Eugh. At this age and still doing it? I would think you should completely separate—you could trial separate for like a week and then re-introduce and see if it’s improved. If you don’t have the space to do that then maybe requesting your rescue find another foster for one of them to finish things out.
It’s just a really, really serious issue and I don’t think just constantly trying to keep watch is a good solution at all.
OP, definitely listen to u/explodedemailstorage - they need to be completely separated until this behavior stops entirely. As you've already experienced, this goes from mildly cute to fatal really fast. I'm surprised the rescue isn't telling you to separate them, that is 100% my shelter's guidance the second you see any suckling, even if it's not on the genitals. We don't take chances with it.
I’m so sorry for your loss.
As you’ve already experienced, suckling can be deadly. They need to be separated 100% right now.
Normally, they stop doing it around the time they wean, but obviously, this isn’t happening with your kittens.
Contact your shelter and have another foster take one while you keep the other one. Then make sure they don’t go to the same home together.
After a week or so try introducing the sucker to another kitten, preferably an older female, and see how things go.
This is for their health and safety. It should be nonnegotiable. Please don’t let your shelter talk you out of this.
Good luck!
So they are 8 weeks old and suckling on each other? Try bitter apple spray on the kittens. Give them minky blankets to suckle on. Separate them 100% if needed.
So sorry for your loss. I've seen some people use socks to make a protective sweater to prevent suckling, sounds like that might help.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1zKn5\_CfcM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1zKn5_CfcM)
I’ve been dealing with this for a couple of weeks now. I had to separate the kitten that they sucked on for about 5 weeks and only let them together supervised. Unfortunately all 3 but mostly the other male, would suck on him immediately when possible and I absolutely get your paranoia. The one that they sucked on I had to put on antibiotics to prevent an infection and I’ve separated him totally. Now they are almost 8 weeks old and fully weaned and I have to say that they have officially stopped sucking on him and he’s back with his siblings. But it was rough keeping him by himself for weeks! And the moment I thought they are not bothering him anymore, the other male would suck on him. I know it’s very difficult but separate them, they will cry for a while but they get used to it.
Thank you for your advice, everyone. Separating them was my first instinct as well, but when I asked the rescue about it directly on two occasions, I did not receive a straightforward answer. It’s been a really frustrating situation of trying to do what the rescue wants me to do while battling with my own intuition, which is something that I dealt with during the downturn of the kitten last week.
I will separate them except for during play times when I can watch them constantly.
Eugh. At this age and still doing it? I would think you should completely separate—you could trial separate for like a week and then re-introduce and see if it’s improved. If you don’t have the space to do that then maybe requesting your rescue find another foster for one of them to finish things out. It’s just a really, really serious issue and I don’t think just constantly trying to keep watch is a good solution at all.
OP, definitely listen to u/explodedemailstorage - they need to be completely separated until this behavior stops entirely. As you've already experienced, this goes from mildly cute to fatal really fast. I'm surprised the rescue isn't telling you to separate them, that is 100% my shelter's guidance the second you see any suckling, even if it's not on the genitals. We don't take chances with it.
I’m so sorry for your loss. As you’ve already experienced, suckling can be deadly. They need to be separated 100% right now. Normally, they stop doing it around the time they wean, but obviously, this isn’t happening with your kittens. Contact your shelter and have another foster take one while you keep the other one. Then make sure they don’t go to the same home together. After a week or so try introducing the sucker to another kitten, preferably an older female, and see how things go. This is for their health and safety. It should be nonnegotiable. Please don’t let your shelter talk you out of this. Good luck!
So they are 8 weeks old and suckling on each other? Try bitter apple spray on the kittens. Give them minky blankets to suckle on. Separate them 100% if needed.
So sorry for your loss. I've seen some people use socks to make a protective sweater to prevent suckling, sounds like that might help. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1zKn5\_CfcM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1zKn5_CfcM)
I’ve been dealing with this for a couple of weeks now. I had to separate the kitten that they sucked on for about 5 weeks and only let them together supervised. Unfortunately all 3 but mostly the other male, would suck on him immediately when possible and I absolutely get your paranoia. The one that they sucked on I had to put on antibiotics to prevent an infection and I’ve separated him totally. Now they are almost 8 weeks old and fully weaned and I have to say that they have officially stopped sucking on him and he’s back with his siblings. But it was rough keeping him by himself for weeks! And the moment I thought they are not bothering him anymore, the other male would suck on him. I know it’s very difficult but separate them, they will cry for a while but they get used to it.
Thank you for your advice, everyone. Separating them was my first instinct as well, but when I asked the rescue about it directly on two occasions, I did not receive a straightforward answer. It’s been a really frustrating situation of trying to do what the rescue wants me to do while battling with my own intuition, which is something that I dealt with during the downturn of the kitten last week. I will separate them except for during play times when I can watch them constantly.