My kitten suckles on my arm and cries. How can I stop this behavior?

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Kittens are very rambunctious creatures and require A LOT of stimulation to keep them entertained and tire them out. I recommend playing with toys that you can dangle from a distance from Woozy so he can't scratch or bite you. You can also shine a laser pointer around a room and he probably won't be able to resist chasing it. It is also very normal for kittens (and even adult cats) to "suckle" or "make biscuits" as some call it. This is when they bite and suckle on something like a blanket and knead with their paws. There are different theories as to why cats do this. Some think it is because they were weaned too soon. But another, more commonly accepted theory, is that this behavior is very comforting to cats, since it mimics them nursing on their mother. If he wants to suckle on your or your clothing, I recommend just giving him a blanket instead. I hope this is helpful!

Hello there, Kittens are typically weaned at 8 weeks of age. Kittens that are weaned later in life may chronically suckle on objects through their lifetime. Sometimes this can become an obsessive behavior, lead to ingestions of non-food objects, or can cause injury to another pet. In the wild, most kittens would be quite independent from their mother already. Chronic suckling can only happen in captivity when they are kept together longer than they normally would be- being kept together means there is no natural end to the suckling. I'd recommend keeping them strictly separated for a few weeks to months to try to stop this behavior. They will likely become anxious and vocal at first, but it will be for their benefit in the long run. I hope this is helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thank you for taking care of this little kitten. To improve this behavior make sure Lisa is getting enough to eat, feeding her every four to six hours during the day will help. I would start her on some kitten wet food or moisten dry with kitten milk replacer. She can start eating solid food off of your finger then direct her to a flat plate to lick the wet food from. This behavior will improve as she isn't hungry and she grows up. I had a kitten once who also did this. I found that when I gave her a stuffed toy with the fur the same color as hers, she slept with the stuffed toy and kneeded and nursed on it for comfort, instead of on me. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Lisa.

I am sorry to hear about your concern for Finn! This can be a common issue in kittens especially if they were weaned early. You are doing the right thing in moving him away from you when he decides to suckle on your skin. Just gently place him away from you when this occurs. If he is then nursing on himself, you may need to put a little onesie on him to prevent access to his hind end at night time if he is doing it enough to cause irritation to the skin while you sleep, and if you see him do it while you are awake, pick him up and try to engage him in a toy or other distraction.

You may want to consider having a spray bottle next to you and when he tries to suckle a short quick spritz to dissuade him. Then pet him. Repitition is important. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

What cute kitties! I would discourage this behavior by removing the kitten each time this occurs and trying to distract him with something else- a fun toy or treat. Also giving him some time alone so he develops some independent from his sibling can be helpful. A feliway pheromone diffuser may also be helpful if the suckling is a nervous response. You can also put a little shirt/sweater on the kitten getting suckled to make it tougher for the suckler to get to him!

This is usually not a hunger-driven activity in a 10 week old kitten. It can indicate that the kitten was weaned or taken away from its mother too early. I would definitely continue to prevent this behavior, as it can continue into adulthood and could cause problems like an infection in the mammary gland of your dog. You may have your dog wear a shirt to cover the nipples, or keep them separated unless you can monitor them. Since it can be brought on by stress, you can try supplements for stress such as Zylkene or Feliway/Comfort Zone Feline Pheromones. Here is some more information: https://www.petplace.com/article/cats/pet-behavior-training/wool-sucking/