Feline Behaviorist Pam Johnson-Bennett is the author of a number of award-winning and critically acclaimed books, including Think Like a Cat and Psycho Kitty. The innovative methods described in all her books are based on Pam's unique way of training by actually understanding the way a cat thinks. She makes numerous television appearances including CNN, Fox News Channel, and National Geographic specials, as well as being a popular guest on many nationally syndicated radio programs. She is now considered to be one of the leading experts on feline behavior.

Q: We have a beautiful Siamese cat who is now one year and three months old. He was born under our porch. He is not mean or vicious, but he will only allow us to pet him for about one or two minutes. After some petting, he will try to bite my hand, put my hand in his mouth, try to grab it with his paws, or will sometimes actually bite me. He hasn't bit me really hard yet, but enough to scratch the skin a little. Do you have any idea why he wants to bite my hand?

A: This behavior is common in many cats, especially ones who, as kittens, may not have been socialized to humans. The behavior is called petting induced aggression. Some cats get overly stimulated when petting continues for too long. Your kitty is probably giving you several warning signs before he actually bites, but you might be missing them. Common warning signs include skin twitching, tail lashing, cessation of purring, ear flicking or rotating the ears backward or shifting body position. If the kitty felt he had given you an advance warning and you didn't stop petting, then the only option left (in his mind) was to bite.

Since you know your cat's petting time limit is about one to two minutes, stop after 20 seconds. Be content to just let him sit on your lap or next to you. Leave him wanting more, so he'll change his association with the experience. Do this for several sessions and gradually add one extra petting stroke every now and then. Watch for body language signals, as well.

Finally, make sure you don't try to pet your cat when he's in play mode. Satisfy his need for playtime before you settle down for petting sessions.