BS: New Kitten Troubles

Subject: BS: New Kitten Troubles
From: LilyFestre
Date: 08 Aug 05 - 06:33 PM

Okay...so we have a new addition to the family. He is a gray tiger striped kitten, about 3 months old, cute as a button and his name is Murph. He loves to run, play, leap, scratch, climb...always in motion. When he isn't in motion is where I am having some trouble. Murph seems to think that I am his mother. He likes to suckle on me...my neck, my shirt, my fingertips, the back of my hand, my legs....just about everywhere. I thought it was funny at first but everytime that I go to sit in my comfy chair to relax, there he is...looking for lunch! He has been weened for well over a month, has plenty of fresh water and food available and seems to do this only to me, not my husband. It's the weirdest thing I have ever seen! When he does it, I say a firm NO and put him on the floor. He jumps right back up and this goes on for 20 minutes or until I get up, whichever comes first. I have also begun to say NO, tap his nose and put him on the floor. I have stopped him on his way to suckle with a NO and again on the floor. Short of showering myself in hot sauce, I don't know what to do.

Has this ever happened to any of you? Any suggestions as to what to do?

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: New Kitten Troubles
From: katlaughing
Date: 08 Aug 05 - 06:54 PM

Put 2-3 pennies in an empty soda/pop can. Tape the opening. Shake it whenever he starts the unwanted behaviour. This works with dogs, too. I learned it from a great book, "The Invisible Leash," written by a veterinarian. (If a can is too large/unhandy, try a Fancy Feast tin or a little box that fuses (for cars, etc.) come in. I carry one of those in my pocket for working with our dog.)

Short of that, get him some kitten formula and a nursing bottle and let him suck away!**bg**

kat

Subject: RE: BS: New Kitten Troubles
From: Shanghaiceltic
Date: 08 Aug 05 - 07:14 PM

Our half tailed kitten (Comet) does not quite do this but she is a bit younger. Whenever Jade sits on the sofa Comet jumps up onto the back and starts wrapping her paws around the back of Jades head and nuzzling her hair.

We also get 3 a.m. ear licking. She is now banned from the bedroom.

I have seen this behaviour before and eventually they have grown out of it.

Subject: RE: BS: New Kitten Troubles
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 08 Aug 05 - 11:36 PM

My cat, Worf, was a feral rescue kitten when I got him. To have him trust me, and anyone else. I kept him in my room for several days after bringing him in. He was skittish (still is, but much better after being here 8 years), but discoved he liked to be pet. He thought that if I was lying down, he would be in a more secure position. So, I spent several nights with him wanting attention while I was trying to sleep. I figured it was best to just deal with it. He also gave me the cleanest forehead and eyebrows. Kind of like your nursing behavior, I believe. I think it was a displaced mom thing. He grew out of it.

He still doesn't enter a room without checking for exits, but he's a lot less skittish (not entirely). When he likes you, he's one of the most affectionate cats you'll see. Many vistors don't know we've got a cat.

Subject: RE: BS: New Kitten Troubles
From: Ebbie
Date: 09 Aug 05 - 01:04 AM

I found myself laughing at my cat at about 2:30 this morning and off and on for the next 5 hours. He'd had enough sleep and he wanted my day to begin. He didn't make a sound but he'd come 'round and wrap his front paws around my hand or arm, his claws just lightly hooked into my skin. I'd open my eyes and find him staring into my face. I'd give his head a quick smooth and go back to sleep. Until the next arm wrap. I ended up getting up at about 7:00 even though I'd gone to bed rather late.

He was alone quite a few hours yesterday and obviously spent most of the time sleeping. If he does it tonight, that ol' boy is going to stay awake during the day...

Subject: RE: BS: New Kitten Troubles
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 09 Aug 05 - 03:57 AM

Raven exhibits similar behaviour, but only when I'm wearing clothes with a little ribbon bow (like my nightshirt) on them. He suckles for several minutes at a time and eventually settles down to snuggle. It's fine when I'm awake (he's actually doing it now, sitting on the desk between me and the keyboard!) but gets a bit wearing at 3.00am because he's not the quietest sucker and has a very deep purr...

Try dabbing a little citrus oil on the things you don't want him to suckle, or use a citrus scented body spray/moisturiser. When you remove him from your person, put him in a place where he can suckle - soft toys or woolly blankets are favourites - so he knows that he can still be safe and loved, just not all over you. He should grow out of it, but if he feels insecure and pressured, he may go back to it. Get him used to his own little space and he will always have a 'happy place' where he is comfy.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: New Kitten Troubles
From: Rumncoke
Date: 09 Aug 05 - 05:29 AM

I think you told us why there is a problem - a three month old kitten which has been weaned for well over a month - he was robbed of the milk, the presence of his mother and siblings, and now is rather small and all alone. They can survive physically, but emotionally/socially he is making do with whatever substitute he can find to fill the empty space in his life.

A young cat would spend the time between birth and sexual maturity with its mother, older siblings and litter siblings, if left to nature. It would play and sleep a lot, and gradually be taught to hunt for itself until, as a tom, it would leave the group to find mates.

You could try giving him a box or basket and each evening put in a brick warmed in the oven and wrapped in an old towel, as a mother substitute. Don't trap him in a high sided box with it, just in case it is too overpowering.

Put a box on its side, as it then resembles a cave, a natural home of the poosie people.

