# Chiquis chews on fleece blanket. Not really sure what to do



## Lenkolas (Jan 18, 2011)

Poor baby, we found him when he was just a month old, cold and hungry. Now he's 3 m.o. and he chews on fleece blankets (only fleece) while purring and kneading it with it’s claws with his back arched. I've read a lot about it, and some say I should stop him/teach him not to do it anymore, some others say that I should leave him be.

What do you think guys... It kinda breaks my heart when he does that ('cause he lost his mommy before a normal weaning time) but I think he does it to make himself feel better, so stopping him is not a good idea...


Chiquis after a chewing session. Gatito makes him company, but I'm sure he must be thinking "what a nuts this little one..."


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## saitenyo (Nov 28, 2010)

I think it's entirely up to you. If he's chewing on things you don't want him chewing, or actually eating things that could be dangerous for him to swallow, then I'd discourage the behavior, but if it's not causing him any harm and you don't mind the blanket being "his" then I'd let him keep doing it. It's probably comforting to him.

My little Athena was very sick as a kitten, and we think lost her mother early, and she had a lot of behaviors like this. We just let her chew/suckle on things that we didn't mind her chewing on (like soft toys/blankets) and eventually she did grow out of the habit (although she does still knead sometimes). 

He may grow out of it, he may not. But he's in a safe, comfy home now, so that should help him to feel more comfortable and secure.  Just keep giving him lots of love and attention to make him feel safe and comfortable.


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## Lenkolas (Jan 18, 2011)

Thanks so much, I'll just let him do it. I want him to feel secure  after all he had to go through. I was just wondering why does he purr ONLY when he's chewing on blankets. He never purrs when I pet him. But if he stumbles upon the fleece blanket, he instantly becomes motor purr cat.

Your Athena looks a lot like my girl Sun...she died two months ago. She's just beautiful... congrats. 

a hug, thank you again! :smile:


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## yellowdaisies (Jan 25, 2011)

Aw, your cats are beautiful Lenkolas!

My 5 month old kitten, Lily, also has an obsession with our fleece blanket (and only THAT blanket, like you said) - it's the only thing she'll knead, and she doesn't bite it, but she does lick it! My babies never even knew their mommy (they were found in a trash bag, in a dumpster, when they were newborns, and raised by humans). I just let her do it. She's not hurting the blanket!


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## Lenkolas (Jan 18, 2011)

Thank you yellowdaisies! 

in a trash bag? Oh god I just can't believe it. How can a person....I mean, it is very hard for me to imagine how a person can live with his/her mind after doing something like that, it just makes me sick. 

I'm so happy you have them now and they live a happy life after such an horrible experience. Poor babies! 

Love


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## OctoberinMaine (Sep 12, 2006)

Lenkolas said:


> It just makes me sick.


Agreed.


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## bkitty (Aug 17, 2009)

This is what I call smergling. I wish my guys would choose a blankie but they target shoulders, sleeves, and my hair. I push the blame on the fact my guys were bottle babies and still revert to nursing behaviour with us. I thought they would outgrow it eventually but since some of them are in their teens now I don't see it happening. I do accept the responsibility that I do still allow them to climb in my lap and smergle without pushing them away. It never lasts long, just long enough to get me soggy and they wander away tails up and purry.


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

Lenkolas said:


> I was just wondering why does he purr ONLY when he's chewing on blankets. He never purrs when I pet him. But if he stumbles upon the fleece blanket, he instantly becomes motor purr cat.
> 
> Your Athena looks a lot like my girl Sun...she died two months ago. She's just beautiful... congrats.


Chiquis sounds like Muffs. When she was a baby, she would knead and lick a fuzzy blanket and that's the only time I've ever heard her purr in the entire time she's lived with me. I didn't have the heart to stop her. She grew out of the habit by the time she was a year old. Regretably, I've never heard her purr since. 

So sorry to hear about Sun. atback


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## Lenkolas (Jan 18, 2011)

Thanks Susan  coming to this forum has made me feel better about my loss...thank you all of you guys, really.

So Muffs never purr again? That's a shame...My other cat Gatito has forgotten about purring also...he never does (how old is Muffs now?) But he's being going through so many things lately... So do you think is there anything we can do to encourage our kittens to continue purring through their lives? Hahaha I thought about a purring academy or something haha...

Maybe it is just about our cats' personality (animality) and some of them just don't like to purr and that's it


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

Muffs will be 2 in March. Perhaps she still purrs, but I never hear her. Then again, she's not a lap cat. So, she could be purring in her cat tree and I wouldn't hear her. On the plus side, she seems very happy, so I guess that's what counts. I'm hoping that when she gets older she'll sit in my lap and purr once in a while.


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## Lenkolas (Jan 18, 2011)

I talked to my vet today and she said one of her cats still does it, at the age of 7. So we'll see ... He's so cute. I don't know what'll I do during winter time tho, when I actually gotta use those fleece blankets...:!:


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