Is this unusual?

Question

our 6month old cat suckles on our 10 year female springer spaniel since we got him when he was 6 weeks old. she had pups 7 years ago would she have started to produce milk because of this.Or is it a comfort thing he'll grow out off. thanks

Answer 1

You say you got your cat when he was only six weeks old? He may have been prematurely weaned (it's better to wait until they are eight weeks old to wean them). At six months he's still a kitten and has picked up on your spaniel's maternal instincts. If the dog doesn't care, it's probably nothing to worry about. Either she will conduct the "weaning" process herself when she's had enough, or this could become a problem for her. If your dog starts getting physically irritated with the cat's "suckling," or if she starts getting scratched with his not so little claws, you might put in a call to your vet. Otherwise, grab a video cam and catch this on tape!

Answer 2

Yes a little unusual, but not unheard of. This is an indicator that your kitten may have been separated from its mother too early (though some Siamese cats are known to suckle into adulthood).
This isn't harmful to the kitten or your Springer Spaniel -- I can't imagine you dog is thrilled about this development though. This won't prompt your dog to start lactating, so you don't need to worry about that.
The best thing to do is distract the kitten when it goes to do this: toys, food, petting, etc. Do NOT scold the kitten for this behavior. As the kitten grows and you guide its inclination away from this I'm sure the suckling will come to an end on its own accord.
Oddly, when kittens look for alternative suckling to their mothers, they usually pick an article of clothing from their new owner. Wool or fleece items are usually the target of this attention, but some felines have been known to exhibit suckling behavior with pillow tassels, couch edges, book corners, shoe laces and even their own tails!
Years ago we had a ten-week-old male tabby that had crawled under the covers, then up my fiancee's night shirt, where he promptly demonstrated that he knew what "those" were for. Needless to say, she was a little shocked by this demonstration.
Good luck with your new family member! --Andy

Answer 3

It's more than likely a comfort thing with the kitten, that she may or maynot grow out of.


If the kitten was taken from her mother to soon this behavior may last her whole life.
One of my cats still does this and she's 6 years old...it's not a dog she suckles...it's anything that is soft...bathrobes, blankets basicly anything that is soft and feels fluffy.
She was found at about 3 weeks of age so she WAS taken from her Mother to so.

If your kitten was properly weaned from her Mother the suckling should stop once she reaches adulthood.

Answer 4

No, not for me any way. I have a 7 month old kitten who still suckles my 5 year old cat. I have also seen adult cats suckle and knead blankets. I think it may be a gesture of comfort and security. My vet thinks it may be do to being weaned too soon as a kitten.

Answer 5

I don't think your springer produced any milk, it's hard to say without seeing her, but I think it's just a security thing, and the kitten probably relates to your springer as her mother. I'm sure she'll grow out of it in time. That's so cute!

Answer 6

It's a comfort thing. Growing up, we had two male brother cats. One used to suckle off the other. Later, we had a different male cat who used to suck the big pad of his paw like a baby sucks his/her thumb. It was sooooooo cute!

Answer 7

I've got three cats and two of them suckle onto just about every pillow or cushion i own. It's normal comfort thing for them

Answer 8

my 1 year old cat suckles on my 10 year old male cat. she's done it since she was tiny kitten and it really freaked me out. my male cat doesnt seem to mind and it would seem that she's actually suckling clumps of his fur. is actually quite cute now cause thats how they fall asleep.

im still not sure its normal though. :-) haha

Answer 9

Its just a comfort thing no milk will be produced your kitten half sees your dog as its mum

Answer 10

I think it's more for comfort. I've had cat's that did that to my dogs. You may notice that even adult cats sometimes start to nurse on a blanket. It's comforting to them. As long as it doesnt cause your dog pain, it should be okay.