Nose Biting.......??

Why the heck has my 3 year old Diego, who I've had since he was 9 weeks randomly started biting my nose!? Mainly when I'm sleeping, so I'm sure it's some way to try and wake me up but any idea where he could have gotten this behaviour all of a sudden? He doesn't bite hard, but it sure is a bite!! Please Diego I beg you, let my nose have some peace.

It's hard to know what was in Diego's mind the first time he tried biting your nose, but since it worked and he got your attention, it's a cinch he's going to keep doing it.  My old boy Wesley started treating me to what I called the "Iron claw of death" in the middle of the night when he was about 13.  He suddenly started waking me up by gently poking one claw into my head.  If I didn't move or respond, he dug it in deeper and deeper until he got what he wanted.  In his case, he wanted food and putting a bowl of kibble in the bedroom helped cut down on the episodes.  I just had to rearrange his meals a little bit and it all worked out well.   

Have you figured out what Diego wants?  Is he hungry or just after attention?  He might just be trying to play, if it's just attention he wants.  Either way, I'm sure you want to put an end to this.  Try saying "Ouch" very loudly and putting him down right away.  Sometimes hissing works well to let a cat know their behavior is unacceptable.  Don't punish him or scold him as he will not really understand why you are doing so.  

Check out the articles below for some ideas.
[article="32493"]The Dos And Donts Of Cat Behavior Modification  [/article][article="32827"]How To Set Healthy Boundaries For Your Cat  [/article]
Good luck!  

Dang that's annoying! I know some people use bitter apple spray to stop cats from suckling on things. Kind of drastic, but I wonder if you could get that and spray it on your finger and rub it on your nose (don't want to get it in your eye) when you know he's going to do it. If you're asleep before you can respond to it, maybe try having it by the side of your bed, ignore him after he's awakened you, put it on, then pretend you're going back to sleep. I bet he'll go for your nose again and then get that awful disgusting taste! LOL. Such a naughty kitty.