Daily Kitten Chat Forum » Cats & Kittens

body run/head bonk/nose bite

(23 posts)

  1. Help! This morning was the third time Marzipan has bitten my nose while I was in bed. This time, at least, I was awake. He has a habit of jumping on the bed and running up my body up to my face. Usually, he then snuggles under my chin and starts to purr. This time, he bonked his head against my forehead, and then bit my nose. It wasn't that hard--the bite itself didn't hurt--but once again he caught me with a tooth and cut my nose. I'm pretty sure he's not trying to really hurt me (he could do a LOT more damage than that if he were), but it's scary and awful and I have a scar from the first bite on the bridge of my nose . . . and I must confess that as I sat in the bathroom wiping blood off my face once again, I cried a little and wondered if I really could handle this for the next 15 years (he's 5 months old now).

    Do I really have to lock him up every night? He's going to the "spa" at the end of this week, so maybe getting all the angry juice out of his system will help?

    Posted 3 years ago by astrid #

  2. First of all, I'm sure he didn't mean to hurt you either and he won't always be this playful..His "spa" treatment will calm him some. Blackbeard used to do something very similiar, only he would bite my cheek in the mornings..I started pulling the covers over my head when he would run up toward my head..He only did it about 4 or 5 times..After that he just comes up and sits on my head...lol Hang in there Astrid, he won't be a little boy forever, and when he's not you will miss these days.

    Posted 3 years ago by 2bpurring #

  3. Astrid,
    I'm sorry, I don't have any advice but I just wanted to tell you that I can totally sympathize. My George is still trying to bite me on a regular basis, and it *is* scary, especially if you don't see it coming. I've tried all the hints people here have suggested, with not a lot of success, and I also think about dealing with this for years (yikes!). Let's hope the little fuzzbutts grow out of it :)

    ((Astrid))

    Posted 3 years ago by Kilroy #

  4. Astrid, my Bombalurina did that and it was one of her ways of showing affection. It was just a little nip but I agree - the danger is when those little teeth catch. I don't know how to tell you to try and stop that behavior. Bomber got away with murder, so I am a poor one to advise. But I know that others might have a solution.

    Posted 3 years ago by WillowandWindismom #

  5. LOL! I'm sorry I shouldn't laugh astrid..I don't mean to but the visual has me giggling. I doubt he meant to hurt you either. Mine have never been nose biters or toes biters so all I can contribute is that the 'spa' treatment should help alot. Please be patient with the little darlin'....things will get better.

    Posted 3 years ago by Karenopa #

  6. Thank you all for your replies--just hearing from other people who have been (or still are-so sorry that you're going through this with your George, Kilroy!) through this helps. I do sort of wonder if it might not be his way of being affectionate . . . frighteningly, gorily affectionate. :) Honestly, he's definitely in "catten" phase--at least in size--and I'm really looking forward to the calm, sweet behavior that his adult family at the breeder's displayed.

    I do have hope that 1. the spa treatment will help; 2. he does seem to be just starting to understand not to bite/scratch too hard. I mean, he still mounts surprise attacks quite a bit, but I have noticed that I have fewer scratches and bite marks these days. I think I'll also ask his vet to take a look at his teeth and see if there are jagged edges on any of his canines that are causing his tooth to catch and tear--maybe she could file any jags.

    Posted 3 years ago by astrid #

  7. Has Marzipan started losing his baby teeth? I think the baby teeth are much more needle sharp than adult teeth. If I don't want kitty attention when I'm in bed, I pull the covers over my head too. When my kits see the "not at home for play" sign, they leave me alone. If you have the chance when Marzipan is running up your body to your face, put a hand up to pet him with so he can't get at your face. He sounds like he likes to cuddle and the tooth contact is a very typical way kittens play with each other. I'm sure he is not doing it to be agressive. He just doesn't understand that mommy has no fur to protect her from his love bites!

    Posted 3 years ago by Kitten Whisperer #

  8. My darling Smokey (now at the bridge) would meow if I was on the phone.. One day she bit my ear while I was talking!
    Of course I had to hang up and give her treats!

    Posted 3 years ago by caroline #

  9. Kitten Whisperer--how do I tell if he has baby or adult teeth? I definitely haven't seen any little teeth lying around or any definite signs of teething . . . but I've had friends say that I probably wouldn't find any of his baby teeth or notice the transition the way you can tell with dogs.

    Thanks for the suggestions--if he continues to do this when I'm awake, I definitely think it will work. Unfortunately, the other two times were when I was asleep . . . and when I say he runs up my body, I mean he RUNS up my body. He goes from feet to face in about a second and a half.

