One of the little black toms has been going to town on his belly, just suckling the heck out of his entire tummy area. He does not look sick, he is eating, drinking, playing with the others. I am used to kittens suckling on each other, generally paws, tails and testicles are the objects of choice for motherless kittens, but this is the first time I have encountered one suckling on himself.

I am not a fan of bitter apple or any other topical solution that is used to stop unwanted chewing or suckling. Besides, I don’t want this kitten to injest something distasteful…so, I took one of my old ped socks, cut a hole in the toe of it and stretched it over the kitten from underneath the rear legs, to the beginning of his front legs.

I thought it was difficult wrestling Mike’s diabetic socks on his feet every morning, but that is nothing compared to a squirmy kitten! Seemed like every time I got his rear legs into the opening, he would move and push them right back out. After several ill-fated attempts, I managed to put the sock on him, gently guide his tail through the opening and stretch it out across his body. He looks like he is wearing a sweater. To keep it in place, I gently fastened a piece of vet wrap around the bottom and the top of the openings making sure not to make it so secure that it might crush the kitty as vet wrap tightens the longer it is worn.

Now his brothers are chasing him around the room, not because he looks different, cats don’t go on looks, but because he smells different (the vet wrap) They really aren’t sure that this stylin black kitty is their brother!