Serious question. Cat and dog, both female.

[Maddy McCall]

My kitten is about five months old. My schnauzer is about two years old and is not preggers and has never had puppies.

We adopted the kitten when she was five weeks old. We really didn't have a choice to allow her to stay with her mother longer. I know that removing the kitten from her mother when she was so young is probably the reason for the problem I am currently experiencing.

Well, not me, but my schnauzer.

Salem likes to nurse on Lucinda. She has nursed on Luci since the day she arrived at our home, and she continues to do so. I know it is for comfort, but she does it all the time.

Here's a photo from a couple of months ago:



Since the kitten started this, Lucinda's hair around her belly has started to turn red--not really attractive on a silver schnauzer. :) And Lucinda tries to get away from the kitten--she gets tired of being a full-body pacifier for Salem. Plus, add in the fact that the cat is as big as the dog is now, and it just ain't right.

So here's the question. How can I get the kitten to quit nursing on the dog?

All responses, even the inevitable smart-ass ones, will be appreciated. :)

[livinginphotographs]

1. I've seen this happen before.

At some point, the cat will just stop. I really wouldn't worry about it unless scabs or something are showing up on the dog.

[Maddy McCall]

12. Not to be gross, but her ninnies are turning purple.

They look bruised.

[livinginphotographs]

19. Then I'd start shoo-ing her away when you see it.

Sooner or later, the cat will learn.

Honestly, I'm surprised the dog would put up with this.

[Maddy McCall]

22. I am wondering if Luci is telling me she wants some babies.

Now, I know that sounds crazy, but she's also been gathering toys or socks and placing them all together in her bed. Wondering if this is some maternal urge kicking in with her? I'm going to mate her with my best friend's male schnauzer during her next heat. She will certainly be an excellent mother, from all indications. :)

[livinginphotographs]

25. Has she been spayed?

If not, she's probably okay with the cat nursing. It's not necessarily a good thing, if she's getting sore, but that's probably why she's allowing it.

The spayed mother cat I knew who nursed her kitten would whack at him after a certain point. But if they're not spayed, they may feel instinctually (is that a word?) obligated to nurse.

[Maddy McCall]

26. No, she hasn't been spayed.

Yes, I had considered that maybe nature was causing Luci to allow it.

[livinginphotographs]

27. That's probably why.

Mother animals will let themselves die before their babies go hungry. (Unfortunately, humans aren't quite that evolved.)

I'm not sure how to help you. All the animals I've dealt with have been spayed/neutured.

[slutticus]

2. Well...my cat's kittens wouldn't stop nursing until she...

...started smacking them.

They probably would have kept nursing forever if she didn't put the smack down.

[yardwork]

5. That's been my experience as well

Normally, when the mother cat decides that her kittens are old enough to stop nursing the mother cat puts a stop to it.

Encourage Lucinda to say no.

[Maddy McCall]

21. See the T-shirt in the photo?

Well, that was an attempt to put a barrier between the kitten and Luci's ninnies. Unfortunately, the kitten found her way UP inside the shirt. :D

Just say no, huh? :-)

[TNDemo]

3. Mine did that.

I had a dog that was about 4-5 years old when I was a kid. She had had one set of puppies years before but was spayed when we got a kitten. The dog tried to nurse the kitten. I am not sure how much nursing went on (long time ago) but they went on to be very close. They ate out of the same bowl, slept in the same doghouse and were best buddies. I have a 5-year-old cat and introduced an adult dog to her about six months ago and neither is amused about it.

[mike_c]

4. separate them....

Kittens stop nursing because their mother refuses to allow it. If Lucinda won't stop it, you'll have to.

One other thing you might try is to actually transfer the nursing impulse to something you control, then wean it. Get a kitten bottle and milk replacement from your vet (and while you're there talk to the vet about this), nurse the cat for a while, then gradually stop.

[Maddy McCall]

13. Already tried the CMR/bottle route.

She fought fiercly instead of taking to the rubber nipple. I think the nursing on Luci is more of a comfort thing than a sustinence thing.

[DELUSIONAL]

6. Cute photo

It sounds like your Schnauzer is beginning the weaning process -- both mother dogs and cats just stand up and get away from the babies.

