kitten sucking?

Question

Ok so I have been raising this kitten for over 4 weeks now. So I'm guessing she is 5-6 weeks since her eyes were open when I got her. Well she eats and drinks on her own. But she loves to suck on my face and neck. I can't even pet her without her runnin for my face. It's startin to get annoying. We have also been batteling bad fleas. I give her a bath 3 times a week with dish soap. Anyone have any ideas about all this?

no mother she is an orphan kitty. The vet said she is to young for frontline. she has a flea collar and flea powder nothing is helping. I used dish soap because thats what a friend mentioned to me.

Answer 1

The suckling should stop within a few more weeks, just try and use positive reinforcement to keep her from suckling if it keeps up. Give her a katnip mouse or a fav toy to get her attention diverted from the suckling on any part of your face and neck.

Grooming

Most animals can be combed with a flea comb to remove fleas. A flea comb is very fine-toothed comb, the teeth being closer together than the width of a flea. They are available at pet shops and feed stores, and I highly recommend their use as a part of any flea control program.

Depending on the severity of the flea problem, you should comb your pet at least once weekly or as much as twice daily. Concentrate on the areas where fleas congregate, usually around the neck in cats, and on the lower back and belly in dogs. Drop the fleas in a bowl of soapy water to drown them.

In addition to combing, regular brushing is beneficial to the skin and coat. Longhaired animals in particular should be brushed frequently.


Bathing

Bathing your pet (yes, even cats!) is most appropriate for heavier infestations, and will remove most or all of the fleas on your pet. Never use insecticides on your pet. Flea powders, sprays, collars, shampoos, and dips are toxic, and are harmful to your pet. So are the newer products that are given by pill or applied to a spot on the skin. Despite the manufacturers' claims of safety, I have seen many problems, some quite serious, with these products.

Some of the more common insecticides to watch out for are methylcarbamate, carbaryl, sevin, rotenone, pyrethrins, and piperonyl butoxide. Flea products containing d-Limonene or citrus oils are considerably safer than those listed above, but still have the potential for significant toxicity. There are many good quality herbal pet shampoos available that incorporate the essential oils of eucalyptus, citronella, pennyroyal, or other flea repellant oils. Follow label direction. (Do not use these if your pet is being treated homeopathically, as they can antidote remedies.) Alternatively, you can use any good quality non-medicated pet shampoo, leaving a thick lather on your pet for 10-15 minutes to drown the fleas. Be careful not to let small puppies or kittens become chilled or overheated, and don't bathe more than once weekly.

Powders, Sprays, and Collars

Since combing and bathing have no residual effect, it may be helpful in some cases to apply a flea-killing or flea-repellent substance to your pet, especially when first starting the program.

There are a variety of commercial powders and sprays available that do not contain insecticides. Most incorporate essential oils, which repel fleas, and/or diatomaceous earth, which plugs up the pores through which the fleas breathe. These products are fine, as long as they do not contain insecticides. However, they do have some practical drawbacks. Powders leave the coat gritty. Essential oils evaporate quickly, so they must be reapplied frequently to be effective.

Herbal flea collars are somewhat helpful, more so for cats than for dogs. There are a number of good quality herbal collars on the market.

Powders and sprays are the least desirable of these methods, and if you find that you need to use them frequently, you should (1) treat the household more aggressively, and/or (2) improve your pet's diet, or treat homeopathically. Nutrition and homeopathy will more effectively address the underlying cause of the problem.

Household Control

Fleas quickly establish a population of eggs, larvae, and adults in a household, and adult fleas spend most of the time off of the pet. If you find lots of fleas on your pet shortly after bathing or combing, then the fleas in the household must be dealt with.

Frequent thorough vacuuming is necessary to remove flea eggs and larvae. The vacuum cleaner bag can be a reservoir of flea eggs and larvae, so either (1) put a mothball in the bag or (2) remove it after vacuuming, seal it in a plastic bag, and put it in the freezer overnight.


In severe cases, it may be reasonably safe to apply an insecticidal product to kill the existing flea population in the house. Most of the flea bombs and sprays that are available by prescription only (from a veterinarian) are quite toxic, and I do not recommend their use. A commercial product like Black Flag or Raid aerosol is a better choice. Get the animals (and yourself) out of the house until the spray has completely settled out of the air and dried. Use the normal precautions to prevent contamination of water bowls, food dishes, etc.


Another possibility would be to use powdered pyrethrum (African daisy) flowers for dusting rugs, floors, etc. These are relatively safe and moderately effective for this purpose, but must be repeated fairly often. Vacuum thoroughly, sprinkle the powder liberally on the rugs, and gently work it in with a broom. Concentrate on areas where your pet spends a lot of time. Wait at least 3 days before vacuuming, and repeat the process. I do not recommend direct application of these products on your pet.

Answer 2

Very young kittens latch onto their mother's nipple and don't let go, sipping small amounts of milk periodically. This may be why she's determined to suck on you.

