Kitten nursing on Neutered Boy!

[tammyp]

Boy was I surprised this morning!  Ava, 14 weeks, was suckling on Kato, my 2.5yrs neutered boy.  What a patient and gentle boy he is!  He was thoroughly grooming her while she purred away like a truck, her head deep in his belly and even kneeding with her paws!

I guess they have bonded beautifully!  Ava only arrived 2 weeks ago.  The first few days I worked like crazy to keep both entertained and exercised and loved, while being in separate rooms.  And then Kato stopped being alarmed, and Ava insisted on coming out and went and nose kissed him...today they're sleeping together (sometimes - Kato has been sick and needs some space), and Ava pulls this nursing stunt!

Anyone have experience of a kitten nursing on another cat (not their mum)?  Is there anything to be concerned about?

 

[franksmom]

Funny my kitten is named Ava too and she loves nursing on me. It is part of her cuddling routine and she kneeds and purrs. There was also a post yesterday about a kitten doing it on a cat that wasn't her mom. Apparently it is called smurgling and it shouldn't be something to worry about if your other cat doesn't mind. I think it is pretty cute!

 

[andrya]

Aw, that is so sweet. My middle kitten came in this way too. He was already a neutered male at 12 weeks old, and my current neutered male was 4 years old. There was no introduction time, they both clearly wanted to be with each other, and the kitten would push his little nose into Tanner and knead. Tanner turned out to be a very paternal cat, he treated the kitten as a kitten and not as a buddy. l hope your two end up with as close a relationship as mine, l've never seen two cats as closely bonded. l would let your boy look after the kitten, l think they're going to be great together.

 

[tammyp]

Thanks guys!  One of my breeder friends said it is done for comfort and not to worry, but to discourage it.  I've mentioned it to another and I'll see what all the collective wisdom is.

Interestingly i heard the term 'smurgling' for the first time today - and this is the second!  (I was watching the latest jackson galaxy of course.)

All my hopes are that Ava and Kato will be very close; we got Ava for Kato as he needed a feline friend (of course, Ava has my heart too.  I think she is a 'mummy's girl' while Kato is a 'daddy's boy'). 

 

[franksmom]

Yeah my breeder said to discourage it too, but I don't have the heart to. Also there is an old thread about it with lots of cats doing it to their humans. If you search for smurgling there are a few threads about it.