She might require lifelong injections, and it might be wise to retire her from breeding. Although cats do not have built in Google Maps, they are highly intelligent and sensitive animals. Aggression occurs for any number of reasons, but the most likely culprit is a threat she perceives. So, you can be assured that your cat will, in all probability, not kill her kittens. Other Momma Cat Behaviors that are Completely Normal, Post-Partum Medical Concerns with Mother Cats, Endometritis and Metritis Signs and Treatment, Milk Fever or Eclampsia Signs and Treatment, Attached Fetal Membrane Signs and Treatment, Caring for Newborn Kittens Your Mother Cat Can’t Care For. While it’s a bit barbaric, it’s normal behavior for your mother cat to eat one or more of her kittens. At present there are several recognised reasons for this, all supported by field observation, documented by breeders and related to other known feline behaviours. Cats aren’t any different. This site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. One simply cannot even guarantee what even she will do to her own kittens if bothered by another cat in the vicinity. Do your best to observe at a distance. I have 9 cats, and when one of my cats gave birth a few months ago, we kept her in a separate room away from the other cats for 2-3 weeks, letting her out for a break several times throughout the day. Is it Normal for Momma Cats to Eat their Kittens? House cats usually do not do this, but sometimes male cats kill kittens (but don't eat them) to force the female cats back into heat. They got along so well. She never got milk in her other teats. A new mother is stressed easily, so you just want to provide a peaceful, relaxing time for everyone. It can occur with or without a present infection, but the condition is painful for your cat. A cat that we rescued is having her kittens today (3 so far!!) So happy to hear you got 2 cats at once. On the other hand, Wendy Ratza says she always had female cats growing up “because we worried about males that sprayed, and we didn’t want to deal with that.” Her fear was warranted because research demonstrates that “male cats are more likely to spray and fight if they are in households with female cats than with other male cats.” 4 Remove other pets from the room; don’t allow them free access to her area. Once she gets used to the idea of going in there to eat start closing the door behind her. Without a surrogate mother, you become responsible and take the queen’s place until the kittens can eat and eliminate waste on their own. I don't think you will have any trouble with the female cats . You’ll want to make sure that no matter how your cat feels about the new kitten, that things stay peaceful and you have the best chance at creating a … I lost my female rag doll at 5 1/2 years old. Essah welcomed her sisters help from the beginning. With that in mind, let’s look in depth at the main reasons why do cats hiss at each other: #1: Cats Hiss to Warn Their Kittens. If you recall from the video we shared, you’ll remember this as a common reason mothers will sometimes eat their babies. Since newborn kittens do not require paternal assistance, there is no need to have the father cats -- or any other male cats, for that matter -- around. It doesn’t hurt to have these supplies on hand before your pregnant cat delivers. Limit human interaction to one or two people. Once the kittens reach weaning age, you can typically introduce them to other household pets and other people. Mastitis is an inflamed mammary gland. Some will choose to ignore them, which means not letting them feed. Sometimes, your cat will retain the placenta of one or more of her kittens. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Why do cats, either male or female, sometimes kill kittens - either their own kittens or those belonging to another cat? Your cat can only communicate her distress in so many ways. Pay attention and react accordingly. • Formula for kittens Today I was going to get in my car and I heard yowling again. Based on personal experience, it's better that no other cat be around a nursing mother cat. She did well at first, but her milk came in slowly. Kittens require more food per pound of body weight to support their growth than do adult cats, and therefore should be fed more often throughout the day. In reality - there's no way to tell unless/until it happens. You can, however, try to understand why and take some steps to prevent it. The good news is this is a rare condition in lactating cats. She might hiss, growl, or attack other animals and people that come near her kittens. However, your cat may want a routine that is different from the one above. This can be a sign that she doesn’t feel their current area is safe. In a feral cat group, the alpha female in the group sometimes kills the kittens of other females to better the chances of survival of her kittens. Science remains uncertain why a cat or another species will do what we consider barbaric. Spraying and marking objects is a classic sign of dominance in cats. Ignoring kittens is not the same as rejecting them. The most obvious reason your male cat is licking your female one is simply that they like one another. So contrary to popular belief, heat should not involve vaginal bleeding. She might sit on them. I do not know exactly if she was eating it or...licking it. The girls will be spayed in 7 weeks, I will find loving homes for