Why are my 7 month-old kittens still breastfeeding off their momma?

Question

I have three cute 7 month-old kittens that get plenty to eat and drink, but they still try to suck on their momma. Some of them are even bigger than she is. What's up with that?

Answer 1

Nothing wrong with them still trying to nurse, but the others are right, they are old enough to breed with mom if you haven't gotten her spayed. If they stay together, they may continue to "nurse" for years. I know of one mother-son pair; the son "nursed" his mother for 19 years. Contrary to popular myth, cats are very affectionate, not just to their people, but sometimes to one another. As long as you take care of the reproduction problem (spay and neuter everybody), there's nothing wrong with this.

The tube sock idea doesn't sound good to me. Too many ways this could go wrong. And there's absolutely no reason to separate them from their mother, it will only make them unhappy. Just get them spayed and neutered and let them love on each other as much as they want. You've kept them together for this long, it would be cruel to separate them without need. I hope you're keeping them.

Answer 2

Keep the kittens separated from your momma cat for several days so she can dry up. As long as the mother cat will allow it, the kittens will keep doing it--it's a comfort thing to them. But--at 7 months old, they surely do NOT need to be nursing off of their momma. Good luck in getting them broken of this habit. Now--take it a step farther and get your momma cat spayed--you won't have to go through this again.

Answer 3

because they can. just because you don't need candy doesn't mean you won't eat it, lol. if you want them to stop, separate the kittens from the mother for a few weeks. and i mean total separation. like, keep the mom in a room all day, and the kittens have the house at night, or the other way around. then the kittens will get off the habit of suckling.

Answer 4

Comfort. Kittens will nurse as long as their mother will let them. They enjoy the closeness with each other and their mother. Having breast fed my children, I know that it's really relaxing to feed ones babies. It's probably relaxing for the mother cat as well. Have you ever seen a cat kneading a pillow, soft blanket, or even a person? That is the same movement they use to get their mother to give more milk while they are nursing. They always look so serene when they are kneading things.

Answer 5

Have the mother spayed right away. Her milk will dry up and they can't nurse her. In fact if they are 7 months old, they all need to be fixed. It's common for cats to inbreed with their parents and/or siblings if they are all fertile and around each other for any time. Call the vet tomorrow. You might get a deal on multiple surgeries. You are sitting on a time bomb there.

Answer 6

LOL because the mom is letting them. Most of the times the mom gets sick of it and stops.If the mom is letting them there is no reason to stop them. I mean it isnot like they arenot eating regular cat food and drinking water. It sounds like you are keeping them all to cause they are allready seven months.I would worry if you were going to get rid of them cause then that would be really hard on them sense they have been nursing this long.

Answer 7

I have a cat that had kittens and the one I still have still did that even when he was bigger than his mother. He stopped eventually and yours probally will too. The're probally just doing that because they want to, but its nothing to worry about.

Answer 8

You can also get a tube sock and cut off he foot part and slip it over her body to cover up the ni**les that way you don't have to separate them or put them in separate rooms and they can't get at her for feeding. hope this helps. :)