my kitten parker

Oh where to start!
Parker is great but lately I am feeling overwhelmed here are some questions please help if you can.

When I am lying in bed at night I will look over and see parker sitting on the floor in pounce position his tailing slapping back and forth and I know i'm in for it. He goes ahead and pounces on my face usually but when I give him my arm he will take a quick bite and run off. He acts as if he knows it is wrong right away because he makes a run for it. I have tried the squirt bottle and all that has done is he now recognizes the squirt bottle and runs away faster before i can get him. He has also started what I like to call checking bites I will play with him and he will nip at me and then look for my reaction. I can tell he knows better but he is still doing it I stopped the squirt bottle for a while and switched to "NO BITE" and it seemed to help but he is back his old ways.

please help

Welcome to TCS! Try growling at him if you see him about to pounce, and hissing at him if he does.

How old is he? I remember going through phases with both of the 2 I had as kittens where the did the face pouncing thing at night, around 5 months old I think. They are just energetic and want to play! This is how kittens initiate play with each other, pounce and run. I just put the covers over my head and ignored it completely, they do give up when they realise that they're not going to get you to play that way, but you have to be consistent. And give them plenty of play time when you're awake of course

EDIT: It is quite sweet in a way, you've brought back memories of seeing Sonic crouched at the foot of the bed staring at me, and me trying to pull the covers up before he landed on my face

Give him something else to pounce on besides yourself - like a toy wiggling under the covers (but move your hand out fast if he pounces). Or else keep him out of the room at night. You've seen that spraying doesn't work and neither will any 'punishment', but in any case, he'll grow out of it all in not too long.

You didn't say how old he is or how old he was when you got him. But this sounds like kitten behaviror of kittens taken away from mom and siblings too young (under 10-12 weeks old). They don't learn how to play nice and so YOU are the sibling!

Just keep consistent in stopping the biting. Also you might try some interactive playing (jumping/chasing) with a fishing rod toy or similar before you go to bed to wear him out.

Thanks for all the suggestions and yes parker is 5 months old he was found at about 1 month old outside. He lived at the humane society for about 3 months and i have had him since 12/31/07