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Cats are known for biting and chewing on all sorts of things. One of the things that caught my attention is when they bite on phones especially when their owners are on them.
One of the main reasons why cats bite phones is a way to damage it since the phone is seen as a threat. The phone takes much of your time and therefore you may sometimes deprive your cat of attention. As such your cat will have to compete for your time, love, and affection. So by biting your phone the cat will feel like they getting rid of the competition.
Cats are really smart in that they pick up on everything. Anything that tries to separate and bring division between you and your feline is hated by the cat. The phone is seen as a threat that the cat will want to eliminate in order to get to you. To them you are the prize and they will do anything in their power to get to you. Biting the phone is a way to damage it, your cat will want to kill it as if its a threat out there in the wild. Just to have you for themselves.
Other possible reasons why cats bite on phones include:
Its a way of communicating
Cats cant accurately communicate to tell you how they feel or what they want, even though they are vocal its sometimes difficult to get the message across. Therefore they may try to get your attention by doing things or act in a certain way. Biting the phone is one of many ways to get your attention.
Since we always on our phones its all the reason they would want to communicate with us through it. For they know that biting the phone will distract us in order to get our attention.
Your cat wants to play with you.
You may be spending too much time on your phone while your cat wants you to play with them. At first, they will try to get your attention by rubbing themselves or jumping on you. When all their efforts fail they go in for the kill, to get the phone. This will upset you at times since we all love to be engaged on social media. Your cat understands this and therefore the only way to get you to focus on them is to attack what’s entertaining you. In this situation, it’s your phone.
Your cat may be attracted to your phone cover
Phone covers have gotten very modern and edgy containing all sorts of shinning stones and glittery objects. These shiny objects attracts the cats attention. The phone cover may be seen as a toy and your cat will want to play with it and therefore bite on it.
Predatory instincts
Cats chase mice, kill insects and stalks everything that moves. Your phone mimics that, as the the light flashes, the movement of videos or images, the touchscreen effect and the sounds that are emitted. All these key features work together to spark their curiosity and stimulate their predatory instincts. They will try to bite on it or tear it apart like they would to prey.
The cat can smell your scent on the phone
Cats have a much better sense of smell than humans. When we use our phones we deposit our scent into it through sweat or sebum that is secrete on our skin. Your cat will be attracted to your scent that is on your phone since it reminds them of you. They will want to play with the phone and as we know apart of cats playing involves biting.

Ways to Stop cats from Biting on Phones?
- Discourage bad behaviour and reward good behaviour with the cat’s favourite treats. The TEMPTATIONS MixUps Crunchy treats are a fantastic reward for them, check out the awesome flavours it comes in on Amazon.
- Use a cat repellent spray, a little amount of the spray on your phone will be enough to deter the cat. The Emmy’s Best Cat Deterrent works really well and is pleasant smelling to humans too. Get it now conveniently from Amazon.
- Involve toys and other exciting things to your cats routine. Sometimes your phone may be seen as a toy to your cat that is the reason why they are attracted to it. Normal toys will just bore them, rather opt for toys like the Ontel Flippity Fish Cat Toy that have motion and it resembles a life-like fish and we know how cats love fish. An alternative is the Cat’s Meow- Motorized Wand Cat Toy, which will attract the cat’s predatory instinct, toys your cat won’t be able to resist.
Why Do Cats Like to Bite specifically the corners of My Phone?
We have understood some of the reasons why cats bite on phones. But we never really understood how they bite on it since the size of a smart phone is way bigger than that of a domestic cats mouth.
Cats bite on cellphones to get your attention and focus. They specifically bite on the corners of the phone since its small enough to bite on and it gives a good grip. This position will ensure that they are able to get the job done by distracting you from the phone so that your can focus on them.
Phones are bigger in size for your cat to bite and the cat is smart enough to target the corners. They understand and know what is required to get you to pay attention to them and therefore they will bite your phone until you realize that they are trying to get your attention.
They are also very intelligent in their actions. They could of bit on a number of other things like your shoes or clothing to get your attention but specifically your phone. This just shows their level of understanding on what you spend your time on and how to effectively disrupt you for their personal concerns.
Why does my Cat Bite me when I’m on my Phone?
Cats bite for a number of reasons like when they are playing, hunting or when they are angry. When you on a call over the phone and your cat bites you its because they think you are speaking to them.
Cats don’t really understand over the phone communication, they just see one person talking to themselves. What you say to someone over the person is accidentally interpreted by them as if you are talking to them and therefore they will respond by jumping on you, cuddling, rubbing or even biting if you don’t respond.
Your cat will resort to biting as its last attempt to communicate back at you even though you aren’t talking to them. They are left in a state of confusion since they are responding to your voice yet you are not showing affection or any sign of interaction.

Why Does My Cat Lay On My Phone ?
Your cat may lay on your phone for several reasons. Some of the reasons are as follows.
- Your cat wants your attention
- The warmth of the phone attracts the cat.
- Your phone is seen as an enemy or your cat is jealous.
- The phone has your scent on it, which reminds the cat of you.
Your cat will do this to anything you spend a lot of time with in order for you refocus your attention on them.
If you are anything like a normal phone user, your phone will be in constant use throughout the day. Your cat, being a normal intelligent and observant being, will notice and act accordingly.
Therefore, your cat will place herself between you and your phone in order to be in the centre of the action, in exactly the same way as they will sprawl across your keyboard or newspaper or anything else she observes is competing for your attention and will defeat it by lying on top of it.
These are the signs that your cat is fighting for your attention and craves your affection and interaction.
Cats and their Jealousy towards Cellphones
Cats are known for getting attached to their owners and when they are not involved or feel left out they tend to get jealous. This jealously in cats can stem from a variety of different problems, in this case the use of cellphones.
Cellphones are used very often in our daily lives as a means of communication, entertainment or as a way of research by this we tend to spend a lot of time on our phones and it can really piss off your fur companion. A jealous cat can become aggressive and their behaviour will show it.
This behaviour includes hissing, swatting and growling at you or at the object that its jealous of, in this case your phone.
A jealous cat can also be more aggressive and start scratching, biting or chewing. These are all signs of destructive behaviour that must be dealt with before the problem gets worse.
Related Questions
1. Do cats get jealous of phones ? Yes in som cases they may feel as if the phone is taking away the time that they spend with you. They also want to bite the phone to damage it.
2. Why does my cat get in front of my phone? They may want your attention or they may be attracted to the visuals such as moving pictures or videos that may have sparked their curiosity.