Still nursing

by Nancy C.
(Baltimore, MD, USA)

Spot was being tossed around like a bean bag, by a group of boys who were walking down the street in front of my job. She was only 3 or 4 weeks old, and I took her, put her in my pocket, returned to work and took her home at the end of the day.


I had just lost a lot of weight and had loose skin on my neck. Spot slept with me and within the first night or two, she was suckling on the loose skin. It took her nearly 3-years to stop sucking on my neck, but at 4-years old, she still licks my neck and sleeps in my arms with her nose against my neck every night, and several times throughout the day. Will my baby ever grow up?

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Wool Sucking Is Common
by: Kurt (Cat Lovers Only Admin)

The sucking behavior is commonly referred to as "wool sucking." Cats who are weaned too early may exhibit wool sucking behavior, which often manifests in the form of sucking on materials such as wool blankets, stuffed animals, sweaters, and so on.

It's often accompanied by lots of kneading, and sometimes simultaneous purring. Even cats who outgrow this behavior may revert to it during times of illness or stress. Some cats end up eating sweaters and blankets a few bits at a time. Not good!

Teddie and Frankie were found on the streets and taken to a shelter. It's likely that they were weaned too early, and Teddie sucked on a teddy bear for several years. She would also sometimes do this to blankets, but the bear was her favorite until she outgrew the behavior. I think she might have been 4 or 5 years old before she stopped doing it regularly.

The licking is probably more related to "mutual grooming." Cats will often groom other cats, and to them, you're a cat. Cats seem to enjoy mutual grooming quite a bit, and it helps to get the hard to reach spots.

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Same Here
by: Donna D.-Raleigh, NC

I have a rescue Kitty as well. Her name is Baby Hazel. She does the exact same thing as your kitty. She is just a snuggly kitty. She loves to curl up against your neck at night and make biscuits.

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