Conference misery::feline_v1

    
    oh yeah, forgot to mention...she almost gave me a hickey....she was
    sucking harrrrrd!!!!!
    
    me again

    We had one that used to suckle your earlobe.......... 
    She still did, even at 7 yrs old!! :-)
    
    Lynne

    My boyfriend's sister's cat had four kittens several years ago.
    There was one black, female, sucker in the litter.  It was so funny,
    and of course also irritating.  We laughed because it tickled, and
    you wanted to figure out a way to stop her at the same time.  We never
    did figure out what to do.  One day while napping in the afternoon, 
    she got ahold of me ... I know what you mean about almost getting a
    hickey!  She sucked on earlobes, noses, right between your eyebrows,
    forehead, skin between fingers, and behind your knees.  She tried just
    about anywhere she could find!  At the time, my boyfriend, Mike, and
    his sister were renting together.  Sometimes Mike, and I wonder what
    happened to that little kitten.  He moved out before his sister, Patti,
    found homes for them.
    
    Julie  

    I had a litter of Birmans once that had a sucker in it. This was a male
    Birman kitten, and used to suck on his female littermate.  He would
    just pick a spot on her fur and suck away.  He would cause her fur to
    matt into little "dreadlocks" all over her body.  When one spot got too
    soggy, he would find a new spot.  She just patiently put up with the
    whole thing.  Eventually he got over it.  Must have outgrown it. :^)
    
    Also, one of my pet buyer's has a male mixed breed cat that likes to
    suck his Birmans ears.  Max will lay down next to Nightmare and just
    suck away on his ear, or he will climb on top of 'Mare and suck his
    ear.  It is really funny.  Max is an older cat so I don't think he is
    going to outgrow this. :^)  Good thing Nightmare is so docile. ;^)
    
    Jo

    
    When my Ben was a kitten he use to suck my neck too.  Luckily he did
    grow out of it.  Another habit he use to have was curling up on my face
    and sleeping there.  Just thinking of it makes me laugh.  It's pretty
    scary waking up in the middle of the night and seeing orange fur in front
    of your eyes.  Luckily he grew out of that too, I can't picture a 10lb cat
    on my face now.
    
    Kitties are ze craziest people!
    
    Nancy
    

    What a funny topic. Tabitha used to lick our eyelids to wake us up
    in the morning. She seemed to know that when your eyes are shut, you're 
    sleeping, and of NO use to her. But when your eyes are open, you are
    able to see her & talk to her. ...AND, what better way to get your
    eyes open than to lick them! She hasn't done this in almost a year,
    tho.
    
    Callie, on the other hand, is a WIERDO!! She is about 5 months old, and
    thinks Tabitha is her mom or something. She does that dreadlock sucking
    too! It really gets my goat, too! Tabitha is very passive & will put up
    w/ a lot of bull. I sometimes will try to discourage Callies late
    nursing attempts, ,because Tabitha doesn't produce milk, obviously,
    and because I thing Callie nibbles a bit too hard, abd really clamps 
    onto Tabitha's skin. She hasn't done this in a month or two, and I 
    thought she outgrew it, but I woke up last night to loud sucking
    noises. Sure b'nuff, Callie was doing it again! Tabitha was licking her
    head REAL HARD, kinda like saying, "Hey...I love you too, but this
    hurts! Knock it off!" So I did (knock her off....right off the bed!:*)
    
    Bonnie

    Well, I've got one eyelash/eyelid licker, one nose sniffer and one
    sucker - the sucker likes to kneed my armpit and suck on my night shirt
    - hard - then he stands on my chest purrrrring up a storm and dropps
    drool all over my face - (lovely) - he used to do this a lot more when
    he was a kitten but now its maybe two or three mornings a week - the
    other two lick and sniff indiscriminately - thankfully I've never been
    subjected to all three of them engaging in these antics at the same
    time - I used to have one who loved to bite toes if you got your foot
    out from under the sheets at nite (or day) --- I'll take the sucking
    and drool over having my toe bitten any day.

    How wonderful to know that other cats do this too.  I thought
    it was such strange behavior I was too embarassed to mention
    it.  Alexander was only 5 1/2 weeks old when we rescued him
    and he missed his mother terribly.  I was traveling 3 weeks
    out of 4, so my husband became Alexander's surrogate mother.
    Alex would snuggle in your arms, then sneak his head up by
    the crook of your arm and suckle.  Didn't matter if you had
    a shirt or bathrobe or what on, but he wouldn't do it on bare
    skin.  After 10-15 minutes of this he'd seem satisfied and fall
    off to sleep.  This went on multiple times/day.  My husband,
    God bless him, put up with this all.  I wasn't home enough for
    Alex to "bond" to me, so he became my husband's cat, body and
    soul.
    
