Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)/Mother cat leaving home

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Expert: Dear Tabbi - 7/29/2008


Question
We had a loving cat who gave birth to three adorable boys a little over one year ago. She has been fixed since and so have the boys. About two months ago she disappeared and we are heart broken! The strange thing is, the same thing happened to my father with his mommy cat! Once the kittens reached about 1 year in age, the mother disappeared! Is there any explanation to this????

Answer
Andrea,

I would say it is a coincidence. I haven't heard of any behavior like that except by un-spayed females. Sometimes with male cats, expecially brothers (fixed or not), there can be a dominance issue when they reach approximately that age, and frequently one will leave home, but I haven't heard of anyone having that problem with females.

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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