How to Stop a Cat From Non-Nutritive Suckling

If your cat tries to nurse or suckle from inanimate objects such as fabric, hair, cardboard or plastic, it suffers from non-nutritive suckling. This behavior usually develops from exposure to stressful situations or early weaning as a kitten. Certain Oriental breeds such as the Siamese or Burmese tend to develop this condition more than others since their nursing period is longer than other types of cats, according to PetEducation.com. Reduce your cat's anxiety and take steps to stop its non-nutritive suckling to avoid the accidental ingestion of a harmful substance.

Things You'll Need

  • High fiber dry cat food
  • Wheat or barley grass
  • Dog chew toys
  • Cat toys
  • Cat trees
  • Pheromone diffuser
  • Pheromone spray
  • Calming flower essences
  • Spray bottle
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Instructions

    • 1

      Take your cat to a veterinarian for a checkup. Medical conditions such as anemia, brain tumors and diabetes can cause non-nutritive suckling, according to the Pet Place website. Resolving the medical condition should eliminate this unwanted behavior.

    • 2

      Switch your cat's diet to high-fiber dry food and provide your cat with wheat or barley grass to chew, along with dog chew toys. Some cats who suckle or lick wool desire more roughage in their diets, which the wheat or barley grass will provide.

    • 3

      Enrich your cat's environment to prevent boredom which can lead to non-nutritive suckling. Give your cat toys to play with and cat trees to climb. Engage your cat in interactive play with its toys for short periods of time during the day.

    • 4

      Give your cat a calming aid, such as a pheromone diffuser or flower essence to reduce its stress levels, especially after a move or the introduction of another pet. Pheromone diffusers contain ingredients which mimic the chemicals of your cat's facial scent glands and put the cat at ease. Put a few drops of a calming flower essence in your cat's water to naturally reduce your cat's anxiety. Spray a calming pheromone directly onto the surfaces it tries to suckle to help stop this behavior. Purchase these items in pet supply stores.

    • 5

      Squirt your cat with water from a spray bottle if you see it suckling on a non-food item. You must do this right as the cat performs the behavior to form the correct association between the punishment and the suckling.

    • 6

      Ask your veterinarian to prescribe an anti-obsessional medication such as clomiprimine, fluoxetine or amitriptyline. These medications may work with cats with a compulsion to suckle or lick non-food items who have not responded to other methods of curbing this behavior. You may not see improvement in your cat's behavior for three to four months.