Licking/biting fingers

[breamarie]

I just adopted a cat Wednesday; he's about 1 year old and a total sweetheart. Very loving, affectionate, etc. His one bad habit is that he is constantly trying to lick and bite our fingers, no other area, only fingers. I almost wonder if he wasn't nursed long enough or something. It's not an aggressive thing at all, but he did bite my thumb so hard the first day it drew blood. We've been bopping his nose or flicking his head when he does it, and that does stop it at the time, but he still tries later on (we're not doing anything hard enough to hurt, just to be unpleasant or annoying). It seems compulsive.I've thought of trying to shake pennies in a can or squirt him with a water bottle (not near his face, I know). It's just hard if he starts doing it in bed when I don't have access to those things. That's where I worry about it most- he did wake me up the first night he slept with us by biting a finger. He didn't do it last night though, so maybe he's learning.Any other ideas/suggestions?

 

[franksmom]

Disciplining cats like dogs usually doesn't work. Hissing and growling when they bite often helps because that is how a mother cat gets her kittens in line. You should also try to distract him with an appropriate toy that he can chew like a wand. I have also heard the can with coins does work and some people keep it right buy their bed at night.  If he does do it in bed to wake you up never get up and feed him. 

 

[breamarie]

So glad I posted here, thank you! The other day I noticed that he hated the sound of my boyfriend's aerosol deodorant and I wondered if it was because it sounded like hissing. So I tried hissing at him and it seemed to work but I totally forgot about it. Thanks for the reminder, I'll definitely try this tonight.