    He's now 9 months old and although he still suckles, he does
    it less frequently.  I can proudly report that he's even 
    beginning to "take" to me and will once in a great while
    deign to hop up and fall asleep in my lap or sleep next
    to my feet at night, which is real progress.
    
    Laura, Jessica & Alexander

    This is a funny topic.  I will add another cat to the list of
    suckers... Benjamin.  He's now about 9 years old (I think) and since
    the first day I got him 8.5 years ago (I'm his 3rd owner), he has liked
    to suck on anything and everything I wear, especially when I want to
    sleep.  Because of this, I have to keep his nails trimmed all the time
    because he's speard me a few times with them.
    
    My mother's late cat, Sam, was also a sucker, but he chose a bathrobe
    that my mother wore the first morning we had Sam.  Over the 18 years
    that Sam was alive, she had to keep pieces of the bathrobe for him as
    his security blanket.
    
    My own opinion on these suckers... They LOVE Us!
    Mary
    

    =.9
    
    I know what you mean about keeping the nails trimmed all the time -
    it's sooooo uncomfortable when they start digging into you - here they
    are trying to be "loving" and you start pushing them away cuz it hurts
    and they get soooo confused.......
    
    Giudi

Excuse the somewhat naive question, but...


How do you trim a cat's nails?   I've never heard of it being done to a
cat before, just declawing.


							Lisa-Marie

    
    
    	re: Lisa-Marie
    
    	Very carefully.  =)  I've found the best way is to hold a light
    	(like a flashlight) up to the nail so you can see where the quick
    	is.  Cut as close to it as you can WITHOUT CUTTING INTO THE
    	QUICK.  If you do, the claw will bleed.  I usually have my 
    	husband hold onto Audrey for me while I clip.  Also, there
    	are special clippers made just for trimming cat/dog claws.
    	They cost around $8 which is why I didn't buy them.  Regular
    	human nail clippers work just as well for me.
    
    	JJ
    

    I wait til my kids are asleep. They are much more passive this way, and 
    don't even realize what you're doing if you smooth them at the same
    time. I use a regular toe nail clipper too, but am going to switch to
    a cat toe nail clipper, "they" say that it splits the claw sometimes
    when you use a regular clipper. I've never had the prob tho.
    
    Bonnie

    
    
    I have had the problem of splitting the nails when using human nail
    clippers in the past.  Now I use cat nail clippers and they don't
    split.  I also use the cat nail clippers for my toy poodle.
    
    Pat
    

    I was just reading the replies to this note that I started while
    aimlessly trying to keep the little sucker from walking all over the
    keyboard...when she all of sudden grabs my arm and starts sucking away
    at my upperarm...then moves to my leg....then my neck....
    
    What funny creatures!!!!!!!
    
    

    I had, and still do have, 2 sucklers - Ralph and Alice.  They now are 2
    years old and "suckled" from the first time I brought them home.
    
    Alice will only suckle on bare skin (real strange feeling!)  At first I 
    thought maybe they were taken away from their mothers too young but
    now it's as though HER mother instinct is to take care of me the way I
    take care of her.  After all, she does leave me at least one mouse
    outside my walkway and I was always told she's BRINGING ME PRESENTS.
    
    Ralph used to be a lot worse.  He could suck on my neck ALL NIGHT!  Now
    the only time he does it is first thing in the morning or when I get
    into bed and am "winding down."  Now he doesn't actually *suckle* my
    neck but kind "kneads" my back and sucks on my hair.  
    
    Both of them seem to really be content doing this so I never really
    "stopped them" from doing it but did try to kind of "ween them" from
    doing it as often as they did.  Now it's like our "special time" where
    we get real close with each other.
    
    I agree with another noter that they must really love us to get this
    close with us.  Sometimes when they do this I kind of get teary eyed
    but I can feel their contentment.
    

    I've also noticed someting different about the purr when mine is
    suckling - it's got an entirely different sound - much more intense and
    it also gets a high pitch to it - the harder he kneeds and suckels the
    louder and higher the purr gets.  Mine only had a mom for a few hours
    so when I got him home with me and he started this at 7 weeks I used to
    get real emotional and teary eyed - he was so little - now that he's 13
    lbs I feel like I need protective armor. 
    
