Abigail is almost 5 mo. old and still suckles whenever she can on Sheba. Sheba was spayed 1 1/2 mo. ago and obviously doesn't produce any milk but she lets Abi do it. Abi is almost the size of Sheba (Sheba is very tiny) and it's hard to tell them apart except that Sheba has a pink nose and Abi's is black. They are like 2 peas in a pod. When Abi suckles, she purrs super loud and kneads on Sheba just like when she was tiny. I'm just curious as to when this will stop as I've never seen this before when I had other kittens. Usually, I've noticed that mother cats can't wait to have their offspring "fend for themselves" and bats them away when they try to get too close.
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How long do kittens suckle?
- Thread starter bellafig
- Start Date
Cats usually only feel the need until they are about 3 months old or thier mother decides they are done. It sounds like she is just trying to feel warm, safe and secure. I don't think I would worry just yet. I am sure when mom gets real tired, she will give the word.
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- #3
Thanks Sandie - I suppose you're right - maybe Sheba enjoys the closeness because her kittens are gone.
i had a cat that did this occasionally until he was about 4months old. i think its a feeling of security and i dont think its anything to worry about. one of my male rescues suckled on my adult male for months also. it was a funny site.
Our 5-year-old Clementine still does! We got her when she was only a few weeks old, had been found as a stray in a Canadian January. She would suckle my and my husband's earlobes as a pacifier. It tickled me too much to stand it for long, but my husband was more tolerant, to the point where he got a callous on his earlobe!
Now, at 5, she doesn't fit in the space between his shoulder and ear, so will bury her head under his arm and suck on his shirt. He sometimes looks like a nursing mother, with big drool spots on his shirt. That cat is sooooo spoiled!
Now, at 5, she doesn't fit in the space between his shoulder and ear, so will bury her head under his arm and suck on his shirt. He sometimes looks like a nursing mother, with big drool spots on his shirt. That cat is sooooo spoiled!
Julie......you have a good hubby there!
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- #7
I agree with Lumpys Mom, Julie - you have a super husband - I don't think mine would quite allow that (I would though - I'm most happy when my other cat "Fig" cuddles in my armpit when we're in bed.
Heh heh heh..this is too funny!! I too have a "suckler" Bod is about a year and a half old and he still suckles on me whenever he gets the chance!! Whether Im clothed or not!!! ha ha ha ha....its a really weird feeling when they do it on your bare skin!!! hee hee....wouldn't have it any other way though!!
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- #9
Bodlover - that's so cute!
When my husband isn't sitting around in his suckle-cloth (terrycloth) robe, 1 yr old Ratty accepts a washcloth as a fine substitute. We trained her from about 3 months by gently moving her to a pillow with the washcloth on it when she suckled on my hair in bed. Now she looks for the washcloth and purrs like a rusty gate while suckling and being petted.
Linda
Linda
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Hey can someone please give me some advice on what to do my cat has got six kittens which are about a month old, but she refuses to let them suckle on her? Any advice? Anyone?
At four weeks old, the kittens are ready to begin trying solid food, so the first thing that I'd do is get a good quality wet kitten food and see if you have any takers. You may have to put some on your finger and hold it to their lips to get them to taste it. If they eat it, great! You can add KMR or another kitten formula to it for extra nutrition and to make it easier to eat. If you have a kitten or two that won't take to the wet food, you may have to bottle feed them until they get the idea. You can get a kit with a bottle, several nipples, and a bottle brush from any pet supply store. You should be able to find KMR fairly easily. They may not take to the bottle right away; in that case, you can use a syringe or an eye dropper, just go slowly with it so that they don't choke. Keep trying them with canned food, too, because they should get the idea any time now. You can experiment with a few different brands until you find one that gets them interested.
Hope that helps!
Hope that helps!
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My cat dose the same thing. I want to say he’s 4 months old now. When he suckles he purrs so loud. His purring calms and relaxes me
