kitten trying to nurse.. me!

:*:epiphany:*: · Jun 19, 2006

i aquired a kitten from a co-worker who needed to get rid of her about 2 or 3 weeks ago. i guess that would make my kitten 6 or 7 weeks old now. her history is that her mom got killed by a car and this co-worker took her in and cared for her in absense of her momma. im not sure when is the time when they should be weaned, but she looks-NOW-like she should either be still nursing or just starting to be weaned. anyways, my point is, she keeps trying to nurse on me. she hasn't done this at all til about 3 days ago. she'll start purring pretty loud and start kneading my tummy or leg or whatever and press her mouth up against me, making suckling noises, sucking on my clothes or fingers. this morning i woke up to her doing it to my armpit, and she would not stop. i kept moving her off the bed and she kept returning. i tried going out and getting one of those little nursing bottles for orphaned animals and seeing if i could humor and appease her with that, she will just lick it, she won't suck on it. i guess she shouldn't be doing it anyways, i dont know. i know cats like to paw dance when they are happy and content, is this just it? i would have thought so, if it wasnt for her sucking on things. what do you guys make of this? any advice? ride it out? i dont mind it, im just concerned; never coe across anything like this before and i have taken in kittens waay too young to be away from their mothers, usually by someone else's mistake.

thanks!

tnr1 · Jun 19, 2006

Originally Posted by :*:epiphany:*:

i aquired a kitten from a co-worker who needed to get rid of her about 2 or 3 weeks ago. i guess that would make my kitten 6 or 7 weeks old now. her history is that her mom got killed by a car and this co-worker took her in and cared for her in absense of her momma. im not sure when is the time when they should be weaned, but she looks-NOW-like she should either be still nursing or just starting to be weaned. anyways, my point is, she keeps trying to nurse on me. she hasn't done this at all til about 3 days ago. she'll start purring pretty loud and start kneading my tummy or leg or whatever and press her mouth up against me, making suckling noises, sucking on my clothes or fingers. this morning i woke up to her doing it to my armpit, and she would not stop. i kept moving her off the bed and she kept returning. i tried going out and getting one of those little nursing bottles for orphaned animals and seeing if i could humor and appease her with that, she will just lick it, she won't suck on it. i guess she shouldn't be doing it anyways, i dont know. i know cats like to paw dance when they are happy and content, is this just it? i would have thought so, if it wasnt for her sucking on things. what do you guys make of this? any advice? ride it out? i dont mind it, im just concerned; never coe across anything like this before and i have taken in kittens waay too young to be away from their mothers, usually by someone else's mistake.

thanks!

She was definately placed too soon.....most kittens need to stay with mom until they are at least 8 but preferably 10-12 weeks of age. The website below will help you with the suckling issue and also to help her with any other issue that she may have:

http://www.kitten-rescue.com

Katie

:*:epiphany:*: · Jun 19, 2006

after looking at some images on the net, i would guess she is about 5 weeks old, not 7. i know she was placed WAY too soon. my co-worker had too many to care for, my kitten's litter, as well as another litter of her own. she was pretty much dropped on my lap. one of those "i have to do something with her, i dont want to take her to the pound" sorta things, and we all know how those go! she has been eating kitten formula, i put a little wrm water in it to soften it for her, as she is not completely ready for dry/solid food yet. she adapted well to the kitten food. but this suckling has me wondering if i should be trying to feed her via bottle as well. im not entirely sure what i should do at this point. BTW, great site! very informative!

thank you!

njangel021 · Jun 19, 2006

I think its just a cat thing showing love I wouldn't put her on a bottle is she is eatting the formula .

My cats suck on the bathmates and fingers and clothes and they purr and they roll and they are just loveable and my cats range from 15 down to not even a year yet and they alll do it

jennyr · Jun 19, 2006

SOme cats do this suckling on their human, often because they have lost their mom too soon, for whatever reason. My Ellie does it still, at two years old. I know that some board members try to give the kitten a substitute, like a stuffed animal, and sometimes that works.

tnr1 · Jun 19, 2006

Originally Posted by :*:epiphany:*:

after looking at some images on the net, i would guess she is about 5 weeks old, not 7. i know she was placed WAY too soon. my co-worker had too many to care for, my kitten's litter, as well as another litter of her own. she was pretty much dropped on my lap. one of those "i have to do something with her, i dont want to take her to the pound" sorta things, and we all know how those go! she has been eating kitten formula, i put a little wrm water in it to soften it for her, as she is not completely ready for dry/solid food yet. she adapted well to the kitten food. but this suckling has me wondering if i should be trying to feed her via bottle as well. im not entirely sure what i should do at this point. BTW, great site! very informative!

thank you!

Sounds like your friend is overwhelmed....below are a list of low cost spay/neuter clinics. Perhaps she can get some of these kittens into the clinic when they are old enough:

OHIO
A Snip In Time
Cleveland OH
216-651-7142
Pets and ferals.
City of Cleveland Kennel
2690 West 7th Street
Cleveland, OH 44113
216-664-2759 clinic
216-664-3069 main
Low cost spay/neuter clinic for pets of Cleveland residents.

Pet Guards Shelter
Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44223
330-920-1522

Planned Pethood Inc.
5265 Berkey Southern Road
Whitehouse, OH 43571
419-877-3499

United Humanitarians
Toledo, OH
419-475-1977

MARX (Minimizing Animal Reproduction without Extremes)
Middletown OH
513-465-3295
Mobile s/n clinic for feral and pet cats in Middletown.

CAT-SNIP Program
Scratching Post
6958 Plainfield Road
Silverton, OH 45236
513-984-6369

Spay/Neuter Clinic
Columbus OH
614-367-9933

Humane Society & Spay Neuter
4920 State Route 37 E
Delaware, OH 43015
614-369-7387

Cat Welfare Association
736 Wetmore Road
Columbus, OH 43214
614-268-6096
Low cost spay/neuter for pets of low income people.

Spay Ohio
Northwest Columbus OH
614-457-5772

Advocates for Animals Inc Marietta OH
740-3730017

SICSA
Dayton, OH
937-294-6505
Low cost spay/neuter for pets of low income people.

Humane Society of Preble County
722 South Franklin Street Eaton OH 45320
937-787-4408 Thora Smith for appointments and info
Brings a mobile unit (NOMAD) to the area every month for low cost s/n of cats.

zak&rocky · Jun 19, 2006

Rocky did it for the first few months and he was at least 10 weeks and probably 12 weeks when he came home. We let him do it until it became uncomfortable, then we kind a push him away a bit but still let him do our hands if he wanted. He eventually stopped trying to suckle but then evolved until licking. He still starts kneading at night and starts licking my face at night while being very purry. BTW he is now 2 and still a very affectionate, needy kitty who is very bonded to us now. Personaly I would let the kitty do it as much as you can stand and give it a lot love.

kitten trying to nurse.. me!

::epiphany::

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