sucking and kneading habit...

I am a first time cat owner. A few months ago I adopted two kittens from this grreat shelter. Every thing is so far except for one curious thing. My gray cat Belvadere has this unusual behavior. He will jump on me so that I can scratch him and then after a while he will start kneading me with his front paws. This I don;t mind so much since I have learned to put a blanket on me. Why does he do this? Then he will sit next to me and suck himself between the legs. I have consultedthe Vet and she says that it is normal but I would like a second opinion. Should I put bitter apple or some sort of deterent to stop him from doing this? What do you guys think?

It sounds like your kittens may have been taken away from mom a little too soon. The kneading behaviour is common, and is what kittens do on their mothers to get her to produce milk. Your cats will probably always do it. The sucking behaviour is again what they would have done with their mother and later it seems to be comforting to them (like kids sucking their thumb). My Rambo does both of these. I found it best if I can try and focus his sucking off of me (or himself) and on to an old t-shirt (usually one that smells like me is best) and then he can suck on that until he's calm.

I probably wouldn't try putting bitter apple on your kitten, as this may discourage them from properly grooming.

thanks for the info....it really makes me feel better now that I know...All my Vet told me was that it was normal and that I should'nt worry about it...thanks for responding...

Originally Posted by p3tuni8

thanks for the info....it really makes me feel better now that I know...All my Vet told me was that it was normal and that I should'nt worry about it...thanks for responding...

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LOL, well here's another one, if it makes you feel better. Yes, welcome to cat-ownership, this is perfectly natural.

You said "suck himself between the legs" - well, that's perfectly normal behavior for male and female cats. Miss Kitty will sit right next to me, throw both legs in the air, balancing on her lower back, and then go to town.

She is also an extreme kneader, and she's 4. Some kitties grow out of it, some don't.

All of this just means she loves you and wants to be close to you!

MKD