Biting/Nipping

princessmv33

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I have a two year old cat that lives indoors and recently she has started nipping at misc. objects. She has always been a nipper when playing, but within the last month she has started nipping at my carpet, sheets and comforter. She also has been scratching her teeth up and down a metal pole on my fish tank stand. I wouldn't think at 2 that she would be teething, so what could be causing this and how can I correct the problem before she rips a hole in my bed linens?
 

carolpetunia

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Does your cat have plenty of toys to play with and chew on? Do you give her crunchy dry food as well as canned? Does she seem to prefer one over the other?

I'm thinking she could be having some mouth pain, or maybe she's just bored and looking for stimulation of some kind. You might let the vet inspect her mouth to be sure there's nothing going on. If she checks out okay, maybe she just needs something fun to chew.

When my kitties were small, I sewed several unpainted wooden buttons (all much too large to be swallowed) very firmly onto a white bathtowel and let them tear into that. Sometimes I would wiggle my fingers under the towel, and they would pounce with great glee. You can also dab a bit of kitty milk-substitute on the towel to make it even more fun!
 

KitEKats4Eva!

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I would probably take her to the vet for a check-up. The nipping would generally be a normal behaviour but in combination with her rubbing her teeth up on the fishing pole, sounds to me as though she has some kind of irritation there.

My beautiful Coco (RIP sweet angel) used to get mouth ulcers from flea bites. She was allergic to them, and would start this strange nipping behaviour. Does your kitty have any fleas? And have you had a look in her mouth to see if there's anything obvious? (Although, of course, one should coat oneself in armour and wear welding gloves when attempting this....lol)
 
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