Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)/Queen eats her kittens

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Expert: Dear Tabbi - 5/14/2008


Question
A young (7 mo. old) semi-feral cat has just given birth to her first litter. In total she birthed 7 kittens, 2 of which she did not manage to lick the sac free so they were dead by the time I got there. The 5 remaining kittens were not suckling and the mother had not chewed the umbilical cords free. I tied off the cords and removed the placentas. I did try to direct the kittens to the nipple but none of them took so I left mother and kittens to bond. I came back a few hours later to peek in. At this point the mother began to eat one of the kittens. Why would she do this?

Answer
Natalie,

She may have a deficiency or she may be worried that something will get the kittens and she eats them to protect them. Sometime wild cats will eat their kittens to prevent them from getting food that is in short supply (competition for food). Also a lot of times a young first time mother does not know how to care for kittens or what to do with them.

Here is a good article on cats that kill kittens:

http://messybeast.com/kill_kit.htm

Tabbi

Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)

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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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