How to stop a kitten from trying to lick, knead, or suckle you

If you've ever gotten a kitten or even a cat that won't stop licking you and digging their claws into you as they do it, kneading you like they're making bread for the apocalypse, then chances are you have a kitten or cat that was taken away from its mother too early. The instinct to suckle to feed is strong in kittens and if they don't get a chance to learn the function of that instinct, or aren't ready to leave their mothers, they can continue to try to do that to you, their new mommy. My cat was found at 1 day old and was a "Bottle Baby".  I got her at 10 weeks from the shelter. It's a good thing she was so cute, because she had a severe instinct to suckle and no idea why, when, or where it was appropriate. And I was where it was not appropriate, but the place she wanted to do it. Any exposed skin. I had to cover my head to sleep or anything sticking out of the sheets, arm, shoulder, back, neck, face, didn't matter, it was fair game. I was so sleep deprived and covered in scratches and cat spit after a month I was ready to seek professional help!  I found a quick and easy fix. It takes about a week or so to solve this problem. 

      First: go to the baby department of a store, like Walmart or Toy R Us. and purchase a small, but safe toy or mini blanket. I found a little baby toy that was a small bear with maybe an 8 x 8 inch piece of blanket attached. It has a soft side and a satin side. The soft side is not so fuzzy that the fuzz comes off and the kitten could swallow it. Watch out for that! You don't want them swallowing any parts. The eyes on the bear are stitched on, not buttons, so I don't have to worry about her swallowing those either. If you wouldn't trust it with a baby, don't trust it for your kitten.

      Second, You need to sleep with the toy against your skin for at least 3 nights so it picks up your scent. It needs to smell like the kittens new mommy, not a store.

    Third, once it smells like you, every time the kitten tries to suckle you, slide the toy or blanket between the kitten and your skin. The kitten will protest for a little while, but eventually it will go straight to the toy or blanket instead of your skin. 

   Mine had an added bonus of a rattle inside the bear. Now when I want the cat ( who is approaching 3 years old and still loves her " suckie" ) I just shake the toy and she comes running. 

   Life is so much easier now that she has another place to appropriately use her instinct to suckle than me. I know when I first learned of this technique, I heard that most cats outgrow this need by the age of two. For the rest, it is a life long attachment. Guess my cats " suckie" better live for a long time.  She still runs for it, kneads it, and purrs like crazy.