my cat is weird and i need help lol

ViciousBliss

ViciousBliss

Leather is Better.
Feb 27, 2007
3,479
2
#1
so we have these soft microfiber blankets or whatever they call them, and they're cute and warm and perfect for cool springtime, wintertime, and fall time. me and gayman love them we each have 2.

so my cat, who is almost 5 months i'd guess, maybe a bit younger, will NOT STOP SUCKLING on them.

ESPECIALLY mine. he loves his mother (me), anything that smells like me he'll hang out next to but it's gotten to the point that i can't sit at the computer with him without smackin him an tellin him no... (don't worry ladies n gents, he's HUGE and unphased... he's a Maine Coon...) and EVEN AFTER I SPANK HIS BUTT AND TELL HIM TO STOP HE KEEPS DOING IT! he's so damn special.

he is unneutered... and so far has not peed anywhere in my house. he's a good cat for sure. he's an indoor cat as well. we have a pregnant female in the house so he's goin to get his nuts chopped soon, but thats besides the point. he's a well behaved cat, besides tryin to mess with Babette (prego). the only annoying things he does is chew the hell out of flip flops (bastard ruined my 3 year old Aldos leather flip flops that were in perfect condition... yes i can still wear them, with oodles of holes in them) he drinks out of the fish bowls sometimes (which he gets in deep **** for, cuz i had the fish first lol... and i have 10 of them, Betta fish, i'm a collector!), he JUMPS BEHIND THE ENTERTAINMENT CENTER AND UNPLUGS MY SURROUND SOUND... little bastid. he does all kinds of things i can tolerate, but i'm not rich and don't feel like washing my damn blanket every day cuz he SUCKS ON IT TILL IT"S LIKE WET.

omg someone give me advice. i've tried everything. holding his head still, petting him till i think he's forgotten he wanted to do that, ugh i dont' even know what else. tossin him to the floor tellin him no, spank his butt tell him no... ANYTHING i do, he comes right back. he's like a bear, not very phased by anything physical, and he's not really scared unless i holler real loud, which he knows i mean bizznass about whatevers goin on if i do that cuz i hate the yellin, and the other kitty is prego so we keep it quiet here.

ugh help. LOL what a wierdo cat i have.
 
#5
I have one cat that does this all the time, I have no idea why. I think it's comforting for them.
My cat that suckles was originally going to be euthanized at the shelter because he was tiny (maybe 5 weeks old) & sick. I always thought he may have done the suckling thing because he wasn't weaned properly from his mother. Anyhow he's 4 years old now and still loves to suckle. I know lots of other cat owners with the same problem so I think it's quite common.
You could always solve the problem by just getting him his own blanket (?)
Also I would definitely recommend getting him fixed before he does come into season as he will want to roam and most likely start to spray.
 
#6
well i think i'm safe from the spray ing but i'm not trying to take any chances lol... i guess buying him his own blanket is a good idea... he's such a wierdo.

he only does it if the blanket is next to me or over my legs. he's obsessed with me, all in my face n stuff like that.

i don't think he was weaned too early but maybe. he's smart as a whip, he's never done his buisiness on the floor, not ONCE... and the house he was in was with his 2 sisters (his brother went to someone else, the owner of the mother has the mother and 2 daughters now) HER 3 cats are disgusting. spoiled rotten and RUNNING the house. they poop everywhere and they are so gross. out of control, unloving, not nice cats. the mother of the cat is currently famous in this girls house for coming out of no where and attacking the living **** out of the 2 female kittens. the kittens roll over in fear. the mother gets her booty beat. repeat the process. she wanted to keep booey, MY cat, but i went and rescued him. he was the first to leave the litter, and acted damn happy about it. as soon as i chose him as my cat (like a month before i took him) he'd run to me every time i came to the house to see him. soulmates :love:


my cat is loving and i'd go as far to say he's caring as well because when i'm upset he comes running. he loves me to death. i call him like a dog and he comes. he's awesome. (his name is booey)

this is my cat playing with his fake Gucci backpack:

attachment.php


and this is the link to the thread i did on it ;)

http://forum.purseblog.com/animalicious/booey-vs-the-fagucci-a-photo-journal-132190.html#post2736394
 
#7
I don't have a cat - but I was going to suggest giving him a blanket of his own.

