Hair Chewing - Behavior Training Solutions

mildlyironic

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Apr 16, 2014
Messages
59
Purraise
9
Hi everyone,

Thanks in advance for your advice! Of my two 7-month-old kittens, one of them absolutely LOVES to chew on my hair at night. It's gotten to the point where he'll wake me up in the middle of the night trying to get at my hair, and the likelihood of sleep for the rest of my night is shot because I have to spend it constantly trying to hide my hair, hide under the covers, or push him away - only to have him come back. I live in a studio, so I can't lock him out of my bedroom, and my boyfriend doesn't like staying over now because Apollo keeps walking on him to get to my hair or he's the one awake and trying to keep Apollo out of my hair. On top of the unsustainable nightly routine for me, I also doubt it's healthy for him - once or twice now I've found him pooping out a strand of my (very long) hair. I now bun it up at night, but he'll get at absolutely anything he can, and will make such a mess that my hair - which never used to tangle - is always a rat's nest in the morning that takes forever to comb out. 

I perused the forums, and it seemed like the only recommended options were (1) shutting the cat out of the bedroom, (2) wearing a shower cap/toque/hat to bed or (3) switching to an organic shampoo. I can't do (1), and I'd strongly prefer not to do (3) since I use a particular shampoo that balances well with my hair and have already gone through a variety of kinds that will normally end up leaving my hair dry or super oily. (2) starts seeming absurd; when my family had dogs, the rule was that the dogs were not the boss of the house, the humans were - although we obviously did change our schedules to accommodate our pups, there are certain steps (ex: never leaving the house for more than one hour at a time when the dog is a grown adult and perfectly capable of waiting for a walk) that are simply too restrictive and make the pet the human's jailer. 

I absolutely love my cats, but this is really starting to become incredibly frustrating. Not to mention, I often fall asleep at work because I can't get a good night's rest, and haven't since this started 2 months ago or so. I'm hoping he'll grow out of it, but in the meantime, does anyone have ideas on how to train my cat to not chew my hair? I don't want to use a spritzer, since I hear that's pretty traumatic, and they are fairly good at clicker-training if there's a way to incorporate that into behavior modification. Alternatively, if switching shampoos is really the only option, what particular essential oils/scents do cats dislike? Can I just spray my hair with Bitter Apple for a month and see what happens? 
 

mani

Moderator and fervent feline fan
Staff Member
Moderator
Joined
Feb 28, 2012
Messages
46,565
Purraise
23,328
Location
Australia
Can't you just keep him out of the bedroom at night?  Or just wear the showercap, even though it seems absurd?  I think I'd rather do that than the bitter apple thing, but that's worth a go if you're prepared to do it.

If it's any consolation, my girl did this, but she grew out of it pretty quickly 
 

misty8723

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jan 16, 2006
Messages
7,688
Purraise
8,129
Location
North Carolina
We just adopted Persephone who is a bit over 1 year old. She apparently thinks the back of my head is a chew toy.  Several times now at night she will get up on the bed, curl up on my pillow, and go at my head with claws and teeth.  Nothing to hurt me, but very disconcerting.  I stop her, of course, and hopefully she'll outgrow it.  I'll be interested to see if anyone comes up with a good solution that doesn't involve either locking her out of the room or spraying myself with bitter apple
 

darlenam8

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Nov 23, 2013
Messages
106
Purraise
39
I was actually going to post a question about something very similar when I read this.

The strangest part with my cat is that I have had him for just over a year now, and he has started doing this only a month or two ago. When I am asleep, he climbs into bed and on me. (Usually, he will cuddle by my feet to sleep. He never climbs on me, not even to sit. Not a lap cat!) I don't know if its him walking on me or his loud purring but I wake up soon after. He starts flopping around, like he is trying to find the most wonderfully comfortable spot to sleep. I will pet him and he gets crazy. He flops this way and that, purring loudly, sometimes (drooling?) on my hands as he brushing his face across my hands, Then, he starts kneading (which is also something he has never done in the whole year I have had him.) He kneads the blankets, my stomach, then he climbs on my chest and I know what is coming next. He just stares, purring, looking at my head. Then, yup you guessed it, he climbs onto my head and starts kneading the pillow and my hair. He pulls my hair really hard. At first I thought it was only because of his kneading, but I can also hear him "smacking his lips" as he chews and pulls on my hair in his mouth. 

My boyfriend witnessed it one time and was both cracking up and horrified. He said my cat did that thing they do when they are really scenting something, mouth open, huffing and purring, and eating my hair. He does this for maybe 30 seconds in my hair, then jumps out of bed and soon after, I hear him down the hall nibbling on kibble.

Silly cat!

Why would a cat just now start doing these things after a year?

Any thoughts?

Either way, it is hilarious and I wanted to share :)
 

mnm

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
May 21, 2007
Messages
966
Purraise
660
Location
Phoenix
I have one that if I lay on the floor she does that to my hair..and sometimes digs into my hair when she jumps up on the couch behind me but not to an extent that I have to shoo her away. hmm.. is there anything you can put in your hair a few times that make it bitter to her? lol
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #6

mildlyironic

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Apr 16, 2014
Messages
59
Purraise
9
In response to a replier: I can't close the door to my cats because I live in a studio. There are no doors, unless I want to hide them in the bathroom all night, and that just seems cruel. The shower cap seems like an avoidant solution rather than a proactive one, as it relies on the hope that Apollo grows out of it or that I will wear a shower cap on my head in bed for 20 years.

Relatedly, Apollo tried to eat my yarn while I was knitting. Luckily, it was still attached to my skein and needles and he didn't get at much, but he tried to swallow way more than I would have thought possible or safe. 

Does anyone know what causes the bitter taste in bitter apple? They hate that stuff. Maybe I can add it to my shampoo. 
 

mani

Moderator and fervent feline fan
Staff Member
Moderator
Joined
Feb 28, 2012
Messages
46,565
Purraise
23,328
Location
Australia
Cats are not fond of eucalyptus, and most citrus smells.  Maybe you could add a few drops of those essential oils to your shampoo? Or spraying the bitter apple on your pillow?
 
Last edited:

rainer1231

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Mar 14, 2015
Messages
6
Purraise
1
My Cat(Blackie) was doing this to the Wifes Hair.I got her Citrus Conditioner and Voila,Blackie stopped

chewing her Hair.
 

darlenam8

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Nov 23, 2013
Messages
106
Purraise
39
Ah, I didn't think of that. My little boy stoped chewing my hair, now I realize it is probably my new grapefruit shampoo!
 
Top