Suckling...aghhhh!

Our cat just won't stop suckling. We got him at almost 8 weeks old so he doesn't fit in to the before 6 weeks category. He also didn't suckle until the second week he was with us. He is driving us crazy...we can't sleep at night as he purrs so loud and goes straight to our heads to suckle. When we put him outside the bedroom he cries until my fiance's heart breaks and he lets him back in. This cat is training us. We love him but he is driving us mad...what can we do...please help.

Mr. Bob did this as a kitten, he preferred suckling DH's ear or armpit!!!!!
I would suggest getting a soft blanket, like a fleece throw or something and
encourage him to suckle that instead of your head! Mr. Bob still suckles our
furry blankets occasionally!

Stacey
"terriobrien" wrote in message
lkaboutpets.com...
Our cat just won't stop suckling. We got him at almost 8 weeks old so he
doesn't fit in to the before 6 weeks category. He also didn't suckle until
the second week he was with us. He is driving us crazy...we can't sleep at
night as he purrs so loud and goes straight to our heads to suckle. When we
put him outside the bedroom he cries until my fiance's heart breaks and he
lets him back in. This cat is training us. We love him but he is driving us
mad...what can we do...please help.

Over the many years we've had the occasional cat we call "noozers" (the
double o pronouned like the u in "put"). My beloved DurDur was a noozer;
Hopitus was not; Mr. Fuzz was not; Toopy was. Noozers usually suck on and
simultaneously knead cloth; a pile of either clean (or dirty) clothes is
what they head for, but blankets or throws will do just fine for noozing
purposes. Never have we had any cats that noozed on *us*, but if we have on
heavy, thick clothing (a rarity down here) they would go for it. I suggest
you redirect your cat to his very own towel or soft rag to "do his thing" on
instead of your heads! Work hard on this project, as AFAIK there is no cure
for "noozing", an annoying, sometimes embarrassing (visitors: "WHAT on earth
is that cat doing?"), but harmless habit probably caused by insecurity, or
over the years I'm told, being separated from MomCat too early.



"Dan Mahoney" wrote in message
...
: terriobrien wrote:
: Our cat just won't stop suckling. We got him at almost 8 weeks old so he
doesn't fit in to the before 6 weeks category. He also didn't suckle until
the second week he was with us. He is driving us crazy...we can't sleep at
night as he purrs so loud and goes straight to our heads to suckle. When we
put him outside the bedroom he cries until my fiance's heart breaks and he
lets him back in. This cat is training us. We love him but he is driving us
mad...what can we do...please help.
:
:
: Sounds like a severe case of insecurity! Which is not at all uncommon
: among kittens. My suggestions would be:
:
: 1) Plug in a Feliway diffuser in your bedroom.
: 2) When kitty climbs up on your head, pick him up and bring him down
: beside you and pet him. Let him snuggle up next to you if he seems to
: want to do so.
: 3) Be sure he has some toys to play with if he decideds to leave the
: bedroom at night.
:

terriobrien wrote:
Our cat just won't stop suckling. We got him at almost 8 weeks old so
he doesn't fit in to the before 6 weeks category. He also didn't
suckle until the second week he was with us. He is driving us
crazy...we can't sleep at night as he purrs so loud and goes straight
to our heads to suckle. When we put him outside the bedroom he cries
until my fiance's heart breaks and he lets him back in. This cat is
training us. We love him but he is driving us mad...what can we
do...please help.

The suckling is an instinct along with the kneading. A soft towel dipped in
water right along where the cat wants to suckle will help.

Persia is 5 years old and she still kneads my side in the middle of the
night, but only if there is a thick blanket right next to me. She doesn't
suckle. But I don't think they ever give up the kneading instinct. I
happen to love it; it tells me she thinks of me as her "mommy"

Jill