# Why does my kitten get up in my face when he's having manic periods?



## Miss Klaus (Jan 20, 2014)

We have a 6-7 month old tabby kitten, a little boy, a rescue cat  he's a lovely boy, not terribly bright particularly when it comes to judging what he should and shouldn't attempt to jump on, but we adore him.

He has the usual cat periods of going absolutely mental and racing around for no apparent reason. I don't try to touch him when he's like that because he gets very twitchy and will attempt to bite if I stroke him, so I leave him be.

However, if I'm ignoring him while he does this and say, sitting on the sofa watching TV, he will sometimes race over, get up on my lap and stick his face right up to mine. He either wants to rub his nose and face on mine, or he does this weird thing where it's like he's sniffing my neck. It freaks me out a bit because I have a fear of having my neck bitten. I don't push him off though, I just give him a few strokes and he moves on pretty quickly.

Why is he doing this? Getting right up in my face? He does like to be affectionate when he's not being scatty so I feel confident that he's getting attached to me (we've only had him two weeks) but it's a little unnerving when he's behaving very manic and then wants to get right up close to my face. Is it a good thing?


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## muffin789 (Jan 28, 2013)

Ummm, seriously you are asking if a kitten being energetic and getting up in your face is normal??!!! You should be more worried if he weren't doing any of the above! If you can't deal with it, them you may well have wanted to choose a different sort of pet!


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## moggiemum (Mar 28, 2013)

aww bless i can just imagine him doing that with his siblings and mother , he is playing and looking for a reaction , i think you are giving the right reaction my stroking him and talking to him reassuringly, he might however be expecting a little rougher reaction like rough and tumble play , but they can and do sometimes bite a little hard when playing so dont forget to give a little sharp yelp to let him know if he does take it too far , i think he loves you 

i forgot to ask if he is neutered and if so when as it cantake up to 8wks for the hormones to leave the body , but have fun playing in the meantime


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## Miss Klaus (Jan 20, 2014)

moggiemum said:


> aww bless i can just imagine him doing that with his siblings and mother , he is playing and looking for a reaction , i think you are giving the right reaction my stroking him and talking to him reassuringly, he might however be expecting a little rougher reaction like rough and tumble play , but they can and do sometimes bite a little hard when playing so dont forget to give a little sharp yelp to let him know if he does take it too far , i think he loves you
> 
> i forgot to ask if he is neutered and if so when as it cantake up to 8wks for the hormones to leave the body , but have fun playing in the meantime


Thanks, I just wanted to be sure it wasn't a negative or something, he's my first kitten and it seems affectionate but I'm no cat expert  he definitely likes to rough and tumble but we're trying to teach him not to bite or scratch us (we have a little sock monster that we give him if he tries to bite us).

He is neutered but I guess it probably wasn't that long ago. We're going to let him outside this weekend for the first time so hopefully that'll burn some of his energy off!


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## ForeverHome (Jan 14, 2014)

Miss Klaus said:


> Thanks, I just wanted to be sure it wasn't a negative or something, he's my first kitten and it seems affectionate but I'm no cat expert  he definitely likes to rough and tumble but we're trying to teach him not to bite or scratch us (we have a little sock monster that we give him if he tries to bite us).
> 
> He is neutered but I guess it probably wasn't that long ago. We're going to let him outside this weekend for the first time so hopefully that'll burn some of his energy off!


Good question especially if you've never had a kitten before, and all credit to you for the way you're handling it in spite of your own fears. It does sound funny, maybe unusual, but not abnormal. If he was to use your face as a plaything then I'd be worried!

You're right not to let him play directly with your hands, their littermates have fur and they don't realise sometimes how much more gentle they have to be with our bare skin.

Going outside - I presume he's had his jabs?

Don't just LET him out, TAKE him out. This is important learning for him, interesting for you, and great fun for both of you. In the wild a kitten would stay with its mother for several more months, learn to hunt, learn about danger, etc. You are now his mother, and you can capitalise on the next few months when his brain is wired to learn from mother.

