My kitten is trying to nurse from my chin!

[MattinglyMom]

I posted here a few weeks ago about my concerns introducing our new almost 3-month-old female kitten Harlie to our 1-year-old male cat, Mattingly. Thanks to Traci's advice, all is very well between them now. I have one question about Harlie's behavior though. Quick background is that she and her litter were abandoned at 3-4 weeks of age at a shelter. So she did not nurse with her mother long enough for sure. She is a finger nibbler and often presses up into my face and nibbles my chin... sometimes pawing and biting it. I am trying very hard to stop this behavior as it is clearly not appropriate for guests and sometimes hurts. But last night I realized that I think she is trying to nurse. When I removed her from my face and put her on a blanket, she continued to knead the blanket with her paws and start sucking on it. I'm sure she is looking for the comfort of her mother. Is there any way I can provide this for her? I know she was weaned way too young. She has a great playmate in Mattingly, and he often "mothers" her, bathing her and snuggling her to sleep. Do I just have to keep correcting this behavior until it goes away or is there something I can give her that will help her? What we do when we "correct" her is say "No" in a stern voice, remove her from our face, and give her a toy or something appropriate for her to bite. This worked with Mattingly, but then he learned everything after only one or two lessons and she does not pick things up nearly as quickly as he did (boy were we spoiled!). Any comments or suggestions are appreciated. Thanks!

[Traci]

This is common in most kittens, moreso in kittens who have been seperated from their mother and siblings too early. The biting behavior is common in ALL young kittens and they eventually grow out of it.

You're doing all the right things, be diverting her attention to other things. Other than toys, you could try providing her with a soft stuffed animal toy, or engage with her in a playtime session. If the biting is severe and persistent, you could try using a squirt bottle with water....one squirt with a stern "NO", but be prepared you may have to make several attempts.

Is she spayed yet?

[MattinglyMom]

Thanks Traci, I'm glad we are on the right track. I guess I may have to break out the squirt bottle. We try not to use it too much as just the sound of it sends Mattingly under the bed and we don't want him to feel he is being punished for anything. He is such a sensative cat.

She is not yet spayed as our vet usually likes to wait until 4 or 5 months unless there is a specific reason to do it earlier. She's just about 3 months now, so we are planning to do it in August. Will spaying affect her behavior as far as this goes?

[Traci]

All vets have their preferences for what age is appropriate for spaying. Personally, I prefer to spay at 6 months of age, but a kitten spay can be done safely at younger ages, providing they are at an appropriate weight and in good health. Listen to your vet, he has reasons and experiences to justify his preferences.

Spaying could help to calm her considerably, but biting behavior can occur in any kitten, so with consistency in diverting her attentions, etc, at some point as she matures, she should grow out of it. Remember, she could be teething as well, so this might be one reason she is biting or chewing.

The squirt bottle may not be necessary, but it's up to you, it can be an effective method, but if you feel Mattingly is very fearful of it, then don't use it or use it at a minimum. Harlie is still at a very young age where she is exploring, curious, mischievous and will "exercise her right" to practice her instincts...in a couple/few months she'll become very independent, so you'll have something new to experience