A 6-month-old cat has gone viral on social media after its owner shared a video of it sucking on a dog's nipples as if it was being breastfed.
The clip, shared Wednesday on TikTok by the cat's owner under the username Cacti670, shows the kitten apparently trying to get milk from the family's shih tzu. The dog may be producing milk even though she has never had puppies, the owner wrote.
For kittens that are separated from their mom at a very young age, suckling with something, such as a rug, a toy or another pet's nipples, is normal behavior.
Brian Hurley, national medical director at AmeriVet Veterinary Partners, told Newsweek that this is often seen in kittens and that it is not unusual to see it continue into adulthood if proper precautions are taken. Suckling is a natural instinct, and typically there is no harm when a cat exhibits the behavior.
There are many reasons for this. The kitten may want to mimic its mother because it still needs nursing. Some cats do it when they're comfortable, like humans sucking on their thumbs, and others do it when they're stressed.
The behavior could also be genetic, according to Hurley, as in the case of the Siamese, Tonkinese and Balinese cat breeds. Or it could be because of medical issues, including behavioral disorders.
To try to curb or stop the suckling behavior, Hurley suggests making sure that your cat's environment is as stress-free as possible and that it has places to escape, like cat trees or shelves. It is also important to provide your cat with mental stimulation and with items that are safe for suckling. Don't let it get access to items that are toxic or could result in intestinal obstruction if ingested.
"Remember, if the proper precautions are taken, suckling is a harmless behavior. Cats may stop this behavior on their own as they age," Hurley said.
Sometimes female dogs may spontaneously produce milk when their mammary glands are stimulated by an animal kneading and sucking on the area, according to the website Shih Tzu Expert. If this is the case with your dog, it doesn't mean that something is wrong, but for your peace of mind, you could take your dog to a vet.
The video has attracted the attention of many animal lovers from across the platform, receiving over 306,200 views and 10,400 likes so far.
One user, Hjördís Þorsteinsdót, commented: "My cat did this with our ears." And trishasmith972 said: "The dog looks like she likes comforting him."
Another user, G dog, wrote: "She has been taken from her mum too early so she continues to want that to comfort, my cat was the same, not an issue tbh lol." And Ree sausagesuz,lincs said: "[Your] dog is a wonderful mum."
Another user, Ella, commented: "My dog got mastitis from a kitten doing that, big vet bill and had to re-home kitten. Keep a close watch on your dog." And Megan H said: "My cat did this to my dog, my dog is so maternal. Your dog is having a phantom pregnancy if you don't plan to breed her get her spayed."
And Barnsleylass suggested: "if it starts to bother the doggy then a t-shirt or baby vest may deter the cat for a while."
Newsweek reached out to Cacti670 for comment and could not verify the details of the case.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
");jQuery(this).remove()}) jQuery('.start-slider').owlCarousel({loop:!1,margin:10,nav:!0,items:1}).on('changed.owl.carousel',function(event){var currentItem=event.item.index;var totalItems=event.item.count;if(currentItem===0){jQuery('.owl-prev').addClass('disabled')}else{jQuery('.owl-prev').removeClass('disabled')} if(currentItem===totalItems-1){jQuery('.owl-next').addClass('disabled')}else{jQuery('.owl-next').removeClass('disabled')}})}})})
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7r7HWrK6enZtjsLC5jq%2BcrWWRmcOqv8SsZKivnpq%2Fbq3FrZyrZZuewbWxzWaamq2XncFurtGemKyslpqypbXNoGSdp5difniBknFpcg%3D%3D