We found an abandoned kitten on the lake in the backyard. We've had her for a little over a month, she's about 9 weeks now. She was to young to be away from her mother and had been out for what looked like a week. My daughter takes care of her and lately she's started kneading and suckling on her blankets. I noticed she didn't do it as much while my daughter was gone for a week. Now she's back though the kitten has almost been doing it non stop. Is it something I should be concerned about?
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2 Answers
No concern, that's a normal behavior for a cat who was taken away from it's mother at too young of an age. She may never grow out of it and that's OK.
answered Jul 23, 2017 at 16:19
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Because she's purring while doing it I've assumed that she's happy. I've also heard they purr to comfort themselves if ill or in pain. So it makes me wonder if there's anything wrong or if she's just being a kitten and wanting that comfort like mommy had. Also its only my daughters blankets. Is it because her scent is on it and she's taken to her as a "mom"? Commented Jul 23, 2017 at 16:47
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I wouldn't say she claims your daughter to be her mom but to say that she genuinely loves your daughter. Our pets are drawn to our scent (why you see many puppies chewing their owners things), it gives them comfort. You are right that cats can putt when scared or ill, I don't think that's the case with your kitty. Commented Jul 23, 2017 at 16:55
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My 5 year old cat does this too, he was left by his mother while he was still very young– VahxCommented Jul 25, 2017 at 13:24
One of our cats which died at the age of 17, was doing it through his whole life. So not to worry. He was also taken away from his mother when he was very young (the mother didn't want him) and was fed by my wife using a syringe drop by drop for the first couple of days.
This kneading behavior of mothers belly normally makes the milk flow, so it is a kind of childhood behavior and maybe for kittens taken away from the mother early, it doesn't stop when the cat gets older.