most the kittens and will care for those who don't find a family. What's the longest you've had your outdoor pet cat be gone for? You just need to know how to choose feline-friendly snacks with nutrients yhey need. This is why, despite having a comfortable home life indoors, the outdoor environment can seem to provide a lot of entertainment and distraction. You can care for an uninfected gland at home by applying heat and massage to extract the milk. This motherly behavior can sometimes expand to other female cats and their kittens. Your mother cat might move her kittens frequently. Veterinarians aren’t sure of an exact cause, but these kittens require immediate medical attention. Such large litters may compensate for a high rate of infant mortality in the harsh environment. Sometimes the mom cat will too. Remove kittens and seek help at once if the mother: Cats with large litters are most susceptible. I know this answer is probably 7 years too late, and this story is gonna be long, but I saw, with my OWN TWO EYES just the other day, the mother cat eating her kittens. If her litter is too large, she might eat a few kittens to make sure she can provide enough milk for the remainder. Ensure your cat has a safe area for her birth and while kittens still require her for survival. Your email address will not be published. Birth is a miracle, but are you ready for what comes afterward? I noticed that the kitten comes to the male cat (usually when he’s asleep so she wakes him up) and he starts grooming her. Don’t try to drain the abscess at home. A tom cat will normally establish a territory which contains a number of females or female groups, and it is in his own interest to repel other males and to destroy kittens which may have been fathered by another male and which contain the genetic complement of his rival. Why do cats, either male or female, sometimes kill kittens - either their own kittens or those belonging to another cat? No one can predict how one female cat will react around another cats litter. I began feeding them and now a few months later they are a permanent fixture. Hunting provides important mental stimulation for a cat. There are usually between 1-8 kittens per litter, and cats are already fertile when they are about 5-9 months old. If your cat is running a fever, lethargic, crying out in pain, and not eating, it’s infected. If your cat is finicky and refuses kitten food, speak with your vet about ways you can increase her fat, protein, and calorie intake. one of my cats gave birth this morning and she is already trying to introduce our other 2 female cats (5 months) to the newborns. Here are some resources that may help. It is not uncommon for a female cat to adopt another female's litter of kittens, but sometimes females can be hostile toward litters that are not their own. Help from Other Females Although tomcats generally aren't too helpful in kitten rearing, mother cats do frequently get assistance from other mature females, thankfully. Mothers have been known to kill their own too but again very rare. Between three to five weeks after delivery, your cat can develop milk fever. I heard that male cats will eat a female cats newborn kittens. Limit other animals from access, including other pets your mother cat might be comfortable with already. The motherly behavior is relative to the relationship between the females and the temperament of the cat. Its thought cats do this because it protects the kittens from marauding Toms, and it allows extra protection for the kittens (eg two sets of eyes are better than one). Answer. If you have a kitten this problem is even worse as kittens need to eat enough food to get all the nutrition to grow up. Good luck and best wishes! most of the female cats we had would be loving or not interested at all. I had 3 rag doll cats. From observation of free-roaming cat colonies since the mid-1990s, however, it is obvious that cats do have social structure. You wrote that you have two adult sister cats that each had a litter within a couple days of each other and one is taking the kittens of the other and trying to nurse them. How do you think about the answers? When a cat eats the other cat’s food not only eats more than a healthy and recommended intake but also leaves the other cat with no food, causing malnutrition in the cat that does not get to eat. My younger female (18 months) had a first litter of eight kittens. They have privileged instincts and environmental stimuli can both capture their attention and awaken their curiosity. Cats indeed have different personalities. Still, keep all cat contact at a minimum for now, especially since you don't know what the new female cat is carrying (FIV, FeLK, Ringworm, etc). According to Hill’s Pet, you should feed kitten food from pregnancy until she’s weaned her kittens. It can occur with new and seasoned mothers. There are a number of reasons why the queen might choose to do this, and this behavior is not necessarily a reflection of her inexperience as a mother. As such it is not uncommon for mother cats to hide the litter from these male cats. Kittens are believed to be victims of a … Sometimes cats never fully accept a new kitten but will simply coexist, keeping to themselves away from the other cat in the house. This doesn't mean they're against taxation without representation -- rather, it means they naturally form groups with complex communication between individuals. They