Kittens are a ball of energy when it comes to their developmental years. They will be running around, eating a lot, and just making the most of life. It is a learning phase in their lives that is integral to how they lead their adult years in your home. This is why it can lead to questions such as why does my kitten attack my face?
Kittens attack your face as a form of playful activity and it’s common behavior among kittens in a litter. It is also practice hunting for when they grow up and have to kill prey.
This practice is just their way of adapting to their surroundings and learning how to come to grips with their paws. With the right training, you can start to reel this behavior in a bit as a cat owner.
Key factors include:
- Development Phase
- Age of the Kitten
- General Training
A kitten that paws at your face isn’t doing it to hurt you. Most are just going to be playing around and are looking to have a bit of fun while honing their hunting skills.
When asking “Why does my kitten attack my face?” you have to focus on understanding what is causing this behavior to take place. By learning about why a kitten attacks you, it becomes a lot easier to adjust.
The right training approach can help with a kitten that paws at your face.
This article will answer “Why does my kitten attack my face?” and teach you what to do to stop a kitten from attacking your face all the time.
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Tips For Stopping A Kitten From Attacking Your Face
1. Use Replacement Toys
Instead of your face, it’s important to have something else for the kitten to attack.
Since you will know the kitten is just playing, this means they will still need an outlet. The outlet can be something as simple as a mouse toy or a laser that allows them to run around chasing after something.
This allows the young cat to refine its skills and learn more about its body.
When asking “Why does my kitten attack my face?” your attention is going to be on keeping the kitten happy. This is only possible when you are focused on keeping the kitten as comfortable as possible with its playtime.
By using a laser toy or something similar, the kitten is going to have fun and it will stop attacking your face as an alternative!
2. Increase Playtime
Just like the use of replacement toys, you can also increase playtime through other methods.
The idea is to just get the kitten moving and focusing on other things during the day. A lot of the issues that pop up when asking “Why does my kitten attack my face?” comes down to their ability to play a lot around you.
When that is happening, they will want to paw at your face naturally!
Put a stop to this by setting up a small playpen and letting them play inside.
Over time, they are going to enjoy doing this and it will make it a lot easier to stop the kitten from pawing at your face.
3. Use Treats
When asking “Why does my kitten attack my face?” you will have to realize the importance of training a kitten at this age.
They will need to be trained on what to do and what not to do.
This includes using treats as a reward for when they behave in the right manner. If you don’t want the kitten to paw at you, it is best to use treats along the way.
The kitten will learn that when it attacks your face, it is not going to get a treat. This will stop the problem and eventually nip it in the bud.
Most cats will grow out of it but good training will go a long way in this regard too.
Related Questions
1. Why Does My Kitten Bite My Face?
Kittens enjoy playtime and this can include playfully attacking their litter mates and/or humans. This can include pawing at your face, biting, clawing, and/or doing anything else that might be deemed aggressive.
2. Why Does My Kitten Attack My Face At Night?
Cats are nocturnal animals, which means it is common for a kitten to attack your face if it doesn’t like something or it is trying to entertain itself.
Final Thoughts
“Why does my kitten attack my face?”
The average kitten will attack your face as a sign of playing. It is just them learning how to hunt and trying it on someone that is friendly.
This is common behavior among litter mates in the wild.
Here is more on cats – comparing cats with dogs, dealing with stench of cat food, rough play between older cat and kitten, and top treats for training a kitten.