Kitten Behavior: Cat Sucking

by Chandra
(TN)

QUESTION:

I recently adopted my kitten Macy about a month ago, she is 4 months old now. She is continuously sucking on one of her nipples. I can't get her to stop and she seems very content when she is doing it. Is this because she was weaned from her mother to early? How can i get her to stop?


Hi, Chandra:

This is not unusual. Yes, she is trying to continue or imitate the act of nursing from her mom.

Sometimes this will just go away on its own.

You may be able to stop it by trying to get her interested in something else when you see her doing it.

Some people have tried products applied to the nipples that taste bad and will discourage her, but make sure anything you use is VERY safe for CATS. Many things that are safe for us or dogs are not safe for cats.

Most of the time, I have seen kittens just outgrow this behavior. You do, of course, want to monitor her nipples for irritation or infection, which can easily happen.

Thank you for writing,

Dr. Neely