Observe from a little distance as he explores. When he gets near something dangerous or that you don't want him to go near, say no, same as you would in the house. Be consistent. Keep it simple, just one or two really big dangers, don't overload him. Practice recall, with treats, so he learns to come when you call him in. Lots of reward and affection for coming back. Lots of praise for keeping away from danger.

Don't be afraid to use a sharp tone when warning him away but just his name and NO, not a long discussion lol. You're looking for him to trust you to give him guidance and keep him safe.

Add: If he knows NO but carries on doing it, take a couple of stompy steps towards him, if he's just testing you (just like children do, it's all part of testing the boundaries) he will dash away from where you don't want him to be so you know he understands. As soon as he leaves it, back off and give praise. Keep up the lessons consistently so he knows you really really mean it.


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## Miss Klaus (Jan 20, 2014)

Thanks for the advice ForeverHome, I'm quite nervous about letting him out in case he shoots off and vanishes! He's microchipped (and yes, had all his jabs) and we're not close to a main road, but he's only little.

We have a small back garden and quite high fences so hopefully for the first time out, he'll stick to that. I'll definitely bring some treats and try to get him used to coming back to me. We give him Dreamies sometimes and he adores them 

He knows the word NO but he chooses when he wants to notice that I've said it, the little menace. He's getting better at it though. Luckily there aren't any particular dangers in the garden (no pond), but I can just see him haring up the tree we've got!


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## moggiemum (Mar 28, 2013)

brilliant advice from foreverhome ,i would second strict supervision if going outside if you dont have a very secure garden then i would get him a cute little harness which you can get him used to indoors first , supervise so as not to get tangled in anything , and then take outside ,
by doing this he will become familar with his surroundings and all the smells accociated with his home and garden , he will bond with his garden , remember his hormonal urges will make him want to go and find a lovely lady cat even at this young age , even chasing birds can lead him onto the roads. 

i would be happy to keep indoors until secure garden can be offered he is precious and has so much more to learn yet . have fun 

on a more serious note did anymore tell you we require pictures just so we know what we are dealing with here we love pictures


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## Miss Klaus (Jan 20, 2014)

I hadn't thought about a harness - he's very wriggly, are they quite simple to get on?

Okay, I love showing him off so here he is!

This is him playing with his sock baby. We're using it as a replacement for our hands when he gets playful and bitey. Sorry for the quality, it's my rubbish camera phone.










Aaand this is him lying on my boyfriend having a sleep:










And this is his little face


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## ForeverHome (Jan 14, 2014)

Wow he is beautiful! Looks like a big boy too


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## Miss Klaus (Jan 20, 2014)

ForeverHome said:


> Wow he is beautiful! Looks like a big boy too


Thank you! Haha we're walking a thin line there - we want him to be slim and healthy (the last time I saw the vet he said he was at exactly the right shape/weight for his age) but we also love to give him treats, and he often gets a taste of our dinner... it's hard to say no to him!


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## srj (Aug 30, 2013)

He's gorgeous!!


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## moggiemum (Mar 28, 2013)

oooeee i love him he looks every bit the tiger , im joining the tabby babby club on saturday i cant wait , susie in my signature is coming to live with me and be my Ankhstars little sister,

i have the ancol harness -moon and stars , very easy to fit , and he has wriggled out of it a couple of times , maybe someone can suggest a better one ? , you could do a thread on it 

your boy is gorgeous and i agree looks big for his age but not overweight at all , just purrfect


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## Psygon (Apr 24, 2013)

Miss Klaus said:


> And this is his little face


And what a gorgeous little face it is! :001_wub: :001_wub:

He is lovely!


