Any cat behaviour experts here?

[ImWearingPantaloons]

Recently adopted a three year old tortie from RSPCA.

She wasn't well looked after by her previous owner (no abuse, her owner had MH issues and couldn't cope) and has had many litters in her short life.

She's not our first cat, and we love her to bits, but by GOD her night time habits are killing me.

Used to cats coming upstairs in the night, my first cat used to get into bed with me, the second one lived sitting on the windowsill.

All fine and dandy but this one loves biting my scalp.
She'll nuzzle into my hair whilst purring, then the jaws open and her teeth scrape my scalp.

It's every night, she doesn't do it to my husband (no hair), just me!

Any ideas why she does this (there's no biting in the day) and, more importantly, how can I stop her?

I'm getting really tired from the disturbed sleep

Does sound like she's missing her kittens, could you adopt the one that's left?

That will probably be double trouble though.

She's grooming you and getting a bit excitable.
She sounds very maternal. Not surprising as she's been a baby machine.
I've had a cat that used to lick my eyebrows and eyelashes (again 4am) and current snuggly cat likes skin. I got washed without my consent in the wee hours this morning too.
I think I would try covering your hair for a while and see if this breaks the association. I think I'm so used to it now it barely disturbs me.

My previous cat did this and I loved it 😻
On discovering she loved the taste of peppermint flavouring, I was known to dab the odd spot around my scalp of a night time

Sorry, no help from me 😬

Yep, my tortie bit me and I'm just finished my third course of antibiotics as a result!

My previous beloved cat used to do this to me on my arms, it was a sign of real affection.

no idea how to prevent it though sorry. Although we have to shut the bedroom door now as of current cat wakes us up at 3am every morning if not!

She's grooming you.

Maybe change your shampoo.

I have a tortoiseshell rescue cat who does this in the evening if I lay on the floor watching TV. She's very affectionate with it, trying to groom my hair, but yes the teeth are sharp. At night she has a cat flap into the kitchen and I just shut the kitchen door. If I didn't, she would be in my bed or shouting for my attention all night. Instead she goes out hunting for mice and leaves them for me in the morning. The lesser of two evils. At least I get to sleep!

That’s actually adorable 🥰 but I second a silk bonnet, they’re quite cool these days!

My cat is an arsehole, I’m jealous that you get a head massage. Mine constantly asks to be stroked but then attacks me. And he’s always licking my mattress Wtf?

You mentioned citrus and yes, cats don’t like it usually so you could try spraying your hair with something orange scented or even rub orange peel on your head! If she’s grooming you could you try to get her to switch to a cuddly toy of some kind? Or a furry hot water bottle?

The late Cheddar was an utter darling. But omg she was a pest at night. She would make biscuits on my face, nuzzle me, and generally be really annoying. But she was so sweet, I just couldn't shut her out. Now I just wake up to Penelope holding my hand.

Some of these replies are making me laugh so much 😆👏 cats can be arseholes at night for sure. I thiknshes just settling into your house and routine and once she's allowed outside her behaviour might change a little? Though they aren't called 'naughty torti' for no reason lol 😆 I have to shut my rescue cats downstairs at night as I'm such a light sleeper anyway. I'm in the loft with a fan on so if they miaow I can't hear them. My friend has 4 cats and regularly hears one of them crunching up a poor mouse or rat at 3 am. No thanks! Good luck with your lovely new cat. Don't forget there's the 3, 3, 3 rule with adopting a cat so hopefully she'll calm down a bit once you've had her longer. My 2 go a bit odd in spring even though they've both been neutered.

Maybe shut your bedroom door if you can

I think a companion might help.

Ah bless .. that is sweet .. but obviously bloody annoying 😹

My rescue came with a soft toy .. it’s his security ‘blanket’ - he’s now 2 and still carries the toy around/upstairs at nights, also carries it and sleeps with it if we go out, even if we’re just out for an hour. Can you get a soft toy of some kind, put it next to your head at nights and maybe she’ll use this instead of your head? You could keep it next to you during the day when the cat is with you, so she’ll maybe get used to associating the toy with you? Hope that makes sense.

