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Cats/Kittens and adult cats

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Expert: - 8/8/2009


Question
Two stray cats that hang around my house had kittens almost five weeks ago, and the kittens are now starting to follow their mom's up to the house to eat at night. They're all friendly kittens because we've been able to have contact with them since birth, but a couple of the other adult cats have been attacking them. Is this part of them learning to defend themselves, or could the cats actually go as far as killing them?

Answer
Amy,

At 5 weeks of age a kitten could certainly be killed by an adult cat, particularly if it's an intact male cat who isn't the father. Toms will kill kittens in an effort to bring mom back in season more quickly so that they can mate with her and produce more kittens. I'd recommend that you consider bringining mom and her babies indoors until the kittens are big and strong enough to get away. Since these babies have been socialized with people it might be a good time to start getting them accustomed to living in a house since they'd be more adoptable that way. A mother cat teachs her kittens to defend themselves, they then practice their new skill by play fighting and wrestling amongst themselves which also helps them to figure out who stands where in the household hierarchy.

It's certainly within the colony's best interests if each member is spayed/neutered as this will reduce aggression between the cats within the colony and help to reduce their risks of certain types of bacterial infections and cancers. I can provide you with further information on the benefits of spaying and neutering each member of this stray colony if you're interested. If you'd like information on starting a trap, neuter, release program in your area to humanely control the population I'd be more than happy to provide you with information that would help you to get this stray colony spayed/neutered before the population explodes out of control.

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Ali

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I am the proud guardian of 5 mixed breed cats ranging from 12 weeks to 13 years old and one purebred ragdoll. I have 20+ years experience working with mixed breed cats from a variety of different situations. I have fostered cats/kittens with special needs/behavioral issues. I have rescued/rehabilitated/re-homed a variety of stray/abused cats. I can offer advice on managing feral cat colonies, rehabilitating strays and finding them forever homes. I can help you to determine whether a cat is stray or feral, there IS a significant difference. Improperly introducing a new cat/kitten can result in aggression between newly introduced cats because cats are territorial by nature and they don't like sudden changes in their environment. To learn more about a peaceful way to introduce a new cat into a home with other cats please check out my previous answers on this subject. Proper nutrition for cats can be confusing, I recommend checking out catinfo.org which was created by a veterinarian (Dr. Lisa Pierson) who takes a common sense approach to explaining feline nutrition. Cat behavior and instincts are different from those of humans, I can help you understand your cat's needs so that you can meet them adequately and have a balanced, psychologically and physically sound kitty. Cats vary in personality, energy level and intelligence, different approaches may be required to achieve results in terms of training and interaction with your feline companion. An intelligent, high energy cat must be kept busy or they will make their own fun. I am NOT a licensed veterinarian and I can't offer medical advice. If your cat is ill/injured my advice is always the same: get prompt medical treatment provided by a veterinarian. If finances are an issue I will try to find resources in your area that can help with medical costs or make other choices to ensure the welfare of your cat.

Experience

I have fostered feral and stray cats, rehabilitated and homed cats that many people recommended euthanasia for. I am willing to make an effort to do the research and ask questions because I care enough to find solutions to behavioral problems rather than giving up. I have an interest in the use of alternative therapies to help provide the best possible care for all cats and I can say in all honesty that I've seen some incredible things happen for some incredible cats and their human caregivers when the right alternative therapeutic modality is used by a qualified veterinarian with expertise and experience in the field.

Education/Credentials
I've earned my diploma as a veterinary assistant with honors.

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