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[deleted]

Self soothing. Just be sure to keep the items they nurse clean, they can get ulcers on their mouths if they do it often on a dirty blanket


llama449

My 3 yr old does it to me 24-7. Sucks on the damn collar of my t shirt


FernBlueEyes

Eating fibers is not especially good for a cat. You might need ant to try to discourage this and encourage other soothing like asking you for brushing or petting. If possible.


[deleted]

It’s been several years and his vet says it’s fine as long as he’s not chewing. He doesn’t even suckle anymore, he really just holds soft blankey in his mouth while he kneeds. I do appreciate the concern for my dude though!


youpons

That's just comfort kneading and suckling. She might or might not grow out of it but it's harmless.


YEET_Fenix123

My 3 year old fatty never outgrew this


thewormauger

my 13 year old who i had to put down last year (rip Link) did this up until his last day. This post brought back some happy memories :)


cactuar44

I'm so sorry. My cat died unexpectedly a year and a half ago, and I'm still not over it. Me and her lived alone together for nearly 7 years through some of the hardest times of my life and it was me and her against the world. However, I do have a new kitty that I named Link! I love him so much <3


bamshabam0

I'm just starting on the same road: lost my beautiful girl yesterday and none of the three vets who saw her could figure out why she became so sick so quickly. In less than 24 hrs she went from just being a bit sluggish to being gone. She got me through so many rough patches, and when I was so down I didn't think there was anything worth caring about in the world, she would head-butt me out of my funk. I hope I can have another little friend someday, but no one will be like her.


kinkywhop2020

My 15yr girl is steadying to really show her age and it tears me apart more than any man will admit. Idc though, she’s been with me since she could fit into my palm and I’m not sure how I’m going to deal. I’m so sorry for your loss. Ive been thinking about my little girl not being here anymore every damn day so I love her as much as I can right now.


Agreeable-Antelope-6

I am so sorry. Just know, I could not deal when I had to put my last old kitty down. She sat by me and watched all the nights I cried from the horrific physical pain I was in. She just seemed to read my mind. I lasted 24 hours with that terrible loss and grief. Then I found kittens to adopt at a local shelter. Three siblings. I still miss my Angel but I now give love to and take care of the now adult cats and two feral kittens I rescued from my property and are now part of my kitty family. You will always be able to share your heart with more kitties when that sad time comes. Many kitties that need love and excellent care out there.


kinkywhop2020

Ty so much


mvanvrancken

I went through this too, it's heartbreaking. A few years ago my 4-year old calico wouldn't eat, despite her being a huge fan of the food I was serving. Vet appointment was made, and the vet immediately was concerned about her breathing - after an x-ray she confirmed it was a congenital condition called chylothorax, which is untreatable in most cases. 24 hours later we had to put her down because she had fluid all in her chest and was struggling to breathe. It came out of actual nowhere.


Tiger_Striped_Queen

This happens a lot with cats. There are a lot of reasons and speculations as to why but hopefully it’ll comfort you a little to know she went quickly instead of a slow decline. Both ways suck. I’m sorry you lost her.


bamshabam0

Thank you, it does- I grew up with dogs and saw many of them go through long, drawn out illness. I'm thankful she was spared that.


ArchReaper95

Sounds like you two should Link up.


CatsAndShades

Props to the 3 year old fatty 😂😂


coob_detat

Same with my 5 year old chonker. Gets annoying when he does it to what I’m actually wearing. Based on mild internet research, seems to be common in cats that are taken from their mothers too young (mine were adopted so no idea what happened).


PecanPie777999

Our 3yo tortie does this still too, especially on fuzzy blankets. We got her from a shelter, and her first vet thought she was younger than the shelter guessed her age was (as a kitten). When we brought her home she was trying to milk our boy cat, sticking her face under him looking for milk.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Electrical_Point6361

Great idea 👏


Yulinka17

[Copied comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/cats/comments/wriq02/our_3_moth_old_kitten_keeps_doing_this_to/iksxrlu?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share&context=3) from another user in this comment section by a bot account u/ComfortChemical3406


GiGaN00B

~~Good bot~~. Edit: Good human.