My Brother's Burmese girls ''do one's hair'' -It's such a shame when people with mental health issues let animals suffer-they can't look after themselves properly, let alone give an animal the daily care they need.

• I heard of a poor Lurcher that was being abused {Physically hit} by an elderly man with dementia.

There was nothing I could do as the person who mentioned it wouldn't tell me where the old man lived, it was his partner's father.

There is probably an issue with this why OP can't-{As it's an obvious solution} Maybe the cat cries loudly outside the door- Cats can be very loud!

She was separated from her mum young then had her kittens taken away she was then dumped in unfamiliar surroundings neutered and left with minimal contact confused by her feelings then she came to you and she’s unsure how to act … get feliway spray and diffusers spray your bed and bedroom in the morning put a plug in on and shut the door shut her out all day leave her shut in your bedroom spray her main livIng area and place plug ins wait an hour before letting her in to this area so the aerosol smell has passed get a sheepskin type blanket one with deep texture well spay it with cat nip and chuck it over the end of the bed this will redirect her attention while her feelings are reset both are available at pets at home good luck

One of mine would do it most when we'd been swimming because of the bleachy smell.

The current one spends most nights telling me that she does actually quite like me, but only when DP's asleep (her One True Love). If we used bleach for cleaning or went swimming regularly, we'd never get either of them away from us at all, as the TwatCat turns into an utter knob at the smell and she'd then not just have to declare from the vantage point of my ribcage how much she'd just remembered she loved me, she'd need to nuzzle and snuffle all night.

If you use bleach or swim, that'll be making it more intense - but she does absolutely love you already and wants to show you.

They sort of massage each other (and their own bodies) with their teeth as it gets their skin to release the oils needed to clean themselves, IIRC.

She perhaps thinks you are a kitten and is doing it to you She would do it on your head because that's where your "fur" is.

Awww. She loves you!

But is bored at night and needs to soothe herself. I think it will get better once she is allowed out as you can shut her out of your room and she will be less inclined to destroy things if she can go on feline dawn manoeuvres!

Also the cardboard scratching trays are great if you don’t have them, to redirect the scratching of furniture etc.

I think the bonnet idea will help too but maybe attach a kitten toy/fluffy thing to it! 🤣🤣 or more practically have that to hand when she rocks up! She might like to gnaw that instead and then you can move it!!

Bonnets with kitten toys on them… that’s an image! 🤣

I also think a hat or bonnet would help. As someone else said, silk bonnets are actually pretty popular right now!
I’d also get a furry blanket or throw and put her on that when she wakes you up as lots of cats like to make biscuits on that texture. Most cats hate the smell of olbas oil so you could try that near your head (not somewhere kitty could rub against it but perhaps a piece of cardboard on bedside table or pinned to the headboard). Orange or lemon peel rubbed in your hair could be a good idea too as if it doesn’t put off the biting then kitty will get a bad taste

Maybe she thinks "finally she's laid down, I can finally kill that animal on her head" 😬

Along with "why won't it just die!"

Honestly no idea though tbh OP.

Why does your cat only do that at night? Why do toddlers only need a poo just as soon as you've put coats and shoes on and are heading out and you're very late already? Why do managers insist on holding meetings for things that could just have been an email?

Life's great mysteries.

yes this! My old Tortie, sadly gone now used to do this. She was a very abused rescue and I confess although it hurt I loved it. She finally passed away in the middle of the night tucked up into my armpit.

It sounds like she’s lonely to me. She needs a feline friend to comfort her overnight.

Awww bless her 😊 we have a fairly recently acquired rescue cat too. After many years of being woken up by small children I was not prepared to now be woken up by the cat! I shut my bedroom door every night. She tried and tried to get in for a few days and has slightly pulled up the carpet around the door. She's given up now and accepted there are no night time cuddles. A bit of pulled up carpet is a small price to pay for undisturbed sleep in my opinion.