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blanket sucking
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Posted by newhomeseeker (My Page) on Wed, Nov 4, 09 at 13:12
| I have a cat that is a year old now. I found her last year (at about 5 weeks old)by my mailbox. She was a drop off as she had road rash on her poor little face. So obviously she was taken away from her mother too early. When she was younger, every single night she would lie next to me on the bed and suck and need at this soft blanket I have. She would purr and purr and was such a happy kitty while she did this. SHe would also do this to a stuffed bear. Now she doesn't do it as frequenlty but at least twice a week she wakes me up because she is sucking on the blanket. This cat does not purr for anything (not for food, not when you pet her or play with her) but just the thought of that blanket and she starts purring- as soon as she jumps on the bed. If it is not in plain sight she will root around for it.
Back in July I found a mother cat and five kittens and took them in. When the kittens were about 8 weeks old the mother decided she had enough (she nursed them that morning just fine) and started attacking her kittens. So they were weaned in one day. They were already eating plenty of solid food so I thought they would be fine. Well, the funny thing is that three of the kittens also have developed this sucking on the blanket behavior. The littlest female, Pumpkin will jump on the bed next to me and suck on this blanket and she's so happy while she's doing it. Now this kitten purrs at everything- if you just look at her she is a very happy baby and starts purring. But she goes crazy over this blanket.
The other night I was sitting on the couch with this blanket over my lap as I was cold and the biggest kitten- Buddy (he weighs almost six pounds!) jumped up there and took one step on the blanket and immediately laid down and started sucking on it like he was nursing. And then two other kittens joined him. They aren't hungry so it must just be a comfort thing. But why would kittens who weren't taken away from their mother early do this? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: blanket sucking
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| As I mentioned in the eccentric thread, my cat sucks his tail - just as you describe yours do with the "blankie". He goes crazy with happiness and purring. I always assumed this behavior has something to do with being separated from his mommy too soon - though I don't know if that was the case since he was a stray. Maybe "too soon" is different for different cats. |
RE: blanket sucking
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| Odessa is a periodic blanket sucker...but I don't know anything about her kittenhood since we got her from a shelter at age 8. She'll go for weeks without her blankie and then she'll get into it again. I think it must be like human thumb sucking and attachment to a security blanket...something that is warm and cozy just like mama. |
RE: blanket sucking
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| I had a Russian Blue who was weaned from his mother in a normal fashion, and he would love to suck on the ribbing of my t shirt when I slept. I would wake up to a slobbery t shirt. I think it is just that your kitties are self soothing. |
RE: blanket sucking
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| My sister had a kitten that would suck on her earlobe at night, kneading her hair and purring like crazy. She thought it was hilarious at first, but it took quite a while for him to grow out of it. Pretty awkward for houseguests, tho, finding a kitten latched onto their lobes in the night! Good thing we were all forewarned.... |
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