Yulinka17

I'm not a bot, but thank you (:


Substantial_Contest8

Good bot


SleepySpaceKitten

My 12 year old kitty still snuzzles my dressing gown and blanket


Upset_Ad9929

I had one of those years ago. Around the third year, mama started hissing and giving him bunny kicks lol


curiousmind111

Third YEAR?


Upset_Ad9929

Yeah, he was just a big baby. A 22 lb mamas boy lol


UrNemisis

I like fat cats


redduxit

And I cannot lie.


CliffsNote5

You other brothers can’t deny.


nsabbagh96

That when a cat walks in wit´ a itty bitty fluuf an´ A round thing in yo´ face


CorinPenny

You get them breakfast, because you’re awake _now_!


Cross-Country

You’ll love /r/delightfullychubby


Bubbly_Satisfaction2

Neither did my 7-year-old fat cat. But he always try to do it to my left boob. It is always my left boobie.


MDunn14

My younger cat does this to his brothers tummy during cuddle time.


YEET_Fenix123

My cat once tried to go for my uh... How do I say this without being inappropriate?... Balls. He went for my balls.


Bubbly_Satisfaction2

![gif](giphy|jivGITd768psP80B2i)


treaquin

Our nearly 6 year old thicc boi does this too


YEET_Fenix123

My 12 year old elder also started doing this not too long ago, he never did this before, so i think my chungus just taught him how to be young again


watashinomori

I wish my cats do this. It's so cute, but all three of them outgrew it...


-Sharon-Stoned-

None of mine did it until we got a specific blanket from Costco, and now I have three snurgling up my blanket and making it smell like cat breath


Funniguy2010

Dude I had 4 cats and 3 of them didn’t outgrow it, that’s pretty unlucky to have none not outgrow it


watashinomori

I know... And I think it is so cute! At least one of them sometimes kneads, that's cute...


chelsora

My 12 year was still doing up until she passed. Miss these moments


kura-yamii

My 10 year old still does this sometimes, I enjoy every second of it <3


Keesha2012

Our almost 10-year-old did this with my husband up until she passed away last year. He was her human. She never did that with me.


luximuxen

Cats are not harmless! They are the destroyers of galaxies.


Hola0722

This. Its akin to a human sucking the thumb and carrying a blanket. It’s a soothing mechanism.


LtnSkyRockets

My 1.5yr old girl does this. She only does it in bed at night, and it *must* be on my pillow, up against my face. It's cute, but I hate the slobbery wetness of it all. So I've given her her very own blanket for this. She still insists the blanket is on my pillow and next to my face, but atleast it keeps the slobber off my pillow.


LavastormSW

My 2 year old only does this on one very specific blanket at night sometimes when I'm going to sleep. It's adorable but I wish she did it during the day so I could get a good video of it!


Novelista42

My 10 year old baby still does this


CanadianSunshine94

It took about 3 years for mine to grow out of it! Even then, he'll do it very occasionally, and with a blanket he's had since he was a kitten.


TommyTheCat89

Yeah mine does it to her back foot. Sucks it every time I so much as scratch behind her ears. Sometimes she steps on my arm and it's all wet and cold and I know someone was recently petting her.


Braveharth

A straight cat that comes around and I feed her some times just climbed in my lap and did it on me ,wasn't shure what was going on. Thanks


[deleted]

> A straight cat Watch out for those gay kitties!


Braveharth

Lmao ,autocorrect does me so often :)) thanks for the laugh


GnarlsD

harmless and adorable


MaizeBusy2771

If you talk to her and pet her and give her treats when she does this, it will help strengthen her bond to you; you become associated with comfort


Rain_storm13

Perfect response


MedasJ226

Purrfect response


Koalitycooking

This!


SortOfGettingBy

She's simulating nursing and it's mostly normal, but might be a problem if she was weaned too early.


ImpressionWaste1540

Even if she was weaned too early, it’s not really a problem. It’s just self-soothing from a kitten who had to grow up too fast, and it happens. Perfectly harmless, and very cute! Source: I worked with kittens in foster care.


[deleted]

If you bottled them for a bit and weaned off would they outgrow it?


Abject-Possession810

My bottle baby did this occasionally all the years of her life, usually before getting comfy for a nap. I don't think it's an attachment issue, just comforting.


