My cat keeps suckling on clothes: blankets, T-shirts... why?

Hi there!!

The "suckling" behaviour in adult cats usually happens for the following reasons:

• Being weaned too early as a kitten.
• Stress or illness.
• Boredom.

In all these cases, the cat is looking to soothe themselves and feel secure, just as they did with their mum. 

You didn't mention your cat's age in your post. If they are a senior cat, you should take them to the vet to rule out any underlying health issues.

If there's no illness, there’s no real problem with your cat behaving this way. You must always make sure they aren't swallowing bits of fabric, though, as this could lead to a bowel obstruction—which is a very serious emergency.

It’s usually quite helpful to play with them plenty and provide some environmental enrichment to keep them occupied.

Best wishes.

My cat sucks the blanket on my bed—right down by my feet, mind you—and then she just drifts off to sleep peacefully. And so what? I don’t mind at all if she’s happy... I think we’re all a bit too fussy with animals. We bite our nails, have our own little quirks and habits, the lot! It’s probably because she was weaned a bit too early, but it’s nothing serious—I know plenty of people who are far worse, LOL!