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

Cats hate alfoil. If you can bear the noise, a tin foil hat might just fix the problem. It's very handy to stop them jumping on things.

A tin foil hat!!

My brother had to replace a perfectly good carpet - apart from the bald patch just outside his bedroom door - due to doing just that.

OP, your tortie loves you and is loving you the best way she knows how. Wear a durable cap and douse your bedding and noggin in citrus. Give her a ticking clock wrapped up in a fur (faux) throw which you have doused in catnip and silvervine.

As she settles in more she will stop molesting you when you sleep. Give her a corner of the bed, preferably DH's corner, so she knows you love her too.

If she's missing her kittens can you adopt one?

Get a silk sleep bonnet

We shut ours in the kitchen overnight as otherwise they jump on us about 3am. She sounds lovely though!

My cat does this when I sit on the sofa. At night she hits me until i stroke her while she chews the black keys and kneads her blanket.

she hasn’t had kittens - but was found alone as a tiny kitten. I have had her since then and she still exhibits kitten like behaviours.

I can’t offer any advice I am afraid - but she is five now and it isn’t nearly as bad as it used to be. She wakes me at about 5am for attention every few nights - but she used to be a lot more needy

Gosh do many replies, thank you all!!

Am researching the bonnet thing.... tin foil hat? Hmmm.... crinkly

Agreed they think the hair is fur.
I was quite shocked when my little kitten started pulling my hair and sucking it.
Now 10 months later I see he does it much less.
He seems to get comfort from it.Purrs his head off.
My DD said he is putting moisture back in .🤣

Not sure if anyone else has put this, but the teatree option is a big NO as it's poisonous to cats. She loves you! My old tortie used to do this and I miss it now she's gone x

What about getting her a cuddly toy with lots of fur? Like an actual children's one or maybe a cat toy. Our cat used to be obsessed with this furry snake/ferret thing from the pet shop, I think it was made out of rabbit hide D: but she would nuzzle it and groom it and carry it around like her baby.

You can't always tell what they'll take to so you could try a few. And maybe sleep with one on your pillow or stuffed down your top so it smells of you?

It seems like an easy problem to solve. Don’t allow access to your bedroom at night. I have three cats and at night time I pap them out. They have sheds they can go into if they wish. When the weather is good a window may be open but only into utility no further. I get woken enough by children there’s no away I’m allowing a cat in to annoy me😂

I love cats and have had 6 as well as a few I fostered. 3 of my cats are still alive and I love them all but I’m afraid one of them is banished to the kitchen at night because he would disturb me too much. I think your cat loves you and is just trying to get your attention. You might have to put her in a separate room if she is waking you up. It feels mean but you have to be able to function. Your cat can sleep any time she wants but you can’t!

I have a naughty tortie too, she's bad. But everyone's love's her. Yours sounds needy probably on account of the amount of kittens she's had. I'd get her a blanket & put it next to your head hope she gets the message

Shut her in the kitchen with a comfy bed. I am absolutely an animal lover and have loved a number of cats but scalp biting at 4 am? Absolutely not.

Hi, when we first got our rescue cat (a tux, not a tortie) he was so energetic at night, during the day he was like a different cat, totally chilled but at night, he'd be in our faces, climbing things, and just not let us sleep, it did settle down after a while, so hope you have the same thing

This made me laugh 😆

Typical tortie. Cheeky monkeys. Love them!
No to the tea tree oil because it's toxic to cats and you don't want her licking it.
Try lifting her away from your head every time she starts - she might learn.
If she keeps doing it she might have to stay out at night. Much as I love having my cats in with me at night they have to stay out because of all the carrying on, bringing toys into bed, talking, scrapping with each other and so on.

My cat does this especially if I have a bun, she digs her teeth in. It’s a sign of affection they would do this to their babies. It is annoying though lol

Not too hygienic having the cat sleep around your head. You will find a solution, but my worry is that you could end up with an infection.

Grannicks bitter apple spray. Non toxic and you can put it on hair or skin. Cats and dogs hate the taste so will be extremely put off. Hopefully just once will do the trick.

I cat sat for a friend for 9 months and her cat did exactly this!

Only from 4/5am. I used to put my head under the duvet and try not to suffocate. She did warn me about it before I moved in. It was so weird!

It stopped..... because I moved out 😂

Let me suggest something to you, I hope it is ok on here. I am a member of a wonderful, caring and supportive forum called The Cat Site thecatsite.com. There is a subforum for cat behavior. You will find a HOST of people who have dealt with something similar, and as the forum is for all things cat, the focus will be a bit more than on a general forum.

It's weird. My ginger boy does that when he's asking for food or treats - I have no idea why he thinks biting and chewing my hair is going to make me give him attention but he only ever does it when I am leaning over putting stuff in the utility bin and he is sitting on the worktop above. I've had cats all my life and none have done this before.

Can't offer advice, but your cat is not the only weird one. Luckily mine are not allowed upstairs so his weirdness is contained....😁

I'm not a cat expert.

But have you tried wearing a woolly hat, until the cat gets bored?

Or if the cat loves the woolly hat, transfer the hat to somewhere she can relate to the hat at night.

Or if things become really extreme - close the bedroom door with the cat on the outside???