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## buffie (May 31, 2010)

Trying a harness first is a great way to introduce him to the outdoors,if that is what you want to do. I would suggest that you get him used to one in the house first though,so that he is happy wearing it.
This is one of the most popular on Pet Forum....MynwoodCatJackets.co.uk - The original handmade cat walking jackets Very secure and made to order,Have included ,free of charge,a pic of Meeko modelling his


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

What a gorgeous tabby boy! 

I agree with Buffie, the Mynwood harness is the way to go. It is the ONLY harness my cat has not wriggled out of. The strappy kind are worst of all, but even the velcro type from [email protected] are risky. The Mynwood is made to measure for each cat which makes them a great fit.

Not all kittens/cats take to a harness & leash. Over the years I have had several who just would not accept it at all. (Those were the same cats who wouldn't accept wearing a (safety-snap) collar either). But for the ones who would accept it (after getting used to wearing it in the house) they do provide peace of mind & security for us humans when taking a kitten outdoors for the first time. 
(Note: you don't walk your cat when he/she is wearing a harness, (as you would a dog) you follow along behind them, allowing them to explore, but restrain them if they go to leg it for the gate!)

After a few exploratory outings in the garden, you may feel your kitty is ready to be allowed out without harness. Before that, you should train your kitty indoors to come to you when called. If your kitty is food-driven and likes treats (I believe you said yours likes Dreamies) then use that as your "carrot". To train kitty, go quietly to a different room from him and then shake the bag of treats and call his name. When he comes to find you, praise and reward with treats. Do this every day until you are certain he has got the hang of what he is expected to do. Then you can use the same method outdoors. The first few times he goes out alone, call him back after 20 or 30 mins maximum, so that he does not wander too far.


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## moggiemum (Mar 28, 2013)

i love this harness thanks buffie , my boy wont get outta that one , i love all the different prints , and a very good price considering its bespoke , Meeko does look smart


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## buffie (May 31, 2010)

moggiemum said:


> i love this harness thanks buffie , my boy wont get outta that one , i love all the different prints , and a very good price considering its bespoke , Meeko does look smart


I think I remember MontyMaude saying that one of hers managed to back right out of a Mynwood harness so be careful to make sure it is fitted securely,I don't know how it happened.


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## Sophiebee (Jul 9, 2013)

moggiemum said:


> i love this harness thanks buffie , my boy wont get outta that one , i love all the different prints , and a very good price considering its bespoke , Meeko does look smart


I ordered loki a mynwood yesterday as the kitten harness we have atm is getting a little snug, i cant wait for it to come!!


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## Jesthar (May 16, 2011)

Miss Klaus said:


> Why is he doing this? Getting right up in my face? He does like to be affectionate when he's not being scatty so I feel confident that he's getting attached to me (we've only had him two weeks) but it's a little unnerving when he's behaving very manic and then wants to get right up close to my face. Is it a good thing?


I have an eight month old girl, Lorilei, and she does that! Usually when I'm in the middle of a timing critical game on the laptop and all is going well, then *mrrmpfh* and I'm breathing a faceful of kitty whilst my game goes south at a rapid pace unless I manage to blindly hit the 'pause' button!  Doesn't matter, though, I love my kitty cuddles. 

For those zoomy periods, try playing with stick toys and dangly toys rather than risk hands in the mix, as you are tyring to teach that toys are for playing, hands are NOT! I have a Flying Frenzy, which is very popular, her favourite attachment is a tiny, tiny mouse she goes NUTS for. I also have various other stick and wand toys with feathers and glitterly mylar on I've picked up at shows and various pet shops, plus a laser pointer. I also have Bergen track with a light up ball which she plays with a lot. Absolute FAVOURITE at the moment, though, is sparkly pipe cleaners - she plays fetch with those!

I also second using a harness when taking him out for the first few weeks, I did that with my 8yo Charlie-girl even thoush she was five when I adopted her, and will do with Lori as well, thosh she won't be allowed out until she is at least a year old. And BOTHER to the rest of you, I'm going to have to order a Mynwood now, aren't I?


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