My kitten sucks his brother's neck or ear. How do I stop it?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Male | unneutered | 4 months and 12 days old | 5 lbs
We adopted 2 brothers and 1 sister. All of them from the same litter. When Marley (one of the boys he is the black and white one. His brother is the white one) is getting ready to go to sleep and he curls up next to his brother. He will suck on his brother's neck or his ear. We want to have him stop. We think he's old enough not to be sucking on things. We adopted them when they were 8 weeks old. What are ways to be able to get him to stop?
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on September 17th, 2018
What cute kitties! I would discourage this behavior by removing the kitten each time this occurs and trying to distract him with something else- a fun toy or treat. Also giving him some time alone so he develops some independent from his sibling can be helpful. A feliway pheromone diffuser may also be helpful if the suckling is a nervous response. You can also put a little shirt/sweater on the kitten getting suckled to make it tougher for the suckler to get to him!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on September 4th, 2018
Suckling behavior can be a relaxation behavior for some kittens and is very normal. If you notice him doing it and don't want him to, simply try to distract him with a fun toy to play with, a treat, or other object to get him focused on something else.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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