Maine Coon owners, is this normal?

[jmowreader]

My Maine Coon, who is six months old, has decided to regress into kittenhood--the level of kittenhood where your claws won't retract and your ears are too low on your head. So she's started nursing again.

But since she's bigger than every other cat in the house and they whack her on the head when she tries to nurse on them, she's nursing on the blankets, my shirts, the carpet, old newspapers on the floor...

Should I be concerned that a six-month-old kitten is acting like a three-week-old kitten?

[Spinzonner]

1. About the right age for puberty

maybe she's a lesbian

[thom1102]

2. Doesn't sound like anything too unusual,

but you could always give your vet a call and ask. They may be able to screen over the phone whether this is an indication of anything wrong. Good luck!

[kslib]

3. From the PetProfessor

"Trying to nurse on clothes or objects
This behavior is most often displayed by a kitten or cat who was taken or weaned from his mother too early. Keep in mind that just like humans, cats are individuals too, and some may need more time with their mothers for emotional reasons, than others. This behavior often is one that the cat will outgrow as it gets older; however, some cats never seem to outgrow this special babyish behavior. The way to avoid your cat “nursing” on an item of clothing or household item you don’t want him to suck and chew on, is to put something on the item that is distasteful to your cat, such as paprika, hair spray, or citrus-smelling agents. This also works well with cats who like to chew on electric cords. Be aware though that chewing electric cords is often thought to be directly related to your cat’s anxiety due to being separated from you."

I've always read and heard from the vets in the hospital I work in that 4 weeks is the earliest to wean.

Hope this helps!

[BurtWorm]

4. Awww! She's teething, I bet.

:loveya:

[City of Mills]

5. My cat is five and still does that

It's slowed down, but every once in awhile the mood strikes and Peanut seeks out a shirt or towel to drag around the house with him. I have another cat I pulled in about a year ago, don't know how old he is but he's BIG, and he grabs my arm every now and then and tries to get milk from it. :bounce: