Sorta Funny, But Worriesome ...

[ABC in Georgia]

Hi guys, have a question for you.

Have just recently adopted a tiny 7 week old female kitten from the Humane Society.

She is a little holy terror, driving me nuts, getting into all sorts of mischief, but she is adorable and we love her.

Here is my question ... have never encountered this problem before, but she is suckling herself.

How normal is this and will it stop when she is a little more mature?

Have been looking it up on the internet and most seem to think it is normal if taken away from the mother at too early an age ...and not to worry about it.

It really bothers me at the moment, am I taking this too seriously, do you think? Has this ever happened with any of your kittens?

PS ... HAPPY FATHER'S DAY GUYS!

~ ABC

[Bubba Dawg]

Hi guys, have a question for you.

Have just recently adopted a tiny 7 week old female kitten from the Humane Society.

She is a little holy terror, driving me nuts, getting into all sorts of mischief, but she is adorable and we love her.

Here is my question ... have never encountered this problem before, but she is suckling herself.

How normal is this and will it stop when she is a little more mature?

Have been looking it up on the internet and most seem to think it is normal if taken away from the mother at too early an age ...and not to worry about it.

It really bothers me at the moment, am I taking this too seriously, do you think? Has this ever happened with any of your kittens?

PS ... HAPPY FATHER'S DAY GUYS!

~ ABC

I haven't seen this happen but I doubt it's anything to worry about as long as she is eatiing her kitten food. It probably is an ingrained behavior that she will grow out of.

Glad you adopted from the humane society. We adopted two kittens at once from the animal shelter. They were about the same age and played with each other all the time.
Kittens are very energetic.

[obx]

Don't worry about it. I used to have a cat who would suck its thumb (or whatever that damn thing is) when it slept.

[Gingersnap]

Sucking is a self-soothing behavior. Seven weeks is too young to leave mom and the sibs so she is trying to comfort herself. Make she she has a lot of socialization and interaction now so she doesn't get any lonelier. She'll probably grow out of it in another month or so. Some cats continue to suck their own paws in adulthood but it's usually not much of a problem. ;)

[NJCardFan]

Sucking is a self-soothing behavior. Seven weeks is too young to leave mom and the sibs so she is trying to comfort herself. Make she she has a lot of socialization and interaction now so she doesn't get any lonelier. She'll probably grow out of it in another month or so. Some cats continue to suck their own paws in adulthood but it's usually not much of a problem. ;)

This. HS should have known better about letting a 7 week old cat go. Much too young to leave the brood. But cats do such a lot of stuff. If you have an old wool sock, let her have that. Cats love to suck wool.

[ABC in Georgia]

Hi guys ... Thanks for getting back to me.

Am feeling a little better about the little beast's strange habit. Still bugs me a bit, looks a tad odd, and the sounds she makes when doing it, is a little off-putting to say the least. Loud is putting it mildly.

This, coming from a former large breed dog owner, though having had his parts "lazered" off, used to ... um ... er ... quite enjoy himself whenever the mood struck him. Talk about revolting! :eek:

I know, is very much a doggy thing. And we loved him anyway.

Yes, Bubba, she is eating her kitten food. Has a ravenous appetite, as a matter of fact. Piddles and poops up a storm, and stinks up her litter box something fierce!

Obx ... I'd much rather she sucked her thumb "or whatever that damn thing is" as you said. Ha! Ha!

Ginger ... Thanks for saying it is a self-soothing behaviour and is trying to comfort herself. Have a feeling that she and her "sister" that we did not adopt, were abandoned really early on as tiny babies. Don't think they had much to do with the mother at all. One of the workers in there was telling me that occasionally they have to hand feed some of them when they are brought in.

NJ ... Must tell you, I made up a sock for her ... not wool yet ... but will make up something for her out of wool when I can.

She absolutely loves the thing! Makes me die laughing. She carries the blinking thing around with her, upstairs, downstairs, all over the place. Not exactly sure what she does with it when I can't see her ... but she certainly has taken posession of it!

Thanks again guys. ~ ABC

[hampshirebrit]

Pics Pics Pics, please !

It's just not fair you posting only text about a new kitteh! :D

[SaintLouieWoman]

She sounds adorable. What color is she and what did you name her? We've got to get all this important stuff answered. :D

You did a good thing adopting a pet. We've only had rescued animals for a long time. They hold a special place in my heart.

[AmPat]

Hi guys, have a question for you.

Have just recently adopted a tiny 7 week old female kitten from the Humane Society.

She is a little holy terror, driving me nuts, getting into all sorts of mischief, but she is adorable and we love her.

Here is my question ... have never encountered this problem before, but she is suckling herself.

How normal is this and will it stop when she is a little more mature?

Have been looking it up on the internet and most seem to think it is normal if taken away from the mother at too early an age ...and not to worry about it.

It really bothers me at the moment, am I taking this too seriously, do you think? Has this ever happened with any of your kittens?

PS ... HAPPY FATHER'S DAY GUYS!

~ ABC

Meh, I've been doing it for years- no problems yet, meow?

[Hawkgirl]

Wow, 7 weeks is very young. Mine is 12 weeks, and I think he's tiny!

As for the behavior, it's quite possible he is missing his mommy. Baby him a lot. I do mine, I love kittens!!