5 Reasons Why Cats Nurse On Blankets Or Clothing

You’ve probably also wondered why on earth cats get so excited about wool sucking.

Well, wonder no more. Here are some of the most common beliefs about the origins of this behavior.

1. Early separation from the mother

This theory makes sense in some Freudian way, but I'm not sure it holds water. I adopted my cat, Siouxsie, and her twin sister when they were just six weeks old because back then I didn't know kittens should be kept with their mothers for at least eight weeks. Neither Siouxsie nor Sin├®ad ever sucked fabric, though. I don't know many orphaned "bottle baby" kittens, so I don't know if this behavior is more common for them than for other cats.

2. The breed factor

Siamese and other Oriental breed cats are more likely to nurse fabric than other cats. Although there doesn't seem to be any genetic cause for this, it's well known that Oriental breed cats require a longer weaning period than most others.

4. A demonstration of trust

If your cat takes to sitting in your lap and nursing your clothes, she's showing you that she feels complete faith in your ability to protect her from harm. It takes a lot of concentration to nurse, and it would be hard for her to focus that intensely if she didn't feel safe.

5. A way to cope with overwhelming stress

It seems counterintuitive that nursing behavior could show total trust or total freak-out anxiety, but it's true. When a cat starts using behavior that reminds her of the safety of her kittenhood as way to comfort herself when she occasionally feels stressed, that's cute. But when anxiety pervades every aspect of her life to the point where she's suckling constantly in an attempt to self-soothe, that's a problem.

So, what should you do if your cat is suckling on fabric and you’re concerned about it?

First, you'll need to get to the root of the stresses in her life and try to resolve them. Add vertical and horizontal territory for your cat, use interactive play as a tool to help her gain confidence, and perhaps even give her a short course of anti-anxiety medication to keep her from getting triggered into the nursing behavior when she feels stressed.

There’s something ridiculously cute about watching a cat knead and suck on blankets while purring his fool head off.