Tuffy just bit me on the nose...

[arikara]

and it really hurt! Tuffy is a really shy little guy who startles easily. He just came around looking for some affection and I was holding him on my knee and petting him. He got so excited that he turned and bit my nose quite hard. Brought tears to my eyes. I know it was meant to be a love bite but geez... I for sure won't ever get my nose pierced.

[Lorien]

1. Those "love bites" can hurt!

That's a great photo of Tuffy; what a funny, elegant animal! (even if he does snack on noses...) ;-)

[arikara]

2. He is a funny little guy

He lays with his back legs stretched out like that after he plays hard. And he has a wonderful long full tail that pokes up straight in the air. He came from the SPCA, I felt sorry for him there because I'd never seen a more terrified little animal, and he's still nervous after 2 years with us. Hopefully he'll be able to settle down eventually.

Your kids are beautiful. That Miro looks like a real character.

[RadicalMom]

3. Midnight does those love bites sometimes, too. Fortunately,

we aren't loved quite that much too often :). How can one correct that behavior when you know why they do it?

[demnan]

4. Lily can be unpredictable at times

especially when she was younger, she's pretty mellow these days. She used to bite and scratch if petted too long. I'd say look for the warning signs. Never pet a cat with a twitching tail, and be aware of any sensitive spots your cat might have. It took a while for me to realize that Lily really doesn't like being pet on the rear.

[Eurobabe]

5. I think there is a name for that...Don't Pet me Anymore Aggression

"Don't Pet Me Anymore" Aggression (thanks to google answers)

Some cats will suddenly bite while they’re being petted. This behavior
isn’t well understood, even by experienced animal behaviorists. For
whatever reason, petting which the cat was previously enjoying,
apparently becomes unpleasant. Biting is the cat's signal that she has
had enough petting. Cats vary in how much they’ll tolerate being
petted or held. Although people often describe their cats as biting
"out of the blue" or without warning, cats do generally give several
signals before biting.

You should become more aware of your cat’s body postures, and cease
petting or stop any other kind of interaction before a bite occurs.
Signals to be aware of include:

* Restlessness
* Your cat's tail beginning to twitch
* Your cat's ears turning back or flicking back and forth
* Your cat turning or moving her head toward your hand

When you observe any of these signals, it’s time to stop petting your
cat immediately and allow her to sit quietly on your lap or go her own
way, whichever she prefers. Any kind of physical punishment almost
always makes the problem worse, because your cat is more likely to
bite either because she is fearful and/or because petting becomes even
more unpleasant if it’s associated with punishment."

Helpful links:

Understanding Aggression Towards Humans
http://www.paws.org/work/factsheet/catfactsheets/cataggression2.html

Feline Aggression Towards People
http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=animed_cats_aggressionpeople

Aggression & Play
http://www.drpetra.com/Cats/Aggression%20&%20Play%20in%20Cats.htm

Causes & Solutions for Feline Aggression
http://www.pethelp.net/index32.html

Understanding Feline Aggression
http://www.perfectpaws.com/agg.html