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Cats/Kittens and their mother

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Question
We have a cat that gave birth to 6 kittens. Everything turned out to be fine and all the kittens are in good health. The question i had was about the mother's behavior towards the kittens. Is it normal for mother to bite the kittens neck one in a while with no intention of moving them to a certain place?

Answer
Hi
What is and what isn't normal can be difficult to determine as behavior between cats can vary dramatically. All I can say is that as long the cat is not actually biting and hurting the kittens I wouldn't worry too much. She may just be getting used to how she will pick them up when she does need to move them.

Also the mother cat will start to discipline her kittens to make sure that they all get enough milk etc. She may just be giving them a little nip to say hey behave.

keep an eye on the family and as long as their is no actual aggression, i would just let mother nature take control.

best wishes Kate

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Kate Tilmouth

Expertise

I can answer most day to day cat problems encountered by owners. I have a good understanding of cat behaviour and problems which may arise from changes to their daily routine. I can advise on cat training including litter training and general day to day cat care issues. I am not a vet and therefore cannot answer medical questions.

Experience

I run my own cat website at http://www.our-happy-cat.com and have been a dedicated cat owner for over 20 years. I have encountered many different cat problems and situations and feel that i have a good understanding of cats and cat ownership.

Publications
I am a platinum member of Ezinearticles where i write mainly cat related articles.

Education/Credentials
Educated to High School level and have since worked for many years in a customer support based environment, gaining vocational qualifications.

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