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Kitty Keeps Licking/Biting Fingers

post #1 of 6
6/29/10 at 12:10pm
Thread Starter 
One of my cats, Squiggle, has a habit (almost a need) of licking people's fingers. I don't mind this, but he gets a little too enthusiastic sometimes and ends up biting. This part hurts. I've looked around a bit on the internet and the popular answer for this behavior seems to be that he was taken from his mother too early. He's actually still with his mother, so I'm a little confused.

He was briefly taken from her as a kitten, for about 1-2 weeks (we gave him away, but he wasn't happy and they brought him back), but this was after he had been weaned from nursing (by his mothers action, not ours).

Any other ideas on what causes this behavior, or how I can stop it? I wear different lotions and hand sanitizers, etc... so I can't imagine it's the taste he likes.

A picture of Squiggle, for your enjoyment:

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post #2 of 6
6/29/10 at 1:24pm
Maybe he views your fingers as live prey. Cats often lick their prey before they start chomping on it. Your kitten just may be practicing to be a mighty hunter. An interactive feather toy might help with his hunter's instinct.

Squiggle sure is cute!
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post #3 of 6
6/29/10 at 2:26pm
I've got several here that lick and tnree that chew and lick. I know for a fact that twoh chewers were weaned too soon - one was a foundling and the other lost momma too soon and was raised by a neutered tom until cold weather set in. The third chewer is the nutered tom that raised Da Magpie; the rest, well they just happily cover me in cat spit. Some of the chewing will go away somewhat with age and finally becomes a comfort thing. The licking will remain forever.
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post #4 of 6
6/30/10 at 4:30am
One of our fosters, Olive, is an obsessive licker as well with the occasional "love nip" thrown in there. Now she doesn't hurt though. I have no idea what causes it, but whenever she gets TOO obsessive, we just move away from her or "psssttt" and she stops.
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post #5 of 6
7/1/10 at 7:36pm
I had a cat like this, my mother's cat. She was a licker and biter. We called them love bites. They do not seem to be from aggression at all. More like what you say--she would sniff your finger, then lick it then bite it. I would pull my hand away from her biting range and just pet her head. It got to be a game sometimes.
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post #6 of 6
7/26/10 at 6:52pm
My new 14 week old kitten constantly wants to sit on my lap, be petted and lick my hands. Tonight he gave me a little nip and I came right to this site for info. Good to hear this isn't uncommon.
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