# My kitten is suckling on herself!



## MumOf4

Hi everyone!

I'm new to the list and I'm having a really difficult time with one of my kittens. Their mother (a stray that we took in) died before our 4 kittens were fully weaned and litter trained. They were only 5 weeks old! Since that time, my partner and I have taken over the parenting of these wee ones, who are just over 3 months old now. The problem is that one of our kittens has been suckling on herself and her siblings since mum died. 

She is only suckling on her siblings on occasion and we immediately pull her away and try to give her love and attention. As soon as she seems to settle down, we put her down and she starts to suckle on herself. She's been consistently suckling on her own nipples and they are getting red and sore, but she continues and purrs at the same time. This has been going on for weeks!

We are both getting very frustrated as most of our energy and attention goes to this one kitten. I've tried to get her interested in stuffed animals and encourage her to suckle on them, but this has been unsuccessful so far. We've cut a hole in the toe of a sock and pulled that over her abdomen, which works temporarily, until she pulls it off. 

Has anyone encountered this before? What has worked?

Erin


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## sokeldachshunds

We had a cat that did this most of her life and she would even suck on wool blankets or your sweater sleeve.
We where told it was because she was taken away from her mother to young.
She was only around the 4 week stage when she was found with her litter mates in a cardboard box in a carpark.


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## Selk67U2

*Hi, yes We had years ago when I lived at home 2 kittens that came to us at 5 weeks because the mam was poisoned!! One of them did exactly the same, she suckled her front leg. She lived until she was about 15 and never stopped doing it. It never harmed her or made her sore though. Then the litter I had last year, 3 out of the 7 suckled off themselves or each other, I never knew why because they stayed with their Mam until they went to their new homes. If I saw any of them do it, I would just remove them from the situation. I know one carried on after they left us, but now does'nt do it. 
I was told by the vet an elastic bandage is good, like they put on humans for sprained ankles ect, because unlike a sock, they can't get it off. 
I'm not sure in some if it can be stopped, especially if they are doing it to themselves*


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## Siamese Kelly

Hi Erin-good on you and hubby 1stly for showing mum and babies such compassion and devotion and careWelcome also,this is quite normal and people do say it's due being away from mum from an early age,but again like Wendy we have had kittens who are with mum for an age and still suckle themselves and each other-it's just comfort sucklin'-nothing to worry about,she may grow out of it or she may do this still when she's a ripe old age


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## MumOf4

Hi again,

I wouldn't worry so much if her nipples weren't so sore and red. She'll continue to do this until interrupted, and we are both so occupied having so many active little kittens running around, that sometimes we don't catch her until her nipples look like they are going to bleed. Valen's nipples (the little suckler in question) get sucked on so hard that her belly and the area all around her nipples is red and sometimes swollen. 

I read somewhere that this behaviour should be curbed early because if they get too close to their siblings' or their own genitals, it can cause all sorts of infections. 

That was a great idea about the sport sleeve for injuries. I'll have to try that and tell you whether or not it is a success.


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## kirst

wen i first got dotty when she was 8 weeks old i got her a bed and she suckled on that all the tym when she was goin to sleep and pawing at it and ourrin at the same tym ryt up until a couple of weeks ago and she never showed me any affection and so i asked my friend about it coz she works at a vets n she said to take it away and dotty has been fine since and she has been showing me more affection


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## may

This is not uncommon for a kitten to suckle on siblings it is only comfort sucking they usualy grow out of it but orphan kittens seem to take longer , My vet says just leave them it wont cause them any harm UNLESS thy suckle so much there teats get sore and crack! then there teats can become infected and cause them to be very painful ..........I think a visit to the vet is called for!
I was reading about kittens doing this and this particular kitten was quite sore from suckling so the breeder cut the sleeve off a old jumper and put it on the kitten so she couldn't get to her teats,
The kitten wasn't happy about the new "fashion''but did get used to it after a couple of days it was kept on until the teats healed, she is now a happy cat that has never done it since


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## Guest

MumOf4 said:


> Hi again,
> 
> I wouldn't worry so much if her nipples weren't so sore and red. She'll continue to do this until interrupted, and we are both so occupied having so many active little kittens running around, that sometimes we don't catch her until her nipples look like they are going to bleed. Valen's nipples (the little suckler in question) get sucked on so hard that her belly and the area all around her nipples is red and sometimes swollen.
> 
> I read somewhere that this behaviour should be curbed early because if they get too close to their siblings' or their own genitals, it can cause all sorts of infections.
> 
> That was a great idea about the sport sleeve for injuries. I'll have to try that and tell you whether or not it is a success.


I dont think theres much truth in the statment of catching infections from their own bits and pieces,cats after all clean themselves with their tounges anywayi have a cat that still suckles on a foster mum,he wasnt taken from mum that young,its a comfort thing


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## may

clare7577 said:


> I dont think theres much truth in the statment of catching infections from their own bits and pieces,cats after all clean themselves with their tounges anywayi have a cat that still suckles on a foster mum,he wasnt taken from mum that young,its a comfort thing


I didn't say she would catch infection from her own bits and peaces 
If her teats are cracked then anything could get into the wound to cause infection! when she uses the litter tray especially if the tray is shared by others
I also said it's not uncommon for a kitten to suckle on siblings it is only comfort sucking


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## Guest

I was commenting on mum of 4`s post! read back and youll seeIt was a statement she had read somewhere.


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