Kitten Suckling Obsession

[violet sinsane]

Hi everyone!

I have 3 kittens - 2 are around 5 months old and 1 is around 3. They are just wonderful little creatures and I am totally in love! Anyway, the youngest one, the boy, has become a bit obsessed with the need to suckle/nurse on any part of my skin he can find, especially the lips, chin, ears, but really anything will do. At first I figured it wasn't a big deal, I read kittens taken away from their mothers too soon do this and it's not a big deal, don't make them feel bad for it as it's natural and comforting. This kitten wasn't taken away from his mother but he was extremely ill before I got him and was unable to nurse for a while and bottle fed, so it may have led to this.

I've had him for about a month and the desire to suckle and knead whatever part he is suckling is getting to the point of a little kitten obsession. When he isn't playing, sleeping or eating all he wants to do is try and suckle on my hands or face, he won't even let me pet him without trying to nurse. I have read endless articles and posts online about this issue and I've tired all of the advice:

"replace a blanket or toy" -- he isn't interested if it isn't skin and runs right back to me.
"divert his attention" -- that's fine when we're playing but when it's time to go to sleep he doesn't want to fall asleep without suckling or even just resting, doesn't have to be just going to sleep. Simply put if he isn't moving he's going to try it.
"feed him" -- he does it when he's just eaten
"let him do it, it's harmless" -- it's getting to the point that I don't think it is, I don't want him to always need to do that and I'd rather have my cat on my lap and not going after my face.

He's a super happy super sweet little boy but this is just getting out of hand. Any ideas?!

 

[momofmany]

Most of the advice you read involved redirecting his behavior to something that you consider appropriate. Some people here have had to try different suckling items on their cats/kittens until they found the one that worked for them. Sometimes its a towel, sometimes a stuffed animal (Snuggle Kitties sometimes work), sometimes an article of clothing that smells like you (a stinky t-shirt comes to mind). Keep changing out things to see if he'll redirect to one of them. If you sit down, keep that item nearby so you can stick it between you and your baby when he starts.

I've had kittens like your boy that were bound and determined to suckle on me no matter what I tried. My (OTB) Oscar liked the inside of my ears and nose. I resorted to sleeping with a sheet over my head to stop him from doing it. It took a couple weeks, but he finally gave up. He switched to suckling cloth (better) and finally grew out of it.

Some cats never grow out of suckling. My 9 year old Scarlett (orphaned at 3 weeks old) still suckles to this day, although she'll do it on clothing so I can slip in a blanket or towel between us when she starts.

 

[rad65]

That is common behavior in kittens who were seperated from their mothers too young. They never learn proper social restraint, and he was probably never weaned properly, which left some instinctual kneading and suckling for comfort and to get milk out. Some kittens grow out of it, and some continue to suckle and knead their whole lives.

It's not harmful at all, even if he does do it forever. It's not the same as humans where a person sucking on their thumb as an adult signals behavioral problems. It's closer to an adult still having their childhood stuffed toy or whatnot.

 

[justjayde]

My boy also does this but he sticks mainly to my inner elbow. He pushes his face in really deep and drools all over me as he kneads me. I don't mind it because I know that is how he is finding comfort. He does it when he is really crazy happy, and just before having a nap. He only does it to me - which makes me feel pretty special. I just take it as a compliment that he loves me so much.

I can understand though - that it might be an issue for you. Usually re-directing works but it DOES take a lot of time and patience for your cat to change what he suckles on.

I agree with something that smells like you - really stink up a shirt and use that. When he tries to suckle you gently put the shirt under where he is trying to suckle.

Good luck (lol typing this woke Kis up and now he is drooling on me

)

 

[kailie]

My Pria loves to suckle me...and she is coming up on a year old. I have however found that she doesn't do it nearly as often as she did when she first came to me. She has always kind of thought of me as her Mom though, and it has never bothered me at all. Maybe you're kitty will do so less often with age as well.

 

[didi13]

Hi,

Would you be able to tell me if things have gotten better?

I have a 12 week old kitten, Dory who sounds exactly the same as yours. NOTHING that I read is helping!

Thanks

Didi

 

[plan]

Well, if it helps any of you guys, my cat did this a LOT when he was a baby and even into being a "teenager," but now he's almost a year and a half old, and he's calmed down a lot.

He was a ridiculously persistent earlobe-slurper. His M.O. was waiting until I'm lounging on the couch or laying in bed, then padding up all sweet before attacking my earlobe -- purring like a lawnmower, making slurping noises, and exhaling happily into my ear canal. All this while making biscuits on my shoulder. If I didn't let him near my ear, he'd immediately try again from another angle, then another, and another...

It got pretty gross sometimes, with slobber all over my ear, and he would actually make my earlobe red and irritated. When he was younger he did NOT want to stop. He would go on for an hour if I let him, so I had to moderate the behavior as well as the duration/frequency. I should note that I let him "nurse" on my ear because I got him too young -- he was seven weeks old, and I got him from a young couple whose cat had a litter. They would have adopted him out early regardless of who took him, but I still felt horrible afterward when I was reading more about kitten care, and realized he should have stayed with his mom at least a few more weeks. So every time he wanted to nurse, I felt guilty and allowed it.

