# 12week old kitten still feeding from Mum - how to stop?



## CherryPie

My kitten is 12 weeks today and still feeding from her mother who may or may not be pregnant again. I want to note clearly, now, that I have only had them 3 weeks so any pregnancy was not my doing and she will be spayed once her litter (if she is pregnant) are weaned as per my vets suggestion. I am also aware she can be spayed while pregnant but that is way outside my comfort zone and also something that I've already spoken to my vet about, so please, no lectures  

Anyways - Baby is still feeding from Fiona. I've tried to stop it and thought I had succeeded but I just found them at the top of the stairs together - sneaky sneaky! I don't have anyone I trust enough to take Baby away for a few days and everytime I separate them she cries and cries and cries...... She clearly doesn't still need it. She's a gorgeous chunky kitten, eating well, sleeping away from Fiona. I just want this stopped asap because if kittens do arrive I don't want her being competition for them. Is there anything I can put on Fiona that will taste bad but not have any adverse effects on either of them? If I do separate them, how long do they need to be separated for so the milk dries up?
All advice welcome
Thanks


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## gunterkat

Skipping past the obvious question of _"Why isn't Fiona spayed?"_, I'll just say that many years ago, I rescued an abandoned adolescent kitten who was pregnant, and she let her kittens nurse for four or five months before she started running them off. I had her spayed about 12 weeks after she gave birth, but she kept lactating and letting them nurse. I tried to get them to stop after Snow was spayed, but finally realized that she and the kittens would find a way to nurse, regardless of what I did, for as long as they wanted to. 
So let their instincts guide them. Cats have been around as a successful species longer than we have. Fiona will start chasing her kids off of her when she, and they, are ready.

But, do get Fiona spayed, unless you're a registered breeder. There are enough hapless kittens born into homelessness as it is. :wink:

_edit to fix typos_


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## PeaceLoveRescue

Either separate them by means of a shut door and ignore the crying or put some sort of sweater type deal over the mother so the kitten doesn't have access to nurse. Milk production should stop within 2 weeks but it can vary.


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## CherryPie

Thanks both for your input
Fiona isn't spayed as her previous owner didn't have it done. I have had them for 3 weeks. As I said in my first post, she WILL be spayed once her next litter is weaned. I've already spoken to my vet about it. I think all cats should be spayed, I just don't feel comfortable having it done while she could possibly be pregnant - and I honestly think she is. I already have homes for some of the unborn kittens


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## wizzel

My sympathies this summer I fostered a litter of 4 who were abandoned by there Mum so kudos for adopting Fiona and her kittens! As to the nursing I would not worry about it if she is pregnant Fiona will run off the older kittens so the new batch will have the milk all to them selves. These things have a way of working out.


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## gunterkat

Sorry, I didn't mean to lecture.  
I completely understand your reluctance to have a pregnant kitty spayed. I feel the same way.


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## PeaceLoveRescue

I wouldn't count on nature to take its course. Some mothers just don't seem to have that instinct in them and it can go on for quite some time. When I worked at the humane society we had a mother and sun surrendered, mom was 6 son was 2 and he was still nursing off her! We asked why it was allowed to continue and they said they figured nature would take it's course. 

Either way, good luck with them.


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## CherryPie

gunterkat said:


> Sorry, I didn't mean to lecture.
> I completely understand your reluctance to have a pregnant kitty spayed. I feel the same way.


No worries - I just seem to have had it a lot lately. I completely agree with you about spaying.

Thanks everyone for the replies. Think I'm going to just have to shut them in separate rooms and ignore the crying. Poor baby-puss


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## hoofmaiden

Yeah, I would forcibly separate them. My Loki was still nursing on his mom when I adopted him at 12 weeks. The poor mom was a teenager herself (my friend rescued her preggers) and she did NOT need 3 huge kittens holding her down to nurse! It sure didn't do HER any good and IMO it didn't do Loki any good, either -- he had a pretty warped sense of entitlement and drove my (spayed) female Lenny nuts the first few weeks.


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## CherryPie

Well I bought a second tray today. Tonight will be their first night apart. Separated them for about half hour last night to see how they reacted. There was one each side of a door, both crying and trying to put their feet under the door to reach the other 

Forgot to buy myself earplugs though. My OH will just sleep through it - its alright for some


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