Expert: Ali - 8/19/2008

Question
QUESTION: My cat had 7 kittens in our garage in a bed we made for her with a box. I read
when a mother knows you've seen the kittens she moves them, so she has. But
there are still 2 left in the box and she hasn't come back. She took them
somewhere in the bush and when I saw these 2 they were hidden a little under
the blanket. Is she going to come back for them?

ANSWER: Hunter,

Contrary to popular belief queens don't move their litters because a person has seen the kittens. As I am sure that you are aware newborn kittens are very vulnerable & fragile so it is fairly common for their mom to move them away from where they were born. The reason that mother cats do this is to protect the babies from predators and other cats that may kill or injure the litter. There are scents that can be found where kittens have been born that may encourage unwanted visitors, mom's idea is to try and keep her babies one step ahead of any predators. Tom cats will kill litters of kittens so that they can breed with the queen sooner than usual.

It would be in the best interests of your queen and young litter if they were moved indoors to a quiet, dimly lit room which will help your cat to be more relaxed. There are many hazards in a garage including household chemicals and automotive fluids in addition to the risk of predators. If your cat is allowed to raise her litter in the house she may be less likely to move her litter, dependant on her personality and general nature. Being protected by predators will reduce the stress that is related to protecting her new family. Some cats may injure or even kill their litter in a high stress situation. Having mom and her little ones in the house will allow you to monitor the queen's health and the condition of her babies.

Mom and her litter should be handled regularly to help socialize the babies which can help to reduce the risk of having fearful or aggressive kittens. Depending on why the mother cat left the two little ones hidden under the blanket she may or may not move them to where the rest of her litter is. Some mother cats will intentionally split their litter up so that if a predator does attack her little ones the rest of her litter will stand a better chance of survival. It truly is best to bring the mom and her babies back inside to lower mom's stress levels and ensure that the whole family stays as healthy and safe as possible.

Pregnant and nursing cats should be eating a good quality kitten food on a free choice basis so that mom is able to sustain a healthy body condition and support the rapid growth of the new arrivals. All cats should have access to fresh, clean water at all times. You can also provide the new family with a bed, I normally recommend that you use old towels or a light blanket to help keep the kittens warm and the bedding should be checked and replaced daily if soiled. It is important that you have at least one kitten sized litter box in the room that this new family is in. I would suggest that you use an unscented clumping kitty litter to fill the box as many cats are sensitive to scents and may avoid the litter box due to the discomfort. A kitten sized litter box is a good addition to this family's room because kittens will begin to imitate their mother's litter box habits fairly early on sometimes as young as 3 weeks of age.

Female cats can become pregnant shortly after birth and while nursing so I would suggest that you keep your queen away from intact male cats to help prevent constant pregnancies and unwanted litters. Mom will begin wean her kittens between 6-8 weeks of age. Once the mother's milk supply has dried up (2 weeks after weaning)then you can have her spayed to prevent further pregnancies. Mother cats will wean their kittens on their own and they don't need human assistance to do so as mother cats are quite adept at enforcing the rules and making their wishes known with proper discipline. In my opinion it is important to allow kittens to stay with their mom and siblings until about 10-12 weeks old as important skills like bite inhibition are learned. Cats are natural predators so young kittens will often practice stalking, biting and pouncing on their humans, siblings and their mother. Trust me, bite inhibition is an important skill for the kittens to learn if you've ever been part of pounce kill school by a kitten. 10-12 week old kittens will still need their new human families to set limits and reinforce appropriate behavior to ensure that they don't become overly rambunctious or rough.

Spaying and neutering pets is a very routine part of general health care that goes beyond simple birth control. Cats that have been spayed or neutered are far less likely to develop certain behavioral issues including urinating or defecating outside of the litter box to mark their territory or fighting with other cats. Spayed or neutered cats are usually less likely to wander because mating is no longer the main goal. There are numerous medical benefits related to spaying/neutering cats. A neutered cat won't likely need medical treatment for painful abscesses related to fighting. Spaying and neutering also reduces cancers or infections in reproductive organs including the ovaries, testicles, prostate gland and mammary glands. Female cats that have been spayed are spared emergency surgery to completely remove the ovaries and uterus due to a severe/life threatening infection of the womb called pyometra.

