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Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)/Cat Cannibalism
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Question
My mother cat Queaker Keeps eating all of hers, as well as the other mothers kittens. She used to be a very good mother and never ate kittens. She has now eaten approxamitely 12 to 14 kittens. We kep noticing that they are dissapearing. Then we caught her chewing at their necks and eating them. She is 5 years old. She's only had 3 litters of kittens. She kills the kittens between Ages of newborn up to 4 weeks old. Why is she doing this? Is there some way to stop her from eating the kittens?
Shirley,
Get her spayed! That is a trait they can pass on to any kitten that lives!
Sometimes they do it because they have a deficiency in their bodies. Sometimes it is inherited. In the wild mother cats would eat their babies to protect them from danger. They would also eat them if the food supply was very slim....they would "cut out the competition" for scarce food. Or they would eat them if they knew they could not take care of them.
Tabbi
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Dear Tabbi
Expertise
My expertise is in helping people understand their cat (or cats) and their behavior. Questions are welcome even if you don't have a cat....just a question about them. Hopefully my experience, suggestions, and comments will be of help to you...and your cat (or cats). Looking through my past responses to questions will give you additional information and/or answers too. Domestic Cats = cats (no matter what breed) who are tame or not wild, or abandoned cats who were pets that became wild, but can be tamed again. Ferals = cats who are born with one or more parents who were wild stray cats. They usually have had no interactions with people. They have an inbred distrust of humans and are difficult to socialize. They are skittish, hide, and are afraid of people. They take a lot of time and patience to work with them. A lot of kittens from shelters had a feral parent.
Experience
Since I was a child, over 45 years, I have been owned by a LOT of cats and kittens of almost every temperament, behavior, and personality. I have had experience with neurotic, disabled (including blind), stray, and 'problem child' cats and kittens. (A few normal cats too!) Plus all the things a lifetime of owning cats and research has taught me. I also have experience in feral cat behavior (which is different from domestic cats), and some experience with feral colonies that includes colony feeding and feral cat TNR (trap/neuter/release).
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