will also sometimes eat the dead or stillbirth kittens (less likely). Now, I would still keep all your cats away from the cat who just gave birth. The answer is no. Some cats will eat one kitten. If they must be in adjoining rooms, place a barrier at the bottom of the door. I know in the wild female cats go off alone to give birth because there is a danger of the other cats eating the newborn kittens. Intervene only when necessary for a kitten or the mother’s survival. Some cats will eat one kitten. I'm hoping for a miracle :o(? If your female cat is bleeding, contact your vet. Hi – thanks for your email. Incredibly enough, one female cat can give birth to more than 100 kittens during her lifetime. She never got milk in her other teats. This may be groups of female cats that he has control over along with deterring other male cats from coming into this territory. If your mother cat shows these signs, take her to the vet. Tomcats have a wild side to their personality, and are more ferocious than their female counterparts. ? The upside to this feeding method is that you don't have to waste time feeding each kitty in a separate room. The young are born in sheltered dens lined with dried vegetation, feathers, and fur. I have never had female cats try to eat their kittens, but in males it is common if the cats are sick. Some kittens born in winter have very little chance of survival, because the mother cat does not get any prey. Its actually very very rare that this occurs both in male and female cats. If the teat appears purple or deep red, it’s infected. Other cats are more passive by nature. At present there are several recognised reasons for this, all supported by field observation, documented by breeders and related to other known feline behaviours. Few symptoms of hypocalcemia exist in the early stages, and your vet generally discovers the low levels on a routine blood test. Biologically, cats are hunters. Approach her nest with caution. Mother cats will eat their kittens if she believes they’re in danger from predators. Others will reject one or a few of her kittens. WILL SHE TRY TO EAT THEM ASWELL? Even though I continually separate them, should I be worried about this? My younger female (18 months) had a first litter of eight kittens. The symptoms present as an advanced form of hypocalcemia. Your mother cat might move her kittens frequently, The Real Reasons of Why are Cats Scared of Cucumbers. The answer is no. Good luck. A predator finding the dead kitten will suspect that there are likely other kittens in the area, so removing the evidence by eating the dead kitten may be a way to help protect the living ones. Male cats tend to eat more than females, however, they spend less time hunting. She will require emergency vet care. i would cry D: Female cats have been known to "babysit", watching over and even nursing another cat's kittens. • Syringe and nipples This establishment of territory may include killing any kittens which may have been fathered by another male cat and have the genetic makeup of the rival male. After a few days they started getting along and now they play together. It can happen, but pretty rarely and depends more on an individual cat’s temperament rather than male cats in general. Pregnant cats require more nutrients, much like humans do. It does provide her with nutrients that she passes through her milk to the surviving kittens. My vet says these cats are less than 2.. abandoned and never being spayed, left to the streets to have hundreds of homeless litters of kittens, if left all alone. Before cats became our loving pets, they hunted rodents and other small animals for food. Queens are mother cats, and most females have a natural nurturing instinct to love and care for their babies. Just keep a eye on them for a couple days. What we see as a threat might differ from your cat’s point-of-view. Merciful reasons are the easiest to prevent. I have 2 adult, female cats, one just had her babies a hour ago the other is due any day. Yes, it is normal behavior. Immediately feed both cats afterward. Other than siring as many kittens as possible, tom cats don't tend to get involved in the raising of the kittens. Or are male cats more affectionate? It can happen, but pretty rarely and depends more on an individual cat’s temperament rather than male cats in general. If your kitten will not eat after returning home, ... and even medications meant for other animals such as dogs, can kill cats! Anecdotally, people have reported that some cats stop searching for an absent companion after being shown the body of a deceased companion. This was sad! With other female cats, you can risk them handling the babies and making the mother rejecting them, then you'll be stuck bottle feeding. Kitten killing is a more prevalent behavior in female cats than males, primarily because the social structure of a group of cats does not include the consistent presence of adult males among kittens and their mothers. You Can Share, Sometimes. If one cat keeps attacking a particular cat, the first step is to separate the cats from each other completely — in separate areas of the house. Some males will do this, yes. its aweful to find the kittens missin, n then u realise tht the mother has eaten the kitten.. y? Symptoms to watch for include fever, lethargy, ignoring kittens, increased thirst, and a foul vaginal discharge. Some cats would continue to care for the kittens