Pawz sucking on my clothes (mmm wet spots)

I searched through the old posts and most people seem to think that sucking is because a cat was taken too early from its mother. However, when I took Pawz in from the rescue he was already nine weeks old and eating dry food on his own and everything! Which means that mama took her time and there shouldn't be any "anxiety" as far as that goes. He started sucking oh about the middle of June too. (I'm assuming that he'd have started before then but because he was moved around and therefore afraid etc. he didn't do it until he felt comfortable.)

Other people have suggested that I buy a pillow or some sort of fabric kind of thing that Pawz would like to suck on? Or should I just discourage this behaviour period?

It's not particularly bothersome to me since he seems to be so happy doing it (he's a little purr machine and kneads like crazy!) and I haven't seen him do it with the boyfriend so apparently its just my clothing that is tasty. Neither of the things he's sucked on are wool. Two are regular fabric and I believe the shirt I'm wearing is plain ribbed cotton.

Leo (in contrast) who WAS taken from his mother at 4 weeks of age prefers to walk all over me and purr and knead at the air. Not once has he sucked on anything (to my knowledge)!

Both of them are 3 months old now so it could be something Pawz is going to grow out of. I just want to know whether I should provide a sucky toy for Pawz until he does grow out of it or whether I should discourage it completely?

Megan

P.S. Pawz and Leo are being such wonderful cats and they get along really really well and I'm sooo happy! Allergies be damned!

I don't know cats but your title is really funny (the mmm wet spots part).:D :highfive:

I can only give you the benefit of my experience and not anything fact-based, but I think it's something that is individual to the cat. Some do it, some don't. My family had a male Siamese before I was born that was a wool fiend. All of their wool clothes had holes in them from him-sweaters, socks, mittens...he sucked on any clothes my family wore, and just crunched the wool ones :D .

Some cats are kneaders and others aren't, too. That is kittenish behaviour, and I think they do it mostly with people they view as surrogate parents or when they are deeply content and relaxed. For example, my tabby Dancer will knead (and recently, drool-ugh!) and purr on me or my husband, but will only purr when occupying my daughter's lap.

And the little black cat I had as a teenager would knead my mother but rarely me. Me, she washed instead, as though I was her kitten. In fact, I woke up from a deep sleep once to find my bangs completely plastered to my forehead (and smelling strongly of tuna :yuck: ).

So, like I said, nothing fact-based, just my experiences with cats. I don't think it really hurts anything if he's not trying to eat your clothes and I'm not sure it can be discouraged. Personally, I just kinda view it as part of cat ownership :thumbs up .

I'm glad they're getting along well, and hope your allergy issue resolves well.

That's exactly what Mr Kennedy is doing! I got him when he was 3 weeks old (he wasn't taken from his mama by anyone's choice but some stupid man's), and he will be 7 weeks old tomorrow. I fed him by bottle for a while, and ever since the first day I picked him up, he has been "wool sucking." It's gotten to the point where he will do it 4 out of 5 times I pick him up off the ground, or if he gets a whiff of my clothing.

He doesnt quite suck, though, he licks really really fast and without moving his head. Sometimes when he falls asleep doing that, you can pull the shirt away and his tongue keeps going, licking the air :p
I feel you on the wetspots :crazy: its like I have a crazy soggy polkadotted shirt by the time he's done.

I asked the vet about it yesterday, if he would ever outgrow that habit or what had caused it and she told me that it was because he had been taken from his mother too early. Apparantly, in some kittens, its a security issue----kind of like when a little kid sucks his thumb.

It should get better as they get older, but sometimes the habit just sticks. I'm hoping he outgrows it, but if he doesnt, I'll just have to get used to soggy clothing. :p