18 week kitten still nursing

Question
We adopted a male kitten and his mother about 6 weeks ago. We were told the kitten was weaned. Now we discover the kitten is still nursing. What should we do?

Answer
Hi Grace,

If the mother isn't lactating anymore and the kitten isn't causing her any irritation, this isn't really a problem. It's very unlikely that nursing will cause her to start lactating again, especially if it's not pervasive and if the mother has been spayed. A lot of cats, even males, will permit suckling as a form of bonding. If it becomes bothersome, they will usually kick the kitten away.

If she is lactating, or he's nursing enough to cause skin irritation or fur loss, mom has become too lenient, and you should place the baby in a separate room when you notice him trying to suckle. Allow him enough time to break his train of thought, and then see if he can join her again. If he's very persistent about nursing, you may need to separate them completely for a few weeks to allow her to dry up (if she's producing milk) and to allow him to develop a little independence. At 18 weeks, he is old enough to let go of the mother/kitten bond a bit! You may do brief, supervised visits to keep them familiar, but nothing reminiscent of nursing allowed.

Good luck!
Jessica