head humping cat

September 26, 2007 5:49 PM

Our new, ten-month old adopted male (but fixed) cat does this (knead, get down on his haunches, and hump). Unlike the previous poster, however, he does this to our heads whenever we lay down. Is there any way to get him to stop? It's not the best way to wake up.

See here (illustrative self-link).

Is there anything we could do to convince him to stop? Or should we just resort to sleeping with the bedroom door closed?

posted by ztdavis to pets & animals (13 comments total)

Change your shampoo, perhaps?

Changing cat behavior is like...well, herding cats. Sleeping with your door closed will keep him out of your hair in more ways than one and if you do it now—before he becomes accustomed to sleeping with you—you won't have to suffer through his yowling outside your bedroom door wanting to be let in.
posted by jamaro at 5:57 PM on September 26, 2007

Are you sure this is a bug? Could it not be a feature?
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 5:57 PM on September 26, 2007 [3 favorites has favorites]

squirt him with water whenever he tries it.
posted by thinkingwoman at 6:13 PM on September 26, 2007

I hiss at my cats when I want them to stop doing something. The more cat-like you can make it sound, the more effective it is, probably because it's how cats tell one another that they don't appreciate something. A sudden, fierce hiss from me sends my cats running.
posted by christinetheslp at 6:24 PM on September 26, 2007

Canned air seems to simulate a hissing noise well enough.
posted by desjardins at 6:44 PM on September 26, 2007

One of our kittens did this to my wife all the time, but not to me. He'd also just sit on her shoulder and rub his face in her hair.

He never did this to guests, until we had one who used henna in her hair (as my wife does). We think maybe henna is a little catnip-ish or something.

As for stopping the behavior, we finally just started kicking the little head-humping pervert out and closing the door when we go to sleep.
posted by foobario at 7:56 PM on September 26, 2007

Here's another cat's way of waking his human. Be glad you don't wake up with bruises.
posted by acorncup at 10:51 PM on September 26, 2007 [2 favorites has favorites]

2nd the 'hiss' at him. Chase him around the house, back him into a corner and provoke him until he gives the "hissss". Mimic that sound. No need for water bottles and the like, there's not much bad behavior that can't be stopped with a *glare* and *hiss*.
posted by zengargoyle at 11:24 PM on September 26, 2007

One of my cats used to do this to me in the middle of the night. Hissing broke him of the habit -in my bed-. I think it's cute when he does it to me when I'm laying on the couch. If he does it long enough, he becomes a facehugger.

acorncup - I laughed so hard that I think I squeezed out my internal organs!
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 4:10 AM on September 27, 2007

I third hissing, but you also might try redirecting the behavior. Get an approximately head-sized stuffed animal and keep it near your bed. When your boy starts going at it, pry him off your head and sub in the stuffed animal (you could try spraying the toy with some catnip spray to make it more attractive, too).
posted by CiaoMela at 6:19 AM on September 27, 2007

Another negative signal that cats understand is a (soft) tap on the forehead. Queens will do that to their kittens, adults will do it to one another. A tap in combination with a hiss reinforces your message.
posted by bonehead at 6:26 AM on September 27, 2007

Wait a minute! You mean cat's aren't supposed to do that? Wish I knew that about 4 hours ago...Gotta love 'em.
posted by fuse theorem at 6:37 AM on September 27, 2007

My male 13-year-old tuxedo cat has been doing this forever. Once I hit the sack, he likes to come in, rest his chin and lips on my cheek, and start furiously kneading and purring.

I used to think it was innocent, until one time I picked him up while he was in the middle of this activity and he had an erection. Yuck! I had never seen a kitty boner before or since and it was truly disturbing (never mind being used as a sex object by my cat.)

A tap on the cat's forehead is good advice, accompanied by "Scram, (insert cat name)... No love!"
posted by porn in the woods at 8:45 AM on September 27, 2007