Does my cat have sucking syndrome?

Question

My cat likes to suck and knead on a blanket on my bed.... and I have heard that it is actually a syndrome. I'm not sure if it is. Does he really have a syndrome just because he likes to knead and chew on a blanket?

Answer 1

no its not a syndrome!!  when cats are kittens they do the same exact thing when they are sucking milk!  my 13 year old cat has her own blanky she carries around and does this to it and only this blanket!  and my kitten will knead the blankets on the bed but wont suck on them.  its just a natural instinkt for cats! makes them feel more secure.

Answer 2

I have seen many cats that do this. My grandmother used to have a cat that would try to suck and knead her neck.

Answer 3

Yes I agree with david cook fan totally correct, it is a comforting thing after they have left their mother. I suppose it is similar to my 8 year old who still sucks her thumb!

Answer 4

my 3 month old kitten does that...but not on the bed..or on a blanket...but on ME!  lol

My vet told me 99% of the time, they grow out of it.  it's nothing to worry about anyways.

Answer 5

Cats do that when they are taken from their moms too soon.  They do it for security- to feel safe and help them relax.  My Mom's cat did it for his first year but seems to have outgrown it.

Answer 6

they do this cause they were taken away from there momma too quickly so the never got over it it is not a syndrome it is stupid people who don't know the age of they're own cats.

Answer 7

aw, she probabley misses her momma!

One reason why cats knead paws stems from their kittenhood. Kittens must nurse their mother to get life-sustaining milk. Kneading mom's teats stimulates the let-down response, causing the milk to flow more freely.

Answer 8

all the cats i have ever had do this. i think it is more a very relaxing thing for them to do.  

Answer 9

Hi Jessica... this isn't uncommon with cats who have been early or that have an asian breed background.  This is known as wool-sucking or PICA, which is the act of either l*****g, sucking, chewing eat non-edible items.  You can read more about this from the following website: http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?...

More about PICA: http://www.vmth.ucdavis.edu/home/beh/fel...