Nursing behavior (but not sucking) on blanket

by Suzie Helm
(Ann Arbor, MI)

My male cat Edwin is 2 years old and since he was a kitten (an abandoned kitten that I rescued from a shelter) he sometimes "nurses" on a fleece blanket I have. He paws at it and from afar looks as though he's sucking but I've gotten a good close look at him while doing it and he's not, he's just drooling all over it and touching it to his closed mouth. I stop him whenever he starts (mostly because it's annoying and wakes me up while I'm trying to sleep) but I want to make sure that it's a normal behavior for an abandoned cat. How can I keep him from doing it all together without having to take the blanket completely away from him (he loves sleeping on it as well as drooling on it).

thank you
Suzie

Answer by Kate
well I don't think you should try and stop him from doing it. it is not causing him any harm and most cats have their favourite toy, cushion etc and the pawing and drooling is just happiness and completely normal.

My own cat can be heard at night pawing her cushion and rubbing her chops over the cushion she is on. It is normal, i really wouldn't worry and after all it makes your cat feel happy and safe and this is what you want after all for your cat, especially as he had a rough start to life.

best wishes and a happy Christmas
Kate