Who still suckles more, boys or girls?

rang_27

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
May 28, 2002
Messages
4,304
Purraise
5
Location
Milwaukee, WI
I noticed last night that all three of my boy kitties maintain a comfort version of suckling. They knead my arm while rubbing their face on my arm (Isaac drools to it's so cute!
) My little princess Maggie however, does not do any suckling behaviors. She kneads me when she's happy but she does not seek me out just to knead & suckle the way the boys do. So it got me thinking, do more boys retain this behavior than girls? I have no idea when Levi & Jordan were taken away from mom. Isaac was 8 - 12 weeks & so was Maggie.
 

rosiemac

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Dec 3, 2003
Messages
54,358
Purraise
100
Location
ENGLAND... LAND OF HOPE AND GLORY!
Rosie was only 6 weeks so she kneaded and suckled on her blankie, and sometimes still does it.

Sophie's never suckled at all because she was with her mum full term before she came to me

Jack had to be seperated from his mum at 6 weeks to get him socialised with humans because his mum was semi feral, so he still suckles on my sleeve
 

aswient

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Dec 28, 2006
Messages
1,145
Purraise
1
Location
New Jersey
Yes, I think its a boy thing because, one of my boys holds something in his mouth then kneads. None of the girls do it at all.
 

sharon_fdcc

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Jul 17, 2008
Messages
32
Purraise
0
We took Rebecca from an abandoned box of kittens. She suckles two or three times daily - she looks for me for it. She's not fussy about what shirt I have on either - t-shirt, blouse... whatever! The problem is that she makes a really slobbery mess! :p
 

missymotus

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
May 8, 2005
Messages
9,234
Purraise
254
I don't think it's gender based, it has to do with how early they were taken from mum.
 

laureen227

Darksome Duo!
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 3, 2003
Messages
19,260
Purraise
387
Location
Denton TX
none of mine suckle. Cable, Pixel, Chip & Java knead... Pixel licks [especially during belly scritches], Chip licks & nips, Cable & Chip headbump. none of them drool,
 

Asteria

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jun 2, 2006
Messages
1,944
Purraise
16
Both of mine knead, but neither of them suckle.

none of them drool,
My first cat Socks used to drool whenever I scratched her chin and behind her ears. She would get soo relaxed.
 

epona

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jul 24, 2006
Messages
4,663
Purraise
949
Location
London, England
Originally Posted by missymotus

I don't think it's gender based, it has to do with how early they were taken from mum.
I agree with that completely, it has more to do with how they were nursed and whether they were allowed/able to comfort nurse after weaning and grow out of it of their own accord.

I have 3 boys:

Radar - separated from mum too young at 8 weeks old - suckles fingers and kneads.
Sonic - normal nursing and kittenhood, separated from mum at 13 weeks old after he had stopped going to mum for extra feeding/comfort - doesn't suckle or knead.
Jacob - bottle fed from a few days old due to mum getting mastitis and then her milk drying up so she couldn't nurse him - suckles fingers LOADS and kneads. Oh he also sucks the corner of the mousemat obsessively, it probably has a similar smell/flavour to the teat of a baby bottle!
 
Top