Why does my cat do this and will he ever STOP??

Question

Ok so I have a 6 months old cat he actually might be a little bit older....but ever since I got him he has done this...
Whenever Gibbs gets tired and is laying on you he will suck on whatever he can...I will be sleeping and wake up to him eaither sucking on my ear my lip my neck whatever he can get a hold of...
I dont know why he does this...but he onlyt does it when he sleeps or is like being really cuddley....
When he is sucking he will perr and kneed his paws...
Its really weird!!!
I have never heard of this...I have an older cat and he has never done it before...
Is this something he will grow out off??
Anyone have any ideas??

Answer 1

Some cats just do this. It is a sign of contentment. The paw-kneeding is much more common than the sucking, but they both go back to kittenhood. The sucking and paw-kneeding are what kittens do when nursing (sucking at the nipple and kneeding to stimulate milk production).

At his age, I'm inclined to think that he won't grow out of it, but you'd have to ask your vet. I do know cats of several years of age or older that continue to do these things (especially the paw-kneeding).

Answer 2

Perhaps Gibbs was taken away from his mom too early. He may not of been ready to be weened. There is a time that people say cats should be weened, but some just aren't read for it yet--they may be a runt. My first cat who passed away a few years ago did it. She was partly too young to be weened and just plain wasn't ready to give up her mothers milk. She would do this only on stuffed animals, and try desperately to find a nipple--she did this till she passed away at 7 years of age. My second and current cat who is three does this with my finger, but I also got her when she was only just 4 weeks old as an abandoned kitten. She was NOT ready to have left her mother at the time (since she was 3 weeks when my friend got her and her sibling). Gibbs will probably not grow out of it, but feel blessed, he now thinks you are his mother!

Answer 3

The cat will have a hard time adjusting with the new sleeping arrangements but eventually it will start to figure out that it can not come it at night. I would not let the cat sleep near the baby at first because cats have a tendensy to lick the milk by the baby's mouth, this isnt common but does happen. Once the cat is used to the baby and the baby gets a little older you could maybe start letting the cat in.

Answer 4

What happened is that Gibbs was weaned to soon. I have a pair from the same litter and they are 8 yrs old and one of them does it. I did research on it years ago, and as long as it is not on fabric/wool then it should be OK. My Puff only does it sometimes now. I have to stop him from 'chewing' my hair all the time though. Since yours is a baby still you could try to use a bottle with kitten milk in it for a while and then wean him from it again. Otherwise you could ask your vet to test him to make sure that he is not sick. But like I said my one cat does it the other does not. I got them at 5-6 wks old and they are different as two snowflakes. Good luck.

Answer 5

I would want to know when and where you got your kitten. It sounds a lot like behaviour common in cats and kittens who were taken from their mothers before they were ready.

If you really want the behaviour to stop then you have to physically remove the cat when he starts doing this. The best thing would be to get him one of the cat beds that are like closed in furry igloos. When he starts sucking and kneading (yes, that's nursing behaviour of new kittens) then you pick him up and put him in his bed and walk away back to what you were doing.

If you persist he will quickly get the message that if he wants to sleep on you he can't suck on you any more. When all else fails head off to the vet and see if they have any other ideas for you.

Good luck!!!

Answer 6

For domesticated cats, the humans they live with are their parents. As they get older, they may take on a momma cat role--it's why some cats leave dead mice lying around.

Your kitty is mimicking behaviors he exhibited as a kitten, kneading your/mom's chest and suckling to encourage milk flow. Usually, a kitten who does this may have been weaned too soon. He might outgrow this, but he might not.

I hope it doesn't bother you. The kitten is just being affectionate.

Answer 7

Why does this worry you? Are you embarrassed by it? Do you think there's something sexual about it? Well, there isn't.

I think for cats their time as a kitten is the happiest in their lives. They have a big goddess mother who washes them and feeds them, and they have a pile of furry companions -- no competition, no territory, no need to hunt, etc.

So when they are happy as adults, they go back to that baby behavior. Your cat is very, very content and loves you. He doesn't want to suck your breast, that's not in his brain to think.

Nature is very clever. By kneading, the baby kitten is strengthening his front legs and getting ready to walk. No wonder it's such a strong drive.

Let your cat be happy in his way. It hurts nothing.

Answer 8

He probably won't grow out of it. My cat is 10 years old and no matter how hard I try to train him to stop he still kneads me....and he is heavy so it hurts!

But about the sucking, it probably won't stop. My other cat is 2 years old and he still does it, but he sucks on blankets, not me. (Luckily). See if you can get him to suck something other than you, like a blanket or a toy, he is still pretty young so if you can get him to start sucking on something else it may stick.

Good luck and he sounds soooo cute! >^-^<

Answer 9

When kittens are babies, and they nurse, they knead their mum's breast to bring the milk. after they stop nursing they do the same thing every time they feel cuddly and tender. Usually the just knead and purr, they don't suck. It's so sweet. They grow out of it but not ccompletely. I love it when they do this! It shows how much they love you!

Answer 10

It's because he thinks of you as his mother...It makes him feel more comfortable..

It is normal so you have nothing to worry about...He might grow out of it...he might not..

I have a cat named Gypsie and she has her own special blanket on my bed where she can suck on it and knead it at the same time..

You should feel lucky that you have a cat like this....I know alot of cat owners who wish their cat would do that..