My cat just gave birth to 3 kittens but she is neglecting one of them, why?
My family took in a pregnant stray a few years ago. She gave birth to six kittens two days later. She was obviously quite young and this was likely her first (and only) litter. Mimi regularly removed the two smallest kittens from the nesting box and left them in a corner of the room. We returned them to her and assisted them in latching onto a nipple each time. After a few weeks, Mimi stopped rejecting these runts. They grew up healthy, though one was identified as having a heart murmur.Cats who are inexperienced may become stressed more easily at the demands of motherhood. A large brood must feel overwhelming! The feline response is to focus on the kittens most likely to survive, and this can lead to rejection of the weakest in the litter.
Why did my cat kill her kittens?
My younger female (18 months) had a first litter of eight kittens. She did well at first, but her milk came in slowly. At feeding time, all eight kittens went to four of her teats which produced milk. She never got milk in her other teats. Even though we monitored her and shifted kittens, they would not nurse on the other teats. She would let them nurse as long as she could, but within two-three weeks she was unable to nurse. The kittens had sucked and chewed those four teats raw. She was unable to feed her kittens. We started bottle feeding them.Then kittens started disappearing. I thought she was moving them out of protective instinct. I was wrong. We found the first kitten in a empty box under the kitchen table. She had suffocated her kitten because she wasn’t able to nurse it. She would wait until we were at work, or sleeping and take another kitten and kill it. We kept bottle feeding, by the time the remaining kittens were a month old there were only two left. Even though they were growing and healthy, she continued to try and kill the last two up until they were almost six weeks old. She would groom them, play with them and they were beginning to eat solid food. Then in the middle of the day, she picked up a kitten and carried it towards the kitchen. By the time we got to her, the baby was gone. She laid or sat on his head and chest until he stopped breathing. We kept the remaining kitten closed in the bedroom, far from his momma. My roommates did not understand why she killed her kittens. Thought she was evil and just didn’t understand. I felt so bad for her. She knew that she could not provide her babies with what they needed to grow and thrive. Matricide(?) happens more frequently than people know. If a kitten is weak, deformed or not thriving, the mother will move it away from the rest of the litter, not care for it or feed it.It is a bit of Darwinism. Pass on the strong genes, survival of the fittest, the carrying on of the species.I cried and buried those kittens. They rest next to my second big orange male “Appolo” and my grey mouser “Bruce”.
I think my cat might be ignoring one of her kittens !! if so what should i do!!!?
Well, my son's wife had this happen when her Golden Retriever had pippies. For some reason, the mother dog refused to allow one of the puppies to nurse, so my son's wife, bottle fed the puppy and brought it to work with her and she had to purchase a special fornula for it as a tiny puppy. It grew up and it is now 90 pounds and very healthy. Dogs and Cats can sometimes just ignore a baby kitten or a baby kittem. They just act this way. You will need to take care of it.
Mother cat ignoring one of her kittens?
My cat just had kittens a few hours ago, and 5 of them seem ok, but one of them (the third to be born) is smaller than the others and doesn't seem to be able to feed. At first the mom barely even licked him, and she seems to ignore him when he cries. We tried help him find the nipple, but he doesn't seem to get that he's supposed to suck it... I know they have instincts, but he kinda seems like he's trying to but it's not working.... What do I do? It's been four hours and he still hasn't eaten? I don't want him to die...
My neighbors were neglecting their cat and so I started taking care of him, eventually he started sleeping in my house at night. Now they're angry and want him back. What can I do? My heart is broken.
This is Billy.Billy lived across the street from me. One day I noticed him on my porch. Then in my backyard. At first I didn't know who he belonged to so I fed himEventually he moved into the backyardThen closerI began spoiling him like my older one. I started leaving the door open for him to come inside, he seemed to want to be my cat. This went on for a while. Even when my very senior cat chased him outHe still came back like he had a purpose. Months passed and I lost my senior to old age. He was the best cat I ever had so I had no intention of replacing him. I was done with cats for a while I was going to travel. I wasn't going to have any ties, things were going to be super simple well BILLY had other plans or shall I say God because he sent BILLY to me he saved both of us. In the middle of this I did talk to my neighbors across the street which explained that they had gotten another cat who after a weekend left alone with BILLY the relationship of the two changed and BILLY no longer wanted to live there. He started coming across the street. They bought me some cat food and said thank you very much for taking care of him. They sold their house and moved away.Billy loves me and I him. I was prepared to lock him in my house if they wanted to try and take him. It was obvious that he had decided where and who he choose to be "his master" I'm lucky these people just wanted to make sure I really wanted him and would love him. I moved as well after that. I told him he's going to have to be a traveling cat for a while. He agreed!Santa CruzSomewhere by the EvergladesFlorida by the gulfSleeping in the Tennessee sunPlease don't wake me up, dang it's bright here in ArizonaAre we here yet? Is this it?So here we are in our new home.Boy I can't take you anywhereLooks like rainI missed my treeOne of my favorite window spots!
How can I tell if my kitten's belly is bloated?
Kittens have a tendency to eat until their tummies are quite full, so they may look bloated right after they eat, but as they digest the food their bellies will shrink, especially after they use the litter box. You should check their stool for parasites, or take the kitty to the vet if there’s any question. Wear gloves, and wash your hands thoroughly when doing this, as some parasites will also infest humans. A kitten with parasites will exhibit other symptoms. It will be listless and will not play as actively as a healthy kitten. It may meow loudly when you pick it up, if you put gentle pressure on its belly. If you have any doubt about your kitten’s health. take it to the vet right away. Little kittens can be very susceptible to illnesses, since they are so small.
My cat feels neglected, Please help?
I have had my cat Cosmopolitan since she was born, she is now 2 years old. Monday night when I came home there was this cat outside groaning and hungry, so i brought her in a fed her. later that night I discovered she was pregnat. This new cat is very lovable and sweet where my cosmo is distant. But she feels very sad that this new cat is getting attention. I dont know what to do, its hard when i was giving all my love to cosmo and the new cat is taking all the attention. I called every no kill shelter in town and they are all full they said the waiting list is about 3 months. If i keep her for that long i wouldnt be able to let her go. But I dont think my cat will get along with the new one. I dont know what to do, no one I know will take her because she is pregnat, i dont want to take her to the humane society because they will probably kill her, but i dont think i can keep her i live in an apartment, i cant have 2 grown cats and however many babies she has. Please please help.
How can I get my cat to nurse her kitten?
First, take the kitten to the vet. You’ll probably have to take mama and the other kittens as well so that the vet can see if the kitten has truly been rejected.If the kitten is otherwise in good health, you should contact your local shelter or cat rescue to see if they have any queens with kittens who might take in the rejected kitten.If not, then you need to buy some kitten formula (ask the vet if they have some on hand), a tiny bottle or syringe (without needle) to feed the kitten. You don’t say how old the kitten is, but you can find information on how to care for rejected/orphaned kittens online. Here are a few:Hand Raising & Bottle Feeding Orphaned KittensGood luck!