My guess is that nature will take its course and the foster mom will wean and perhaps growl and find a way to keep away from the kitten. From the size of the kitten she should grow out of this.

You might want to put something nasty tasting on your Schnauzer's nipples -- this is what human moms do. No -- I don't know what would be nasty tasting -- perhaps something like "Bitter Apple" anti chewing stuff you can get a pet stores.

[Maddy McCall]

18. Will try the apple stuff next time I go to the pet store.

Thanks for the suggestion. :thumbsup:

[AmandaRuth]

7. i would let nature take its course

i had a German Shepard that was dog momma to one of my kittens. My German Shepard seemed to enjoy it even more than the cat. Eventually the when the kitten was old and big enough, she let her know in her unique cat way that enough was enough. But they bonded in a way that was pretty cool, and were the best of friends. It was awfully cute to see a tiny little kitten and later cat snuggled up in the lap of a huge 85 pound dog.

In your case, I think they will eventually work it out on their own and create their own boundaries, which will be important because they are going to be sharing the same person and house.

[Maddy McCall]

14. Yes, I've noticed Luci already establishing her boundaries...

she gets up on the back of the couch where there is no room for the kitten to lounge and nurse.

Maybe it is indeed the beginning of the weaning process. And you are right...I think in the past Luci has enjoyed it. Now she seems to be running from it. I think her little nips are sore. :-)

[Booster]

8. Get some of that apple stuff from the pet store that you put on

animals to make them stop licking themselves - the kitten will stop, guaranteed, and the dog won't lick there either.

[DS1]

9. One of my roommate's female dog likes to hump your leg. Falwell

would say she's making the wrong choice in life :7

[Maddy McCall]

17. LOL! Maybe she was trying to be the life of the party...

was she doing "the freak?" (Not trying to start another flamewar, mods. :D )

[tk2kewl]

10. I had a cat that used to do this to my shirt

unfortunately he stopped by being hit by a car

[Maddy McCall]

15. Awww....I am so sorry about that.

I love it when the kitten makes buscuits on me while I pet her. I know you miss your cat. :(

[tk2kewl]

23. that was a while ago, but thanks

we have 2 10 yr old cats that we got about a couple of months after Peanut's demise

[Minimus]

11. I had a cat that nursed my earlobe.

I got it when it was a kitten and used to let it sleep in my bed. I awoke one night with it sucking on my earlobe, purring and needing it's little paws. I was young and thought it was cute trick.

Well the kitten turned into a cat and kept doing it. It quickly became not so cute and even painful with the needing claws in my head and face.

Eventually I had to ban the cat from my room because it tried to do it every night and I couldn't sleep. I used to hate it when my mom would check in on me at night and forget to pull my door shut all the way, 'cause that cat would push the door open and wake me up clinging to my ear purring so loudly.

How weird is that?

[Maddy McCall]

16. Tooo funny!

Yes, I can see where that would become annoying. I think Luci is at the stage you were when you banished the cat. :-)

[Rabrrrrrr]

20. My God, she's suckled so much the dog is turning tie-dyed!

You didn't really put a tie-dye shirt on the dog, did you?

[Maddy McCall]

24. It was supposed to be a barrier between the kitten and the dog.

Didn't work, though. :)

And YES, I did put a tie-dye on Luci. She has a whole wardrobe of sweaters. On cold nights, she finds her sweaters, brings me one, and stands on two legs for me to put it on her. And she wasn't trained to do this. I swear, the dog thinks she is human.

:)

[Rabrrrrrr]

28. Very cute!

Some dogs want to be more chic than others, I guess.

:-)

[progmom]

29. Are you a breeder?

?

[funkybutt]

30. My sister had a cat that would do that to your neck

I'm afraid he never outgrew it. Sometimes it seemed so sweet but other times it was a bit annoying. He would get on the back of the couch and then attach his flat face (persian cat) to your neck. Usually he wouldn't actually suck but a couple of times he left "hicky" type marks. He was declawed so the paw kneeding wasn't painful I believe he left his mother at around 6 weeks but so did the rest of the litter and they didn't get into this habit. Also he fell off the bed as a young kitten and probably got some kind of concussion or brain damage. We usually blamed most of his unusual behavior on that. Very "special" cat he was. I sure miss him.

RIP Meaux 1994-2002