Anne

Subject: RE: BS: New Kitten Troubles
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 09 Aug 05 - 05:48 AM

Ever tried microwaving a brick?!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: New Kitten Troubles
From: Kaleea
Date: 09 Aug 05 - 06:02 AM

Yes, I had a kitty who did that! Many years back, I got a 2 little furrballs that were 6 weeks old , and one of them would get up on me with her head under my hair & nuzzle in beside of my head. She would "nurse" in my hair. I thought she just wasn't weaned well, so I let her do this for a while. She quit the nursing part after a while, but she always liked to lay there on me when I was on the sofa. Funny part was that it was the other little furrball who truly wasn't weaned & I had to literally hand feed her one piece of kitten food at a time.

Subject: RE: BS: New Kitten Troubles
From: LilyFestre
Date: 09 Aug 05 - 08:12 AM

Murph has been eating on his own for the last month and he was with his brother and sister until just last week.

I'll have to see what I can do about a toy for him that will be HIS. We have other animals in the house and if it's on the floor, it's game for anyone.

And as for the nursing, he has started doing it to my husband now. The look on my husband's face was the funniest thing ever!   LOL..makes me laugh just thinking about it!!! Anyway...Murph does eventually snuggle in for a snooze. I'm glad to hear they grow out of it. :)

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: New Kitten Troubles
From: gnu
Date: 10 Aug 05 - 06:02 AM

Wow. What a wealth of good information. Very interesting.

Oh... awwwww.

Subject: RE: BS: New Kitten Troubles
From: Sorcha
Date: 10 Aug 05 - 10:23 AM

He also 'might' be part Siamese....every Siamese or part Siamese I've ever had sucked and never outgrew it.

Subject: RE: BS: New Kitten Troubles
From: GUEST,Alan Day
Date: 10 Aug 05 - 10:45 AM

It may be worth going into Oxfam and buying a cuddly toy and let the kitten transfer its affections to that.
The mention of Siamese Kittens reminds me of the six that our Siamese had.They ran up curtains and along the track.They could shin up wallpaper to the ceiling and gently slide to the floor leaving parallel scratch marks down the paper.Would run up your leg and back to sit on your shoulder ,wether you were clothed or not.One day we went out and on our return all were missing in a closed room.We hunted for ages and eventually found them in the back of a gas fire central heating system that was about to ignite.They had all crawled through the minutist of gaps and my torch picked up twelve little red eyes at the back of the system sitting on top of the gas rings.
I had to turn the gas off at the main,dismantle the fire and pluck them out one by one at full stretch from the back of the central heating system.It took two hours of bits of wire wrapped around matches to re light the pilot light.
Al

Subject: RE: BS: New Kitten Troubles
From: JudyB
Date: 10 Aug 05 - 07:36 PM

Our old tomcat Gashay was a bit of a stray when our cats adopted him (and we followed suit). He didn't nurse, though one of our basic cats did as a kitten (and outgrew it - except when she's stressed and I'm wearing a fleecy bathrobe and in the one room where she'll sit in my lap) - but he (the tomcat) was half-starved when he started sneaking in to eat the food our spoiled little cats didn't want, and it was very important to him that there was food available.

Our two prime cats are very vocal; Gashay was not. But there was once that I was awoken by a loud yowl in the kitchen, and when I dashed out to see who had been hurt by what, there was nothing in sight except a large and innocent-looking tomcat, looking at the food dish as if to say "well, since you're up, would you mind filling the food bowl?"

And there was the time that Gashay wandered into the bedroom (hungry as usual) and, very gently, poked with one claw at the toe I had sticking out under the sheets until I woke up - and being so surprised at his behavior got up to feed him instead of throwing a stuffed animal at him (the usual response to outrageous behavior on the bed).

I think the kitten will outgrow the habit with time, and it may help if (as others suggested) you find a replacement for him to use. I expect he is a bit upset about the changes in his life, and therefore reverting to younger behavior. When he becomes more comfortable with your other animals, he's likely to be less apt to revert to baby kitten behavior.

He sounds great - best of luck!

JudyB

Subject: RE: BS: New Kitten Troubles
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 10 Aug 05 - 11:57 PM

The other animals may be making him nervous. A nervous cat's instinct is often to cuddle up to a mother-substitute. As someone suggested a box which serves as a hideout may comfort him.

I have a friend whose Doberman was being a real nuisance. Dog owners at obedience shows suggested she get a large crate for it. The door was always open, but the dog regarded the crate as her personal shelter and territory, and she calmed down.

One day I had an electrician here, pulling wires through the walls and making terrible, rumbling noises as he did so. After it was over, I went to the basement and found my cat in a box, peering at me as if to say, "Is he done tearing down the house yet?"

Subject: RE: BS: New Kitten Troubles
From: GUEST,DB
Date: 11 Aug 05 - 03:45 PM

I had a cat for 16 years - she was part Siamese AND was not properly weaned - she suckled for all of her life - could be quite embarrasing at times!

By the way, a company I worked for once sent me to Thailand. I was working in a factory that consisted of two long sheds. One day I was walking between these two sheds and saw a cat walking towards me. I suddenly realised that I was looking at a real Siamese cat in Siam!

No? Well, it amused me at the time!

I'll get me coat...

Oh yes - the real Siamese cat in Siam didn't try to suckle anything - well, not when I was watching at any rate.