Kitten needing comfort

[DenisetheMenace]

Hello, would very much appreciate advice from anyone who has experienced similar.

We recently adopted (month ago) three kittens (sisters) from a local rescue charity. All is going well, they’re thriving. The smallest though (she is small because when they were rescued from a colony she had ‘flu. She was treated successfully but didn’t grow as she should have) is perplexing me.

They are delightful (of course they are). They fight, play, sleep well, eat like piglets and are a fantastic addition to our home (though our 7 year old ginger tabby boy probably wouldn’t agree 😹).

Little one though, suckles on my neck. It sounds adorable and sweet but it’s becoming a bit of a problem. She pummels while she does it and I’m a patchwork of little scratches. Short of wearing roll necks (I’m menopausal, come on!), I can’t stop her. She is incredibly persistent. Hand her to someone else, she doesn’t attempt it on them but charges straight back to me (probably my saggy neck 🙄) just about to sit down to watch a film and she’ll do it for the entirety.
Thinking she must be missing mum, I’ve bought feeding bottles and kitten milk but she’s not interested. Her sisters are fascinated when she does it, they gather round and are like “what is she doing 😳”

They were born in October so she ought to be reasonably independent by now.

Any tips, anyone? I’ve had cats around since birth but have never come across this before.

I had a cat who did this, but her litter mate didn't. It becomes easier when they are adult, as their front legs are long enough to go either side of your neck.

““

It was, made me smile 😸

My little one does this! I talked to the vet about it and she said that the kitten will grow out of it. When I am on the sofa, I have a blanket over me and she snuggles up and sucks the blanket whilst kneading. When I go to bed, I throw another blanket over me and she does the same on this. Apparently it is a sign of contentment.

My experience of this is my six year old Bengal boy. He used to suck my arm or the palm of my hand whilst kneading with his paws. He still does it but prefers fleece, either a dressing gown or a fleecy blanket. As soon as he feels fleece beneath his paws he's off in his own little world! I try and give him his blanket as I don't want him slobbering on my dressing gown!

Thank you, fleece sounds promising. We’ll give it a go.

Both my blankets I use are fleece types. Like imitation sheepskin.

We have an imitation sheepskin on the armchair for them, which she does pummel.

I had 2 cats that did this, both were hand reared. One would suckle on your hand, I think it started when they were bottle fed before their eyes opened and he would smell the milk on my hand and latch on to me before the bottle was ready. He never grew out of it in 20 years. Sorry. Maybe you could train her to suckle on something else?

His brother used to sit on the back of the sofa and suckle on my hair and neck. He only used to do it to me and one of my friends. We worked out that we both used the same shampoo. I changed brands and it stopped. They all used to go crazy too if I used a particular anti mosquito sun cream, as if it were catnip. It might be worth changing products that you use on your hair/neck/face to see if that helps

You're her mum. At least she thinks so. Embrace the scratch marks (and maybe keep her claws in trim).

Mine did it all her life, so I assume they only grow out of it if you stop them from doing it.

“You're her mum. At least she thinks so. “

😊

My parents' cat did this to my dad's ears as a kitten... he is 11 now and will still do it occasionally. Just a warning!

OP, I think you may have forgotten to post a few photos?

Not so unusual.
Mine is now 2 years old and although has stopped the sucking as you describe she still comes to me for comfort. She still drapes herself around my chest into my neck and kneads whilst drooling.

She does it to no one else and actually whilst typing this has just jumped on me and proceeded to do it. It is like having a baby at times as I want to move now and do some gardening but do not want to spoil cuddle times.

Our cat does this still at 9. We've successfully got her to do it on fleece blankets that we put over ourselves while watching TV. If I bunch them up next to me she doesn't even realise I'm not actually underneath (I find the pummeling a bit annoying). I too think it's an attachment thing, she thinks we are her parents as she was a rescue cat who was found very young without her mother.

One of mine used to wake me up in the morning by draping himself over my head and dribbling on my face.

horridhorrid

One of mine used to wake me up in the morning by draping himself over my head and dribbling on my face.“

😂 our older boy just attacks our feet.

My 8 year old Exotic does this. Usually on my face. My only tip
Is to keep
The claws very short!

@horridhorrid

One of mine used to wake me up in the morning by draping himself over my head and dribbling on my face.

Yep. She does that too.

Our cat does this too, he was only 4 weeks old when we got him, and definitely thinks I'm his Mum. He's a year old now and no sign of stopping, although he only does it when I'm wearing a particular fleecy top.

My cat does this. And will try and lick my eyelids as well. The former I can tolerate, the licking of eyelids not so much. Cute that she’s trying to groom me all the same. She is nearly one.

Mine still does it a year on, but I've managed to get her to limit it to my arm when I'm wearing my horrible old fleecy dressing gown (it actually wasn't horrible until she started sucking on it). Much better than getting a sore neck. The nice thing is that she is really calm and lovely after one of her grim cuddles, whereas if she hasn't done it for a few days she gets a bit bitey.

Oh dear. Poor you. Being constantly snuggled by an adorable kitten, that sounds awful. How do you cope?

[dies with envy]

Only joking, sounds like it could get pretty wearing after a while. Would second the fleece recommendation and just kind of drape it over you so she can knead that instead of your actual skin...

[envy[ God I miss my cat. She did this cos I was her mum.
Still am her mum even if she's no longer here Photo OP, them there's the rules!

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Today 19:03 littlescratch

Oh dear. Poor you. Being constantly snuggled by an adorable kitten, that sounds awful. How do you cope?

[dies with envy]

Only joking, sounds like it could get pretty wearing after a while. Would second the fleece recommendation and just kind of drape it over you so she can knead that instead of your actual skin...“

Don’t feel I can sit down now unless I can stay out for at least 15 minutes because I don’t like to disturb her bliss 😁

The fleece tip has worked for the spikey little feet (vet said they don’t need clipping 🤷‍♀️) but seems only my neck will do for a bottle. Not interested in anyone else’s. The family call her Vampire Cat.

My mum sent me a skin toning device, said she might not enjoy it so much
if the skin were tighter. Thought how very dare you, then realised she might actually have a point! Husband is bearded and son has a lovely, young firm neck. So I’m going to give it a go 🤣.

Your mum is so RUDE! 😂 Comedy genius though - got to give her that.

OP, get yourself a fleecy dressing gown and tuck the collar up between the kitten and your neck while she's at it. I did this and it took two goes for her to decide the purple fleece was in fact her mummy rather than me.