Back when I was taking care of my Dad who was in a wheelchair - we had a little dog (not the one in the avatar) who would literally steal my Dad's lap blankets.

I had made 3 crib sized quilts for my dad to use (one in the lap, one in the wash, and one clean on standby) Anyway Dad would get warm and drop the quilt to the floor next to the chair and Mick would move it and take it for himself. The only solution....make Mick his own quilt. It worked.
 
#9
[SIZE=+1]Chewing behavior - generalized pica[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]Q:[/SIZE] My 2 1/2 yr. old Maine Coon chews on both soft materials (nylon rug fiber, curtains, tablecloth ends) and hard ones (window screening, radio antennas, hard edges on small appliances). I've heard about some breeds needing to ingest undigestible fiber (like wool). Might it be that? If so, is that dangerous? Or, could it be a teeth-related problem? He gets regular vet check-ups and seems in perfect health. Thanks!
[SIZE=+1]A: [/SIZE]There are breeds that have a strong tendency to ingest wool, primarily Siamese cats. This is an unexplained tendency that is pretty hard to treat. I don't think that this is considered a need, though.
This condition isn't really dangerous to the cat but it really annoys many owners.
If your cats chews on things like electric cords it could be dangerous. For specific problems like this aversive agents like bitter apple might work. For more generalized pica there are a lot of theories. Increased dietary fiber helps some cats. Other respond to access to greens (grass, green beans, sprouts, etc). In some instances medications for obsessive/compulsive behaviors such as clomipramine (Anafranil Rx) may be helpful. Some people feel that consistent punishment might work but this can change your relationship with your cat.
Dr Michael Richards, DVM
11/27/98


(http://www.vetinfo4cats.com/catchew.html)
 
#10
Manifestations of Stress: Sucking, Chewing, and Eating Disorders
In his book, The Cat Who Cried for Help, Dr. Nicholas Dodman discusses possible causes for these ritualized oral activities and offers solutions. He explains that wool sucking can take many forms including sucking its own or another cat's fur, sucking and kneading soft blankets, or sucking the owner's hair, earlobes, or other body parts. "At its most extreme, the oral activity is directed at all kinds of fabric, including linen, nylon, acrylic, and some plastics, and involves mouthing, chewing, and even ingestion." At this stage the condition is referred to as pica, the eating of inappropriate nonfood items. Some cat owners find that their cat is literally eating them out of house and home.
There are three factors that may explain the development of this behavior:

  1. While pica is common in many breeds, the intelligent and sensitive Siamese, Burmese, and Himalayan breeds all inherit common genes which seem to carry the urge to wool-suck or chew.
  2. Also, premature weaning appears to predispose some cats to this behavior. This may also explain why the Oriental breeds are more likely to exhibit this behavior. The Oriental breeds tend to nurse longer (16 weeks) than their mixed-breed cousins (8-10 weeks), leading to a greater postweaning drive to suckle. However, even a mixed breed kitten that is weaned early will have a strong drive to nurse and may displace that drive into ritualized oral activities.
  3. Stress appears to be a major factor triggering these behaviors as the sucking and chewing activities may not be performed until the cat is well into adulthood. Perhaps it could be compared to thumb-sucking or nail-biting in humans.
Possible solutions for sucking, chewing, and pica problems are as follows:

