5 month old ginger kitten sucks my blankets

[ronandbarry]

Hi I hhave a question about my 5 month old kitten. He loves to suck blankets and sometimes clothes. He sucks a wool cardigan and a red blanket off a plane as well as some other things. While he is doing it he flexes his claws rhythmically and constantly and nothing seems to stop him. The only thing that works is when you give him a shock, like blowing in his ears. I am not sure whether this is dangerous for him or not, as I am worried he will choke on a fur ball or suck in chemicals. Should I be worried, and if so how do I stop him?

 

[catspaw66]

Whatever you do, DON'T blow in his ears.  A cat's ears are very sensitive and you could damage his hearing.  You could also blow dust, germs, etc. in them, resulting in ear and respiratory infections. 

 

[ronandbarry]

Oh, no, I virtually NEVER blow in his ears, only once I was falling asleep in my bed and he was doing it and I accidentaly blew in his ears. I didn't do it at all after that because I knew you shouldn't. Thanks anyway...Louisa

 

[catspaw66]

Good.  That shows you know about cat care.  I am thinking your kitten is sucking on the blankie as a substitute for his furmom.  The kneading (my brother calls it making bread) is a giveaway for that.  Sugar, Spice and Julie all love to knead the blanket, sheet, clothes or my skin.  As an added bonus, it lets me know when they need to have their nails trimmed.

 

[ronandbarry]

Thankyou! But can I just check that sucking on blankets and clothes won't harm the cat? and basically he is doing it because he was weaned to soon? We did get him at only three days under 8 weeks, which I think is what the RSPCA and vets say...Louisa

 

[catspaw66]

Just keep an eye on what he is doing it with and if you wash the blanket or clothes, use very little mild soap, rinse well and don't use fabric softener or dryer sheets.  Check the blanket for loose fibers frequently, and there should be no problem.

 

[ronandbarry]

Thanks, I will do my best to follow you advice...Louisa

 

[catspaw66]

I am not a vet or a professional..  Please ask your vet about this.  My advice was just common sense, I think.

 

[speakhandsforme]

Hi there

Many cats do this, especially those that were weaned too young... our Evie included, and she's almost a year old now :nod: We call it suckling, since that's what it's called when a kitten drinks milk from its mom.

I don't think it's harmful at all.

 

[nebula]

I know you have a cat, but we had a dog who did that- he would put a small stuffed animal on top of a bigger one, and nurse it like he would his mom. He was weaned on time, bt he was also very psychotic and that was the only thing he did to be able to calm himself down. We would say "GO Suck ace!" And he did. Anyway, I think it is frairly common for animals to do this when they think about their fur mom.

 

[izzybees]

Also had a dog that did this to blankets and some stuffed animals. We had to give her to another family because she was becoming hostile towards our daughter and also had a few psychological issues.
Last I heard she was doing fine in her new home.

 

[callista]

There is the danger of her ingesting bits of blanket and getting hairballs... Cats usually upchuck those with no problems, but you might want to watch her anyway, and give her hairball treatment if she needs it.

Probably got taken from her mom too soon, poor thing. Kneading is normal, but sucking on blankets is usually something they do if they were taken before they were properly weaned. If the blanket's clean, there's no danger. And really I don't think it's an indicator of emotional trauma--just a habit that starts because a kitten is used to nursing and tries to replace it with something else.

 

[speakhandsforme]

Oh, I forgot to say --

We give Evie some KMR from a bottle when she suckles.... it seems to make her feel a little better. :nod:

 

[ronandbarry]

Thankyou all so so much for your advice. We are popping into the vets tomorrow anyway so I will ask, just to check although I am reassured that it is relatively normal. I thought it was probably something to do with being weaned to young. Better safe than sorry! Thankyou again...Louisa