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Why are my 7-month-old kittens suckling their mom again? Is it okay?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | unspayed | 2 years and 9 months old | 5 lbs

Hello. I have a mama cat & 2 7 month old kittens. One male, one female (not neutered yet. Happening in 2 weeks). They have been weened off of nursing for a while now but about 2 weeks ago, the kittens started suckling again. My boyfriend says he doesn't like it & constantly wants me to pull them off of mama cat. But mama cat loves it & it's usually her calling her kittens to come suckle. Is this natural or harmful? Should i just let it continue?Will this change once they are neutered in 2 weeks?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

Veterinarian

Published on February 11th, 2019

Yes, this is normal. All momma cats are different in the amount that they will allow the kittens to nurse. Most kittens will nurse as long as mom will allow it. It is comforting to both parties. The behavior will not likely be changed by the operations for the kittens. If mom is getting spayed as well, she may not let them nurse anymore. There is no harm in the nursing behavior unless you start to notice an area starts to look red, swollen or chafed. If mom is also getting spayed, that does change things. The kittens should not be allowed to nurse or exhibit any type of that behavior as they could compromise the incision. They cannot lick at any of the incisions! I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

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