Use the order, not a diagnosis
First decide whether the person needs wound care. Then decide whether the cat’s behavior changed suddenly. Behavior labels come after those two boundaries.
Cat bite hub
Start with what happened—not a label.
A cat bite can be a human-safety issue, a feline-health signal, or a behavior pattern. Choose the route that matches the situation now.
Human safety
The bite broke skin
Wash the wound, use the timer when relevant, and decide how urgently to seek care.
Cat healthThe behavior changed suddenly
Check pain, illness, touch sensitivity, and other health boundaries.
BehaviorThe skin did not break
Look at petting, play, handling, outside triggers, and space pressure.
Look at the moment before
Petting, pickup, play, outdoor triggers, and blocked exits point to different next steps. The same bite can look similar after it happens.
Keep notes short
Record where the bite happened, what changed, whether skin broke, and whether appetite, movement, grooming, litter box, or hiding changed.
Situation guides
Common moments before a bite
Guide
Bites during petting
Understand changing touch tolerance and early signals.
Read the guide →
Guide
Attacks on ankles
Recognize play and hunting behavior directed at movement.
Read the guide →
Guide
Bites when picked up
Reduce restraint and improve predictability during handling.
Read the guide →
Guide
Redirected arousal
Create distance when the original trigger cannot be reached.
Read the guide →