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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Can any one explain my boy's behaviour?

11 replies

Whatsername177 · 07/02/2020 19:50

The attached pic is of my lovely boy cat. He is 5 years old. I got him when he was 4 or 5 weeks old. The school I work in is set in 4 acres of countryside and we have a feral colony. My boy and his siblings were born during school holidays and then abandoned by their frightened mum when she was frightened off by a playground full of kids. I had reared him and fed him milk from a pipette, but he very quickly took to solid food. He constantly wants to suckle on a fleece blanket and pads and presses at my tummy. He likes to be stroked whilst he does it. I dont mind. He's my baby and follows me around. But, why does he do it?

OP posts:
HappyHammy · 07/02/2020 19:54

The picture didnt post. He was left by his mum too early and takes comfort suckling and most cats paddle. He sounds gorgeous.

TheMemoryLingers · 07/02/2020 19:57

He sees you as his mum, so he suckles and paddles you as he would his feline mum. I love being paddled by my cats!

violetbunny · 07/02/2020 19:59

Yep, he left his mum too early. My boy did this as a young kitten too, the vet said he would probably grow out of it and he did. It was a bit disturbing though, because he would constantly try and suckle on his sister Confused

Whatsername177 · 07/02/2020 20:16

Sorry, here is the picture:

Can any one explain my boy's behaviour?
OP posts:
Whatsername177 · 07/02/2020 20:17

He's five so I'm guessing he isnt growing out of it? I dont mind. I love him to absolutely pieces. I like that he is needy and wants me as his mummy.

OP posts:
Vinorosso74 · 07/02/2020 20:26

Yep it sounds like a comfort thing from being separated from his mum so young.
Ours goes a bit weird with towels if we have them wrapped around us. Not sure on his full history as he was about 9/10 months old when we adopted him but he was handed into a vets "as a stray". I think he was a Gumtree kitten, left mum too soon and the cute kitten novelty wore off with his humans.

Whatsername177 · 07/02/2020 20:39

I'm so glad I rescued my boy. Two of siblings and mum were killed by cars. We rescued three kittens and I kept him. He loves luxury so much, he never would have survived as a feral cat.

OP posts:
Toddlerteaplease · 07/02/2020 20:45

Cheddar does it all the time. I have to keep
Her talons very short! She's 7. But I have no idea of her history. Snorg and Fatty only do it on certain textures. Fatty loved towels. Snorg likes fleece.

BabbleBee · 07/02/2020 20:47

Neither of my cats left their mum too early and they both paddle, one sucks and buries his head in anything soft. I think it’s just self-soothing.

weegiemum · 07/02/2020 21:10

Our Bella (who is actually a boy - long story!!) pads the sofa blankets and suckles at them. I have a jumper she likes to suck on too, a big grey fleecy one and to be honest I'm thinking about giving it to her so I don't get followed around with agonised-wailing when I walk away, or if I dare to put it in a drawer.

Bella is 5 now so I don't think things will change. She waited 8 months for me to bring the grey fleece out again!

Silvercatowner · 09/02/2020 07:59

We rehomed mum and her kitten so I know that kitten didn't leave mum too early. 3 years on the ex-kitten is still a paddle monster.

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