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Anyone else's cat suckles their t-shirt?

23K views 9 replies 9 participants last post by  RoxiesMummy  
#1 ·
Orion has been doing this ever since I got him at 4 months old. He purrs extra loud, starts kneeding like there's no tomorrow and suckles on my t-shirt till he falls asleep! It's the most adorable thing I've ever seen a cat do!

I asked a vet years ago why he does it, and she said it was most likely because he was weaned too early and still needed more time with his mommy. But I'm actually rather glad he was weaned too early, cause I get to have him sickle into me! :-D

He can get quite vocal about it as well (he is a Siamese after all!). If I'm doing something on my laptop he will start howling, just beyond my reach till I sit up, pick him up, place him under the covers and on my chest and let him do his thing. I wouldn't trade that for the world!
 
#2 ·
Raising hand~ My Metoo is a big sucker (LOL is this the term?). She likes to lay on my laps, bury her head in my cloth, suck, drool, purr, and knead at the same time. She rarely fall asleep though. Just suck until she is satisified and she will be off to a quiet place to get a good sleep.

I don't think Metoo's behavior is due to weaned too early though. She was spoiled rotten by her mom. Her mom only had two kittens in that litter so plenty of attentions to her babies. Metoo was still eating her mom's milk occasionally when I picked her up (at 12 weeks old).
 
#4 ·
MowMow is an earlober. Blech. He's going to be 9 soon and there's no sign of him giving it up.

As soon as he starts cuddling and purring he stars pawing at my face to try and reach my earlobe so he can suck on it. I try never to give in unless he REALLY needs it (like he's stressed or scared). I wouldn't mind if it wasn't so....WET.
 
#5 ·
He's going to be 9 soon and there's no sign of him giving it up.
I doubt he ever will! I got Orion when I was 13, so growing up and while I was away at university, he lived with my family, and my mother desperately tried to stop him from doing this, but nothing ever worked. He'd wait till she fell asleep and then creep up and do his thing!
 
#6 · (Edited)
Oh my goodness, yes! Skye, my boy that I just adopted a couple months ago, does the same thing. When he's really content from me petting him, he starts kneading and then suckles on my shirt.

Unfortunately, sometimes he gets a little too happy, if you catch my drift, and I have to end it there. He doesn't seem to suckle as much now as he used to, though. When I first got him it seemed to be a daily thing. Now it's a couple times a week, maybe. And when he does, he only suckles for a few seconds and then goes back to being squinty-eyed and happy. :)

I wonder if some of it may have had to do with the stress of being in a new home, and the suckling comforted him? It is cute, albeit a little weird (never had a cat do that to me before!).
 
#7 ·
Tshirt, blankies, pillowcase, my hair... I've got 4 that smurgle & knead 'n suck. All but Bentley were bottlebabies so I blame it on that... couldn't possibly be cause I kept the bottle available way too long or never got around to making them quit it when they came & wanted to smurgle. And the worst offenders are in their teens so it really is too late to break of them of it now; plus how do you resist that purr & snuggle.