How to stop kitten nipping/mouthing?

[Lunabhuna]

Hi, I’m the very proud owner of a 12 week old darling who is lovely in almost every way. The one problem is she nips almost constantly! I’ve googled extensively (first time cat slave) and have tried ignoring her but she continues. I’ve tried putting her in a different room but as soon as she’s back it starts again. I’ve given her chew toys but her favourite is my hand (or foot) and it’s starting to get painful! Is there a magic cure or do I continue with what I’m doing and hope the problem fades with time? Tips gratefully received!

I once read the best strategy to stop a small cat from using its claws on you was to 'scream' loudly as if in pain. The point was to get their attention to what they are doing to you is not nice. It definitely worked. The only thing one of my cats still does is love bites.

I would try screaming and not engaging anymore in contact/play, even going to another room. Maybe push her head away gently with a firm 'no'?

Don’t scream at it!!! This is what kittens do. Get toys that dangle off sticks or a laser pointer. Things that are far from your fingers but ripe for murdering.
(Should’ve got two. Then they murder each other!! )

Please don't scream at your kitten for displaying normal developmental behaviour.

Distraction really is key here. Feather duster or a laser pointer may help?

It’s normal play, have you got any cat nip toys for her? She can bite them till the cows come home.

They need to practice hunting skills unfortunately.

This is why you get 2 kittens!

Distract with feather toys/string/laser pointers etc. They grow out of it reasonably quickly. Don’t scream at your kitten.

Awesome thanks, I bought a laser pointer yesterday and have a couple of dangly toys which she attacks viciously so I’ll keep trying with those. So if she nips, it’s best to whip those out as quickly as possible rather than try to ignore?

She’s asleep on my chest at the moment so I of course can forgive her anything

I'd whip out the toys or gently tell her "no biting".

Gatsby went through a bitey phase when he was little (play bites, not hard ones). He learned that he was not supposed to bite and overall he does quite well now. Telling him "no biting" and removing my hands from near his mouth proved helpful.

Yes, try to have a substitute for her to bite ready to go. You can get spray on catnip too.

Is she old enough to appreciate catnip do you think? I’m a total newbie to all this.

'Screaming' at the kitten is a bit over the top, but the principle is correct, that you want to teach the kitten that it's hurting you, and that the fun stops if it does.

If you watch a litter of kittens playing, they will wrestle and bite each other, but if the one losing squeaks, the aggressor will almost always stop. This is how kittens learn bite inhibition. So a squeak, and stopping play will help teach the kitten that biting does not pay, together with the other suggestions for long distance play and distraction.
Usually kittens learn from each other, or from the mother, but some cat mothers let their kittens get away with murder, so some kittens don't learn.

We've got a 4 month old kitten who sounds similar but is getting better. Second the use of dangle toys, they need lots of playtime! We don't let him play with our hands and when he nips we say oww firmly! lucky you that yours will sleep on your lap! Our little one will only sleep above our heads 😁