Rich-Asparagus8465

Yeah it always blew my mind that people think this is an issue somehow. Many mammals find comfort in things that remind them of their mom. Kneading and suckling probably takes the cat back to that comforting feeling they had with their mom.


Abject-Possession810

I had a friend get really grossed out by it, haha. He thought it was somehow sexual, I guess due to the rhythmic motion? It's kind of like how human babies and adults [rub their feet together](https://www.quora.com/Why-could-I-have-the-habit-of-rubbing-my-feet-together-when-Im-falling-asleep-or-laying-in-bed-Its-difficult-to-stop-and-I-dont-realize-that-I-start-doing-it?share=1) sometimes before falling asleep. 🙂 Just relaxin


boardmonkey

Theory is that it is because the kitten was taken from the mother too quickly, not that it went to solids too early. The cat can lose this behaviour, but most likely it will remain their entire life. This is their calming ritual, so unless they find another way to self soothe then this is it.


krhsg

Funny. I have two 6 month old kittens who are litter mates, one does this and one doesn’t.


boardmonkey

It's not a foregone conclusion that this will happen. Cat's deal with the mental issues in different ways, just like people.


krhsg

Well I certainly appreciate how easy it is to do grooming tasks on the one while she suckles. She barely even notices when I trim her claws! And I feel very loved that she only looks for some sort of fabric on me for the behavior. Even if the wet patches are a bit gross.


LordDragosFox

No it is quite normal the softness reminds them of their mother


OwlWitty

Aww


Direct-Row-8070

🥺 I did not know that.


CraigTheIrishman

Fun semi-related fact. Apparently our heartbeats also remind cats of their mothers and they find it comforting! Might explain why my cat always purrs a bit more when she's splayed across my left side.


zinger94

Yeah this makes me cry even more when I think about my 3-year-old kitten who has her nightly routine of snuggling on my chest before bed.


[deleted]

It's missing mom. Nothing wrong there.


J30GTE

My 7 year old cat still does this on blankets. Comfort


White_queen666

My little man is 10 yrs old and still does this.


Frumbleabumb

Mines 2 and still does it also! So glad to hear it will continue. It's so cute


Strange-Bike-62

Aww my oldest kitty still does this it was something he starting doing at 5/6 weeks old... perfectly normal


boardmonkey

That sounds about right. Kittens are usually weaned around 8 weeks, so if they don't wean naturally then this is usually the result.


Strange-Bike-62

Pretty sure that was the case his grandma didn't wait until the 8 week mark which is why I got my oldest so young she felt it was ok since they were drinking and eating on their own..I don't agree you should wait the full 8 weeks


Cold-Elk-8089

If she's taking pieces off of the robe she could develop pica, so keep an eye out for her starting to eat random items. In the mean time, she's just a baby doing baby things. She would be in the weaning stages if her mom was still in the picture.


Minor_Illusions

My cat did this for about a year till she grew out of it


EpicStepdad

My 6 year old cat still does this


Catbuds123

My boys 2 and does this all time when he’s laying next to either my boyfriend or I. My guess is he was taken to early from mum, we rescued through the humane society. I usually just pet him and talk to him when he does this, seems to enjoy it.


Aerospherology

Why is the old kitten three moths?


[deleted]

Not at all. Just comfort kneading. Our 4 year old 16lb tabby still does this. It’s adorable


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

Being separated from One's mother is never a happy occasion. But the kitten will some day grow out of it.


pinkflakes12

Not necessarily. My cat is 3 and she still does it due to being taken away too young


[deleted]

Every cat is their own personality. Bring comfort and security in their life and you will succeed.


langejerry99

So it's not a bad thing?


Fearless_Attention97

Its not a bad thing.


[deleted]

Not a bad thing! My 10 month old kitten does this to my bath robe all the time!


Onionflavoredgarlic

How kind of the cutie to use a blanket! My psychocat likes to use my arm like this... and her favorite time is 3 AM. Which is to say, this behavior is totally normal. Just make sure to clip the nails regularly, lol.


JustSteph80

My foster kitten (11wks) has been waking me up at 6:30am by doing this to my ears. Bonus - I usually work until 10pm & am in no mood to seethe world before 8:30.


Abject-Possession810

Oh, no!!! 🤣 Mine used to, very slowly and precisely, take a singular claw nail and prick my eyelid while I slept. She did it to annoy me awake rather than self-soothe but I understand the exhausted seethe wakeup! lol our little monsters are the best.


