[Lucyhobo]

I have a 5 yr. old Himi that I adopted from the Humane Society. I've had him for a year. He's an absolute delight.

Although he has always been a kneader, recently, if disturbed while kneading, he will bite me. Not hard enough to break my skin but certainly hard enough to scare me. At the same time, while kneading, he shakes his back haunches.

What's going on here? I've always enjoyed our "purr -purr time" but the biting is putting me off. And I'm not too fond of the haunch shaking either.

[tickle]

I think you are confusing a love bite with a bad bite. My cat gives me love bites which is teeth and a little pressure.

[HistorianChick]

Yeah, I'm agreeing with Tickle on this one.

When a cat kneads you, as you know, it is the ultimate comfort. He/she is associating you with the comfort of Mommy - you have been claimed as his/her stability.

In this case, maybe the cat is in it's little "happy place," feeling all secure... when you try and move away, he/she reminds you (in cat way), that you are his/her "mommy" and that he/she is not ready for you to go away.

Those little love bites of "I love you Mommy" are sweet. As long as the cat is not doing it out of anger, I would say, let it be. I wouldn't worry about it being mad. Sounds like you're just a very comforting, safe person for Kitty.

[Akoue]

Everything that has been said above is exactly right. Cats can't communicate with us in the ways we do with each other, obviously, so we have to meet them half way. They work hard to learn to understand human commucation, and it is our job to do our part to learn to understand cat communication. And they are very patient teachers if you pay attention to their efforts.

Your cat can't say the words, "Oh, mom, please don't make me stop, this feels wonderful". He is trying to communicate that to you in the only way he knows how, with a little nibble. The kneading is a sign of deep affection and trust, and the little bites are his way of telling you that he doesn't want the closeness and affection to end, that he wants to stay there with you. In other words, not only are the bites not a sign of any aggression, they are actually a sign of affection.

Don't underestimate the challenges cats face living in a human world. They are small, and there is very little about their lives that they get to control. Try with things like this to be patient and understanding, and to make a real effort to join him in the efforts at communication that he makes. Honestly, it pays off in a really big way.

Now go give him a hug and thank him for loving you so much!