New Kitten Is Too Loving?

[Mimiallyn]

hey guys! So I’m new here and I may not be posting on the right forum. But, I just recently rescued a 12 week old yesterday. She’s super loving (too loving) and sweet with a TON of personality.

However, she has an obsession with mine and my husbands face. I mean, since we brought her home all she does is walk around on our chests and rub her face on ours and lick our faces...CONSTANTLY. she’s actually doing it right now as I type this.

While, yes, it’s def cute...after about 8 hours last night when I was supposed to be sleeping but was just getting my chin roughly licked and my face walked all over, it’s getting annoying (and semi painful). I’m considering going to rescue her mate that was in her little cage with her to maybe give her a friend to love and play with.

Any advice?

 

[FelisCatus]

I’m considering going to rescue her mate that was in her little cage with her to maybe give her a friend to love and play with.

Adopting her a friend sounds like a good plan. Right now she is a kitten with an explosive amount of energy. If she has a friend, a lot of that will be spent on each other instead of you and your husband.

Despite popular belief, cats are actually much better in pairs than solitary. She will also have someone to hang out with while you two are away/at work.

 

[Richard2121]

I second what was mentioned above! Getting another kitten will drastically improve the social structure (as long as they get along). Most kittens tend to be accepting of one another so it is a good time to incorporate another kitten. Hey I took this advice even further and ended up with 4 kittens! Now I have 4 kitties of 9 months, 10 months, 11 months, and 4 months old

They run around, play games with each other and cuddle together. Then I play with them on top of all that and they seem rather content with life.

 

[ArtNJ]

You could always just put her on the floor about 100 times and she will get the message eventually. Annoyance aside, I would not let a cat walk on the face for safety reasons because if your husband makes a noise (say he drops a glass of water) the kitty will instinctively spring off digging claws in. A forum member ended up going to the ER with a scenario like that (well, she startled the cat herself, but same idea) -- with lips and eyes there its just not worth the risk.

Two kittens have tons of fun together and are super entertaining, but I'm not sure why people recommend them for something like this. Sure there will likely be a decrease in the amount of attention this kitten pays to you. But add in the attention the other kitten will pay to you, the 4am mad-cap chases around the house that knock stuff over and seem to go on forever, and its very unclear to me if your sleep will actually improve. There are lots of reasons to get a second kitten, I'm just not sure this is actually one of them.

 

[FelisCatus]

You could always just put her on the floor about 100 times and she will get the message eventually. Annoyance aside, I would not let a cat walk on the face for safety reasons because if your husband makes a noise (say he drops a glass of water) the kitty will instinctively spring off digging claws in. A forum member ended up going to the ER with a scenario like that (well, she startled the cat herself, but same idea) -- with lips and eyes there its just not worth the risk.

As someone who has had cats sleeping on their head for ~30 years I have never once encountered a risk.

Let's not scare her with wild stories. Guessing the claws weren't trimmed on the kitty that did this damage?

 

[Mimiallyn]

Thanks everyone. I really do think I’m about to head out of the house and go get the other little one.

She’s kind of calming down as the day goes on.

However, in response to the whole “cat will claw your eye out” that is definitely crazy and sounds super painful! I’ve had cats the majority of my life and this hasn’t happened to me (thank god). But I’ve never had a kitten.

I think having another kitten for a while will for sure be stressful at first but in the long run, I think it’ll be worth it. I don’t want her to be lonely considering my husband and I work A LOT.

 

[FelisCatus]

Thanks everyone. I really do think I’m about to head out of the house and go get the other little one.

I would love to see pictures when you do

I think having another kitten for a while will for sure be stressful at first but in the long run, I think it’ll be worth it. I don’t want her to be lonely considering my husband and I work A LOT.

Yep, it's better while they are kittens as well as they will bond earlier. If they were from the same mother (or at least cage) they will also already know each other so that's a plus.

 

[kittyluv387]

Honestly I just...close the door. Don't know why more people don't. I would love to sleep with my kitties but they don't sleep through the night and I really need my sleep. When I do nap, I nap with the kitties since it's for s shorter time period. In your case I think getting the 2nd kitty AND closing the door at night will help you out a lot.

 

[FelisCatus]

Don't know why more people don't.

Two of my cats have separation anxiety and would claw at the door until their paws are raw.

I for one love having them sleep on me/my head/beside me so I have no problems. It took a while to have them all on a feeding schedule so they don't wake me up during dawn but it's fine now.

