Most cats will simply walk away when they have had enough attention from you. Others, however, will nip at your hand. Why do they do this? You aren’t hurting him, just stroking, so it can get confusing.

Some cats become over stimulated easily. The stroking gets them wound and the bite relieves some of that tension. Others just never learned that biting was inappropriate behavior. There is no consensus on exactly why some cats bite and others don’t, but there are some warning signs you can look for that may help you prevent being bit.

Watch your cat’s tail. If the end begins twitching, this is a sure sign the cat is getting irritated. Unlike dogs, cats do not wag their tails. Another sign to look for is ear movement. Every cat owner is familiar with the flattened ears of an angry cat, but by that time, it is too late and you are nursing a bite. Watch for the ears to start turning to the sides. This is an indication your furry friend is getting agitated. Stop stroking now and you can prevent getting bit.

The main ways a puppy will play with another dog or puppy are chasing, wrestling, and biting.

When your puppy eventually becomes separated from his littermates, he will most likely carry on his playful behavior with you and your family members. This is often the cause for most puppies trying to bite our hands, or clothing. This behavior usually happens when your puppy is excited and wants to play, rather than a sign of aggression.

You see, to your new puppy, play biting is a very exciting game. Usually when us humans are bitten by a puppy we squeal and pull away. But to your puppy, this makes the whole thing even more exciting, and makes him want to chase us.

This might not be a huge problem now, but if your puppy continues the same behavior until adulthood, his bites will become more painful, and could cause us bruising, even though he only means to be playful.

Some breeds of puppy are more likely to play bite than others. Terriers are often more likely to play bite, as they like to play rough with their littermates when they are young.