Cats are not usually predators because they cannot kill and eat their prey, but on some occasions, it may be beneficial for them to hunt. In most cases, the prey is a smaller cat that the enormous cat tries to protect. Why do cats bite each other’s necks?
It’s not unusual: two cats fighting, their bodies entwined like two snakes slithering together. Suddenly one of them bites down on the other cat’s neck, gripping tightly enough to make it bleed profusely while they both continue their fight. Let’s know why they do it!
Why Do Cats Bite Each Other’s Necks?
There are several reasons for this. It could be as simple as establishing his territory. Let’s check it:
Make Cat Attacks Female
When mating season comes around, male cats will do this to attract females by leaving a scent they believe the female cat will find appealing. It is also believed that these bites mark their territory. So it keeps other cats away, which makes sense. Because a male cat will not want other male cats around while working to attract the female of the species.
It’s also been said that biting your cat on the neck or the back of its head can work like a training tool. By releasing endorphins in your cat’s brain, they will feel good and associate you with being happy, meaning they should behave in a manner that you find acceptable when you affectionately bite them in those areas.
Neck-biting And Predatory Instinct
Neck biting can also be a display of dominance. It is a sign that the cat doing the biting wants to be in control and will try to dominate all other cats, even if they have had no prior contact with that particular cat. However, not all neck bites are purely aggressive.
Playing And Learning
Some cats will use neck biting as a form of play. In these cases, the prey and the predator become aggressive, but not excessively so. The prey cat is marked as a “game,” while the predator is marking his territory. As you can imagine, this cannot be very clear for anyone who ends up on the receiving end of biting!
Playful bites may be part of training. For example, a cat biting you during play may try to mark you or teach you something he thinks you should know. Maybe he wants to show that it’s okay to take something that belongs to someone else by playing rough with them or showing them what he thinks they should learn.
Fighting & Dominance
A cat may use a bite on your neck as an offensive move while fighting with another cat. This is usually the case during mating season when mating becomes more aggressive and requires more biting and scratching. In some cases, biting on the neck may also be a form of submission by the cat being bitten.
Cat love bites are often hard to watch, not only because you worry about your pet’s safety but also because you know it’s a rather painful experience for him!
When two cats decide to fight and wound each other this blatantly, it’s evident that they are not using their claws and are instead using their mouths to inflict pain.
Hunting Instinct
The cat who bites the other’s neck may be doing so because it seems like an easy way to catch its prey. A predator will make a kill by biting the neck of its prey, so this bite is a sort of instinctive reaction.
Hunters may also use this method as a practice before hunting in the future. He will learn to become more aggressive during mating season while almost simulating an actual kill.
Grooming Behavior
A cat might also be biting his partner because he naturally wants to groom himself. When he does this, he may be distracted and bite what is closest to him, which happens to be another cat!
Biting another cat can also be a form of apology. If a cat realizes that he has hurt the other one while they were fighting, bit or scratched him too hard out of anger. This type of biting may also mean that the cat being bitten was the more aggressive one and is trying to show he’s sorry.
Similar Read: How To Get An Aggressive Cat Into A Carrier
Medical Reasons
While the reasons why a cat will bite another cat are pretty varied, some medical conditions can cause it.
If you suspect your cat might be suffering from an illness or injury, it’s probably best to take him to his veterinarian as soon as possible.
Lack of socialization
If your cat has never been around other cats, then it’s likely that he may associate other cats with aggressive behavior. It can be a result of bad experiences.
If your cat is still very much in kitten form and has not yet bonded with another cat, then you need to ensure that you provide him with plenty of socialization opportunities. Your plan should be to bring two or three kittens together as early as possible so they can get to know each other and learn how to play appropriately.
Resource competition
A cat who is more significant, more robust, or has more resources to call his own may be dominant over other cats. In most cases, this type of aggressive behavior is only displayed from one side of the relationship.
Suppose the subordinate cat doesn’t know how to de-escalate the situation or is unable to be submissive enough. Then he may resort to biting to ward off or run away from an attacking cat. It means that a submissive cat can bite another cat in self-defense as an act of self-preservation.
Final Words
As we can see, Why do cats bite each other’s necks? There are many different reasons why your cat might bite the other.
It doesn’t mean he’s not behaving aggressively if he’s not hurting you. On the contrary, it just means that he has a very high level of affection for you. It will do whatever it takes to keep you safe!
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