    It is reassuring to hear that no one thinks he's doing it aggressively.

    Posted 3 years ago by astrid #

  10. This is the best photo I could find of kitten teeth: http://www.weheartpets.com/wp-content/1425557217_6deb8485fb.jpg

    They start shedding them at about four months and should have their adult teeth completely in by six months.

    Here is a photo of an adult cat's teeth: http://catutopia.com.au/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/junecatteeth.jpg

    Posted 3 years ago by Kitten Whisperer #

  11. Hee! These are great! Thanks, so much Kitten Whisperer! Marzipan definitely still has kitten teeth.

    Posted 3 years ago by astrid #

  12. wow that is neat

    Posted 3 years ago by neelaANDcharlie #

  13. Those look like Trumie's little teeth.

    Posted 3 years ago by HuddysMama #

  14. For the first six months that I had my first cat, Chappel (named this because he and his littermates were abandoned in a church narthex), my forearms were constantly covered with scratches. After that, they weren't. He did calm down considerably.

    Cats also do "nip" as an expression of affection, and Chappel did that, too. I learned the difference between a love nip and a real bite once when I was feeding him some treats out of my hand. He mistook my finger tip for one of the treats and bit down on it "for real."

    Posted 3 years ago by Leeny #

  15. Windi still bites me when she's purring and I'm petting her. Bless her heart, she just doesn't know any other way. Willow will dispense a kitty kiss, but Windi bites a little. She had such a hard kittenhood that I don't have the heart to scold her. And she doesn't bite too hard.

    *reaches in medicine chest and pulls out yet another gauze bandage.....*

    Posted 3 years ago by WillowandWindismom #

  16. Astrid...CC will bite my nose in the morning when he thinks it's time for me to get up. Penny will start with a gentle headbonk, and if that does get me moving, she backs up and gets a running start, she has got me good a few times, to the point that I was surprised she didn't knock herself out..

    Posted 3 years ago by Crazycatman - CA #

  17. lol @ WWM. Mavvy bites my nose in the morning, also. Not really hard, but enough to bring tears to my eyes sometimes. I have no idea why he does it, but he doesn't do it very often so I don't really get too upset with him. Ok, I'm a liar, I don't get upset with him at ALL!! Another thing he likes to do is head butt me right on my glasses. Thats not pleasant.

    Marzipan just sounds like a baby who loves you very much, Astrid.

    Posted 3 years ago by HuddysMama #

  18. Cato does this and when I do not wake up, he launches a full out attack on some part of my exposed body until I do wake up bleeding. He is rather impatient and I have learned to move him out of the bed if he seems irritable. :) Elizabeth

    Posted 3 years ago by Cato1730 #

  19. Hahaha! So, there are apparently a lot of us dealing with nose biters! I'll be happy to host the first support group meeting--bring your little biter and we can go around the room and show our scars while the kitts play.

    Posted 3 years ago by astrid #

  20. LOL at astrid!!! Sounds like alot of fun! :D

    Posted 3 years ago by Karenopa #

  21. Astrid, my little Abby used to do exactly the same thing when she was a kitten -- come purring up to my face when I was asleep and nip my nose, the sensitive bit between the nostrils. BOY DID IT HURT! Someone (was it Scarver? Hi, Scarver!) started a thread the other week on TDK which explained that nose nips and long slow looks followed by a slow blink were cats' ways of kissing you, and you should feel very flattered. IT STILL HURTS. Kitten teeth and claws are definitely little razors, which makes it worse. I didn't have to worry about stopping her, she stopped all by herself and pretty soon too. Like the others say, you will miss these kitten days when Marzipan is a serene and purring couch potato who prefers to let you do all the running around!

    Posted 3 years ago by jcat #

  22. I definitely don't think this will last for 15 years. I think it's just an immaturity thing right now. She is a baby. Suki used to have the worst habits........chewing on electrical cords, viciously attacking me when I would stand in the kitchen, scratching up carpet, etc. I can go on and on. Right when she hit 3 yrs old, she became the perfect cat! She doesn't do ANY of that anymore. She even sleeps with me through the WHOLE night now... Never waking me up anymore.

    Posted 3 years ago by summerjean #

  23. Rotley does this nose bite in the morning, one fang on either side of the tip of my nose. Not painful, but defintely strange enough to wake you up from a sound sleep!

    Spa day will calm your little rascal.

    Posted 3 years ago by Emma #


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