weening a kitten

Question
Hi, my name is Laurie.  I have been a cat lover since birth I think.  I have had several different cats in my lifetime.  I recently got a new kitten, she is about 10 weeks old now, I have had her since she was 6 weeks old.  She is very loveable and outgoing, but she started from the beginning sucking on my earlobe when she was tired.  At first I thought it was so cute.  Maybe she was taken from mom a bit too soon.  Now she is 10 weeks old and I think I created a habit I don't really think is all that cute anymore.  She will not settle down and sleep unless she is nursing on my earlobe.  At 3AM she is purring and kneading and waking me up all the time.  She is starting to suck soo hard it hurts and she won't take no for an answer.  When I use a firm voice she just looks at me like "What".  How can I break her from this habit, is it normal for kittens to do this? Will she eventually stop wanting to nurse?

Answer
Hi Laurie,

Yes, this is a perfectly normal reaction to being taken too soon from her mama....  She will probably not completely get over this but it will lessen with time and you can slowly get her to stop.  Try covering your head with a blanket just until she settles down to sleep.  If she is persistant, you may have to lock her out of your bedroom for a few days.  Also, get her a really soft pillow that is just hers, and see if she will start kneeding on it and adopting it instead of you.  Put it with her to sleep.  Or, let her do it now and then, but put your foot down when it comes to her waking you up at 3am.  She is just feeling the nursing need because she was too little when she was taken from her mom.  Also, try giving her more affection and attention when you can.  Holding her could also give her a sense of security.  Good luck and write again if nothing works, and you need some new ideas.  Hugs, Barb