strange kitten behavior

tessa_s212

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My 14 week old male kitten has developed a new, odd behavior. For christmas, I was given a very very soft, fleecy like blanket. Since, he likes to sit on it, grab a bit in his mouth, and then "nee" it, or whatever the term is for it. Its cute, he seems to enjoy it(purrs)... but I'm not sure if it is a behaivor that I should be allowing or letting the SO encourage. Lol.

Is this normal... should I discourage it?
 

momofmany

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I assume he kneeds his paws as he suckles on it? He's young and is missing his mom. If he is ingesting material from the blanket, I would worry about it. I'll give my sucklers an alternative like a cotton t-shirt, or if you want to give him something really nice, try a Snuggle Kitty:
http://www.squirrelstore.com/site/744999/product/snu06

It's normal. A lot of young kittens do this.
 
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tessa_s212

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Originally Posted by Momofmany

I assume he kneeds his paws as he suckles on it? He's young and is missing his mom. If he is ingesting material from the blanket, I would worry about it. I'll give my sucklers an alternative like a cotton t-shirt, or if you want to give him something really nice, try a Snuggle Kitty:
http://www.squirrelstore.com/site/744999/product/snu06

It's normal. A lot of young kittens do this.
He's not that young any more. And he's never had a mom, besides me. I've raised him since he was 2 days old(I even helped his mom give birth and cut his cord, dried him off, etc) and he's never done this before. It's strange.. you'd think he'd do this before 14 weeks?
 

momofmany

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Originally Posted by tessa_s212

He's not that young any more. And he's never had a mom, besides me. I've raised him since he was 2 days old(I even helped his mom give birth and cut his cord, dried him off, etc) and he's never done this before. It's strange.. you'd think he'd do this before 14 weeks?
Ahhhh - an orphaned kitten? My 7 year old "orphan" still suckles on blankets. She didn't start it all that young either.
 
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tessa_s212

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Originally Posted by Momofmany

Ahhhh - an orphaned kitten? My 7 year old "orphan" still suckles on blankets. She didn't start it all that young either.
He and his sister(currently still have both, but started with 5) had a feral cat for a mom. The city requires all cats be tagged, so all stray, feral, or outdoor cats are trapped and brought to the shelter to be killed. They were born two days before she was scheduled to be killed. She was giving birth in clumping litter, and was not cleaning the babies. So as awful as it sounds, I had to catch pole her, pin her, and get her babies out of there and cleaned up.. she was still in labor, so she ended up having 3 more in a dry crate (NO litter box!) that we had to drag her into. I then cleaned up the first 2 kittens, cut their umbilical cords, drained hte fluid from their legs, stimulated their respiration, and dried them completely before putting them back wiht their mom. The kittens would have likely died if I hadn't intervened.
Once in a dark, quite room with no litter box, she did give birth, clean up, and chew off the umbilical cords of the rest that she delivered, but when she was forced to be put back in a cage.. she ended up basically dumping her babies out of the cage to die - they had my scent on them, and she was a wild animal. So on day 2, I took the babies to hand raise them, and the shelter killed her, despite a woman who was willing to adopt her, spay her, vaccinate her, and feed her(she was caring for a feral community.. but in city limits
)

I just find it soo odd that this behavior just NOW started. He's getting so old and big.. you'd think it would show up much younger.
 

cats4sky

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my 13 yr old cat sabastian still does this! every stuffed animal i have cannot escape it, he will knead and suckle at the same time, he also does it to really soft blankets...i think its adorable
 

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I have a 6 year old, Sho, who absolutely loves soft things. I can't have anything fleecy in this house and not have him knead it at some point. I guess cats enjoy the softness the same as we do.


When I was younger I had a cat that would knead me and suck on my shirt at night.
She was with her mother until 12 weeks (then dumbed at a vets office where I got her from). She never did outgrow it. But it made her happy so I didn't mind.
My younger cat Tomas was found at 10 weeks old, no mother cat or human in sight that he should have been with. He kneads me at night and occasionally tries to suck on my ear... He's still very much stuck in kitten mentality even at 2 years old, though.

As long as nothing and no one is harmed, let your kitty enjoy himself. When I pick out blankets I actually look for extra soft ones that my Sho will love. The only problem I have is that I have to keep him away from my sweaters.
 

lunalover

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please don't discourage it! it's harmless, i asked my vet about it because i was curious as to what it was, but it's completely normal. and my kitten stopped doing it after a few weeks, but then she discovered my HAIR! everytime i get home from work or i wake up in the morning she either climbs on my shoulder or i lie down on bed and she kneads at my hair and suckles on it then has a nap all while purring away...
 

aswient

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My Wheezer does that he's 4 years old, I think it brings him comfort. Thats him suckling and kneading
 

mandy1178

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Aswient, that's an ADORABLE picture! My Frisky ("Kiki") does this. She has been doing it since she was a baby though. I call it "going to her happy place!"
 

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I have several cats that do this to a degree. It just depends on how soft whatever they are on is. If he's not ingesting anything, it's ok. And it also is good that he can comfort himself. That may be his way of "breaking away" from you as his kitty mom...
 

sport

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Originally Posted by tessa_s212

Its cute, he seems to enjoy it(purrs)
My Sport has ALWAYS...since he was born...LOVED my Cotton Blanket. Where ever it is in the house; on the couch in the living room, on the floor in the den or folded on the bed...he purrs so loud (to quote another TCS member) he sounds like he swallowed a weed wacker. It is hysterical and adoreable. It is quite normal, your kitten may grow out of the habbit, or not, but as long as it doesn't bother you, it's fine.

Happy New Year,
Rob & Sport
 

aswient

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Originally Posted by Mandy1178

Aswient, that's an ADORABLE picture! My Frisky ("Kiki") does this. She has been doing it since she was a baby though. I call it "going to her happy place!"
Thanks, thats Wheezer's fur balls, and everyone else knows they can't play with it, because that's for when he wants to be in his comfort zone.
 

addiebee

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Originally Posted by tessa_s212

He and his sister(currently still have both, but started with 5) had a feral cat for a mom. The city requires all cats be tagged, so all stray, feral, or outdoor cats are trapped and brought to the shelter to be killed. They were born two days before she was scheduled to be killed. She was giving birth in clumping litter, and was not cleaning the babies. So as awful as it sounds, I had to catch pole her, pin her, and get her babies out of there and cleaned up.. she was still in labor, so she ended up having 3 more in a dry crate (NO litter box!) that we had to drag her into. I then cleaned up the first 2 kittens, cut their umbilical cords, drained hte fluid from their legs, stimulated their respiration, and dried them completely before putting them back wiht their mom. The kittens would have likely died if I hadn't intervened.
Once in a dark, quite room with no litter box, she did give birth, clean up, and chew off the umbilical cords of the rest that she delivered, but when she was forced to be put back in a cage.. she ended up basically dumping her babies out of the cage to die - they had my scent on them, and she was a wild animal. So on day 2, I took the babies to hand raise them, and the shelter killed her, despite a woman who was willing to adopt her, spay her, vaccinate her, and feed her(she was caring for a feral community.. but in city limits
)

I just find it soo odd that this behavior just NOW started. He's getting so old and big.. you'd think it would show up much younger.
No one else here has commented on this part of your thread. Kudos for you for saving him and his siblings. I am sooo sorry about the mom... such backward attitudes about strays and ferals, that's very disheartening....
 
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