my kitten frequently sucks oon a cuddly toy

by Laura
(Nottingham)

we have a four month old kitten, lulu, who for the last month or so has began sucking very loudly on a large cuddly toy that sits on our bed, she does this sometimes for 5/10 minutes at a time and leaves it very wet!! is this safe for her and why does she do this?!

Answer by Kate

Kittens have a very strong sucking reflex which helps them during there forst few weeks of life. However it is not a good idea to let her suck toys etc as she could suck off the fur and get hairballs in her throat and tummy.

She is at the age now where she should be fully weaned and this is a throw back to her kitten hood. I know it sounds cruel but you may have to remove the soft furry toys and replace them with smooth toys that she can play with and distract herself from the sucking behaviour.

It may take her some time to get use to the new toys and the loss of her soft toy.

best wishes Kate

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