    Giudi

    Hmm.. one of things I  have found helpful when  Preschie used to
     attempt to  suckle on me was an idea a friend of mine gave me.
    she owns a pom named Critter, and when critter came to her, she came
    with a pacifer and a "binky".. I bought Preschie a pacifer and I gave
    her an old slip as a silky.. please note.. she did not like the slip
    I gave her, so she scoffed one of my nice ones..it worked well..
    she still has  her silky collection( she has scoffed a few of them..)
    I also bought  Kissy a pacifer, and gave her a silky,  it seems to
    work well..they both purrrrrrrrrr and knead.. it is soooooo cute..
    Ps please do not tell Preschie I told you this.. thanks
    Kate, Happy( hmmm i would prefer food to a pacifer..) Preschie
    ( I want MY SILKY AND MY pink pipe.. Kissy ( I want Preschies
    and my silky and Pipe..Mummy)

    
    .18 - A pacifier?  You mean a pacifier that a baby uses? I'm assuming
    our starlet leaves it at home when she goes to shows???  ;')
    
    

    So now I have this vision of cats with silk ribbons around their necks
    from which hang a pacifier.  We must be careful with these pacifiers
    though - because the whole lot of them will end up Kneeding braces for
    "over bites".
    
    Is it Friday????
    
    
    Giudi

    
    
    .20 - not if it's the nuk brand....  :')
    
    

    Yup, they would have to hang from silk ribbons around their neck
    or else they would be leaving them at the food dish, water dish
    or the litter box. If the kitties did any of the above you can
    just imagine them going around the house crying,
    
    Oh, where oh, where
    Has my pacifier gone?
    Oh, where oh, where can it be?
    
    I can vision the Peanuts cartoon being re-written
    and instead of Linus walking round with the pacifier/thumb
    in his mouth dragging his blanket a persian cat instead.
    
    Too funny for words. Good thing my cats can't read this notes
    file, they come up with enough ideas of their own.
    
    Barbara                                           
    

    Or heaven forbid  - - - - - - - -  cat-nip flavored pacifiers - the
    little "suckers" would never take them out of their mouths - great way
    for an overweight puss to lose weight - hey - maybe we're on to some
    marketable product here - now what can we call it??
    
    
    Giudi (this is fun)

    Er um yes MS Preschie does leave her a pacifer at home, when
    we go see "our adoring public".. but we do bring  "silky "
    just in case....  I put nutrical on the tip of it for them..
    or a little baby food.. I also found that when Preschie
    was cutting her "adult toofers" it helped.. Kissy is
    a "little rougher with her pacifer..".. Happy would prefer
    food to a pacifer.. I have found that they like the "NUK"
    Brand  better..
    Kate, Happy( naw.. pizza and rootbeer would be better)
    Preschie( I want my silky and pop..) Kissy..( I want EVERYONES
    silky and pop..

    Rosie used to suck at my fingers and skin when I first got her.
    I was told that she was 8 weeks old, but had reason to believe (from
    evasive behaviour of the pet-shop owner and her small size) that she
    was younger. I therefore put her sucking down to being taken away from
    her mother too early. 
    I got her a bottle, one of those especially for baby animals, and gave
    her diluted baby milk with it. It seemed to stop her sucking at me, and
    after a bit, she didn't need the bottle either. 

    HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP!!!!!!!!
    
    I put in the original note here, and this sucking business has gotten
    totally out of hand!  The owner can't sleep at night at all!!!!!!!
    And when I kittensit...it's pure hell....and no sleep....!!!!!!
    
    Is she doing it because she is so young?  Is it ok to tell her to stop? 
    Pushing her away doesn't do the trick...pushing her off the bed doesn't
    do the trick...crawling under the covers sometimes works as long as she
    doesn't find a hole to sneak under.....I'm afraid that she's young
    (well about 3 months) that if he reprimands her, the  kitten will grow
    up messed up or something.  Would using a water bottle work or even be
    ok to use?
    
    My friend is going crazy!!!  Need help desperately!!!!  To keep kitten
    from being a catapulted cannonball...8')
    
    michele

    Try getting her a special bottle. It worked for Rosie, although I couldn't
    promise anything. 
    It may be that she was not weened properly, or that she was taken from
    her mother too early. I'm only guessing, of course.
    I used half-strength baby milk for Rosie - you might like to consult
    your vet about that. 
    
    Hope this helps.
    Julie

    Sometimes "runts" get this way too, from being pushed off of mom during
    feeding. I wouldn't spray her, she's just looking for some nurturing.
    Like the last reply, I'd try getting her a bottle, or maybe putting her
    out of the room when you sleep. I's cute, but it DOES get annoying, I
    know! My callie still tries to nurse off of Tabitha, who's never had
    kittens. Tabitha feels the same way about it that you do!!
    
