Is it normal for my 2-year-old cat to still nurse from her mother?

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. As long as the mom will let them nurse she will make milk. I would not call it abnormal but it is not really good for them to nurse after 8 weeks of age. They actually become lactose intolerant after that time and even though they seem OK it could cause them issues in the long run. The mother usually stops the kittens from nursing around 8 weeks of age because they will get teeth and start biting the nipples making her uncomfortable. They must not be doing that since she is still allowing them to do it. The mom continuing to make milk also puts a strain on her body nutritionally and she may get underweight and unthrifty. It is best to separate the mom from the kittens until the milk dries up and then have mom spayed. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

It's very common for kittens to continue to try to nurse on other animals in the house. This behavior usually lessens as the kittens mature, so I would not worry about it unless she is causing sores on the other animals or if they are snapping at her when she nurses. If not, then I would just let her grow out of the behavior. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Yes, this is normal. All momma cats are different in the amount that they will allow the kittens to nurse. Most kittens will nurse as long as mom will allow it. It is comforting to both parties. The behavior will not likely be changed by the operations for the kittens. If mom is getting spayed as well, she may not let them nurse anymore. There is no harm in the nursing behavior unless you start to notice an area starts to look red, swollen or chafed. If mom is also getting spayed, that does change things. The kittens should not be allowed to nurse or exhibit any type of that behavior as they could compromise the incision. They cannot lick at any of the incisions! I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

the kitten is not getting any milk if that's the question, it's a common behavior which is usually discouraged by the mother. In your case the mother obviously allows it but I wouldn't worry about that, even if it carries on for a long time.

yes, this is absolutely normal for an 8 week old kitten. You can offer canned wet kitten food frequently as an option for the kitten and he/she will slowly transition to cat food, but for now, nursing at this age is very normal. Thank you for reaching out to Pet Coach.

Hello! Boo boo is very cute! He's just a little confused. Many cats will try to nurse if they were weaned from their mother too early. I'm not sure if you know his history but that is the most likely cause. More unlikely, but possible, is that his hormones are giving him confusing signals and he is getting the urge to nurse from that. Hope that helps!

Hello. There is no immediate danger with this behavior & the male kitten will eventually kick everyone off him as he matures. Because of the self-grooming cats do I do not recommend placing a bitter spray on him. Just anytime you see one of the kittens doing this, just gently remove her & try to distract with a treat. This behavior often gets outgrown. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.