# 9 weeks and still suckling.................



## ESAB (Jan 29, 2010)

Is this normal?

The kittens are eating normal food but occasionally the mum will call them and they come running for milk.

They are due to go at 12 weeks, so should i let them carry or on should i be discouraging it for any reason?

I was thinking the longer the better but i really dont know?


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## Guest (Oct 13, 2012)

Some mums have lots of milk and love suckling, in all species. I had a little rescued ewe, who got top quality food once she came. gave birth to a ram lamb, and she fed him until he was twice her size and had to lie down and twist his head to get low enough to suckle. They always slept touching, and hes still a mums boy, but will push her out of the road and steal her food, and she will run to stand in front of him, if she thinks he is in danger, and he will hide behind her. He doesn't deserve her.


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## Ang2 (Jun 15, 2012)

I have a 3 year old cat that suckles on one of my dogs


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## ESAB (Jan 29, 2010)

aw bless so mummy definately doesnt stand a chance, the largest kitten, the ginger boy will try it on even if she is just stood there minding her own business!!


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## Alaskacat (Aug 2, 2010)

I would let them carry on if Mum is happy, I find it normal to be suckling at 9 weeks I don't think I have had a litter that hasn't been. I would keep your eye on them and maybe separate them from Mum for longer periods of time a week before they leave, so you don't risk her full of milk and no kits to feed. I find it helps too to stagger their leaving dates. Not a worry so much if you are keeping one. I have one queen who will feed anyone who asks irrelevant of their age and relationship to her - or lack of it. She will be spayed shortly and I do hope that will stop her, but she is a very matriarchal Mum and loves to care for the younger ones.


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## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

Also normal here to feed 12 weeks, longer if they're staying. They usually nurse until 6 months if they stay here. 

I also stagger the leaving over a week, which also helps mum cope with them leaving.


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## Bottroll (Sep 27, 2012)

If you want to rehome them at 12 weeks you really need to separate them right now. You shouldn't move a kitten to a new home while they are still feeding off mum, as it can cause problems for the kitten and the new owner both. I've personally seen kittens left to suckle too long, fade after rehoming, they were far too attached to mum. And conversely I've also seen kittens that refuse to stop suckling - they suck anything, blankets, fingers, other animals, their own pawpads, again too attached to the action. I personally wean my kittens at 6-7 weeks, then I have a further 6 weeks to vax and desex before rehoming at 12 weeks. Most breeders will have already weaned by 6-7 weeks, with around 8 weeks being the latest. I have to be honest and say that I don't know any breeders here in my breed circle that allow their kittens to suckle beyond 6 weeks - they need to be independent of mum well and truly before they are rehomed and with all the vaccines ets is far better to be removed from mum during last 6 weeks. hth.


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## Bottroll (Sep 27, 2012)

spotty cats said:


> Also normal here to feed 12 weeks, longer if they're staying. They usually nurse until 6 months if they stay here.
> 
> I also stagger the leaving over a week, which also helps mum cope with them leaving.


24 weeks


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## lymorelynn (Oct 4, 2008)

It's perfectly natural for kittens still to be suckling up until they leave at 12/13 weeks, even though they are eating well. I've never had any problems with kittens going to their new homes  Nor with mums left with too much milk. The kittens gradually reduce the amount of milk they have but still go to mum for comfort.
I know some breeders take kittens away at around 6 weeks but personally it isn't something I would agree with.


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## ESAB (Jan 29, 2010)

lymorelynn said:


> It's perfectly natural for kittens still to be suckling up until they leave at 12/13 weeks, even though they are eating well. I've never had any problems with kittens going to their new homes  Nor with mums left with too much milk. The kittens gradually reduce the amount of milk they have but still go to mum for comfort.
> I know some breeders take kittens away at around 6 weeks but personally it isn't something I would agree with.


I was panicking a bit tbc before reading your post, as I was really concerned for the mother and her milk when having no kittens i agree it is definately a comfort think as they suckle for such a short time then fall asleep, its like Amy's way of calming them down when they are causing chaos!!


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## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

lymorelynn said:


> It's perfectly natural for kittens still to be suckling up until they leave at 12/13 weeks, even though they are eating well. I've never had any problems with kittens going to their new homes  Nor with mums left with too much milk. The kittens gradually reduce the amount of milk they have but still go to mum for comfort.
> I know some breeders take kittens away at around 6 weeks but personally it isn't something I would agree with.


