This is the shocking moment a stray cat bit a girl on the face as she tried to cuddle it.

Ellaine Orjeta, 19, was having coffee with her girlfriend at a restaurant in Quezon, the Philippines, when the kitten approached their table.

A cat lover, Ellaine picked up the feline and began petting it affectionately.

Footage shows her lifting the cat close to her face while posing for the camera—only for the animal to suddenly nip her on the cheek on May 27.

Stunned by the unexpected reaction, she quickly dropped the cat onto her lap.

Ellaine said: 'As a cat lover, I held her and petted her for a few minutes. She was nice, then I picked her up.

'When I tried to kiss her, she suddenly bit me, so I threw her away. But I apologised to the cat afterwards.'

She reportedly did not suffer any injuries from the encounter.