Why do mother cats abandon their kittens? Here are the reasons

Cats are animals used to living in colonies and form bonds very similar to humans, from friendship to indifference to antipathy. This characteristic of affection is also created when a cat becomes a mother. His relationship with his puppies is very protective, because he is always ready to protect them from everyone and everything.

Sometimes, however, it happens that the new mothers do not accept the puppies themselves, so they may even decide to abandon them, a behavior that goes against their instinct to protect the little ones. child. In fact it is not a unique reaction, but is linked to a series of factors.

The reasons that lead a mother to reject puppies

If you have pets at home, you know that despite having very similar characteristics to us, much of their behavior is dictated by instinct. The latter also comes into play when a cat has kittens, because he knows if the newborn babies have health problems. Once he realizes that one of them is suffering from a disease he decides to leave him because he has to think about other healthy kittens. In fact, she chooses not to take the milk and attention in favor of the sick little one who probably won’t survive. In addition, it is a way to protect other kittens to prevent them from getting infected. It may also happen that the mother herself is sick and therefore decides to move to protect her children from herself.

There are situations that push the mother cat away from her kittens, but these are not linked to diseases. It may happen that childbirth is so tiring, that she understands that she does not have the necessary energy to take care of everything and therefore refuses them because she is under great stress. Sometimes, then, it may happen that she does not have enough milk and therefore leaving is natural.

What to do if the cat does not want to go home?

Along with this there are also many simpler reasons. It happens that the new mother does not feel able to take care of small children because she is not ready and does not know what to do. In this case you can take care of them in his company by showing him how to behave. It is important not to touch the newborn puppies because your smell can irritate the mother.

As we have seen so far, instinct dominates the behavior of mother cats, who can even hide the kittens to put them in a place that she considers safer, taking care of them in complete peace. Although she may move them several times until they are weaned, it is important to let her follow her instincts if it does not endanger her life and the puppies.

What to do if a cat refuses kittens

When the mother takes the puppies, the first thing to do is to understand the reason. If it is because one of the kittens or he himself is sick, then you should immediately take them to the vet, who will take care of them.

If the departure is due to other reasons you must make sure that he receives the right food by giving him milk (preferably powdered milk) through a bottle every two hours during the day and every three hours at night (up to the tenth day of life).

A day of mourning when a dog or cat dies: the revolutionary proposal in Chile

Regarding cleaning, you should wash it every 2 days with warm water (avoid your eyes) and gently wipe it with a cloth. This operation should be done until they are one month old. As for litters, they can be introduced when they are about a month old. When they are born, the abandoned kittens should feel protected, especially if they are not in the affection of their mother, so it is good to prepare a welcoming and soft kennel where they can rest.

Leave a Comment