Agree completely, no issues with either kittens I've bought or those I've sold. Cannot imagine taking them away at 6 weeks, there's more to being with mum than just the nursing side of things.

I actually don't know any breeder who doesn't leave the kittens with mum for 12+ weeks.


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## Bottroll (Sep 27, 2012)

spotty cats said:


> I actually don't know any breeder who doesn't leave the kittens with mum for 12+ weeks.


Your not in the same circle as us then in Oz, as we know none that would dream of doing what you do, 12 weeks is to long and 6 months suckling is crazy in my mind. In the wild most mums would of chased their kittens of by around 9/10 weeks, as they would/maybe pregnant or already having next litter, so really not natural for them 
But different breed of cat  and every one has there ways which work for them I guess which is what matters


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## sharonbee (Aug 3, 2011)

When we bought Taylor our Oriental she was 13 weeks old and started to suckle our Siamese who had rejected her own kittens and we had to feed them from 3 weeks old, Mia has now been spayed and Taylor now 6 months old still suckles her and Mia happily lets her, there is obviously no milk left but both do it for comfort. 
We do try to stop them if we see them do it. Taylor is now almost as big as Mia too.
We never separate mum and kittens, usually apart from Mias last litter they spend less and less time together through mums choice as the weeks go by.


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## Lucy1012 (May 23, 2010)

yep 9 weeks is all good, my Selkirk litter although seperated over night from mum will sneak in the off suckle here and there at 15 weeks. We only deterred it as mum is getting quite depressed.


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## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

I always allow Mum to dictate the pace - I find by week 10 she is only feeding once or twice a day and by week 12 it's about once a day. I wouldn't ever take mum away form the kittens earlier as she can't teach them social skills etc. I actually don't like the idea of kittens being weaned off mum at 6 weeks.


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## ESAB (Jan 29, 2010)

thanks everyone, i shall now not worry


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

Bottroll said:


> ...Most breeders will have already weaned by 6-7 weeks, with around 8 weeks being the latest. I have to be honest and say that I don't know any breeders here in my breed circle that allow their kittens to suckle beyond 6 weeks ...


None of the breeders I know or knew (BSH, ORI, SIA) separate kittens at that age - BTW these are GCCF registered breeders in the UK. They all leave kittens with mum until they leave for their new homes and generally they don't all leave at the same time.


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

> I find by week 10 she is only feeding once or twice a day and by week 12 it's about once a day.


I'm not even sure I'd refer to it as 'feeding' by this stage. I have one queen who has always settled her kittens for their afternoon nap with a family suckle and daughters/grandchildren from previous years joined in. It's definitely a social/bonding issue and I've never known it lead to under confident kittens - if anything the opposite is true.


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## Bottroll (Sep 27, 2012)

OrientalSlave said:


> None of the breeders I know or knew (BSH, ORI, SIA) separate kittens at that age - BTW these are GCCF registered breeders in the UK. They all leave kittens with mum until they leave for their new homes and generally they don't all leave at the same time.


We are not in the uk  And as I said every breeder has there ways. Our circle the circle that are the top BSH breeders in Oz, all wean by 6/8 weeks  our way works great for us, and we have bred lines that are breeding for many many other top breeders very well. Your way works for you  while I do not agree as you do not agree with ours that does not matter as each way works for us  So I do not judge nor would I (apart from that 6 month comment that is crazy :w00t: ) Our kittens all leave at 12/14 weeks very happy very self reliant and a complete lap cat :001_tongue:


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## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

Bottroll said:


> (apart from that 6 month comment that is crazy :w00t: )


lol, I just leave my girls to decide, if they want to let a kitten suckle for 6 months it doesn't bother me at all.


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## Bottroll (Sep 27, 2012)

that was a joke by the way hence the :w00t:  I really do not care how other breeders, breed and raise the kittens. only how we do


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

In my view the mother cats know better than we do. If they are willing to feed I'm happy to let them do so.


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## Treaclesmum (Sep 26, 2011)

Wild cats stay with mum until 6 months so they would suckle occasionally up until then


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