Calling all cat lovers!

[Louise]

My daughter got given a kitten a few weeks ago and was told that it was 8 weeks old, well she lives with her dad so I didn't really have much to do with this kitten, anyway she is with me for this week, her dad is punishing her for disobedience but that is another story.

This tiny little mite is very small and quite skinny, it hasn't been taken to the vet's yet but I will try to this week, I digress. Soooo this little kitten wants to suckle. When she is not prancing around playing she will cry in a very distressed manner. If you pick her up she will snuggle down and suckle your ear lobe... for hours on end and if you take her off your ear she will cry.

I hear you all having a jolly good laugh there but at 3 o'clock in the morning when she can't sleep someone has to lend her an ear. Oh by the way she purrs full blast once she is on your ear so not much sleep is got!

Has anyone else come across this? I am a dog person myself and not much used to cats. My daughter already has a sore on one ear lobe so I babysat last night so that she could sleep. Do you think this is due to her young age? I am asking this in the vain hope that someone will tell me that she will grow out of it eventually.

Well, we have three cats, all from kittens and although none of them have acted quite like this, most of their annoying kitten habbits go away after they get used to their new surroundings. Maybe she is a little too young, but there isn't much you can really do, just try and settle her down.

The main thing I can think of is making a bed for the kitten in a room far away from where you all sleep - somewhere safe for her to sleep may calm her down a little. When we first got our second lot of kittens they were very young, and seemed to loved having a box to hide away in and sleep. They seemed to like the safety as they were born and spent most of their time in a cupboard before we got them.

Anyway good luck with it all.. I totally empathise as I'm frequently woken up by my talkative dog in the next room.. they lose their cuteness at three in the morning when they wake you up!!

[Lexington]

Sounds like she was weaned too early. The general response is to find a "surrogate". You might try either a largish stuffed animal for her to curl up with, or a small basket with a heating pad in it (set to low), and a blanket on top of that.

Lex

[Alexander]

How are you feeding kitty? maybe a bottle is in order if that's not how you're doing it.

[Paul_UK]

I just asked my sister, who works at a cat rescue centre, and she said:

I agree with Lexington's comments. It sounds like she was taken away from her
mum and littermates too young, bless her. A large stuffed animal is a good
idea as long as their isn't anything she can chew off of it. She may try too
suck on it so there shouldn't be anything that could harm her if she sucks
it. A basket or a box with heating pad and maybe some vet bed is a brilliant
idea. It works well with young kittens at the rescue. She may well just need
lots of cuddles at this time to reassure her although I agree that it isn't
much fun being jumped on and having your ears chewed at three in the
morning! If you can, try and tire her out in the evening by playing chase
games with a wand toy or jangly ball so she has to run around and jump about
a lot! We had to do this all evening with our cat, Casper, when he was a
kitten. It may take a while but well worth it when they zonk out!!

Another idea which may not be so good for you but I'm sure your daughter
will love ... get her a playmate!! Kittens are always happiest with another
kitten!! Hehe!!

Good luck!
Best wishes
Jill.

Originally Posted by Lexington

Sounds like she was weaned too early. The general response is to find a "surrogate". You might try either a largish stuffed animal for her to curl up with, or a small basket with a heating pad in it (set to low), and a blanket on top of that.

Lex

Exactly. The general rule is that they need 6 weeks to wean after they are born but each kitten is different and some could need more time and some could need less. It sounds like this one hasn't made the transition from it's mother yet. Our kitten was ready after 6 weeks but to get used to it she used to suckle on a shag rug we had just to get the last of it out of her system. Something along those lines might help your kitten too.

[Louise]

Thank you all for your replies, I will try to find something for her to suckle on tonight... its my turn to have her. She has cuddly toys to sleep on in the day, or sometimes she tucks herself into my daughter's bed with her head on her pillow but when we get home in the evening after her mad play time she just want's to suckle... a bit like a child sucking it's thumb.

Here this will make you laugh. My daughter covered both her ears yesterday coz they were getting sore so the kitten started suckling her upper lip, so there she is, my daughter her two hands over her ears with a kitten hanging off her lip!... the things we do for love!

[Vampyrecat]

ahah sounds cute.

one thing you should do is get like... the soft squeezy top from a babies milk bottle (the rubber nipple) and stick it to the corner of her cat basket. Put some cat nip or rub some catnip on the rubber top so she likes the smell and hopefully she should suckle on that.
Also, a heated mat for her basket and a soft toy can do wonders. Kittens are social creatures and they like company.

Hope this helps louise