Many common behavioral issues can be reduced or prevented by neutering cats. It's quite common for cats that haven't been neutered to fight regularly, use feces or foul smelling urine to mark their territory. Cats that haven't been neutered are often heard howling and caterwauling throughout the night and they can disturb the entire neighborhood's ability to sleep. Ultimately the choice to spay or neuter your pet goes well beyond preventing unwanted litters of kittens, having your cat spayed saves countless lives.

In North America millions of healthy, adoptable cats are destroyed in animal shelters simply because there simply aren't enough available resources to house these cats indefinitely. Unfortunately most cats in animal shelters run out of time and the shelter runs out of space. The fact that there aren't enough good adoptive homes to ensure that each cat gets a second chance at life which I find heartbreaking. Some cat owners believe that they are sparing a cat's life and making a better choice for their unwanted cat by abandoning him/her in wooded areas or populated suburbs. In wooded areas these cats and kittens usually succumb to the elements, viral/bacterial infections, dehydration or starvation. In addition to these tough realities abandoned house cats are also at serious risk of being attacked by larger animals including raccoons, fishers, coyotes and in some cases large birds of prey.

Cats that have been discarded in populated areas face serious risks of their own. Sadly many of these unwanted cats face being attacked by domestic dogs, being poisoned accidentally or intentionally, becoming a victim of human cruelty or even being hit by a car. Sadly many people adopt young kittens from animal shelters or purchase them from pet stores in the spur of the moment. The horrible truth is that a rising number of people consider cats to be a disposable pet which means that some people treat their new cat or kitten like an inanimate object or toy, once the novelty of kitten cuteness or playful cats has worn off all too many cats will enter a shelter system and the vast majority will never get adopted. As a cat lover I feel the need to help people understand their cat and realize that cats can live for 15-20+ years.

I have loved cats of all shapes, species and sizes throughout my lifetime and it's obvious to me that you love your cat very much. If you are concerned about the risks of spaying or neutering your cats I may be able to ease your mind. Veterinarians use the same anesthetic agents as human anesthesiologists use and your cat's vital signs are monitored by a technician throughout surgery. Your cat will be given a good dose of pain medication while under the anesthetic to minimize any potential discomfort. Any surgery that requires general anesthesia carries a small risk, however the risks are minimal. Most cats fare well under anesthesia, in fact by the time that you pick your cat up from the hospital they are happy to see you and completely ready to disobey the doctor's orders. Veterinary staff will give you post surgical instructions either orally or on paper which include feeding advice for the evening and trying to keep your cat quiet until they return for a post surgical exam. Please consider spaying and neutering these routine surgeries save countless lives annually. I hope that you have found this information helpful. If you have any further questions, concerns, or you would simply like to send an update or some pictures my way, please don't hesitate to contact me again.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: The mother cat and father cat used to be strays but we took them in, They are outdoor cats and we live right next to a bush. The mother took the kittens into the bush and everyday she would come and eat, The father always stuck around the house, but over the past few days neither of them have shown up at all, and we've had them for half a year. I'm worried. Would a mother cat take her kittens away from the food source? And would the father follow?

Thanks

Answer
Hunter,

The mother cat's actions don't sound like a good sign. Father cats don't tend to stick around for birth/raising of kittens, in fact they are likely to kill the little ones so that mom comes into season again...My recommendation would be to try and find everyone and bring them inside to keep everyone as safe as possible. The fact that you haven't seen these guys for awhile has me concerned. Hopefully all is well and the family will come back and introduce you to a litter of fat, healthy kittens....To be completely honest though I have my doubts that you will see them again....Cats normally come to where they are fed, it makes no sense for the mom to have taken her little ones and moved out...I'm sorry that I haven't been able to offer any reassurance. If you have any further questions, concerns, or you would like to send an update or some pictures my way, please don't hesitate to contact me again.