Cat Licking Arms

ArtNJ

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My 2 y.o. cat Pip has always been friendly but skittish. Almost never stays on the lap, but will now cross over me to get to the arm of a chair, and from there she wants to lick my arms. My wife says "just tell her no" but as we all know, its in your volume, the word no itself means nothing. Saying no conversationally does nothing. Since she is a very skittish cat, and I'm happy she is willing to cross over me and perch so close, I don't want to say no loud enough to scare her down. Moving my hands and arms does nothing. Its impossible to fully evade her. She will lick my hands or arms enough to make them itchy with that sticky feeling. Its gross. But I'm kind of at a loss. I don't usually wear long sleaves this early in the season, and it wouldn't solve the problem anyways, as she is happy to lick my hands. Putting her off the arm and onto the lap results in her getting down and isnt much different from gently putting her on the ground.

I guess I just don't know how to train a skittish cat. With any of the other cats I've had, by age two I just wouldn't worry about it. I'd either put them down, or use a loud "no!" they would jump down and either way they would be back before too long. With Pip, I kind of think that would hurt her progress.
 

FeebysOwner

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Feeby will do something similar on occasion, so generally I just re-position my hand/arm so that she is not licking the same specific area (I have had what looks like rug burns if I don't get her to move to another space on my hand/arm). However, I don't find it gross, so this may not be a possible solution for you. The other thing I have done is to start to 'scritch' her cheeks or underneath her chin which distracts her as she is more interesting in 'receiving than giving'!

It might be a lotion/soap/etc. that you use which she finds 'tasty', so you might just want to try a different type of soap and wash your arms and hands before she joins you on your seat/chair/couch. You could, if you don't mind, try spraying your arms and hands with a cat deterrent spray or something citrusy, but I think that would be a last resort, IMO. Another last resort is to create a makeshift cover for your arms and hands from the elbow down to the palm/base of your knuckles, leaving your fingers uncovered but curled under your palm. Something like a cut up pair of panty hose comes to mind (lol)!
 

Mamanyt1953

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Hek goes through spells of it, and I've never successfully broken her of it. She's just very determined. Perhaps try rubbing an orange (PEEL ON) over your hands and arms for awhile. Like most training methods, you won't have to do it (or shouldn't) for more than a few days. Or, get a small bit of fleece or wool, and slip it between her mouth and her chosen spot...she may decide that's a better spot for her loving attention!
 
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ArtNJ

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Hek goes through spells of it, and I've never successfully broken her of it. She's just very determined. Perhaps try rubbing an orange (PEEL ON) over your hands and arms for awhile. Like most training methods, you won't have to do it (or shouldn't) for more than a few days. Or, get a small bit of fleece or wool, and slip it between her mouth and her chosen spot...she may decide that's a better spot for her loving attention!
Hmmm, I'd be willing to try a citrus soap if that might work. Blocking the spot with just become a game. She is totally undeterred by my moving body parts out of the way.
 
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ArtNJ

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Thank you both. Dial makes a citrus body wash. Its for kids, but should clean just fine. Sounds like a good thing to try. Maybe it won't be strong enough, but it will get used so no harm. Don't know about spraying myself with something concentrated. She roams back and forth between the lap and each chair arm, so I'd have to do the whole exposed hands and arms. Seems a bit much considering it could take weeks for her to forget!

Axe makes a body wash with citrus and god knows what other crazy scents, but who knows whether Axe would kill, mutate, cause murderous rage or somehow make the licking worse. Oh, wait, they probably tested it on animals, so maybe its "ok" lol... I think I'll do the Dial.
 
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ArtNJ

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This is actually something that still annoys me pretty often. Citrus soap does not work - the smell washes off when done showering I guess. At least the soap I tried. I'd probably want a citrus spray or cologne I guess. With fall coming, I can start wearing long sleeves.

The wife doesn't understand my issue. "Just tell her no or move her". None of that works. I'd have to be harsh with her, and then she just goes away. If I gently redirect her enough, sometimes she will just lay nearby for a bit, but seeking petting is over. So that is what happens, since I can't take the lickies for long lol.
 

susanm9006

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I wouldn’t have much patience with a lot of licking either. I would keep some kind of cloth near you, let her give you a couple licks, thank her for the complement and then cover your arm. Hopefully she will still stick around for pets.
 
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ArtNJ

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Thats not a bad idea at all susanm9006 susanm9006 , thank you. I'll give it a whirl.
 

Tobermory

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Would something like this work? I used to use these when I lived in colder climates. They’re lightweight fleece, easy to slide off and on, and leave your fingers free. They’re meant to fill the gap between your gloves and your coat sleeve. Mine come up a little more than halfway to my elbows.
19A38582-E475-4F3F-BE41-1B828195B118.jpeg
 
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