Kitten nibbles chin / neck? Squeaking?

Swttea

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Hi everyone!

We adopted / rescued a stray kitten last week, and he's about 4.5-4mo old. He is EXTREMELY affectionate, just the sweetest thing. He will seek me out and crawl onto my chest where he will go to sleep until I move, purring like crazy.

When he's doing this sometimes he will also try to nibble my neck/chin. Just his front teeth, and very gently. It doesn't bother me at all, I'm just wondering if it's ok to let him do this or should I discourage it? It's not continuous either. Just a few times. It seems like an affection thing to me, but I want to make sure!

He also doesn't really meow. He literally squeaks, and sounds like a mouse. Mostly when you're in the kitchen and he is hungry, or wants people food. Is it okay that he doesn't meow or could something be wrong with his throat? His breathing and everything else seems perfectly fine.
 

ArtNJ

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Sounds like "love bites". I think its fine to allow them if they don't bother you. Some might say the kitten will get bigger and better to discourage it now, but some adult cats continue to bite gently enough that it can be allowed, and its not like it would become that much harder to stop later. Here is an article if you want more info:

How To Deal With Cat “love Bites”? – TheCatSite Articles

Just don't necessarily let him up too high on your body toward the face, as something like the alarm clock going off could lead the cat to spring off. A much more real issue when the cat is full grown, but something to be aware of. When I had quarreling cats, I had to stop allowing the my older cat onto my chest, because he was so easily stressed he would spring off, digging his nails in and, if I was positioned the wrong way, run over my head.

P.S. Our most recent cat addition is Pip, short for Pip Squeaker, because she was such a squeaker as a kitten. Its normal. She is still more talkative than normal, but doesn't squeak anymore.
 
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susanm9006

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I don’t think he is biting as much as looking for something to nurse on. Usually they do this when they are relaxed and sleepy. Very common for kittens and usually they go for soft warm skin on your neck or earlobe. Some people allow it but I never did. Instead have a soft fuzzy toy or blanket to put between you and them and hopefully they will knead and suck on that.

I would also make sure this baby has food available to him all day in the form of kibble and wet food several times a day.
 
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Swttea

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Sounds like "love bites". I think its fine to allow them if they don't bother you. Some might say the kitten will get bigger and better to discourage it now, but some adult cats continue to bite gently enough that it can be allowed, and its not like it would become that much harder to stop later. Here is an article if you want more info:

How To Deal With Cat “love Bites”? – TheCatSite Articles

Just don't necessarily let him up too high on your body toward the face, as something like the alarm clock going off could lead the cat to spring off. A much more real issue when the cat is full grown, but something to be aware of. When I had quarreling cats, I had to stop allowing the my older cat onto my chest, because he was so easily stressed he would spring off, digging his nails in and, if I was positioned the wrong way, run over my head.

P.S. Our most recent cat addition is Pip, short for Pip Squeaker, because she was such a squeaker as a kitten. Its normal. She is still more talkative than normal, but doesn't squeak anymore.
Aww, I love Pip Squeaker! It's so hard to resist him when he's squeaking for things.
I didn't even think about them leaping off the chest when startled. That is something to keep in mind, thank you!

I don’t think he is biting as much as looking for something to nurse on. Usually they do this when they are relaxed and sleepy. Very common for kittens and usually they go for soft warm skin on your neck or earlobe. Some people allow it but I never did. Instead have a soft fuzzy toy or blanket to put between you and them and hopefully they will knead and suck on that.

I would also make sure this baby has food available to him all day in the form of kibble and wet food several times a day.
It did remind me of nursing and it's mostly when he's sleepy. He hasn't really kneaded on anything as far as I'm aware, just a few of those nibbles when he usually lays down.

I do have dry food out at all times for him and I put down wet food frequently. He's (hopefully) getting over a bad bout of diarrhea he's had since I got him so I haven't tried a whole lot of wet foods with him yet, just trying to keep things stable, but he seems to be getting tired of the only one I'd successfully gotten him to eat - he seems to prefer the dry.
 
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