Why does he do this?

[Patricia]

As lots of you are pet lovers in here (especially cat lovers) I thought you might be able to help me with a problem? Cornelius is the little kitten that we gave a home to, guess he is about 9/10 weeks old now and if he is snuggling down with me to have a nap/cuddle he starts sucking on my hand/arm or whatever is about, he looks like he is suckling his mother???? Could this mean that he was taken from his mother too young? I feel like getting the poor thing a dummy. Any ideas anyone?


Patricia :)

[Leigh]

How cute :)

It's just a comfort thing. It could possibly be because he was taken and weaned too early from his mum.
My 3yr old meezer suckles from one of our other cats. Actually suckles and kneeds at her belly, and she lets him :roll: And my mum's cat likes to suck your finger, like a dummy. Both of them were with their mother till after 10 weeks old.

He could well grow out of it, as he is still young. I wouldn't worry too much about it now. But if he is still doing it in a few months, and it bothered you, you could try to discourage him then.

[Naomi]

Barney (burmese) suckles at Nik (russian), and Nik lets him. Barney was with his mum until 12 weeks and is not an anxious cat at all. I think it's just something he started when we brought him home and he missed his mum, or got confused because Nik was so much bigger than him.

My sister had a cat that suckled on her ear when she was in bed, it made the most hideous sound. The cat was taken from it's mum very early though and had not been properly weaned (a rescue kitten).