How To Prevent Dry Nursing

[Mimi527]

I'm fostering a new liter of kittens and one of the little boys keeps dry nursing on his two siblings. I have done all of the typical methods by trying to feed him and separating but it seems to be a comfort thing more than anything. How can I redirect this behavior the best?

 

[susanm9006]

I would try giving him something soft and fuzzy, like a piece of fleece, a small stuffed animal or a piece of wool. Many kittens and cats love the feel of these and hopefully he will transfer his nursing need to that. How old are these kittens and how long have they been weaned?

 

[Mimi527]

I will definitely try that and see if it helps!

They’re about 3-4 weeks, but the age is a guesstimate from the rescue. They’re currently being weaned, so I do know suckling is still normal, and I haven’t had a kitten do this while bottle feeding when they weren’t hungry but he will refuse the bottle.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

I'm with susanm9006 . Anything soft will probably be acceptible to him with a little diligence on your part. However, so long as he isn't trying to nurse his siblings' genitals, he isn't harming them. If he is, be extra diligent to prevent soreness in the others.

 

[Mimi527]

I noticed the genital nursing today, which is new and is why I’m trying to really correct this issue because I know that can cause them discomfort and other potential issues. But I will try that and see if it helps. Thank you!

 

[Mamanyt1953]

It's a pretty common issue with orphans. Poor babies. Let us know how it goes, and thank you for caring for these tiny mites.

 

[Mimi527]

Thank you! He did eventually give up suckling but it took a lot of encouragement.

 

[talkingpeanut]

If the genital nursing happens again, you really need to separate the one who won't stop nursing. It can cause permanent damage to the penis of the little one. You can break the habit and then they can be reintroduced, but it's not safe to take any chances here.

 

[Mimi527]

Thank you. He did manage to stop dry nursing after ALOT of work and finding the right thing to comfort him and was only nursing on the female sister but she was still uncomfortable. But thank god we got that taken care of

 

[Mamanyt1953]

How are they doing, generally? I'm a fool for small kittens...it's those wodgy little tails...pictures would be nice...