# sucking and kneading habit....



## lyvettely (Jan 4, 2006)

I am a first time cat owner. Last summer I adopted two wonderful kittens at this shelter. Everything is wonderful except for the fact that one of the kittens has this unusual behavior. He will usually jump on my lap so that I can scratch him. Then he will start kneading my lap with his front paws. Why does he do this? I don't mind this so much since I have learned to put a blanket on. However, he will sit next to me and then begin to suck himself for a long time. I've consulted the Vet and she says that it is normal. I would like a second and third opinion. Is this normal? Should I nip this habit now that he is still a kitty? I was thinking of putting bitter apple or some sort of deterent to help him stop. What's your advice?


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## Lisa 216 (Oct 25, 2004)

This is totally normal.  My babies are over a year old and they still do this! 

How old were the kittens when you adopted them? This behavior seems to be common in kittens who were separated too young from their mother. The kneading and sucking behaviors mimic nursing and provide comfort to the kittens.

I wouldn't try to stop the behavior. This baby considers you his mom which is why he comes to you to knead. It makes him feel happy and safe.  He may outgrow it eventually, or the behavior may lessen.

You could try and find an object for the cat to knead if you need a break. My Pumpkin kneads a stuffed dog we have -- she has been kneading furry things since we got her. :lol:

By the way, welcome to the forum. :wink:


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## nanook (Jun 12, 2005)

Completely normal kitty behavior. All my cats have kneaded on me and some have sucked. As lymekaps said it's usually when they've been taken from their mother too young and some do grow out of it. The kneading (or "making biskets" as we call it) is just a cat thing. 
Enjoy!


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## lyvettely (Jan 4, 2006)

Really...? That makes me feel so much better. For a while I thought I had the weirdest cat int the world.. To answer the question of when I adopted them, well, They were both three months old ( Gossamer and Belvadere) at the time. Belvadere, my gray tabby with the "habit" was droped off at this other shelter (first) one night. He was then taken in by the shelter that I got him from (second) because he was going to be put to sleep by that shelter (first). So I don't really know when he was taken away from his mother, but it does seem like it was very early.


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## manitu22 (Apr 25, 2003)

Yup..very normal..both of my kitties do it and it soooooo cute!!! I love it.


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## spamlet (Mar 14, 2005)

> The kneading (or "making biskets" as we call it) is just a cat thing.


Ha! That made me laugh...we say Spandex is making bread when she kneads her cushion  

Second what everyone else says. In fact my cats are at their happiest and most content when they are suckling and kneading!


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## Guest (Jan 5, 2006)

I've got one that had suckled from the day he came home. Luckily he doesn't do it to me or my husband. He "nurses" on my dog. It's hilarious to see this huge 12-15 pound cat nursing..


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## nancyLA (Feb 13, 2005)

one of my cats loves to knead the back of my head, deep in my hair..you should see what my hair looks like when he is done!!! 8O 

the other cat doesn't knead at all..I wish he did!!! I like it!!


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## starzz (Nov 26, 2005)

yep completly normal....... both my cat's knead and one of them the boy who's 10 month's old suckle's himself and he was taken from his mum at 7 week's old , they do the kneading on their cat mum to stimulate the milk flow and it's a kind of comfort thing to them when they leave cat mum just like we have a fav blanket or suck our thumb's


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## Celebsilmare (Aug 9, 2004)

All of our cats make biscuits on us. Only one of mine sucks though. I actually had to stop her once cause she started giving me a hickey on the end of my nose! :lol:


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## linguafranca (Jun 21, 2005)

Almost all my kitties have done this when settling down somewhere. I thought my current kitty was weird because at a year old she didn't ever knead at all. I'm curious though because she has started doing that a little bit now that we've had her for 6 months...i guess she didn't need the comfort before? hmmm....


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## ~dawn~ (Jan 11, 2006)

nanook said:


> The kneading (or "making biskets" as we call it) is just a cat thing.


My Boo (the calico) does this too. Took her about three weeks before she warmed up to me enough and now she does it all that time. The Cats for Dummies book called it making biskets too  She does it on my lap, on the top of the couch, on my pillow in bed....

Now if I could just get her to stop doing it at 4am next to my head because she's decided it's time to eat


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## ihave4kitties (Aug 27, 2005)

Lewis likes to knead my belly and Winston likes to knead soft blankets. I have never seen Wallace or Marcellus knead anything. None of my cats "nurses." I think kitty kneading is so sweet. When I was a girl I had a cat that liked to "nurse" on my earlobes. Drove me nuts as I couldn't sleep.


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