The Doctor hadn't really thought about the fact the TARDIS was in human form here, which was really strange though she was fairly sentient in her normal guise. She probably didn't like to be hit. "Isn't that the case with most women?" he said, teasing. It really was the first thing to come to mind. Just goes to show he'd been around his own Rose too long when she'd influenced him to say such things.
"She knows I love her, me and the old girl, never been apart for too long." And he pet her affectionately and it seemed like the ship purred in response.