New Kitten Licking My Face Raw...

[sweetsoulsister]

Hi All,

I just adopted a 3 month old kitten from a foster home with many cats 3 days ago. He seems pretty much well adjusted for such a short time. But when I'm laying in bed he gets on my chest and licks, licks, licks my entire face for a long time, to the point where it stings. I can stop him by directing his attention elsewhere, but he always wants to come back to it.

Is there a normal explanation for this or is it a sign of his missing other cats to groom?
(He licks my hands a lot during the day as well)

Replies appreciated

 

[catsknowme]

Welcome to TCS and congratulations on a very handsome kitten - his colors are so beautiful and I love his facial features
It sounds as if he was weaned too soon. You could try offering him a bottle but be very aware that he is likely to bite off the nipple since he has probably outgrown the suckling reflex. For milk, I would offer goat milk; I like the powdered mix best if fresh is not available. It is common for overwhelmed caregivers to push weaning far too soon. You could also try to put some sort of bitter taste on your skin.
Please keep us updated on how things are going!

 

[sweetsoulsister]

Hi Catsknowme and thank-you for the warm welcome! A bottle is an idea, but how then would I get him off the bottle, and when?

I am going to try wearing face cream tonight to see if that discourages him (but if it doesn't I can't let him ingest it so will wash it off). Will let you know how that works.

 

[Hellenww]

Congratulations on your new kitten, what a cute and serious looking boy he is! Be careful that there is nothing toxic in your face cream. Either mint or rosemary might work in a tea made from one of them and would also be safe for your skin. I think most essential oils are bad for cats so go with fresh herbs or mint tea bags.

 

[catsknowme]

Exactly right, HelenWW! essential oils are often toxic to cats. The same with tea tree oil whose toxins, according to my vet, can accumulate so the bad effects will not be quickly noticeable.
S sweetsoulsister : Once the nursing urge is satisfied, your kitty "should" stop with the licking. And don't be shy about telling him "no" and "don't lick"; however, as Dr. Phil advises, for ever "no" there should be 100 "attaboy"s. In that grain of thought, I would encourage learning tricks & other confidence builders. I would designate a chair, footstool or small table as the training pedestal & use treats as a reward. "Up" onto the pedestal is a great beginning trick & can be modified into "Load Up" or "Get In" for the cat carrier. After Up, you can try "Gimme a paw/Handshake", "Bump" or "Circles" or "Tailwhips" (tail whips are a real crowd pleaser). Please let me know what you think!

 

[sweetsoulsister]

Thanks for all the replies! I'm thinking of using apple cider vinegar on my face tonight as it is not toxic to cats, esp. in the tiny amount he would ingest before, I'm guessing, he stops licking. It is also safe for my face as I have oily skin.

I hadn't thought of learning tricks as confidence building for the kitty. I have already managed to teach him, "Come Up" by patting the surface I want him to jump up on and saying, "Come on up!" I give him a treat when he does so as well as praise. We are now working on, "Come Here" which involves me patting my leg while standing and calling him. It has worked twice and treats/praise were given. I've added his name to the 'come here' and hope, once established, I can drop the patting and just use his name. He naturally licks my nose if I give him a kiss on top of his head, which is super cute. What exactly is a 'tailwhip'?

 

[susanm9006]

One of my cats as a kitten would only stop screeching when she was tired if I let her suck my finger. Sometimes she also needed to be walked and sung to in order to quiet down. After her first birthday I started weaning her off my finger by offering it to her less and less and after a couple of weeks not at all. I think a bottle would be the same process -maybe she would outgrow the need herself but if not you just stop it slowly. Maybe by substituting milk in a dish for some bottles and then even stopping that.

 

[catsknowme]

A tailwhip is swishing the tail back and forth rapidly. I used it for my cat Silver to gain confidence when she was forced inside to recover from a vicious raccoon attack that almost cost her her rear right leg. She has recovered well and only recently returned outside (she has PTSD from the attack as well as a violent attack from a stray, unneutered male) because I had to retrieve my 14yo Maine Coon plus I am fostering tiny kittens.

 

[sweetsoulsister]

I tried apple cider vinegar on my face last night and the licking was less, not gone, but less, he moved over to my neck and shoulder which doesn't hurt as much.

If I don't get a bottle, will he eventually stop this on his own?

 

[catsknowme]

If you don't feel like dealing with a bottle, you can try giving him a furry plush toy or a piece of fleece (even a fleece or "shag" lap blanket) to do "wool-sucking". It is similar to a child sucking their thumb or horses "cribbing" (chewing the top rail of their corral). And correct him every time he licks you...it is very annoying.
If you do try a bottle, you will probably need to lightly hold his head in position so that the nipple is lined up onto his tongue and between his fangs.
Thank you for keeping us updated! Like thumb sucking in kids, this is a common problem.

