Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a 9 month Maine Coone/RagDoll neutered male I kept from my Maine Coone's OOPS litter. He was a sickly kitten but by the time he was OK to adopt out I was in LOVE. He is very empathetic cat and tries to comfort me when I am sad. He lays on my shoulder (facing the screen) when I'm on-line, he uses his little paw to turn my chin around to make me look at him. It started with a few licks like kisses and adorable eyebrow grooming. But now when I go to bed or try to sit on the couch...he settles himself in for a good long grooming session. licking my arms, legs, feet, face - anywhere he can reach. He resists all hints to stop and when I remove access by covering up..he goes under the blanket. Oddly, he learned to make very soft licks as if he knows the rough tongue is OK for hair and eyebrows but too unpleasant on my bare skin, or else he realizes the rough tongue makes me move away and thinks if he keeps the licking gentle and soft I might let him do it longer. I hate to hurt his feelings by rejecting his affections but REALLY...this is getting creepy

First, take the cat to the vet for a medical exam just in case the problem is medical, although it probably isn't.

The only other thing I can think of is to get another kitten for your kitty to groom. He does sound like a sweetie!
-----
Smile, it will make them wonder what you are up to!

Oh, he sounds so cute, I'm jealous, but I am sure it is a problem. I do feel a bit left out though. My cat Gracie grooms the blanket on my bed, not me. I think MA may be right about your kitty wanting another cat. What about substituting a toy when the licking gets to be too much? Perhaps a stuffed animal for him to hold?
-----
ellen
gracie & voodoo (& Puss 'n Boots)

"Daisy meows: wut wrong wiff dat? i likk my mom all da time and she luffs it...it just a sign of how much I luff her"

Seriously, I cannot help you. I understand some people may not like it, but I DO! nothing like a little lovin' from my kitties!

I hope someone else has any idea on how to prevent him from doing that without hurting his feelings.

My 5 month old tonkinese is also a very affectionate and communicative kitty. He does like to groom my eyebrows and at times my arms. I usually let him for as long as I can tolerate it because I was told by a cat enthusiast that this is his way of showing that he accepts me as his mommy and an honorary feline. She told me that only cats who have strongly bonded with their human parents will try to groom them. However, when Oscar tries to groom my face- enough! That tongue is much too rough. The real problem I have with him though is suckling- he tries to suckle my arms,legs, lips, chin, anything! When I (like you) cover up with a blanket, he also crawls under the covers to get to my skin. It is QUITE creepy. And when I reject his efforts, he tries to groom stuffed animals or even the textured bumps on the wall!
The best thing I have found that works is to kick him out of bed when he tries to do it. I feel bad for punishing him for his loving behavior, but that seems to be the only way of discouraging him. He is slowly learning that if he wakes mommy up (and scares her!) by suckling her legs or face, he is going to be sleeping under the bed, instead of curled up next to her. I try to gently remove him from the area he's suckling or turn him the other direction (so he's not tempted), but sometimes that just doesn't work. He quite aggressively persues his suckling/grooming. If your kitty knows "no", try gently talking to him and saying "no" while removing him from you. With enough repetition, he might catch on!
The suggestion of getting another kitty is also a good one, although not plausible for me. I was told by the breeder that he and his siblings often suckled/groomed one another. I wish she hadn't allowed them to do so, knowing that some of the kittens were going to single-cat households! But I suppose that she couldn't have done much to stop them, now could she?