  • Rule out dental problems, parasites, or other health concerns as being a possible cause for this behavior by taking the cat to your veterinarian for a thorough exam.
  • Be sure that the cat is on an adequate feline diet. A high fiber diet fed free choice can serve to redirect the cat's craving onto a more acceptable target. (If the cat eats too fast, spread the dry food out on a plate.) It is also a good idea to add roughage to the cat's diet by growing an inside garden for Kitty of chives, catnip, or plain grass. Vegetables and even popcorn can provide him with the "crunch" he craves. The C.E.T. FORTE Chews sold at veterinary clinics for oral hygiene purposes are very popular with most cats and they also provide good chewing action--while cleaning the cat's teeth.
  • Prohibit the cat from having access to the objects he is inappropriately ingesting. This may mean just keeping clothes and blankets out of the cat's reach or the cat may have to be confined in a "cat-proofed" room with his litterbox, food and water, and toys when direct supervision is not possible. When out of this room, the cat should be continuously monitored (putting a bell on his collar will help determine his whereabouts). If he shows any intention of sucking or chewing an item, startle him with a loud sound (a shaker can--a soda can with pennies in it--works well) and distract him with another enjoyable activity (eg., interactive play).
  • When possible, "booby-trap" the chewing targets. If Kitty is chewing on electric cords, make sure they are not dangling enticingly where he can grab and bite them. Tie them up or place a piece of furniture in front of them. If it isn't possible to get them out of the way, purchase some small plastic tubing from the hardware store, slice open one side, and wrap it around the cords. Next, coat the cord with clear Ivory dishwashing soap. (Ivory can be applied to the cords without the tubing, but it offers protection from electrocution in case the cat still tries to bite the cord.) If the chewing targets are textiles, put them all away except for a few "treated" pieces. They can be rubbed with a distasteful, but harmless, substance such as Tabasco sauce. (Some cats like the taste of Bitter Apple!)
  • Find ways to reduce the cat's stress by scheduling regular interactive play sessions (10-15 minutes long), followed by a petting or grooming session, at least twice a day. Identify any sources of stress (the vacuum cleaner, noisy kids, a resident "bully" cat) and minimize contact with them. This may mean giving Kitty his own quiet room for at least part of the day as well as providing him with plenty of safe and comfortable perches in other parts of the house. More attention from the owner as well as an enriched, cat-friendly environment is always therapeutic.
  • In severe cases these problems have been treated successfully with antiobsessional drugs such as Anafranil and Prozac along with stress reducing environmental modifications.
(http://www.catsinternational.org/articles/overcoming_stress/displacement_activities.html)
 
#11
I believe chewing is different than the suckling behavior the OP is inquiring of.

My cat did the same thing, and she did this with fleece or microfiber blankets or sweatshirts. She would suckle the fabric and "knead" her front paws for (no joke) 2-3 minutes, then she would settle down on the fabric and nap.

This is just a natural behavior I believe that calms the cat. My cat never made a hole in the fabric and she had her front claws. When she would do it I just thought it was kind of cute and let her nestle in. :smile:
 
#12
My almost 3-year old cat does this too....she has ever since she was a baby. It happens less often now, but she loves any crocheted or knitted blankets...I can't explain why! I worry about her ingesting the fibers, but it seems to comfort her....sweet little thing. :heart:
 
#14
caitlin thank you so much for all that info! everything makes sense now. he's the smartest cat i've ever seen in my life, and his mother is a maine coon mix, so she might have some other breed with that tendancy as well.

hopefully the older he gets the less he will want to do it, cuz i have claw holes in my thighs from him kneading my skin through the blanket (terd).
 
#15
Oh Viciousbliss. Mine is even worse. He's like five months like yours and he likes to chew a pijama that I always left at the bed. He's unuttered, so you can imagine that he's hormones are a little bit high or he might be in the peak of he's puberty, whatever!!. But that's not the worse part, whenever he's sucking the pj, he has his, umm, ahem, ew, uh, no!, little thing, you know, OUT!! And I don't even know how to deal with that!! Sorry Rio (that's my cat) for sharing your things with almost 1000 or more women.:nuts:
 
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