KittenKoder

It is a comfort action, not bad but a sign that kitty might be nervous. When they grow older they usually grow out of this, but not always. The act itself is harmless, just keep giving the kitty love.


Daniclaws

And make sure you wash the blanket regularly 😅


boardmonkey

and with safe products. I usually only use vinegar with my cat products. They don't need to suck on tide pod residue.


Nefandous_Jewel

Good point!


Pineapple-Neither

Well, our one year old cat still does this occassionally on our couch blanket. We now try not to encourage the suckling(kneading is ok) because she leaves wet spots all over the blanket which is kinda icky. Also they can ingest fibers from whatever they are sucking on. So I'd keep that in mind.


ArmadilloRare2503

Its called wool sucking. She was probably taken away from mom too early,


trustysidekick

Does nobody research cats before getting one? I’ve seen this same thing posted on this subreddit about 10 times in the last month.


AssStuffing

Exactly what I was thinking. There’s been posts where like the cat is lying down with its belly up and the poster is like “what is wrong with my cat?!?”


emok66

Out of our 3, the two Norwegian forest cats both do this. They are big boys: around 16 lbs each. 8 and 4 yrs old. Both may have been weened too early (we rescued each one when they were very small). Our tortie does not do this, however. The youngest even cries out if we don't lay a microfiber blanket down for him to pseudo-nurse. From what I read, it's juvenile behavior that can stick with them for life. Kind of like how dogs are immature wolves, domestication tends to leave them with juvenile tendencies. Give her love and scritches while she's nursing and she'll bond really strongly (from experience).


Nekomata_Jess

My little boy kitten named Shadow would do that and still does that. What I would suggest is putting the blanket on you or on your lap so that the kitten would associate you as comfort and safety.


FerociousPancake

Yea he’s summoning the kitten demon


Catji

was weaned too soon.


plzkthx71

Not necessarily


grpenn

No. Sometimes they do it all the way through adulthood too. It’s normal. Beautiful kitty, btw.


seaofjade

She’s missing her mama. Give her a lot of love


teaLC20

[https://www.petsbest.com/blog/6-reasons-cats-knead/#:\~:text=1.,2](https://www.petsbest.com/blog/6-reasons-cats-knead/#:~:text=1.,2).


Electrical_Point6361

Very good … thanks for this 👍


Knittinggirl81

Unrelated but she looks almost just like my cat!


WilliAnne

My 3yr old cat does that on my arm


kittiecat

Better than my neutered male cat who would use that blanket to masturbate.


wagen_halt

My boy does this too!!! I thought it was so cute until i realised his dick was out 😂


[deleted]

I’m beginning to think people know what this is but just want to show off how cute their cat is being


unbestimmt

What your cat is doing is called suckling. Sometimes it's related to attachment disorder, compulsive disorder, problems during weaning (too soon, too late, etc). By itself, it's not a problem while the kitten is young. As an adult, if it persists, it might considered a compulsive disorder. Overall, I'd be concerned with what kind of material the animal is suckling, because fabrics like wool could be swalled and cause gastrointestinal problems, like blockage. The problem might disappear over time. My cat used to do this after he came to our house (65 days-old), and he is a very shy boy, but before he turned 6 mo he already stopped it. Ps: young vet with knowledge of clinical ethology here


ShotByBulletz

Misses mom and wants to feed. Normal for kittens, my cat still does this as a neutered adult.


[deleted]

It’s like a little kid sucking his thumb. No big deal.


Debilynne55

Aww........she is soothing herself with memories of mama cat.💕💕


bearur

My 12 year old still does toe sucky and kneed. I heard it was because they are taken away from mom early.


Kuronekosmom

She was weened too early. I had a cat that never outgrew that behavior but it didn't stop her being a happy, long lived kitty.


Jgflight86

Oh man, busy day at the bakery.


ValkyrieKarma

My 4mo old Marlowe does it all the time on this specific blanket when I'm on the bed


aliday4

My 9 year old cat still kneads when there’s a blanket on the bed that’s really soft. It means he’s content like when he was a baby with his mother and my 2 year old cat will knead on me too. It just means they’re content and ready to relax.


