# Mouthing fingers



## Calliso (Aug 9, 2011)

Ok I am curious what this behavior means and if I should be tolerating it or putting an end to it! One of my cats sometimes likes to lick fingers and your face and well whatever other bare skin he can haha! He sometimes though will take your fingers in his mouth and well kinda lick/mouth them. He is definately not biting and judging by when he does it it seems to be an affection thing. But I am a cat newbie so wondering..is this a behavior that could escalate to real biting/nibbling or should I continue to not worry about it? Also why does he do this? I should note the other cat licks sometimes but no mouthing.


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## its.alice (Jun 15, 2011)

I would let it be, until it escalates to something more. It doesn't seem like he's trying to hurt anyone. My kitten Alice will, on occasion, lick and suckle on my ear lobe. It tickles, so it never lasts long, but it's adorable when she does it.


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## christinaja (Aug 28, 2011)

My cat Sasha mouths as well, but it has never been anything other than affection. She is over a year old, and has done it since she was a kitten. It's just little love bites. But...if your kitty bites to hard, it is important to enforce boundaries. Simply pull your hand away, and say "No" very firmly. Wait a minute or two, and then try offering affection again. A kitty will learn that if they get too rough, then the petting stops, and they will be more gentle.
This is what has worked for me in the past, but every kitty is different.


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