This is called petting induced or overstimulation aggression. It's a common behavior in many cats, and is something that can be both frustrating and frightening until you learn how to manage this behavior with your cat.
Many cats exhibit what behaviourists call “petting-induced aggression,” an instinctive reaction to something they find unpleasant, even painful. Compared to dogs, cats are generally less tolerant of petting.
The cat begs for attention and loves the petting, but then bites you after only a few strokes. These cats use the “leave me alone” bite to stop interactions such as petting, being lifted or approached, or being moved from a favorite perch. It's a very common behavior in cats, but you can work with your pet to stop it.
Thank you for asking me to answer “What does it mean when my cat hits my hand when I stop petting him?” It usually means either “don't go away… keep petting me!” or “you pet me… I pet you back.” Every cat has its way of communicating its needs to we poor, inadequate human companions.
Play. Swatting is a predatory behavior that's often shown while playing — especially with toys. Kittens are usually rougher when swatting because older cats know how to hide their claws. If you use your hands while playing with your cats, they may think of them as toys.
Cats love to rub up against their owners. This movement may involve their entire body or sometimes just their foreheads and cheeks. Most owners see this as a sign of affection and welcome this behaviour. When cats rub against objects, they are transferring their scent.
A cat's paws are positively loaded with scent glands. Depositing scent on an object or person is not really about marking territory, claiming possession, or dominating, as some people think. To the cat, it's about making his world smell like him – a smell that is familiar, comforting, and safe.
Yes, cats will become sad if you don't show them the affection to which they have become accustomed.
It's often a gesture of affection or a request for attention. Cats reach out when they want to make contact with you in some way.
Biting as a tool of communication
This is nothing to be alarmed by however, and is just an indication from your cat that they want you to stop. Sometimes, a bite from your cat can be aggressive and serious. This arises when they perceive that they have no other option.
Cat biting when playing
Cats often bite during play because they are expressing their natural hunting instinct. For kittens, biting and bunny-kicking are normal play behaviours. They play like this with their littermates and mothers and it mimics how they pounce, grab and bite their prey.
Despite its name, a love bite is not usually considered a sign of affection. Instead, these nips are a cat's instinctive reaction to soreness, surprise, or discomfort.
Cats are already intolerant of human forms of punishment, but physically dominating a cat will break your bond with her. Never hold down, shake or hit your cat. Physically harming your cat can actually make the situation worse and cause her to lash out or become withdrawn.
Common signals to look for include: tail swishing, skin twitching over the back, flattening of the ears, tenseness, dilated pupils, low growl, walking away and lying down. Stop petting at the first sign of any of these early warning signals.
Cats bite because they are fearful, stressed, or frustrated. They do not act out of spite or anger. There is always a good reason (in their mind) behind the behavior.
Most cats don't understand that kisses from humans are a sign of affection. A cat will surely let you know if they enjoy being kissed or not. The best ways to show your cat that you love them are to give them toys, treats, and plenty of one-on-one time.
This study shows that cats respond functionally to their owner's emotional stimuli when their owner showed “anger” or “anxiety”, and their stress levels were higher as compared to when they were shown “happiness”.
Cats have the power to sense their owner's emotions. So, cats have the ability to feel whenever their owner is sad. Beyond sadness, domestic cats are also able to feel whenever their owner has switched moods and emotions.
For some cats, shoving their butt in your face means they want to be petted. While a gentle pat from the paw would do, a bum in the face is a sure-fire way to get into your line of sight and snag a little extra attention. So, when your cat puts his bum in your face, he might just want some lovin'.
The Nose Poke
Cats nose poke (gently touch their nose to the other's nose) only trusted friends, be they feline, human, canine, or equine.
PetMD also points out that cats are territorial creatures. They claim their turf by marking it with their scent. So when they sleep on top of you, they're actually marking you—and your bed—as theirs. We should be flattered by this behavior, apparently.
Cats are territorial creatures, and one of the ways they safeguard their turf is to scent-mark their belongings. By kneading their paws on the surface of something (yes, including you), they're activating the scent glands in their soft paw pads, thereby marking that item as theirs.
Cats attack because it's fun
Cats love to play and attacking is usually just another form of this. Attack play is most common in younger cats who will attack pretty much anything: you, kitten friends, plants, toys, toilet paper rolls, shoes, shadows…you get the idea.
It's classic play behavior. Your cat is bored and decided to practice hunting - with you as the prey. If there was a second cat, it would use that as the prey. Unless the cat uses it's claws, it's all in good fun and you can probably make it stop by playing more with it or getting a second cat.