You are here:
- Home
- Animals/Pets
- Cats
- Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)
- male cats behaviour with kittens
Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)/male cats behaviour with kittens
Advertisement
Question
My boyfriend's cat recently came back into his backyard with 2 kittens that resemble him greatly. He must've brought them in himself as there is a high fence. We haven' seen the queen around either. Why is he doing this? Does he mean to hurt them, or is just trying to protect them? I've never sen male cats do this before.
Rhonda,
That is unusual behavior, especially if he is a tomcat. But there ARE males who are maternal. I had one that would get into the box with the mother and kittens and clean them all. I also had one male come home with a white rabbit (alive and unhurt)! If your boyfriend's cat had meant to hurt the kittens he would have right where they were.
Are they healthy? He may have found them abandoned and instinctively knew you would help them. Or he is bringing you a present...kittens instead of a dead mouse or bird. Whyever he did it, he's telling you "look what I found, aren't I a wonderful cat?" OR he had a custody battle with the mom over 'his' children, and he won. Or it was joint custody, he got two and she got two. Your boyfriend possibly is a grandfather and has grandkitties (smile).
Sometimes, only a cat knows why he does what he does. I've found that there is no "normal" behavior for a cat!
Tabbi
Related Articles
- Chloe and Gus Made me a Cat Lover - Reader Stories: How I Became an Accidental Cat Parent
- Simba - Reader Submissions: Cutest Kitten Photo Contest
- Help with integrating kitten with older cat - Cat Behavior FAQ - Kitten vs Older Cat
- Bentley - Reader Submissions: Cutest Kitten Photo Contest
- Joey 2 week old photo - Jaspurr and Joey Third Birthday Photo Album Page 2
Answers by Expert:
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).
Education/Credentials
***********
Awards and Honors
* One of the top 50 Experts Of 2008 *
©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.