Anyway, a few things that might help:

- Put something the kitten finds distasteful on the area where he/she likes to suckle. A little lemon juice or citrus could be enough to dissuade nursing. The only caveat is that you'll have to be careful not to use anything that could harm the kitten.

- Make the particular body part the kitten likes to suckle on physically inaccessible. If it's the crook of your elbow, fold your arms. If it's your ear, rest your head against a pillow.

- Distract kitteh with snacks. I'm sure your cat has that one snack or food that he/she cannot resist. For mine, it's Temptations Surfer's Delight flavor. His tail quivers with excitement for those. I've watched a lot of videos from "Catmantoo" on Youtube (owner of Didga, the skateboarding cat), and using his methods I've had amazing success with food and positive reinforcement.

- Transfer: This is a crapshoot and didn't work for me. I actually tried giving my cat a human pacifier, figuring it would feel a lot like an earlobe. Nope. He wanted nothing to do with it. Blankets didn't work for me either.

As with everything cat-related, I find it's usually a combination of things that solves the problem, and most of it for me is trial and error as a noob cat owner. Anyway, as a baby my cat tried to nurse on my ear five or six times a day, and I'd let him once or twice a day. Now, at 17 months old, he tries maybe two or three times a week, and only at night when he's curled up in my lap and we're watching TV. If I tell him no, he might try again, then he's fine with just kneading my legs or a blanket while I pet him.

tl;dr version: If you moderate the behavior, it should get better over time. Keep in mind a 12-week-old kitten is still a baby, and you're his "mother" now for all intents and purposes. It's completely natural that he wants to nurse, knead and feel content, and it's a perfectly normal behavior. Just remember there's nothing wrong with your kitten, try to limit the nursing, and he'll calm down eventually.

 

[didi13]

This has helped more than you know.

You are the only other person I have found across many other forums that seems to totally understand and has experienced what I am going through, so thank you!

You're totally right in saying that we have to find something unique to our situation. So I let Dory suck (she can go for an hour at a time if I don't stop her) and wrap her little claws in a blanket so my face doesn't die and then try disrupt her if it's getting too intense. 

Poor little babies!

 

[daishain]

I cannot speak from personal experience on this one, but I did have an idea. If improper weaning is the root cause of this behavior, should we not attempt to finish that job?

A common tool to use with children who refuse to stop suckling is taste. One could try rubbing the being suckled upon skin with something that tastes awful to the kitten. Pet stores sell sprays (intended for use on being chewed upon power cords and the like) which could serve this purpose.

 

[plan]

 
This has helped more than you know.

You are the only other person I have found across many other forums that seems to totally understand and has experienced what I am going through, so thank you!

You're totally right in saying that we have to find something unique to our situation. So I let Dory suck (she can go for an hour at a time if I don't stop her) and wrap her little claws in a blanket so my face doesn't die and then try disrupt her if it's getting too intense. 

Poor little babies!

I'm glad it helped. Like I said, I'm far from being an expert myself. I'm a first-time cat owner, learned a lot by trial and error, and the people here on this site have always been very helpful with helping me sort out behavioral issues. At the same time, I think it was important for me to learn and realize that a lot of the behaviors are completely normal, so that I wouldn't blame my cat simply for being a cat and doing what cats do.

I forgot to mention that the nursing behaviors, while pretty much predictable, also were triggered by events that made my cat scared or nervous when he was younger. For example, a bad storm with loud thunder would put him in that comfort-seeking mood. Maybe you'd have some luck anticipating those moments and trying to redirect to food. I can't say enough good things about positive reinforcement with food, and how much it's helped my cat.

Good luck!

 

[cosmo mom]

I just found this forum. Thank you soooo much! Cosmo is now 3 1/2 months old; I adopted him from my local vet at exactly 8 weeks. He was in a cage with his siblings at 5 weeks so he was separated from his Mon too soon. He suckles on my earlobes, mostly in the morning. Perhaps trying to get me out of bed.I cover my ears as best I can. I'm hoping he grows out of this. I love being his "Mom!"

 

[didi13]

Hi Cosmo's mom

Just seen your post and thought I would let you know that my Dory, now just over a year since I've had her and about a year and three months old, still suckes. She is now limited to my right ear- her choosing. Apparently the left ear doesn't taste as good!
She suckles throughout the night, on and off, and during the day when she jumps on my lap for cuddles.

We have managed to find a way between the two of us that works. No amount of me trying to force her to stop was working. She know knows not to knead my face and keeps her claws on the blanket I have for her on my bed. She also enjoys suckling said blanket.

It's funny, because I was so desperate for her to stop when she was younger, but now I would be a little upset if she did stop. It's our thing and we both love it.

Good luck with your angel.