Fleas jump on animals for just long enough to feed. This means that bathing the kitten three times a week is not going to help too much. There are products such as diatomaceous earth that you can buy and sprinkle around the room you keep the kitten in (don't put it on her, though), which will kill the adult fleas. There is a spray you can get from the vet or pet store that will prevent flea eggs from hatching. The most important thing is to vacuum! The eggs get into the cat's bedding, the carpet, and the cracks in the floor.

Answer 3

Hi,

I had a similar problem with a kitten I raised. It sounds like the kitten thinks your her mum and this is why she's suckling you. She will grow out of it but not till she's about 4-5 months old.

Its great she's eating and drinking on her own. Thats a bonus. When you bath her make sure you dry her thru completely and thoroughly because cats fur, when wet on the top is dry underneath and if she is soaking wet she might catch a chill or a cold and its not good for small cats.

About the flea collars....if its from a pet shop then she cant use it. Kittens cant wear flea collars till there 8-12 weeks old. It can be harmful to them. If shes scratching where the collar is then she could be allergic to it.

Take her to your vet and they'll help you out. There is a frontline you can give kittens. Its called frontline kitten pack combo. I used this on my kitten (hes 6 months now) and didn't cause any problems. Good luck.

Answer 4

Hey-
I have two kittens that are about 15 weeks old now. When I got them (at 6 weeks) the male kitty was still sucking...but he grew out of it and only does it now in his sleep. As for the flea situation: Consumer Reports pretty much trashed flea collars, so don't waste your time or money. As far as the shampoo goes- try baby shampoo. You can get Frontline Plus for the kitten when she is 6-8 weeks old...and you will have to use it for at least 3-4 months...(cha-ching!$$)...but the other battle will be getting the flea eggs and larvae out of your house. I am using Frontline now and it's OK . For about 2 weeks they are flea free, but then the fleas pop up again. So I decided to try diatomaceous earth in addition to the Frontline, which I purchased at Only Natural Pet Store online (Flea Away is the name of the stuff). Flea bombs don't work b/c they don't get into cracks and crevices...you'll be fighting this battle for a while. Join the ranks- it SUCKS! Good luck and enjoy your kitten!

Answer 5

You say that you have had the kitten for 4 weeks. It must have ahd a mother or did you bottle feed it?If you have been raising it since it was a baby then of course it is going to come to you because it looks at you to be its mother. My cat is full grown has 5 new kittens and sarah the mother likes to lick feet. She will get in my face for kisses I have had her since she was about 4 weeks old. She is very well trained understands spanish and fetches like a dog. She looks to me to feed her keep her litter box cleaned and keep a eye on her kittens if she goes outside for a few minutes. As far as fleas they have flea collars for kittens and also flea shampoo. It could be sand fleas which even a flea collar or flea shampoo will not kill. Sand fleas come fromfoutside. You might try bombing and spraying vinegar around everywhere. It may not smell to good at first but it does help.Good Luck....

Answer 6

Was she taken away from her mom at a week old? Or did something happen to the mom? Usually if kittens do that it is because they were taken away too early. They are supposed to be with their mother for at least 12 weeks. I am not saying anything bad, I don't know if the mother is around or not. I know of a cat that was taken away before like that and she would always do what you are describing. And years later, she still does. She also has terrible separation anxiety and is extremely attached to her owner. The flea thing, I would ask a vet because that is a young age and I would just make sure that the chemicals that are being used won't harm the kitten. Good luck!!

Answer 7

For the fleas: If you're kitten is at least 5 weeks old, you can use the Advantage for cats under 9 lbs but only use 1/2 of it. You can purchase them at your vet's office. Within 24 hours, the kitten will be 100% flealess, guaranteed. I couldn't believe how fast and how well it worked on our 5 week old kittens.

As far as the sucking goes - it may grow out of it but don't be surprised if it doesn't. It's a habit similar to thumb sucking.

Later: Our vet also doesn't recommend Frontline. But he said 1/2 of an Advantage dose is fine - he even applied it himself.

Answer 8

I can help with the flea problem. We had 6 cats in the house and ended up with a severe flea infestation. Nothing worked until we got some Avon Skin-So-Soft. Mix 1 part of the skin-so-soft with 3 parts water and bathe the cat. It has an oil in it that keeps the fleas from breathing and does not hurt the cat if they lick it off.

Answer 9

well the sucking should stop mine did that also but do not use dish soap ot will hurt their skin. use the flea stuff you can get it at the dollar store.
well addition i used the flea bath on my cat when she was a new born not the powder that doesnt work at all ise the liquid stuff but do not go over board on it i used a little and the fleas just stopped and she was an outside cat.

Answer 10

For the fleas get Frontline-the only thing that really works. As for the sucking, I hand raised a kitten years ago and she never got over the sucking thing. I think it was a security thing.