Emily

[sirrahbed]

We adopted a baby brother/sister pair in April. The shelter had tried to foster them separately but the male, Eliot was too despondant without his sister. So, we happily took them both home. Well, Eliot seems very well adjusted - a little aloof and typical. Emily is a sweetheart - very loving and affectionate. But she has the oddest habit: every night when she decides it is BEDTIME - she gets on my hubby's side of the bed and cries pathetically until he will get in bed and pull the quilt down to expose her "blanket" - she gets almost frantic and jumps up there to "nurse" on the blanket!! She will do this while making biscuits until she falls off in a dead slumber!! We went out of town this weekend and we worried how she would fall asleep so made a "dummy" pillow under her blanket and put hubby's hat at the top. She was there whenwe came home!! Is this strange behavior or what? She is ten months old now! Naps are no problem - she can take one anywhere but goes ballistic at bedtime!!
I can't believe what we go through for these babies! I saw a cute quote somewhere here - "dogs have owners but cats have staff" - how true!! Well, we will do whatever we need to do to keep these creatures happy but I was wondering if this habit of Emily's is ordinary or not.

[jenluckenbach]

Emily could very likely have been weaned from her mom to early. This behavior is comforting for her. I think it is sweet. :)

[sirrahbed]

Yes, I think it is sweet too - and my hubby is so honored to be her comfort of choice!! He lovingly constructed the "pillow dummy" of himself for her to lay on when we were out of town. Yup, cats have "staff" alright!!

[cubby31682]

Before I moved out on my own we had a cat that would nurse. We got him when he was 3 months old. He had one blanket that my mom made and he used to nurse on for naps for sleeping at night. When the other cats would bother him he would go nurse. My dad of couse made fun of him every chance he would get. If the other cats would try to get on the bed and lay down with him he would growl hiss spit and carry on. Sadly we had to put him down after he got into a few cat fights in the neighborhood and attacked my mom and me. We didn't trust him around kids or women. He hated women with a passion. When we got him he was a very nice cat he loved everyone when my mom had cancer he turned on all women. We didn't want to take him to the shelter knowing they would put him down because of his hatered towards women. So we took him to the vet (well my dad or my brother I can't remember which did it.) That was the only safe way to get him out of the house. My mom had to get stitches 3 or 4 times because of him. He got me good a few times but I would push him off of me or I would scream and I would run. My mom would scream or push him off of her and he just would keep going back to her meaner than ever.

I have no clue why I am going into this. Sorry this is so long.

Katie

[kimlovescats]

How adorable!!!! This is one of the many kitty behaviours that I find so endearing!!! ;)

[Purr]

this is probably "wool sucking". can be harmful if she swallows too much "gunk". just be mindful :)

[catcrazylady]

Our Sammy did that for a long time. I agree with Jen that he was taken from his mom too soon. Sammy was found on the side of the road when he was very tiny. He didn't start sucking until we put a new blanket on the bed. He loved it and nursed on it every night when we went to bed. He was probably around 5 or 6 months old before he even started it. The blanket finally came off of the bed when he was around 2 and he has never done it again. There was just something about that blanket! It was cute and I do miss him doing it. It drove my husband crazy when he was making that little sucking noise until he went to sleep with a little wet wadded up piece of the blanket still in his mouth.
UUUMMM...I wonder if I still have that blanket.http://petoftheday.com/talk/images/our_smilies/wink.gif

[Edwina's Secretary]

Sorry...but I can't stop giggling at the thought of your husband making the pillow figure --- hat and all!

The things we do for love!

[sirrahbed]

Originally posted by Edwina's Secretary
Sorry...but I can't stop giggling at the thought of your husband making the pillow figure --- hat and all!

The things we do for love!

:D :D He would probably deny it if he knew I told!! But there is no doubt that Emily is daddy's princess. We left for another overnight this weekend (to visit grandkitties) and he did the same only added a t-shirt so she could *smell* daddy!!! TRUTH!!!