Expert: Ali - 5/10/2010

Question
I am caring for an approximately 2 year old cat that was rescued at a very young age and presumably weaned too early. This sweet cat is tiny and has had some health issues, the vet decided not to spay her due to her delicate condition. She has done quite well, is gaining weight etc. but at times attempts to suckle my clothing and exposed skin when I hold her. Is there anything that might comfort her (maybe a cat soother?)without the close contact with me?

Answer
Char,

This is a difficult situation, it does sound like this baby was weaned way too early and that's often why kitties begin self soothing by nursing on stuffed animals, blankets, clothing, fingers, other pets, etc. There really isn't a way to soothe her without cuddles, my eldest kitty was a rescue who came into my life at roughly 7 days old and she "nurses" on her own tummy, but she only does so when she's cuddling with me. This behaviour is somewhat equivalent to a small child sucking their thumb except for the fact that there's less chance of your kitty outgrowing the behaviour. When I've cared for kitties who soothe themselves by nursing I've found that there really isn't anything that can be done behaviourally to change the kitty's preferences because they become more upset than most children I've cared for when you try to stop them from nursing as a means of comforting themselves. This is a behaviour that you may just be stuck with for the lifetime of your kitty ~ somewhat of a special quirk! Unfortunately this was probably the result of being taken from mom too early, this could have been prevented by leaving kittens with mom until they were at least 12 weeks of age rather than the 6-8 weeks of age that many people believe that it's appropriate to remove kittens from their mother. A young kitten's ability to survive doesn't necessarily mean that s/he's ready to leave his/her family.

If you have any further cat related questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me again and I will do my absolute best to help you wherever possible.

I haven't found a way to soothe her artificially, you could certainly try a homeopathic remedy called Bach's Rescue Remedy which is a blend of 5 flower essences that's designed to calm and reassure. Sometimes anxious kitties can benefit from regular doses of Rescue Remedy being added to a clean bowl filled with fresh water at least twice daily OR you could gently rub 3-5 drops of this remedy into the outside of her ear flaps (Rescue Remedy works well when applied to skin as well.). You can find Rescue Remedy in most health food stores (apparently there is a pet version available online, but I haven't used it and therefore I can't comment on its effectiveness, the human version has been in use by many pet parents and veterinarians worldwide and it works really well without any risk to pets). It's important to note that Rescue Remedy isn't going to stop her from needing that special cuddle time where she can nurse with her favorite person, it may reduce her stress a bit and help to deal with her abandonment issues on a superficial level which may reduce the frequency that she needs to cuddle and nurse. To the best of my knowledge there is no such thing as a kitty pacifier and I would caution against such a device if you happen to find one because as we know with children's pacies they do break down over time and they can become a choking hazard.