Expert: Jessica - 5/31/2010

Question
QUESTION: A stray i got when she was 10 weeks old has been here with her sisters since july 09. Two are fixed and this one had 5 kittens on march 31st. i took two in and got 3 adopted. I have had contact with them since birth but now that they are getting out of their enclosure i assumed it was time. I took 2 in who seem to be having a ball and the other three to a new home. BUT mommy cat is now screaming and walking around the house searching for them. How do i deal with her heartbreak? I feel terrible. The kittens seem fine without her but she seems distraught.

ANSWER: Hi Kristi.  I'm not entirely sure of your situation.  At first I read your question and thought maybe mom was outside and you had brought the babies in?  If that's so, is there any possibility of bringing mom into the home for a short while?  This would be ideal in this situation for a couple of reasons.  One is that the kittens are a little on the young side to be separated from mom from a behavioral standpoint, and this is why mom is so extremely upset by the separation.  If she's able to spend a few more weeks with them, she should be more ready to let go and move on.

Additionally, she'll have time to properly wean her kittens.  At this age, the kittens will all have been nursing some, not so much for nourishment, but for bonding.  Mom usually puts an end to this between 10 and 12 weeks, but at 8 or 9 weeks, the litter is usually still nursing somewhat frequently throughout the day.  Although the kittens can technically go to new homes because they don't need milk anymore, when all five kittens go to new homes at this young age, mom has a real back up of milk that becomes painful for her.  It's ideal to keep the kittens until 12 weeks of age so mom can gradually wean them completely, or if that's not possible, to try to keep at least one or two kittens that can nurse for another couple weeks to prevent painful engorgement.

Finally, if you're able to keep mom inside until the kittens are completely weaned and then just hold onto her for another week, she can be spayed, and you will be able to ensure she doesn't become pregnant again in the meantime.  Once cats stop nursing, they tend to go back into heat, so as she's outdoors right now, she is at risk for becoming pregnant again at any time.  Mom can be spayed 7-10 days after she weans the babies.

After all that, perhaps you still have mom and her two other babies together indoors, and she is distraught over the other three she's missing.  If this is the case, only time will help.  You shouldn't feel terrible.  It's very sad to watch a mama go through this grief, but in the wild, animals of all kinds lose their babies more often than we care to imagine.  She will work through it and recover.  It may take several days, it may take a few weeks.  Just try to keep her engaged in things that she typically enjoys - playing with her favorite toys, petting, brushing, eating special treats, etc.  Cats really appreciate stability and a solid routine, so try not to make any changes to the household or her schedule until she's really recovered from her loss.

Best of luck!

Jessica



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

QUESTION: Jessica, she is a stray and has never been indoors. Nor is it an option to bring her in. The crying is less now than friday but still searching for them frequently. I had them enclosed on my porch for the whole 8 weeks but they were starting to get out. And if she moved them to under my deck all my time and work the whole 8 weeks would have been wasted. She would teach them to hunt and be on there own and with multiple strays in my neighborhood it just wasnt safe to let them roam about. The kittens are adjusting great and have no reaction to hearing her cry. I am getting her fixed next week. And i am feeding as usual. and at normal times. But she is not as affectionate as her 2 sisters. Which loved to be pet. This again after months of time getting them to trust me. All three brought here by their mother at 10 weeks old and WAY past the human trust age. I hate to see her so upset. but for the safety of the kittens, i took them away. Plus raccoons. they were a little over 8 weeks when i did this. but they are eating and drinking. playing. etc. all were litter trained aswell. I feel like i did the best thing but feel terrible because she is sad. thanks kristi

Answer
Yes, you absolutely did do the right thing.  It's sad when we have to separate kittens from feral moms, but it's necessary to prevent the cycle from continuing.  Mom should continue to recover from the loss of her babies, and once she's spayed, hopefully everything will fall nicely into place!