Do kittens still suckle after weaning?

I am new to raising kittens. We took in a stray about 4 months ago.
A month later she presented us with 4 babies. Unfortunately one
died when it was 4 weeks old. The other 3, now 12 weeks old, are
doing great. They've had their shots, we've had the mother spayed,
and we've weaned the kittens. We seperated them from their mother
between the 8th and 9th week. They eat wet and dry food just fine.

HOWEVER...we have found the kittens nursing on their mother a few
times. In fact, all 3 are suckling now. The mom seems to be sleeping
and the kittens seem to be falling asleep.

It don't think they mom is producing any milk, but I'm really not sure.

Is this just something kittens will do, similar to a baby with a pacifier???

Thanks

Yep, that's it. I think that in the wild a mother cat will keep her kittens until they are about six months old or so, supervising their hunting, making sure they get enough to eat and still letting them nurse. Some mom cats will actually refuse to let their kittens nurse though, at a much younger age. As long as they are over 8 weeks and eating well it is OK for them not to nurse, but if they do nurse it is OK too. My mother had a mom cat and kitten for over 20 years and the "baby" still would nurse! Does everyone have an appointment at the vet for spaying and neutering? Becky

hm can you explain to me what is weaning?

My kitten often sucks on my pjs pants on the rope bit that is meant to keep your pants secure. he does this nearly everyday.
He doesnt have his mother anymore because i took him away at 8 weeks.
He hasnt been spayed yet but he will soon.

Weaning is the period of time you are introducing the kitten to real food and water and getting them slowly off of mom's milk-

KatsDad- I would just let the momcat handle it. She will become tired of the suckling and start growling and chasing her babies from her. I would also keep a careful eye on her nipples, if they become red, swollen or crusty then I would worry. You can get a bottle of bitter apple, and apply the stuff to the teats with a q-tip several times a day, the kittens won't like the bitter taste and will look elsewhere. Be sure you are feeding the kittens enough quality food so they aren't left wanting more-

Originally Posted by zanniesmom

Yep, that's it. I think that in the wild a mother cat will keep her kittens until they are about six months old or so, supervising their hunting, making sure they get enough to eat and still letting them nurse. Some mom cats will actually refuse to let their kittens nurse though, at a much younger age. As long as they are over 8 weeks and eating well it is OK for them not to nurse, but if they do nurse it is OK too. My mother had a mom cat and kitten for over 20 years and the "baby" still would nurse! Does everyone have an appointment at the vet for spaying and neutering? Becky

Click to expand...

We had the mother spayed a couple of weeks ago. At what age should the
kittens be spayed or neutered?

Check with your vet about when they are willing to do it. But anytiime after they reach 2 lbs, usually at about 8-10 weeks is old enough. Check out this site:
http://www.catvet.homestead.com/EarlyAlter.html
Becky

Spaying/Neutering can usually be done anywhere between 3-5 months. It really depends on what your vet thinks. Some shelters will spay/neuter as soon as they reach 2 pounds. Most do this because of overcrowding issues. It's not usually a good idea to do it this soon unless there is a need to. Neutering is a little less envasive than spaying is, since you have to go through the body wall for a spay. Male cats generally also recover quicker from a neuter than female cats do from a spay. When female cats get spayed it is very important to keep them from jumping to high places for a while after surgery. It's not common, but they could actually rip the sutures by jumping, a sudden jolt, or anything extreme. I recommend asking your vet the age that they prefer to do spay/neuters. As long as it is not much past 6 months of age, you should be in good shape. Some females can go into heat as early as 6 months old.

As for the suckling: since they have their mom, I would think that the suckling will eventually slow to a halt. I have two kittens that I bottle raised and they still suckle on each other. They do not cause each other harm, though. And they only do it when they are resting together. It's a comfort thing. However, if they are suckling on each others genitals, it is a cause for concern. The genitals can get inflammed and infected very quickly. Suckling on wool or other material can also be a cause for concern. If the kittens end up ingesting any foreign body, it could get tied up in their intestine and could potentially be fatal. I don't discourage my kitties suckling on each other because Bert only suckles on Ernie's belly. The worst that happens is Ernie gets a slobbery belly...yuck. LOL. But if the activity seems harmful or bothers you, then I'd discourage them by either separating them for a little while, or putting some Bitter Apple or similar product on that part you don't want them to suckle. Just make sure the product you choose is not harmful...I know they make several different types that are available at the pet store. Good luck and I hope everything works out!