I imagine the scratching is what stops a lot of people from just closing their door.

 

[Kflowers]

Your cat is just totally amazed and grateful that you took her in and saved her. She wants you to know that she loves you for that. Either lock her out, or when she starts flip over on your stomach and pull the covers over your head. You'll never have any other creature who loves you as much or is as grateful to you again.

It won't take long for her to calm down. As soon as she is certain you're going to keep her and love her, she'll relax.

 

[kittyluv387]

Two of my cats have separation anxiety and would claw at the door until their paws are raw.

I for one love having them sleep on me/my head/beside me so I have no problems. It took a while to have them all on a feeding schedule so they don't wake me up during dawn but it's fine now.

I imagine the scratching is what stops a lot of people from just closing their door.

We have one vocal cat who hates being alone. She will meow very loudly in the early morning once in a while but she's mostly good now. A few nights ago the boys were sleeping in the guest bedroom and she was in the living room by herself and started crying. We just moved her to the guest bedroom with the boys and all was well again. I guess we're lucky we have been able to stop their light scratching and meowing at the door without too much effort.

 

[FelisCatus]

We have one vocal cat who hates being alone. She will meow very loudly in the early morning once in a while but she's mostly good now. A few nights ago the boys were sleeping in the guest bedroom and she was in the living room by herself and started crying. We just moved her to the guest bedroom with the boys and all was well again. I guess we're lucky we have been able to stop their light scratching and meowing at the door without too much effort.

I forgot to touch on the meowing point, that too would stop people from closing their door.

In your case they had company, but with people who only have 1 cat that is not an option (unless they make the right choice and get another !)

 

[Mimiallyn]

Update: got Layla’s little buddy from the shelter. We have named him Lennox. They remembered each other right off the bat.

He’s definitely a little skittish right now. But Layla is showing him where food and the litter box is. They’re playing and he’s purring!!

Hopefully tonight will be better.

Thanks for all the help! I’ll update about how tonight went, as well.

 

[kittyluv387]

Update: got Layla’s little buddy from the shelter. We have named him Lennox. They remembered each other right off the bat.

He’s definitely a little skittish right now. But Layla is showing him where food and the litter box is. They’re playing and he’s purring!!

Hopefully tonight will be better.

Thanks for all the help! I’ll update about how tonight went, as well.

Aww what a great outcome. Glad you did the right thing lol.

 

[Kflowers]

I love it love it beyond words when cat friends can be reunited. This will make a world of difference. Trust me, I've had kittens in bunches, kittens with older cats, and single kittens. The first two are the way to go, absolutely, without a doubt, no argument, no wishes, no shooting stars...

 

[FelisCatus]

Update: got Layla’s little buddy from the shelter. We have named him Lennox. They remembered each other right off the bat.

He’s definitely a little skittish right now. But Layla is showing him where food and the litter box is. They’re playing and he’s purring!!

Hopefully tonight will be better.

Thanks for all the help! I’ll update about how tonight went, as well.

Holy, that was quick!

No doubt in my mind you made the right choice.

I wonder if in a few days Lennox will be posting saying 'I have this sister who is too loving... she suffocates me in my sleep, send help!'

 

[ArtNJ]

As someone who has had cats sleeping on their head for ~30 years I have never once encountered a risk.

Let's not scare her with wild stories. Guessing the claws weren't trimmed on the kitty that did this damage?

Your response is interesting to me. I mean, maybe you have always had chill cats? My two don't get along, and Rocky, especially in prior days when the dislike was stronger would fairly routinely spring off my chest, with claws, to get away from the other cat, and sometimes it really hurt, leaving wounds. Granted, never a big deal, because who cares about scratches on the chest? However, I have no problem believing that there was a real risk I could have been hurt if I had let her on my face routinely in those days. I'm sure the story I was referring to was a freak thing, highly unlikely, but at the same time, you get out of the pool when you hear thunder right? Its a real, if unlikely, risk, and I'll continue to mention it to people -- very much don't agree that it was a "wild story". At most, I'd buy that its a reasonable thing to allow a cat on your face if its a chill older cat with a history of not being easily startled and springing away.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

And PICTURES! We want PICTURES! These are KITTENS!

 

[Mimiallyn]

I will definitely post once I can get them to stay still!

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Well, yeah...kittens. Nature's perpetual motion machines!