# Kitten suckling at 12 weeks



## Kara1985 (Jun 22, 2012)

Hey!

My kitten is now 12 weeks old and is driving me mad! He's a usual bouncy mad kitten but every morning when I wake he is constantly trying to suckle my pjs by my neck and is needling and puring away whilst doing it. I wouldn't mind so much if he hadn't taken to waking me at around 4/5 am by doing this. I've told h no and pushed him away and it's still not working. I had to shut him out of the bedroom coz he was waking me doing it. 
Any help to get him to stop would be appreciated. 
I know that it's a behaviour from kittens taken away from their mums too soon as we were given him at 6 weeks ( yes I know, I wasn't too happy when I was told his correct age a week after having him)
Thanks
Kara


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## catgeoffrey (Jun 28, 2012)

Having seen he was taken from mum at 6wk I'm not surprised he does this! 

Anyways, Geoffrey was 8 weeks when we got him... At first bouncy and naughty but as he got older he started to suckle and was needling but he has now stopped. He did this from 3-5 months and only in the morning. 

We used to lock him out of the bedroom at night, giving him full run of the rest of the house, and as soon as the bedroom door opened he jumped on me (ignoring my hubby) and needled away purring and suckling!

Anyway, he's stopped it not but still comes in each morning to lie on me for a cuddle and stroke! Love it!

I'm sure your kitty will grow out of it in time... He's just seeking comfort and reassurance... Be patient and he will start to calm down, I'm sure!


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## babygirls (Aug 22, 2011)

Hi

I got Dot at 10.5 weeks and she was very underweight she is now 13 months and still likes to suck on my dressing gown. She only does it to me and only in the one dressing gown, if im honest as weired as it sounds I like it  she is not the worlds most effectionate cat and most defo a norty tortie its the only time i get 5 minutes


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## lymorelynn (Oct 4, 2008)

It isn't unusual for kittens to want to suckle something and you obviously know the reason for it  Your little one should grow out of it but in the meantime you could try putting something of yours, like a t. shirt or pyjamas, with your scent on. He may choose to suckle on that rather than waking you up - no guarantees mind


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## buffie (May 31, 2010)

As the others have said it is quite a common thing especailly with kittens taken from mum to early.Try not to get annoyed with him he is only looking for comfort,my Ragdoll used to suckle on bare skin and to make matters worse he dribbled while he was doing it :arf: not a pretty picture .One day he just stopped doing it ,although he was quite ill a couple of months ago and started it again for a week or two.You could try distracting him with a soft toy to snuggle into instead.


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## Kara1985 (Jun 22, 2012)

Does it on all my pjs lol only on me and not on my partner. Which is frustrating. Have to hide under blanket to get away from him sometimes lol. I am hoping It stops, hate being woken esp when I have work. 
Suppose I'll have to put up with it lol


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## Symphony (Aug 22, 2012)

I'm going through this at the moment, we got Grouch at 4 weeks old. He was rescued from a bush in a busy road,all by himself. I've had cats that suckle before but he is so violent with it. He won't settle for a blanket or anything it has to be on the top Im wearing and it has to be on my boobs. If i try and cover myself with a towel etc he'll dig till he's got to my top again. I've tried everything but he is relentless, I've given up stopping him now, hopefully he will grow out of it but he's getting big and so are his claws. 

I do not envy nursing mum cats! Poor things xx


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## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

My heart always aches for these poor babies torn from their mums too young, then pushed away by the humans they seek comfort from. Can't stand to think of how they must be feeling about the whole thing.


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## Symphony (Aug 22, 2012)

I'm not pushing him away, he has so much love from us and Has cuddles constantly. If he was with his real mum she would start pushing him away at the age he is at.


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## ever expanding (May 9, 2011)

Aww bless we had a foster kitten who did this too eyebrows not just mine anyones was quite embarassing tbh and our youngest boy used too suckle on me and only me has now grown out of it as i was reading the thread i was thinking give him the pjs love him hope x


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## tinky75 (Jul 1, 2012)

My 11 week is currently doing this as I type, she climbs on my knee on her blanket when tired needing and sucking her blanket 2 mins later she is asleep on her back all four paws in air. I love it


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## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

Yes, his mum would have been pushing him away, but he would have been with her until now. He's already been pushed away too young, and is now trying to deal with that in one of the only ways he knows how. Give him something that smells of you if you don't want him suckling on you, but you might just have to accept that only you will do, and take it on board as you took this kitten on young and now have to deal with the consequences.


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## koekemakranka (Aug 2, 2010)

Generally they outgrow it. Can you perhaps get a soft fleecy or pure wool blankie and put it near your upper body at night for him to use. Then wear pjs (maybe in smooth silky or lacy fabric) that are slightly less appealing to suckle? I find that certain textures are more appealing for sucklers.


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## Kara1985 (Jun 22, 2012)

He's stopped doing it so much now. He stopped n now has started back up again, think he's teething though. 
He's a right lil cheeky thing lol.


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## Symphony (Aug 22, 2012)

carly87 said:


> Yes, his mum would have been pushing him away, but he would have been with her until now. He's already been pushed away too young, and is now trying to deal with that in one of the only ways he knows how. Give him something that smells of you if you don't want him suckling on you, but you might just have to accept that only you will do, and take it on board as you took this kitten on young and now have to deal with the consequences.


If you had read my previous post, my kitten was found in a bush, by himself at 4 weeks old. He was taken in by a young girl who could not keep him so she called me and I took him in the same day.

I am an experienced cat owner, I know not to take a kitten from its mother under 9-10 weeks old.

Also, like I previously said, he will not suckle on anything else but me, nothing that smells like me, it has to be me.

I'm not pushing him away!! I allow him to do it, he's just getting big and it's painful.

I guess it's my consequence for taking in a kitten that was abandoned. Silly me!


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## Guest (Aug 28, 2012)

I have known of some cats who never grew out of it. I find it rather an honour, to have a cat so affectionate towards me.


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## Quinzell (Mar 14, 2011)

You could try a teddybear with a heartbeat. I remember some years back my friends had a similar issue and they had one of these and the cat loved it.

Just a long shot but it might be worth trying.


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## Yazzeh (Nov 24, 2009)

Our cat Moo does this, she was 2 when we adopted her, and the previous owners did say that she was taken away far too early after being born (something silly like 6 weeks) but we don't mind, it's rather an unusual thing to see, but everyone loves it, she gets comfy on your lap & when she gets off, you have a nice wet patch lol.


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## Skandi (May 4, 2012)

my first cat did that to ears, we found it cute and let her (she was 6months when we got her, no idea of history) the one I had at 4 weeks and bottle fed never tried after about 6weeks, they're strange things


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