I recently "adopted" an 8-week old kitten from a professor of mine who lives in the country and has several cats. They are all in good health, as she takes them to the vet regularly, and they're all fixed... except my kitten's mom.
Anyway, my kitten is a female, and she is my first cat. She has started doing something that I don't know how to fix; searching for milk and wanting to nurse on everything that lies flat. My prof told me the kittens were fully weaned, and hadn't nursed for about a week. My cat, Goose, didn't appear to do this in the beginning of her stay. But now my leg, my arm, any part of my sleeping boyfriend, a pillow, clothes on the floor, even my poor male dog are victims. She'll be playing happily one instant, and then its like something clicks and she throws her ears back and starts burrowing into a crevice. She'll knead, start nibbling and actually sucking.
When she starts doing it to a human or something near a human, I simply remove her from the situation with an "Ah-Ah." (Like I said, its my first cat, and I train dogs.) But she comes back with a vengence, many times. I'm not as worried about people, though, but she has started doing this to my large and powerful Coonhound mix. He is getting on with her very well, but she has given him several welts on his belly, inside his legs, and near his junk. He stares at me with a "I know you said not to, but I really want to bite this thing" look. I'm afraid he's going to instinctively lash out at her when no one is home to get her off him, and I can't really blame him. It hurts!
I've taken her to her food bowl immediately afterward, which is readily available. She'll eat a bite or two, but then starts doing it again a few minutes later. I've taken her to the vet, and she checks out just fine. I give her high quality dry food with some canned food mixed in daily. We play with her all the time, and give her lots of attention. Other than the hickie-issue, she's perfect.
Is this a phase? Can I do anything to cease this behavior?
Anyway, my kitten is a female, and she is my first cat. She has started doing something that I don't know how to fix; searching for milk and wanting to nurse on everything that lies flat. My prof told me the kittens were fully weaned, and hadn't nursed for about a week. My cat, Goose, didn't appear to do this in the beginning of her stay. But now my leg, my arm, any part of my sleeping boyfriend, a pillow, clothes on the floor, even my poor male dog are victims. She'll be playing happily one instant, and then its like something clicks and she throws her ears back and starts burrowing into a crevice. She'll knead, start nibbling and actually sucking.
When she starts doing it to a human or something near a human, I simply remove her from the situation with an "Ah-Ah." (Like I said, its my first cat, and I train dogs.) But she comes back with a vengence, many times. I'm not as worried about people, though, but she has started doing this to my large and powerful Coonhound mix. He is getting on with her very well, but she has given him several welts on his belly, inside his legs, and near his junk. He stares at me with a "I know you said not to, but I really want to bite this thing" look. I'm afraid he's going to instinctively lash out at her when no one is home to get her off him, and I can't really blame him. It hurts!
I've taken her to her food bowl immediately afterward, which is readily available. She'll eat a bite or two, but then starts doing it again a few minutes later. I've taken her to the vet, and she checks out just fine. I give her high quality dry food with some canned food mixed in daily. We play with her all the time, and give her lots of attention. Other than the hickie-issue, she's perfect.
Is this a phase? Can I do anything to cease this behavior?