Orphans whose relationship with their mom has been interrupted too early will often seek the comfort of nursing wherever they can.  Sometimes they will suck their bedding or a plush toy but most often they will suck body parts of their siblings. They will try to simulate the comfort of nursing by sucking an ear, a tummy, a tail…. but usually the focus will be on the genitals of a sibling.

 

This can be a very serious problem.  The ears, the tummy, the tail can become irritated to the extent of causing ulcers (a suppurating sore that does not heal and results in destruction of tissue) but the most serious is the damage to the genitals.

 

In addition to the damage done to each other’s body parts, this behavior develops into a habit that is very unpleasant.  Kittens and puppies who have been allowed to nurture this habit will continue to seek this comfort into their adulthood.  They will insist on sucking people, pillows, toys...an annoying behavior that few people will tolerate. 

 

Unless we fix it, our precious foster baby will lose his happy home and probably never find a family that will tolerate his annoying habit. 

 

Watch your orphans closely for this behavior.  Pay particular attention to the genitals, if soggy, there is little doubt as to why.  Tiny orphans will do this.  Five week old kittens will do this.  Puppies get over it sooner than kittens.  If they are doing this they will not stop unless you intervene.

Try this first: Putting Desitin on the area that is being abused sometimes discourages this behavior because it tastes bad.  Almost anything else you put on the area will be painful or damaging to already irritated skin.  Desitin is healing and soothing, does not come off readily and it tastes bad.  Hopefully you were given a vile of Desitin when you picked up your kittens.  If not, it is available to you from Judy or at the shelter.

 

If that doesn’t work, the orphans MUST be separated when ever they are not supervised.  They usually won’t do this while they are awake and active.  It is nap time that induces the desire to replicate the comfort of snuggling with their mommy.  It has nothing to do with being hungry, it is a primal desire.  Of course hunger will exacerbate this desire but a well fed foster kitten or puppy will still seek the comfort of nursing against warm fur.

 

 

It is best if they are separated in such a way as to allow them to see one another and even curl up next to each other on a bed next to the divider.  A cage divided with wire as shown above will satisfy their need to be with littermates but make nursing each other impossible.

 

 

You must devise a way to house these babes separately when you are not watching them.  They can be together during meals and play time but they must be separated while they nap.

Puppies usually stop trying to nurse each other as soon as teeth are a factor...their siblings will discourage the abuse...problem solved.  Kittens are more persistent and, for some reason, less apt to fight off the offending sibling.  Most will eventually lose the urge but maybe not before it is time to take them back to the shelter.  Test them every few days to see if they still go for it.   If they fail the test, and it is time to take them back, make it known to the staff that these kittens must be housed separately until they are adopted.

In the case of tiny orphans, a cardboard box can be divided into sections with wire, plastic or glass.   Or a separate tub for each orphan will work until they are big enough to escape.

A divider is made with a mesh material and PVC (see below) and fastened in the cage with zip ties.  If you do not have such materials on hand, call Judy.  A bed is cut from a cardboard box to fit under the divider so that a heating pad can be shared by both orphans.

The Divider

This plastic mesh can be purchased at Home Depot.  It is easy to cut with scissors and because it is plastic, it will roll up to fit into and out of the rolling cage.  It is kept stiff with pieces of PVC.  Holes are drilled in the PVC to fasten the mesh to it with zip ties.  Judy always has these materials if you need help to assemble such a situation.

 

We also have small cages to loan for separating kittens and puppies with this problem.