Kitten Nursing on Dog?

Now here's something I haven't seen before. We got a puppy (3 months old now) and recently acquired a kitten who was 5-6 weeks old and is about 9-10weeks old now.

In the last week or so, the kitten is always jumping the puppy and sucking on the dog's underside. This is driving the dog nuts and I don't have any idea why this very persistent kitten keeps doing this. It does eat regular kitten food.

Has anyone ever seen anything this bizarre before and does anyone have any suggestions?

I'm at a complete loss. I'm starting think perhaps this kitten was weaned too young but I'm not sure what the solution is.

Puzzled in Canada

It's probably for comfort, like the way a baby sucks its thumb. :) I could also have to do with the kitten leaving its mother so soon. Five to six weeks is very young! My kittens were both seven weeks when I got them (also very young) and one of them liked to nurse on the neck of the other. Fortunately the other kitten didn't mind. They're a year old now and the one cat still nurses . . . It's a very silly sight. :)

Since this bothers the dog, you should discourage it . . . I'm not sure how, though. You don't want to use Bitter Apple on the dog's stomach because that would bother the dog. Maybe try spraying with a spray bottle when the kitten tries to go for the dog?

Spray bottle is always a good suggestion. Thanks. I remember using it with other cats years ago. We used to use it when they jumped up on the kitchen counter.

Eventually, one day, the cat jumped up on the kitchen counter when the spraybottle happened to be up there and nobody was around. She jumped up, immediately came nose to nose with the spraybottle and proceeded to fly backwards off the counter again. So once they know what it is, you sometimes don't need people.

Just my funny story for the day.

I'll wait to see if anyone else has any suggestions too... perhaps substituting some other kind of soother item? I'm not sure what though.

Funny thing is Abby (the dog) puts up with her now. She keeps getting woken up out of a dead sleep but she doesn't fight back against the kitten. In fact, when they sleep they often sleep together which is cute.