Expert: Dear Tabbi - 3/18/2009

Question
QUESTION: dear tabbi i have a 3 year old siamese cat and her 1 year old daughter just recently her daughter gave birth to 4 kittens and she's been nursing them for quite some time just recently her mom became pregnant and is about a month into her pregnancy but she's been acting strange she's been stealing her daughters kittens and making them sleep with her and this has caused her daughter a great amount of stress what do i do thats gonna make the mom cat happy while leaving the kittens with their real mother?

ANSWER: Monique,

That is a normal reaction for some maternal cats. I had one pregnant cat that would grab another mother's kitten and run into another room with it! Then when she had her kittens she wanted the other mom's kittens! When the other mom would leave her box, the first cat would leave her kittens and nurse the other's which forced the 2nd mom to nurse the first mom's kittens! I also was fostering some new mothers and I had one mother cat that would steal any orange kittens from the other mothers and take them to her box and nurse them....but only orange ones!

Cat's do not have any reasoning ability, and sometimes the cat doesn't understand that, since she is pregnant, she has to give birth BEFORE she has kittens! In your 3 year old's mind, she thinks those kittens are her's too.

There is not much you can do except try to keep your mom, daughter, and kittens together to prevent as little stress from each one as possible. As long as the kittens are getting fed, it doesn't matter who nurses them. The pregnant cat is getting comfort from the kittens. You can try to sneak one kitten out from the daughter's litter and give it to the pregnant cat for awhile, then put it back and give her another one, but it would be better if the family was combined.

I hope this helps.
Tabbi

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QUESTION: hey tabbi the 3 year old mother gave birth last night and unfortunately the baby did not survive and then she started having another and another and they too unfortunately didn't make it either then she had a last baby and it did survive but i think its too premature to survive and she doesn't want to nurse it she wants to leave it alone and go continue nursing her daughters kittens. Do u think that she got jealous of her daughter hsving kittens that it made her have a Miscarriage or that her daughters kittens nursing on her made her have a Misccariage and what should i do she's bleeding alot everywhere.

ANSWER: Monique,

I'm sorry about the 3 year old. No, it had nothing to do with nursing. More than likely it was caused by the babies being a product of incest breeding, or there were health related issues with the babies. Usually miscarriages are caused by Mother Nature and not anything you or she did.

Try putting the baby with the daughter and see if you can get it to  nurse from her.

I would take her and the baby to the vet ASAP. She may still have a baby, live or dead inside, or she could be bleeding from something wrong inside, either which oould cause a potentially fatal infection.

I would consider getting the mother spayed now so neither of you  have to go through that again.

Tabbi

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QUESTION: dear tabbi i tried to put the baby to nurse but i think it's too weak all were doing to help him out is keeping it in a heated blanket the mom cat doesn't want anything to do with it at all and i don't know what to do im gonna take her to the vet right now but the little kitten is still breathing but barely gasping for air should i take it to the vet or is it only a matter of time until it dies? And what do u suggest i do with the mother cat until i get her to the vet? And do i keep her daughters kittens and her daughter away from her in the mean while? Could the kittens get any infections fron her?

Answer
Monique,

Yes, I would take the baby to the vet with the mother. Unfortunately it probably won't make it, but sadly, sometimes Mother Nature knows best. I would put the mother in a carrier until you take her. No, the kittens shouldn't get any infections from her, but to be on the safe side, wait until you see the vet and see what he says.

Tabbi