My ten week old kitten still "suckles" from my tummy. What do I do?

Question

She has always done this, since we got her at 7 weeks. and I'm starting to worry whether this is normal? Whenever she sits on my lap she will start purring and look for a teat, settle on a piece of t-shirt like a crease then just suckle away happily as if she was being fed by her mommy. Her twin brother does not do this.

Now I think I have 3 options:

1. i let her do it because it seems to comfort her, she purrs and loves it. and one day she will realise theres never going to be milk and stop it.

2. i stop her and shove her face away.

3. i buy a baby bottle and feed her that way to give her comfort as she seems to need it.

What do I do?

Answer 1

I would let her carry on, it's comforting and she's still young it's a big adjustment. She'll soon stop as she gets older. Give her lots of love and attention and she'll soon come to you for the affection she craves.  Good luck xx

Answer 2

Just let her get on with it...she thinks your its mummy now, and thats sweet. When she gets older, she will stop... My kitten did that at 12 weeks, and then slowly stopped on her own as she grew up. Its nothing unusual. Its not like she's suckling from your breast! lol  

Answer 3

let her do it it is normal and it seems to be comforting her. if it makes her feel better than let her continue

Answer 4

Just let her carry on, she may or may not stop in her own time. It's because she came away from her mum just a little early, mother cats start to wean their kittens from about 6 weeks but still let them suckle from time to time for a few weeks afterwards.  Don't give her a bottle, she doesn't need it.  It's just a comfort thing, just like cats often trample on your lap before settling down - that too is a throwback to being a little kitten and kneading mum to persuade her to let milk down.  Nothing to worry about, it's just her "thing" to do when she's very happy.

Answer 5

When we 1st rescued my kitten (he was 5weeks old) and he used to suckle at my little finger, god knows why but after he was about 2-3months old he just stopped! He has never done it since.

your kitten hay be just comforting itself.

Hope that helps

Answer 6

just leave her to it she feels the security from you.And by you letting it do it it also comforts you meaning it calms you if you were stressed.My wee cat died at 19 years of age and she still done it but by then she had her own tee shirt of mine that she would snuggle into and fall asleep on.

Answer 7

She's still very young and she's missing her mum.   I think solution 1 is best.   She will stop as she grows up.   Option 2 sounds a bit mean.   Option 3 might be difficult to stop, you might find she would expect the bottle for ever.   You shouldn't give kittens cow's milk (or goat or sheep either, I don't think).   I don't know why she does it but not the brother, perhaps he's just being macho.   Patience is the key.

Answer 8

leave her do it, my cat still did it when he was an adult, its just a comfort thing, she sees you as her mummy now and its her way of cuddling up

Answer 9

Its perfectly normal, they all do it, she is still a baby, and its comforting for her, just let her do it, she will grow out of it.

Answer 10

i dont think you need to worry about it, she is after all still a baby shes known suckling as a comfort zone longer than she hasnt, gently stroking her face away when she does it should gradually get her used to other comforts, like ear scratching, back stroking and tummyrubs.  

Answer 11

Let her do it, it is normal but she will probably stop fairly soon. I got a love bite from a kitten once haha I was watching a film and didnt realise it was suckling on my neck for about an hour!

Answer 12

get a bottle :)

Answer 13

I don't think you can stop them, really - ours are 3 and they still knead us mercilessly and dribble like anything, even if they don't suckle... it's kind of cute though.

Answer 14

she was a week too young to leave mum and she needs the comfort she may have been the last to wean if she had been left with mum until 12 weeks. i personally would buy a feeding set and cimicat or kitten/cat milk replacement formula and let her have a bottle when she want she wants to suckle otherwise she will develop pica where she she eats wool etc. and gradually wean her of the bottle but dont let her suckle on your clothes as the fibres will cause to become ill. feel free to email me

Answer 15

It sees you as its 2nd mum, it gets comfort from doing this, one of my 6yr old cats still do this to me, it depends if you find this behaviour bothersome as to whether to discourage it or not, a gentle NO & removal of it from you will help it stop this.

Answer 16

i wouldn't bank on option 1.my sisters cat has always sucked her neck since being a kitten and i think he must be about 3 now.i think you have to use the tough love approach if you want her to stop or get a teddy that she could snuggle into.