 

[basscat]

He luvs you!!!

 

[catsknowme]

I forgot to ask....what is your bedtime routine? How does it align with "play (hunt), eat, sleep"?

 

[sweetsoulsister]

Well, I'm at my desk most of the day as I am an online student (when I'm not working p/t). In the morning he gets fresh food, we cuddle with coffee at the desk (he has his own big soft desk chair right beside mine), I do some work, then I shower (and he watches or jumps in for a bit). After shower we play with his fav. toy, the wand, he goes off to window or bedroom and I work. Around 5 I have dinner and wind down on the couch, usually talk on the phone, around 8 I get changed and ready for bed (yes, usually that early as I get up at 5am). I call him into the bedroom and he gets up on my chest for cuddles - then the licking begins. (He sleeps on his desk chair beside me at times throughout the day and I take breaks and pet him from time to time).

Does this break-down (of my hum-drum life give you any clues as to how to help change his behavior?
Thanks for taking a look!

 

[catlover73]

When I adopted my now senior kitty Starbuck as a 6 week old kitten she used to groom my face raw. She groomed my face at least every two hours when I was in bed. I moisturized my face before going to work so she was not eating it. She did out grow this behavior on her own. Starbuck still grooms my face but not to the point my skin is raw. She grooms our faces as part of her bedtime routine right before she goes to sleep. I worked as a receptionist in a salon when this was happening. The owner gave me access to good moisturizer samples.

 

[Elfilou]

It does seem to be a self-soothing mechanism. I personally do think kittens should grow up with other kittens (even though my cat did not; only cats are fine but I would never do it again) but I also know that two cats isn't a possibility for everyone. It certainly wasn't for me for a long time.

I don't have very much advice. I do think that since he is a child he should be allowed to self-soothe. Though I agree that your face probably isn't the best outlet for that!!

 

[sweetsoulsister]

I'm glad to hear that a cat mostly outgrew the tendency.

catlover73 - Did you moisturize before bed too or only in the morning?

 

[catlover73]

I'm glad to hear that a cat mostly outgrew the tendency.

catlover73 - Did you moisturize before bed too or only in the morning?

I was working mainly afternoons/evenings back then. On days off I would only moisturize my face in the morning when I woke up. I did not use moisturizer before bed.

 

[catsknowme]

I like your schedule but I would add a rousing game of teaser between 5-7:30 PM . Cats are crepuscular- active at dusk in the early dawn and early evening. He is very fortunate to have you home so much. He might like a 2nd kitten, too, but I realize that budgets are a HUGE consideration.

 

[sweetsoulsister]

Well, I added another play session around 6:30pm but that hasn't stopped the licking at bedtime. He also licks the bedspread so don't think a fleece blanket will help. I am sort of getting used to it, and the stinging, lol. The vinegar wasn't helpful enough to keep doing it and I don't want to feed him milk out of a bottle if he doesn't need to suckle. Would warm milk from a saucer help at all?

At this point I'm just hoping he'll grow out of it at least somewhat - or begin to heed my 'enough' command which I couple with a gentle hand over his face to stop the licking...

Still haven't tried Rosemary on my face, have to wait till I get to the grocery store again. Maybe that will diminish it.

Thanks for all your replies. Any other suggestions appreciated!

 

[catsknowme]

Unfortunately, it is an instinctive urge that was denied when he was a baby kitten. If he is also licking a blanket, you could try giving him a plush stuffed toy and try to divert him to that. It probably will take a few sessions of telling him to not lick your face & presenting the toy instead before he totally diverts.
It is common for foster parents to get an overwhelming amount of baby kittens & that requires them to be put in crates at night; fosters simply don't have the time for cuddling & out of necessity, force wean the kittens at a very young age. A few years back, I had several years of over 20 bottle babies, most sick with diarrhea & URI, all ages & stages - it was very rugged so I do sympathize. It just makes it sad that kittens who don't get early nurturing can get insecure. That is why my little crew of 4 born approximately July 22 are still offered a bottle twice daily plus lots of waking & bedtime cuddles. Because I am a family caregiver of 2, I have to sleep on the sofa to be available throughout the night for my family; I have the kittens sleep together in the spare room although if I could, I would have them sleep with me.
That said, YOUR boy is gorgeous & the picture of health! and he learns quickly. Have you tried adding "paw bumps", "give me 5" or "tail whips" yet? I tried making a "tail whips" video but am having trouble uploading it.