    I wish I could offer more help, I don't suppose you could borrow a mom
    cat for a while & see if this stage passes?! Pretty long of a shot, but
    if there's a neighbor w/ a cat who's had kittens lately, it might work.
    
    Oh well.
    
    Bonnie

    My cat is over 11 years old and still sucks and treads!  I guess she's
    not normal since most noters have said their cat had stopped.  When I
    feel she's had enough nurturing I just put my finger under her nose and
    she gives up.  
    
    I'd suggest tapping her nose gently and she will eventually get the
    message.  I said gentle since their noses are so sensitive.  It's like
    behavior modification in adults and it will take a little time I
    expect.
    
    

We too could have written the plea for help a few notes back!

We've had Hemi about 3 1/2 weeks now; she's 14 weeks old (still a baby).
She's been doing this since we brought her home.  The first night we were
giggling and laughing, since it tickled, especially on the back of our necks.
But now when we're trying to sleep it's more annoying, especially when she
does it to Bill's beard.  We both constantly remove her.  Last night I managed
to get her to settle down in my arms a few times, let her suck on my skin a
little and held her paws so she couldn't dig them in.  I have some claw marks
and scratches in the weirdest spots :-)

I won't even list some of the places she's tried to suck on!

Maybe we can try the pacifier, or the "you can do a little but then stop"
method.  And we have used the "everyone out of the bedroom" method in the
morning when we still want to sleep and they don't want to.  Luckily the 2
younger kittens don't suck; they just curl up and look adorable :-).

I would suggest getting KMR (kitten formula) and a kitten bottle for her.
Feed her some KMR from the bottle once or twice a day...don't feed too much,
but hold her and make her feel nurtured while feeding her...perhaps, after
a week or so, the feedings can become less frequent and shorter.  In short,
I suggest you nurse her for a week and then begin to wean her from the
nursing.

Oh, and keep her out of the bedroom at night so sleep is possible.

    Isn't this what pacifiers for babies are for?  Are these the right
    size for a kitten?
    

    Well I think I'm on to something - sort of like a pacifier for Stitch
    who is four and is still sucking.  I have this one night shirt that has
    these 6 little baby satin roses up by shoulder - which is what he loves
    to suck on while kneeding my armpit.  I gave him the night shirt.  I
    just put it down and the foot of the bed on my side where he sleeps and
    you should have seen him going to town on it.  He was kneeding the
    shirt - purrrring up a storm while sucking on the little roses.  This
    morning he came and stood on my chest, kneeded for a minute - dropped
    some drool and left.  Today I don't have a sore armpit.

    I have to say that I disagree with encouraging the behavior.  The
    sucking should be outgrown normally, but if it doesn't look like that
    is going to happen, then I would suggest behavior modification that
    would stop the behavior.
    
    I would take a squirt bottle to bed with me, and when the kitten woke
    me up I would spray it with a fine mist of water, and do this each time
    the kitten did something that woke me up during the night.  We have
    sometimes had to do this with some of our kittens, as we raise them in
    the bedroom with us.  
    
    Jo

    thanks for the suggestions.....
    
    behavior modification does not seem to do the trick at all.  Tapping on
    the nose especially....she just comes right back...again...and again...
    and again....and again...it's unbelievable...i'm amazed!
    
    I'll tell him to try the kitty forumla for a while and then to wean her
    off of it....
    
    Thanks everyone again....
    
    michele

    Jo -
      I wonder if this insistence on suckling is because often kittens
    are taken away from mom so early.  I don't like to sell my kittens
    before 12 weeks old and I hear of many folks getting their kittens
    at 6-10 weeks.  That seems young to me.
      What do you think?
      Nancy

    I usually don't let my kittens go until they are between 16-20 weeks
    old.  I also don't force wean any litters, I let the moms wean the
    kittens themselves.  They do this with behavior modification.
    
    Jo

    thanks to all of you for your suggestions.....but...
    
    
    my friend tried the bottle thing and it chewed a hole in the
    nipple....back to the ole drawing board....do they make any special
    kinds of nipples which aren't necessarily rubber (in other words, the
    kitten couldn't chew through)?
    
    michele

    If the kitten chewed through the nipple, then it is past the stage that
    it needs milk in it's diet.  This is when nursing stops, when the
    kitten gets teeth.  Do you think that mother cats would want kitten's
    doing that to their nipples?? ;^)
    
    Try behavior modification to change the habits you don't like.
    
    Jo