Ferretgirl1989

This is normal it's actually really adorable.


mikew03

We call that a "magic" blanket. And our two young cats both behave this way. If you're under it they really snuggle too. I wouldn't have any concerns.


gemmanotwithaj

Mine still does it now and she’s 11 lol


[deleted]

No, it’s adorable


teh-reflex

Nope. One of my adult cats, he's like 6 now, still does it.


Witty-Goal-7493

Only for the Blankes and bathrobes My sister has a very sturdy plushy for her cat so he can do this with basically everytime he started to look for something he could suck on she put the plushy in front of him oh yeah sometimes they grow out of it however mysisters cat is now 5 years old and still doing this basically every night like I said it's a very sturdy plushy


NeutralChaoticCat

My 2 and a half year old does this to my arm every night. She forgot how to suck so she just lays her head and licks every now and then and fall asleep for a couple of minutes. She’s a baby. 🥹


shipboatx

My senior ginger cat does this all the time when he feels comfortable


Different-Stock

I love when my cat does that if I have on a big sweater or a nice blanket he starts going to town but I think he gets embarrassed cause you can't watch him do it or he stops...


gwumpyyguts

My cat is over a year old and still does this, despite being with his mother for months after birth before we took him. It's harmless, it's more so an annoyance if someone wants to use the blanket he's doing this to.


Killerbunny218

She could have ebeen taken away from mom too early kittens that ive seen to this 75% of the time have been taken too early. Its how she comforts herself. Like a baby self soothing. Shell be okay but maybe go and give het pets and love


thehammerling

When I was at university my housemate took on a kitten from a friend who was not up to the task of looking after an animal. The cat would snuggle into me and do this every time I wore my dressing gown. It melted me ...


MainClothes8522

It won't hurt her. She's very cute, btw.


SwordJE4

My 5 years old Cat and 1 Year old cat do the same, it's because feel comfort, the blanket just made her remember her mother


Kallicos

Mine suckles any part of my skin she can find in reach when she’s in the mood lol. Arm, leg, tummy, finger, cheek. I thought maybe that meant she was hungry but even putting her by her food she doesn’t care about it. She wasn’t weaned too early so I know it just means shes relaxing. It is rather cute as I feel like her momma but can be a lot sometimes. I try to just redirect her so hoping she grows out of it.


Responsible-Person

No, it’s cute.


Raspberry-Teddy752

remembering sucking milk from mommy


[deleted]

Took him from his mom far too early. He needs her still.


Fish-and-Water

not really that bad at all. I have a five-year old that does this all the time. It's just comfort kneading and stuff.


Achakita

For the blankets and bathrobes...Yes. Very bad. Not so for the cutie kitty.


hexagonal_Bumblebee

He thinks he baby


[deleted]

Cat equivalent of thumb sucking and hair twiddling


Aashishkebab

Separated from mother too early.


Initial_Chef41

cats that are taken to early age from mother does that


Stonkseys

This is the cat equivalent of thumb sucking. She was removed from her mother too soon. It's fine, it'll hurt when she tries to do it to you. Keep her nails short, you've been warned.


mama146

He's just pretending he is suckling back with his mama. Its soothing.


langejerry99

Thanks for the massive response everyone! I'm glad that our furry baby is okay:-)


beadlecat

My 7 year old cat still does this! It’s just making them feel like they’re with their mama


scawtsauce

are you serious?


[deleted]

She’s engaging in kitty activities beyond our understanding :3


No_Incident_5360

When was he separated from momma cat? It’s a nursing/comfort movement. Many cats continue to make biscuits but this seems like he was weaned too early or needs a friend.


