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Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)/My cat clover
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Question
well i have a cat and she is a little over ayear old, she is very freindly and sweet, she has never been fixed, but she does have one problem if i'm wearing a head scarf, when i'm layin down she loves to suck on my scarf. Do she think i'm her mommie are what, i wanted to know do you have a answer for that?
Kismit,
First of all I would get her spayed as soon as possible even if she is an inside cat. Spaying cures quite a few behavior problems, ones that you probably haven't run into yet.
Sucking on your scarf is not a behavior problem. It could be an indication that she was weaned too early. You may want to give her her own scarf as a comfort to her where she sleeps.
She is probably kneading too when she is sucking on it. That is a comfort to her and not a bad thing. She is remembering the good feeling she had when she was nursing and is replicating the feeling by going through the motions. The kneading is the action that she did when she was expressing milk from her mother.
She should grow out of the suckling but she may or may not grow out of the kneading. I have some older cats that still knead before they go to sleep.
Tabbi
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Dear Tabbi
Expertise
My expertise is in helping people understand their cat (or cats) and their behavior. Questions are welcome even if you don't have a cat....just a question about them. Hopefully my experience, suggestions, and comments will be of help to you...and your cat (or cats). Looking through my past responses to questions will give you additional information and/or answers too. Domestic Cats = cats (no matter what breed) who are tame or not wild, or abandoned cats who were pets that became wild, but can be tamed again. Ferals = cats who are born with one or more parents who were wild stray cats. They usually have had no interactions with people. They have an inbred distrust of humans and are difficult to socialize. They are skittish, hide, and are afraid of people. They take a lot of time and patience to work with them. A lot of kittens from shelters had a feral parent.
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Since I was a child, over 45 years, I have been owned by a LOT of cats and kittens of almost every temperament, behavior, and personality. I have had experience with neurotic, disabled (including blind), stray, and 'problem child' cats and kittens. (A few normal cats too!) Plus all the things a lifetime of owning cats and research has taught me. I also have experience in feral cat behavior (which is different from domestic cats), and some experience with feral colonies that includes colony feeding and feral cat TNR (trap/neuter/release).
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