you or attack you every time. Probably they only want to climb you. When you are back home, and suddenly the cat sees that your feet color is changed, they try to be protective. By being around your feet, they are showing that it is caring for you.
Complicated creatures
Cats are tricky and quirky, and sometimes, they are highly complicated creatures that you will come across. They are highly persistent about the attention they seek. So, until they get his/her attention, they will not rest. The felines are going to be repetitive in pouncing or biting your feet.
However, cats usually behave like this, especially when the owner is sleeping or working. The primary reason behind it is that cats seek your attention. Typically when they are hungry or want something from you or only want to snuggle, then they start attacking the feet with more aggression. Below are the two crucial scenarios that are common when it comes to the attack of your feet.
- Looking for active playing: The cats always wanted to sneak out and play. Especially when you have got some wild breeds home, they cannot be ideal for a long time. Since it would take a lot of time to train the cats on this, you may have to tolerate this behavior of attacking your feet. The cat starts pulling your bottom grip of the pants or runs in between your legs, or sometimes even they press the footwear against their legs. All this means only one thing that the cat wants to play.
- Can’t help but get attacked: The cats, when they are home, they want to outburst their energy. When they eat or after some routines, they will feel like letting go of the energy. It is one of the ways that they love to release energy; hence they can eat more. Therefore, to keep them busy on that, they attack the entire moving object as an activity. If this is the case, you can typically not be able to control or resist them. Probably, offering them some interactive toys or aggressive toys might relax your feline a bit. If you don’t want to get attacked, then get them right play tools immediately.
It is not the only way that they show aggression. There are some of the other conventional methods that they use to drain the aggression, which is given in the table.
Energy releasing method |
What does that mean? |
| Growling | Continuous growling specifically in the nights. Low pitch tone but unstoppable. |
| Hissing | Immediately after eating. Especially when overeating. |
| Exposed claws | They start scratching them using the claws. You can check this behavior common in the early morning or late evening. |
| Arched back | When all of these do not work, cats start making an arch back. With the stretching, they release a lot of energy easily. |
Can aggression be one of the reasons why cats attack?
Aggression in cats takes a lot of time to treat. The roughhousing will go wild if the cats become hostile. They start defending their territory even with the people at home. Feet become even more accessible, and since their behaviors are changing, they start mimicking any animals or even sometimes humans. That is why they also walk in between your feet while you are doing the same.
For a calm cat to turn as aggressive, it may take a lot of time. But if you don’t want the cats to practice this type of trick, you may have taught them from an early age. Especially when they are kittens, give them a chance to learn this. Only when they have adopted these behaviors naturally from the beginning, they tend to act normal. The American Animal Hospital Association recommends using the squishy toys to get control over their aggressive behavior.
How to understand that your cat is calling you for a company?
If your cat is biting your foot, you may probably be confused about what they want. Do they want you to come and play or only want their favorite toy? Most owners do not understand this even after years of growing up with the cat. If you think your cat can engage in its own and with people in a short period, then it might want you to come and play with you. If the cat is just 4-5 weeks old, then they want to socialize with you by play. The good news is that they like and trust you, and thus, they want to play with you.
Although this is a trial and error method only, you may not be able to figure out the cat’s needs in the first go. You must have the patience to communicate with them in a row. For instance, first, when they pull your legs or bite your ankle, try playing with them. If that does not work, feed them well. If both are not the case, then go along with the cats and see what they are looking for. That is the only way you will be able to understand the purpose of the cat bites.
How to prevent yourself from play biting?
Biting Methods
As far as the experiences have been shared, it is always good that you test this at least three to four times. So when you are certain about why they are pulling your toes or legs, then you can prevent yourself from the first bite. The owners have to keep symbols for each of them. For example, when a cat bites the front part of the toe, it means they want the owner to come along with them. If they bite near the ankle region, it means they want to play. If your kitty is continuously pulling on the socks, it means that they want to open the door and set them free.
The above signs are just an example. They may differ from cat to cat. Based on the practice given, only the cats are going to respond. Secondly, once you know these signs, you can immediately respond. Moreover, cats have the routine; they are not going to change unless you want them to. Therefore give training and keep them practiced, so you are not annoyed anymore. In the long run, this is going to help you with training them.
Interactive playtimes
Even vets and scientists will agree that pets need their interactive playtime. When you bring the cat’s home, they might not have expectations other than just your attention. Only when you start interacting with them, you will know it better. The cats are more curious and wanted to play, but it does not mean your recorded exercises for cats but more than that. They have the hunt drive inside them; hence they want to feel alive as wild even when they are at home. Therefore every day offers some time to play with them. When you don’t have time, ask any of your home mates to play with these cats.
Not only does it make them happy, but you can also find that their aggressive behavior is gradually reducing. You will notice that your kitty’s bites are reduced. Once you see the visible difference in their behavior, make sure that you maintain it. Instead, during your off day, provide with some cat nibbles like Smart catfish nibblers that will keep them engaged. Some owners make the mistake of playing with them continually until the cat stops biting. But after that, they leave it on their own. It will not help you or the cat. They will immediately continue to attack again as you stop.
Keeping environment simulative
After numerous reports are studied and analyzed, the vets and analysts suggest that cats need a highly simulative environment. They want to deposit or invest their energy in a place. Otherwise, they become deprived of attention. If you are living in an apartment, we are sure you may not be able to take the cats every day to lawn and play. So, to make the cats happy, provide them space where they can explore and be engaged with themselves. In this case, there is no chance that they will disturb you. You can also provide them toys so that they can be active at home or don’t scatter the things around even when you are not at home.
It does not always restrict electronic toys. If you have seen that your cats enjoy some other game or toy, then keep at it. It is precisely what you and the cats need to keep your bonding and relationship healthy. You don’t have to get annoyed anymore while you are talking something important or during your business calls.
Other reasons why cat attack feet
Apart from the reasons mentioned above, there are chances that your cats are still attacking your feet. In this case, you need to pay a lot of attention. The cats may feel terrified about the place or a person at your home. It can also be when they are not comfortable eating food or going outside. In this case, only if you monitor them regularly, you will be able to figure out. If you think the cat has some health issues and they are expressing in this way, then with no hesitation, you can take them to your vet and check if there is something wrong. For instance, the kittens tend to swallow something inedible. And by running around your feet or attacking, they are trying to communicate to you.
Verdict
All the above facts and behavior of cats are based only on the experiences and reports gained over the years. But there are other times when they usually want to bite your feet or fingers. For example, the cats love to give you the tickling sensation by biting the toes.
We agree that it is inappropriate, especially when cats grow older, and it pains you. But during their teething stage, you must train them to stop biting. Sometimes it is also a warning bite of something suspicious crawling or moving at your home. These are the possible explanations for the cat attack on your feet. Never panic, give them time, and train them until they stop this behavior.