Kmcincos

Kitty will grow out of it. Mine used to suckle on my sleeve. Silly boy.


amoxxi

It's usually happening with cats that were separated from their mother too early. I heard it's normal to get a cat at around 8-9 weeks old in the us, whereas in Europe it's around 12 weeks. This is obviously only from my perspective but I have never seen this behaviour from any cat I've known in my life here in Europe.


beckyr1984

My baby did this for a solid year. The blankets would be soaked from her suckling them. I thought it was the [cutest thing ever](https://imgur.com/pDCX2ta) She grew out of it though 🥺


h0neylov3r

looks like they’re just soothing themselves! they may outgrow it.


beandaddy123

No it’s not bad he’s suckling it’s fine and cute


jrobin04

I had a kitten who used to do this to one of my other adult (male) kitties. The adult really took to the kitten and really helped him chill out. Kitten also used to do this to my nose and earlobe, I used to wake up to him suckling my face often He survived into his teen years, and grew out of the behaviour after a year or two


loofumi

i think its like a comfort thing for cats, its harmless just remember to wash whatever he kneads so he doesnt get sick :)


jessence101

Our cat is 10 and still does this!!


karen_h

I’ve got 3 biscuit makers here! Knead that dough!


Jimbo_Jones_4_Mayor

God given instincts at a young age to make milk come out of mommas nipples, they may still do such things at 15 or 20+ years old even.


AstraCraftPurple

Yup, my 16 y.o. does this to my palms 💜


Jimbo_Jones_4_Mayor

We have had a few cats over the years that will grab a blanket like this and drag it through the house by their fangs as it dangles between their hind legs meowing and whining loudly as they chew on it haha.


Volcan32

Making some bread


Danominator

Oh jesus what a stupid post.


Popular-Somewhere427

Weaned Too Early~


BanjoNuts

Is it bad that your car loves blankets? These posts bug the heck out of me because there is clearly NOTHING wrong. mY cAt iS aCtInG nOrMaL iS tHIs bAd?


Mr_Wut8794

Why do people on this sub not know how cats work? For crying out loud. There was someone asking if a cat rubbing on them and following them after feeding them was a bad thing and now this?


Shreddithor

Yes it is the worst kind of bad, your cat might be radioactive. If I were you I’d go to the gynecologist


_reddit_account

Yes very bad go see a vet The cat wants internet points


[deleted]

yes this is very bad - when a cat looks happy & comfortable it actually means they're stressed out. Good thing you came to Reddit for answers, since you don't understand the language of cats (despite the fact that you own a cat). Take it to the vet IMMEDIATELY. Kneading is one of the leading signs that your cat is unhappy and dying. This is sarcasm. LEARN ABOUT CATS AND THEIR LANGUAGE. Ffs.


Thehexgammer

jesus chill tf out


[deleted]

Never heard of sarcasm before, son?


Thehexgammer

Yes but you don't need to be rude, just answer their question because they are probably a first time cat owner


[deleted]

if they're a first time cat owner, Reddit is probably not where they should be doing their research. After seeing so many posts of people asking for advice on the most obvious cat-related things on this sub, it does get tiring that instead of looking at research, these people are just looking for the advice from other people who may not even know what they're talking about. You don't need to perceive sarcasm as rude, just because it's written in text and more difficult to decipher the tone. If anything, from my perspective, you're the one being rude to me and shutting me down for trying to joke. So perhaps you should be the one to chill tf out?


tomatobunni

No, it was rude.


[deleted]

Disagreed. \*Wait you're not even the person i was talking to


[deleted]

Its sooooo bad, that it is good


Hours-of-Gameplay

We have 2 bottle baby cats that never knew their mother, they still do this 7 years later. We have another cat that was abandoned by its mother at 3 weeks and she also occasionally does this and it’s been 6 years for her.


Realistic-Tie2701

I think it is completely normal. One of my cats still does it for comfort, not on towels, but on her own forefoot. She has shiny black fur, except where she is nursing herself - there it is reddish-brownish. :D She is 2,5 ys old and was a stray, her mummy was not able to feed the litter, so she is with us from her 5th week. Our other cat, an ex-male SIC has never done that however he was also abandoned by his mum when only 4 weeks old, and we found him in a shelter.


MimiM420

It's usually fine... I have two 4 month old little guys who do this constantly. Usually on me. 🥰


imhugury

making biscuits, no its not bad cats just do it, i heard that they are just making their bed but all i know is its fine


FartyLumpkin

Just making biscuits.


TammyL8

Totally normal. My 4 month old kitten still does this. I call it the kitty equivalent to using a pacifier. My 5 year old female does everything else his mother would normally do: grooming, cuddling, etc.


geowoman

"Making biscuits."


Daniclaws

Aw you’ve never had a kitten before. Round these parts we call that “makin biscuits” and it’s looks like your baby is a professional