We recently got a female kitten- she's around 2 months old. She insists on "nursing" from our male 2 year old cat. The strange thing is that the male seems to like it, even bathing her like a mother cat would do. Has anyone else seen this or have any advice?
2007-07-28 13:30:12 · 10 answers · asked by Ipecac 3 in Pets ➔ Cats
It doesn't sound like either of your kitties are being hurt or offended, so go ahead & let the little one keep "nursing." If it continues when the kitten is bigger, your other cat will let her know if it is becoming painful or annoying.
Lots of kittens have this kind of behavior, especially if they have been weaned from their mother too early. I've lived with a few cats who enjoyed "nursing" on blankets, T-shirts etc. but only 1 who tried to nurse from another cat, who wasn't as good-natured about it as your guy & simply walked away every time. Currently, our oldest cat is a great "nanny" whenever we adopt a younger kitten. No-one has tried nursing from him, but he'd probably allow them to do it.
2007-07-28 15:05:05 · answer #1 · answered by Catkin 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My older male cat was about 5 months old when we brought our 8 week old kitten home. The baby nursed off of the older kitten for about a month and then lost interest.
They grow out of it. It seemed to build a really strong bond between the two of them though because it's been almost a year and they are still the best of friends =)
2007-07-28 21:49:03 · answer #2 · answered by Eva 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It sounds like your kitten wasn't completely weaned before taking it away from its mother. It's nothing to worry about and eventually your kitten will grow out of it. If you can't wait for that to happen then every time you see is suckling try redirecting the kittens attention. Take it away from your other cat and put the kitten in another room. If you give it food or play with it as your distraction, you'll be conditioning the kitten to expect those things to happen when it suckles.
For your kitten the suckling is more of a comfort thing (like a baby sucking on a pacifier) then it is an attempt to look for food.
Cats that bathe each other is perfectly normal and nothing to worry about. Again this is about comfort. Cleaning stimulates blood flow and feels good to the cat, just like they like to be petted.
2007-07-29 05:42:23 · answer #3 · answered by KitKat 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You don't have to break the habit. Kittens like to nurse, it's reassuring. Some keep doing that as adults (my cat nurses my hand! but she was an orphan kitten and I was her Mom)
They are bonding in a way. You are lucky that your adult cat accepted that kitten that way!!!! I think it's very cute. It's not hurting anyone, so maybe you should let it be. Maybe the kitten will grow out of it...
I had a kitten who nursed my female dog until she died (at 14!)
and the vet did not say it was bad or dangerous.
You have original cats!
2007-07-28 20:38:50 · answer #4 · answered by Mango 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I would leave them be. They are forming a terrific bond with this and you are very lucky your older cat's agreeable. In our feral group, young males hang with the family for a couple years, play with the new kittens, hunt for them and generally act like little uncles. Just keep an eye on him in case he gets any other ideas of a more amorous nature. He can hurt her. A "NO!" is sufficient, usually, if you catch him trying stuff he shouldn't be thinking about. This will be evident as hovering over the kitten first, then biting the neck. If he gets frustrated, he can literally bite her to death. Once he learns this is a bad thing, he will go back to his previous friendly behavior.
2007-07-28 20:45:38 · answer #5 · answered by ibbibud 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have seen this behavior, I have a tom cat who is the best babysitter in the world. He helps out all the time when we have to raise up kittens who are not weaned yet, so my advice is, let it be. It's wonderful that your tomcat accepts her, and it is part of their bonding experience. They will probably be friends for life now.
Just be sure and get your new little female spayed when she is old enough, or by 6 months, so there isn't any other uh...unbecoming behavior you won't want to be witnessing.
Seriously, leave them alone. It's nice he is taking care of her, and she will outgrow it soon.
2007-07-28 20:36:27 · answer #6 · answered by Barbara W 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I agree with the answers that say they are bonding and that you should let them alone.
The kitten has only recently been taken away from her mother, she is lonely and needs to "nurse."
Your tom cat is very sweet to allow the baby cat to cuddle with him.
2007-07-28 20:44:35 · answer #7 · answered by Lu 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
thats really funny... maybe you should just try and keep them apart until the kitten grows up a little more.
2007-07-28 20:33:08 · answer #8 · answered by what? 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I don't really see a problem with it. At least they are getting along.
2007-07-28 20:39:18 · answer #9 · answered by marshmallow 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
get a puppy- cats are weird
2007-07-28 20:39:12 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 5⤋