How to stop an older kitten from nursing on a new mama cat?

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Pregnancy can be a very stressful time for animals, and it may be hard for your cat to be separate from her previous offspring. However, my recommendation would be to separate him from her so that he cannot suckle/breastfeed from her before her kittens are born. The milk produced at the beginning of lactation is very antibody-rich and important for the brand new kittens to ingest. There is also the possibility that the previous offspring could out-compete the brand new kittens for nipples if they are left together. The new kittens will need the most care and nutrition from the very beginning, and if he is allowed to suckle from the mom, the newest kittens may not get all of the nutrition they need. 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.

I would keep them completely separated for now to stop the behavior. Keep them separated for the next week, then slowly start letting them have time together. If the behavior starts again, immediately separate them again and try re-introduction in a few days.

I would completely separate Ciki from the other kittens. Their mother needs to care for them, and it's not right that Ciki is preventing the other mother from having access to them. I would put that mother and her kittens into a room away from Ciki so that mother can care for her kittens properly. Good luck!

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.

Yes, Bella should be able to produce plenty of milk for everyone, but it is very abnormal for a 5 month old kitten to want to keep nursing. I would recommend removing the older kitten and keeping them separate. Occasionally, older kittens will continue to try to nurse, and if there is no milk present, the nursing can lead to mastitis (an infection in the mammary gland). I would also recommend getting Bella and the kittens spayed to prevent further pregnancies. Cats will mate with any male present, including their own kittens.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! She is likely confused. I would confine the new mama in a room with her kittens so they are taken care of appropriately. That way she can bond in peace and quiet and not get confused by the other kittens. I wish you the best!