My 13-week-old kittens won't stop nursing. How do I wean them?

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.

Hello, & thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It is possible that Han was weaned too early, but we really do not know why some kittens persist in this behavior. Removing the kitten from you is the first step, but you should try to engage the kitten with play when you do so. A laser light or a feather toy for a few minutes might take his mind off of you. Feeder toys, small balls that you can fill with kibble or treats, that a kitten can roll & chase, will engage him, as well. Adopting another kitten is a very good idea. Cats often are thought of as solitary creatures, but they certainly will keep each other entertained throughout the day. Take care.

They should naturally wean eventually by 12-14 weeks but feeding them in separate rooms and trying to keep them separated for an hour or so at a time may help to encourage a bit more independence in the kittens. A natural calming supplement such as zylkene and/or comfort zone diffusers may help with the transition all round

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/

Hi there. I would recommend keeping the 12 week old kitten separate from the nursing mama. We don't want the kittens to fail to thrive due to too little nutrition. If you want them to spend some time together make sure you supervise and don't allow her to nurse. Good luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

This is normal behavior for kittens and they typically outgrow this. There is not much you can do in the way of training other than separating them. If you can find kitten clothes small enough to fit him, this could help too. Make sure to exercise them well. I hope this helps.

Congratulations on your new babies! I adopted brother and sister kittens a few years ago. My male also displayed this behavior on his sister (as well as one of the dogs), but that behavior had improved by the time he was 6 months old. There isn't anything inherently abnormal about the behavior, and it's really only a problem if the female decides it's a problem, so I don't know that I would worry about it. I suspect that it will decrease quite a bit as he gets older and more settled in your house. The only other caveat that I will give you is that some cats will also do that on (especially wool) blankets and sweaters to the point that they chew/suck a hole in the fabric, so be on the lookout for that behavior. I hope that was helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.