Although not all cats have the impulse to suck up on soft fabrics , such as fleece , it can become an obsession for others . Most commonly , this conduct develop in kitten that are remove from their female parent too presently . It may also formulate into a riding habit in mature hombre that are feeling unquiet or punctuate out and change by reversal to sucking wool for comfort .

While it may be a harmless behaviour , you sure enough do n’t desire your feline friend to swallow wool , so you may need to take activeness . The good news is that your cat ’s sucking likely has an account , and understanding that may run you to resolution that can avail .

Why Do Cats Suck Wool?

Genetics may play a function . woollen sucking most often happen in kittens who are taken from their mother before they ’re fully weaned . kitten should be kept with the female parent cat at least until the long time of 8 week and ideally until they ’re about 12 weeks former . Although they should outgrow this deportment once they ’re enclose tokitten intellectual nourishment , many persist in to endeavor to wet-nurse the mother cat for a few weeks longer .

If you take up a kitten that ’s younger than 12 workweek , you become the foster mother . The mother ’s nipple is no longer usable , so the kitten may obtain other " nipples"—kneading while sucking your ear lobe , for example . This would be a natural step in the kitten ’s developing .

Wool or other similar fabrics can easy become a cat ’s 2d selection because of its soft heat , which is also reminiscent of the mother cat . Some cats may seek to wet-nurse other cat or even their own fur , a riding habit comparable to that of a human child fellate its thumb .

Kitten playing with red ball of yarn, close-up

Credit: Sami Sarkis / Getty Images

Even for mature bozo , wool sucking may become a regular behavioural issue or a habit that sporadically come and plump . Other factors that may provoke or help sustain this behavior are :

How to Stop Wool Sucking

If your computed tomography has never assimilate any of the textile it has suckled on , you may just wish to suffer it . Letting it have that bit of quilt , especially if it ’s not obsessive or harmful or only takes place when the cat is near you , may not be deserving vex about .

On the other hand , the ingestion of fabric or other materials can have a serious abdominal stoppage . Pet ’s that woolen suction may be prone to ingesting other little materials so be certain to keep small-scale items like hair ties , floss , while of string away from cats . If they are ingesting unfitting materials like blanket , it can possibly lead to the need for operating room to remove . If you suspect your computed tomography has ingested inappropriate textile , please call your vet straight off .

Some things you could do at domicile to help sample to keep and distract your pet from wool suck include :

Cat with towel

Credit: SHINYA SASAKI/Aflo / Getty Images

incumbrance of love , longanimity , and creative trial and erroneous belief may be required to aid your computed axial tomography either desist or cut back on its wool suction . Keep in mind that if the demeanor is n’t causing any harm , you may just need to put your CT ’s emotional comforter first and teach to have it .