I’ve had a 1 y.o. male kitty for the past month. When I get up in the morning he will lightly nip at my pajama pants/leg until I get out of bed and feed him. Then at lunch (and sometimes dinner) he will do the same thing. Today it was a little annoying as i was trying to have a Zoom call and he wouldn’t leave me alone. He’ll also do it sometimes when I’m sitting in my desk chair (and am high above him). This seems like a normal behavior issue but does anyone have suggestions for handling this? Thanks!
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Cat nipping at leg when hungry
- Thread starter laprof
- Start Date
Are you feeding your cat enough food? If not, that could explain the nipping. One year olds are generally considered adults so they don't need to be fed as much as a growing kitten but they still need to get enough calories daily. It's suggested to feed 20 to 25 calories per pound of body weight daily. Do you feed dry food or canned food or both? Do you leave food out overnight or during the day to help satisfy munchy cravings?
Sometimes a cat will gently nip as an attention seeking behavior. How often do you play with your cat? Some cats simply do best if they have a friend to play with. Two cats isn't much more work than one. You'll have to do a slow introduction between the two to avoid fighting.
It's a good idea to discourage nipping and other annoying behavior as soon as they start. A firm NO and redirecting the cat's attention to a toy usually works. Be consistent in how you discourage negative behavior. And have patience as it will take time for cats to stop the behavior.
Sometimes a cat will gently nip as an attention seeking behavior. How often do you play with your cat? Some cats simply do best if they have a friend to play with. Two cats isn't much more work than one. You'll have to do a slow introduction between the two to avoid fighting.
It's a good idea to discourage nipping and other annoying behavior as soon as they start. A firm NO and redirecting the cat's attention to a toy usually works. Be consistent in how you discourage negative behavior. And have patience as it will take time for cats to stop the behavior.
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- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #3
Thanks, this is great advice! I'm feeding him 1 can a day, which is around 200 calories. At 11 pounds, that seems like enough calories. I also leave out a cup or so of kibble during the day. He follows me into the kitchen every time I go there, even when there's kibble out. for him. I hope he will relax about food a little at some point....or is that wishful thinking?Are you feeding your cat enough food? If not, that could explain the nipping. One year olds are generally considered adults so they don't need to be fed as much as a growing kitten but they still need to get enough calories daily. It's suggested to feed 20 to 25 calories per pound of body weight daily. Do you feed dry food or canned food or both? Do you leave food out overnight or during the day to help satisfy munchy cravings?
Sometimes a cat will gently nip as an attention seeking behavior. How often do you play with your cat? Some cats simply do best if they have a friend to play with. Two cats isn't much more work than one. You'll have to do a slow introduction between the two to avoid fighting.
It's a good idea to discourage nipping and other annoying behavior as soon as they start. A firm NO and redirecting the cat's attention to a toy usually works. Be consistent in how you discourage negative behavior. And have patience as it will take time for cats to stop the behavior.
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The patience part is hard but I'm working on it. I have started saying NO today when he's about to nip. This morning he walked all over me a couple time when I woke up/turned over, but I didn't give in and he stopped, except at around 7 (usual wake-up time) when he lightly pawed or nipped my head! So I guess it's 2 steps forward, 1 step back! :-)
I'm playing with him for 15-20 minutes before bed, followed by a feeding. I'm trying to add 10-15 more minutes during the day as well.