until they are close to maturity. It can occur post-partum and requires a veterinary diagnosis and immediate intervention. Tom cats would kill kittens sired by other tom cats although it would not be unheard of if they do kill and eat the kittens … Why do cats, either male or female, sometimes kill kittens - either their own kittens or those belonging to another cat? She might not allow them to feed. Why Do Tomcats Kill Kittens? What should I do. I don't know if it's a male or female, but my (neutered) male cat, Jack, has been yowling loudly at it. Why? Female cats will kill and eat another cats kittens, I have three outside cats one cat has killed and eaten kittens from both the other cats. House cats usually do not do this, but sometimes male cats kill kittens (but don't eat them) to force the female cats back into heat. But other female cats trying act like fostermother is not at all unusual - it isnt sickly in any way. The above video shows how you can safely feed newborn kittens should their mother be unable to care for them. Cats are colony animals. You can distinguish this behavior from pure restlessness (a sign she may be in pain and need to see the vet) by the way she lifts her tail or even occasionally assumes the mating position. Another side of mercy is she will ensure she can produce enough milk for her litter. I don't think its ever been documented, scientifically. With kittens, pay special attention to any that sleep more than usual. Some cats are happy to be submissive, while others will fight back and assert their own dominance. Just be mindful of bullying in cats. The video below offers some hypothesizes researchers believe could explain the behavior. If she does this, you can remove the kitten and hand-feed it. Being not quite barn cats and not quite house cats, these two had many litters over the years. On the other hand, if dogs and cats do comprehend death more than we give them credit for, viewing a deceased companion may help to explain why that companion cat won’t be around in the future.   She may sidle and rub her hindquarters against furniture, stuffed toys, other cats, and maybe even you. Rebecca Mendola. Get your answers by asking now. If a cat is happy to be submissive, this is not a problem. Female cats in colonies often times raise their kittens together. First, the energy that it would require for her to nurse all 10 kittens would be great. Anonymous . I dont know of a female cat that has done...some, do kill their babies, if there is a strange smell. Other cats would kill their kittens. Male cats have been known to kill kittens, usually kittens that they didn't father. Thanks for looking @ my Questions ...xoxo. And mama cats often foster kittens that aren't their own, even taking in babies of an entirely different species, like squirrels, raccoons and rabbits. > Do cats kill kittens that are not theirs at a certain age? She had diabetes. Also, she can view other people as a threat. Although tomcats generally aren't too helpful in kitten rearing, mother cats do frequently get assistance from other mature females, thankfully. Now, intact male cats very rarely kill kittens. Sexually active toms are driven by testosterone. Why? This means that cats attempt to dominate each other. Actually, other strays were even afraid to come near he mother. She's going to flip out at first. These cats were abandoned. And if you do give them fish, be sure it isn't raw. Leave the food where you know she will find it. 7 years ago. Science remains uncertain why a cat or another species will do what we consider barbaric. she is in a secluded room away from our other cats. Doing so makes her no less of a mother, and it doesn’t make her a bad mother. Other cats would abandon days-old kittens thus care would be left to the hands of the cat owners. Will she let you pick her up or hold her? You can’t always prevent her from doing this, and you shouldn’t stop or scold her. I have a 3 year old male cat and recently adopted a 4 month old female kitten. The video below offers some hypothesizes researchers believe could explain the … 2 / 9. You can’t stop or always control nature. The cat is claiming an object through scent, warning other cats away. But...ARE KITTENS BLOODY before being clean (by feminine) The mom cat( princess ) ...is a young cat...and she gave birth...at a young age...do they eat their own kitten??? 1 / 9. This motherly behavior can sometimes expand to other female cats and their kittens. If you’re caring for a feral queen, you can supplement her hunting to ensure she has access to a properly balanced diet until her kittens wean. Since human females shed the lining of their uterus every month, cramping, bloating, and related symptoms can be present. Pallas's cats give birth to a litter of two to six kittens after a gestation period of 66 to 75 days, typically in April or May. Others will consume their entire litter. This generally clears the condition, and your cat resumes normal nursing. You can never know how your other cats will react to the newborn kittens and it might turn out to be dangerous, and the mother may not be comfortable with the other cats also. Once the kittens wean, you should consider capturing and spaying or neutering her and her litter. Most of your kitty's diet should be a nutritionally complete cat food, but you can give them a treat from your plate every once in a while. 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