My 1-year-old cat licks blankets constantly. What does this mean?

I see that Kiki is still a young kitten. This behavior is thought to be a carryover from nursing, especially if the kitten is taken from him mother too soon. Many cats tend to outgrow the behavior by the time they are a year old. It's not bad for his health, and he should hopefully outgrow it.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Generally, licking something like a blanket is not necessarily a bad thing. However, my concern is more making sure that she is not swallowing the fur especially if it clumps as that could result in an obstruction. Good luck!

Yes, this sounds like normal behaviors, especially given their young age. While I can’t see them to be sure, your kittens are likely soothing themselves and performing behaviors similar to what they would do while nursing from their mother.

Kittens, particularly those as young as Freddy, continue to emulate behaviors they performed on their mother's when they nursed. The kneading is the physical movement kittens must make on the teats of the queen in order to get the milk. The suckling on the blanket is the same in that they are emulating nursing behaviors. It is also possible there is something on the blanket that tastes good! There is nothing to worry about in my opinion so long as Freddy is a healthy, happy kitten otherwise.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Nico. This can be a common behavior in cats. It can be related to dental pain. I recommend checking his mouth for any bad breath, tartar or gingivitis or a broken tooth. This can also happen when a patient is nauseous. Has he recently vomited, been drooling or experienced a lack of appetite? If not, his behavior likely not concerning. Many cats will do this as an extension of grooming. It can be a compulsive habit or just a random behavior the cat will display from time to time. Assess him for the problems that I have mentioned. However, if he is otherwise healthy, then it shouldn't be a problem for him. I hope this information helps!

Suckling/biting and kneading a blanket can be a stress-relief response or natural soothing response in some cats. It often looks like and mimics suckling behavior seen by kittens nursing their mothers. It is possible that Kittu is feeling a bit stressed out by something (new pets, new people, new things in the home, etc), or is just doing it because it is enjoyable. If you are worried about the blanket being ruined, you can try to divert her attention with a comforting petting or brushing session, or even have some fun with a toy as a distraction instead. If Kittu seems stressed out, pheromone diffusers/collars can also help reduce stress and tension.

It sounds like this may be a soothing technique that he continued from kitten hood. The comfort he obtains may be similar to nursing. If you don’t want this behavior to continue then every time he starts I would remove yourself from the situation. Overtime it will become less and less. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.