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Conference misery::feline_v1

Title:Meower Power is Valuing Differences
Notice:FELINE_V1 is moving 1/11/94 5pm PST to MISERY
Moderator:MISERY::VANZUYLEN_RO
Created:Sun Feb 09 1986
Last Modified:Tue Jan 11 1994
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:5089
Total number of notes:60366

403.0. "Little Sucker!!" by HGOV07::FRANCISHO () Tue Nov 25 1986 12:01

    Excessive sucking - can anyone help us?
    
    My wife and I recently adopted 2 kittens from the Hong Kong SPCA,
    amazingly they have virtually no pyschological problems - unlike
    most of the 2 legged inhabitants of this frenetic little place!
    
    However the younger kitten, a happy creature, has always sucked
    vigorously on our hands, feet when he feels really content.  This
    was very cute when he was 7 weeks old but he does not seem to be
    growing out of the habit (he's now almost 5 months old).  When we
    move our hands etc out of his way, he sucks just as vigorously on
    his own paws!  Although he does not seem to be harming himself,
    I would have thought this type of "babyish" behaviour would have
    been grown out of long ago.
    
    His favourite trick is crawling into bed with us - under the covers
    - and sucking contentedly on our big toes while purring loudly!
    This invariably happens at around 3 a.m.!
    
    We have had six other cats over the years and four dogs and have
    never observed this behaviour before.  It's not the kind of topic
    you can bring up with the vet here - there is only about 1 vet per
    million people here in Hong Kong!
    
    Any comments, recommendations will be very welcome!
    
    
    However
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
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403.1Wish I knew what to tell you...DONJON::SCHREINERdanger zoneTue Nov 25 1986 13:069
    I really don't know what you can do to solve the problem.  But from
    what I've read, I believe it usually happens when a kitten is removed
    from its mother too soon.  
    
    sorry I couldn't be of more help.
    
    purrs
    cin
    
403.2Ouch! Those teeth!CLUSTA::TAMIRTue Nov 25 1986 13:2813
    You might read note 208 and its replies...
    
    Skyler Van Grayson used to suckle from his big brother, Ashley.
    Sky's mommy stopped nursing him when he was only 5 weeks old, so
    he still had some need to suckle in him.  Ashley was very patient
    with him (and very confused as well!), but Skyler eventually outgrew
    his need.  I think it just might be something the little kitten
    will grow out of, but until then, there doesn't seem to be much
    you can do.  And aren't those little teeth sharp?!
    
    Why do they always choose 3:00 a.m. for these things????
    
    Mary
403.3CHAMP2::EPETERSONTue Nov 25 1986 14:0310
    
    I agree with the others.  The sucking instinct seems to be very
    strong in some kittens.  Though it may seem that the kitten should
    have lost this habit months ago, I have found that some kitten habits
    can linger for as long as a year.  My current "Momma kitty" continued
    sucking everything in sight until she had her own kittens to look
    after at the age of 14 months.
    
    Best of luck with the problem.
    
403.4DEBET::CLARISSAKRISMon Dec 01 1986 05:139
    My family had a pair of brothers and their mother died when they
    were young. One of the pair sucked at the other all their lives.
    He never outgrew it, and didn't do it often, but it did continue
    until he died.
    
    You may be able to convince your kitty not to suck on your fingers
    or toes, but if he really needs to, he will probably continue on
    himself or another cat.
    kris
403.5sweet memoriesAKOV68::FRETTSMon Dec 01 1986 13:0118
    In June of 1984 we adopted a little black Manx-mix kitten and
    called him Sammy (alias Samuel, Samuel Adams, Sam-a-lam-a-ding-dong,
    and on and on!)  When we first saw him in his cage at the shelter,
    he was desparate - meowing like crazy and trying his best to reach
    us through the bars.  How could we walk away from him!  From the
    very first day he would come into bed with us (and we always had
    to be aware of where he was because he was so tiny!) and sucked
    on Mike's and my fingers, "made bread" like crazy, and purred his
    little brains out!  He did this for almost a full year and then
    he just stopped - I don't know why.
    
    We had to put Sammy to sleep right before last Christmas because
    he was so sick from leukemia.  I would give anything to have him
    back and sucking on our fingers again - he was such a special
    little boy.
    
    Carole
    
403.6another reference noteAKOV68::FRETTSMon Dec 01 1986 18:5710
    
    
    You should also read note 101 and its replies - it is one of the
    first notes I read in this file and I was sitting at my desk
    laughing away - and people walking by my office wondering what the heck
    was going on!



                                                    
403.7CHAMP2::EPETERSONMon Dec 01 1986 20:065
    Yes - yes - YES!!  
    
    Don't miss note 101.  
    
    Really funny stuff!
403.8ear lobesBOEHM::SMARTINTue Dec 30 1986 20:096
    fingers and toes???
    how bout ear lobes.
    she doesn't like earrings much - but she used to try and
    pull them out (mostly posts) and succeeded a few times.
    Now it is just the sucking - 10 months and still at it.
    \sjm
403.9TOKLAS::FELDMANPDS, our next successMon Sep 19 1988 17:3410
    Is it harmful for a kitten to suckle at himself?  Firecloud likes
    to suckle at his abdomen, leaving a large, wet spot.  I don't want
    him to do any damage to his fur.
    
    Should his suckling be interpreted as a sign of hunger?  I've been
    giving him KMR when he does this, but I'd like to break him of that
    habit.  KMR is too expensive.  Though since he's only about seven
    weeks old, I suppose he has a few more weeks of milk coming to him.
    
       Gary
403.10WITNES::MACONEHas anyone seen my Pocket Protector?Mon Sep 19 1988 19:2310
    Our new kitten, Elmo, is also a little sucker.  He likes to crawl
    into bed with us, and he sucks on the lace of the quilt.  I have
    noticed that Elmo is hungry when he does this since I try to pick
    him up and bring hm to his food dish, whereupon he will chow down
    for half an hour or so.  However, most of his sucking occurs at
    the 3-4 AM range, so poor Elmo usually gets thrown on the floor
    when his sucking gets too loud.  I'm hoping he'll outgrow it, or
    else he will soon be banished from our bedroom at night.
    
    
403.11JULIET::CORDESBRO_JOMon Sep 19 1988 21:077
    Some people say that kittens that suckle were not weaned properly.
    I don't know if that is true or not, but it kind of makes since.
    They have to learn not to suckle and mom is the best teacher for
    that purpose.  The one cat I have that suckles (still!!) was taken
    away from his mom rather than being weaned.  
    
    Jo