Why Orphaned Kittens Nurse Each Other and How to Manage This Behavior

Help! My Orphaned Kittens Are Nursing on Each Other!

Dear Dr. Paola,

Four kittens – one female and three males – lost their mother just after they turned two months old. They were already eating her dry food. Because the mother died of mastitis, the kittens have developed the habit of trying to nurse on each other. I have observed each kitten doing this. I tried to separate them as soon as I see them doing this, but nothing works. What can we do to help them stop?

Four kittens – one female and three

I am so sorry these kittens lost their mother so suddenly. They have essentially decided, No mother? Well, we will improvise! What you are seeing is called non-nutritive sucking, and in orphaned kittens, this can be surprisingly persistent. At this age, it is not necessarily hunger. Sucking is also an ingrained comfort behavior, and losing their mother can leave kittens seeking another way to satisfy that need. Research on orphaned kittens has documented specific cross-sucking between littermates, with a higher risk in kittens who have lost their mother. Instead of trying to simply stop the behavior, you can offer an appropriate outlet to redirect it. There have been studies on providing a surrogate motherfor orphaned kittens, essentially a soft plush object equipped with artificial nipples, sometimes described as a kitten pacifier or nursing station.

I am so sorry these kittens lost

The idea is lovely because it gives them an outlet for that very normal sucking impulse, allowing the siblings to continue to enjoy important social contact. Look for a kitten nursing substitute designed specifically for this purpose or a very soft, durable, washable object intended for this use, rather than improvising with any object that could shed fibers, break apart, or be ingested. It is also helpful to know that some cats never fully give up the baby habit. Sucking can persist into adulthood and can be directed toward blankets, clothing, plastic, themselves, siblings, other cats, or even their owners. For many cats, it is simply a comfort ritual, but it becomes a problem if they chew and ingest fabric or wool, or if another develops irritated or injured skin.

Therefore, for these four little characters, the goal does not necessarily have to be stop sucking forever. It is more about teaching them, Here is the approved place to do this. Most importantly, keep an eye on the areas they are targeting. Sucking around the belly or especially in the genital area can cause irritation and significant injury, so these kittens should be separated from the one who is sucking when necessary and examined for redness, swelling, hair loss, wounds, or difficulty urinating. With a safe alternative, plenty of play and enrichment, and gentle redirection, they may gradually grow out of the behavior, or they may simply become those adult cats who still insist on having their favorite comfort blanket. Some cats have a talent for holding onto childhood traditions!