face bats

hello!
in the past few weeks, my cat who is about 18-19 months old has started to bat me in the face in the mornings in a playful way. usually she starts around 730 because i feed her at 830, but even if i do give in and get up and feed her, she eats her food and then comes and does it again! i dont know if shes hungry or just playing. she purrs really hard while doing it, but it's really starting to wear on me (she started it this morning at 6:00 am!). i dont know how to get her to stop - she starts out not using her claws but will a little bit, if i hide my head she just pounces on me! im really at my wit's end about this - its like have a baby wake me up every morning! can somebody please tell me how to stop this evil behavior? ive tried just pushing her away and that works for like maybe 5 minutes. she usually wont stop until i get up, and even if i get back in bed she might come back. no more pest! the worst part is that she seems to really be enjoying torturing me!

thank you,
ashlee

Don't react to her at all, if you do then she learns that batting you will result in what she wants - you getting up and feeding her! I know it's hard when you have a paw in your face, but try to just completely ignore her, when she realises that it's getting her nowhere then she should stop.

ive tried this but it goes on for literally hours - that was my first attempt. i just turn over or hide my head and it gets worse! i dont know how she cooked up this scheme, shes being evil at me! plus its hard to ignore at least from just a not-moving standpoint because she does start using her claws eventually and it hurts - this doesnt make me get up, but i do have to move. it usually goes on for at least half an hour and sometimes i do get up and feed her but only because that's the time i get up anyhow and when she gets fed. shes so demony.

Sunni did this to me, and believe it or not, I miss it terribly! (she passed away this past summer ) Fortunately for me, she usually just wanted me to lift the blankets so she could climb under and snuggle by me, or a couple of pets would satisfy her into stopping. You'll find something that works for your kitty.

You have to have patience. Ignoring her will work but it will take time. My cat Cleo did the same thing for a while. She stopped after several months of me not reacting to it. Then she resorted to hair pulling, but grew out of that when it didn't work as well. You mentioned that it was like having a baby wake you up to feed it, well, that is exactly what it is like. 18 months old is still young. Give her time to grow out of it, and keep ignoring her. She will stop eventually.

As annoying as that must be, it makes me smile to think of your kitty batting at your face. The youngest of my three does that, too, and it's such a nice way to wake up -- it's like she's saying "I love you Mommy!" LOL

I would definitely NOT get up early to feed her if this keeps up -- you shouldn't reinforce her behavior with the reward of an early breakfast. Other than that, I guess you could just ignore it -- or find a way to enjoy the affection, since that's what it really is.

It used to bother me that my oldest cat was licking me all the time. Then one night, it dawned on me that she was not licking -- she was GROOMING me, and it was really an act of affection. It's been a learning experience, thinking like a cat ... LOL ... but it's rewarding.

If you really can`t stand it then you can give your kitty her own room at night, as long as you provide her with all the things she needs in there.
Linda

Shamus my 15 pound cat jumps on my chest in morning and then sticks his paw in my mouth to get me up. It usually works becaue I wake up immed. I not crazy about him stickin his paw in my mouth but On the bright side I am never late for work or school. The cat is more reliable then my alrm clock.

When she does it, push her away a few times and then if she continues to do it, throw her out of the room (not literally of course!) and shut the door. She will get the hint that this is not acceptable behaviour. She may meow at the door but just ignore her and turn on the radio to drown out the sound.