Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My kitten Lessa is three months old and is obsessed with my right ear lobe, I can not get her to let go, when I'm asleep she curls up against my neck and starts sucking, she has now figured out how to get to it when I'm not laying down and I can't seem to get her to stop, this is way beyond the norm, she does it constantly, when I try to move her she sinks her teeth into my piercing and I can't dislodge her without her taking a part of my earlobe with her. I've tried offering her another body part, kitten bottle nipples, articles of clothing, putting hot sauce on my ear, nothing seems to work. Even though she seems very happy when doing this, this behavior can't be healthy for her or my ear. Does anyone have any words of wisdom about what to do?

Hi,

This is one of those things that some people enjoy and others can't stand. My Jonny Cat was an earlobe sucker as a baby and I loved every second of it, even though he would wake me up several times each night! As a carry-over, when he is feeling extra affectionate or nervous about something (like bad weather) he now licks my earlobes.

Your kitten is definitely very happy when she is sucking on your earlobes, just like when she was nursing from her mom, or being bottle fed, if that is the case. Often kittens with this habit have lost their moms at a very early age. Jonny Cat was only 4 weeks old when I adopted him.

I know you have already tried this, but I think your best bet to try and stop this behavior would be to distract the kitten with something else. An interactive toy of some kind or a special treat might be the answer.

Take care, and please let us know how things go with your baby.

Regards,
PHKitkat

If you want to get the cat to stop nursing on your earlobes, try yelling "Ouch" in the highest, loudest voice you can muster. This mimics the cry a kitten makes when it cries "uncle" in a play fight and makes most cats back off.

-----
Smile, it will make them wonder what you are up to!