Do I let him in with his sibling?

waxlight

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I have a four-five month old male kitten that desperately wants to be with his mom.

Why? Because she had a kitten about a week ago, and she's letting the older cat nurse, too :p

I have mom and new kitten secluded, however, the older kitten is YOWLING at the door to be let in, and mom looks all concerned (they're french doors).

So is it safe to let the older kitten in with the new kitten/mom? Mom seems to have no concerns... and there is only one new kitten (and a fat one!), so I'm not worried about there being enough milk.

So is it safe? or do I just let the poor guy meow! (not that I feel too bad, mom makes forays out to the living room occasionally
 

jen

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At 4-5 months, there is a risk of the male getting his mother pregnant. Unless mom was just spayed recently. If not then spay her of course and neuter the male and then let them interact. Remember too, if you neuter him first, he can still get her pregnant for a month after being neutered.
 

fosterkitty

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you need to get all of your cats spayed and neutered and not let this happen again. There is no need for a cat to have any kittens at all, let alone 2 litters within 4 months.
 

jen

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I do agree, 2 litters in 4-5 months is way harsh on the mothers poor tired body. She didn't even have time to replenish the nutrients she lost from the first litter. I am not suprised she only had one kitten, her body couldn't support any more then that. I wouldn't be suprised if the kitten may get sickly.
 
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waxlight

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Oh, for gods sake.

If either of you had read my previous post about the 'surprise' kitten, you would know that I took the steps to make sure she didn't get pregnant again - the vet truely believed that the male was sterile, and therefore, not a risk.

But instead of looking back at what I posted, you're making assumptions that I just thought it'd be 'great' for her to have another kitten. The last thing I need in this house is another cat. Yeah, I'm gonna love it, and take care of it, and find it a good home, but it's the last thing I wanted to do.

Mistakes happened, and while I appreciate knowing that the four - five month old can get her pregnant and therefore I shouldn't let him in, I do not need to be belittled.

Also, mom is in perfect health, and the kitten is bigger than normal, and already quite active/responsive. Otherwise, you would have been reading a post about the vet visit I took this week.
 

gayef

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*Ahem* People, this is the Pregnant Cat and Kitten Care Forum. We answer questions and try to be helpful here. Waxlight didn't ask if he/she should spay and neuter his/her pets, Waxlight asked a specific question about whether or not a 4-5 month old male kitten should be allowed access to his mother, an intact female who recently gave birth.

Waxlight, the answer to that question is no, the 4-5 month old intact male should have absolutely NO access to his mother right now. Even if he hasn't already reached sexual maturity, why risk it? I know you really don't want more cats to take care of so it is probably for the best not to take the chance.

Jen, your advice was sound, however, I have to point out that it really isn't a good idea to spay a nursing queen until the kittens have been fully weaned. Spaying involves removing not only the uterus but also the ovaries, which play a part in allowing the queen to continue producing milk. If you spay a queen while kittens are still dependant, you effectively cut off their food supply and force them to become bottle babies. Formula is never, ever as good as mother's milk and if the goal is a happy, healthy kitten, then they should be allowed to fully wean before milk production is artificially restricted.

Fosterkitty, I respect your opinions on the matter, but this is one of those situations where you don't have all the facts and didn't bother to find out about the unique situation.

Everyone - let's ALL try to remember that we are here to help - not make blanket statements about what WE think is the right thing to do. It may actually be the right thing to do, but people's individual circumstances are an unknown to us and it may not be the right thing for THEM to do at the present time. We all need to stick to answering the questions posted and keep our personal feelings on the matter out of it.
 

tiffanyl

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Gaye, I'm so glad you are here to referee. These posts have gotten out of control lately and I've seen so many people leave TCS because of this.
 

goldenkitty45

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I've had kittens nursing (litter) up to 3 months old if mom alllowed it. But a 4-5 month old should not be nursing. Since its a risk of the little boy thinking he's a BIG boy
then don't let them together till both are spayed/neutered.

Does the 4-5 month old have other cats he can play with?
 

xxtashaxx

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also one more good reason for the older kitten not to be in with his mum and the new kitten is because the older kitten may hurt the little one by play fighting as he will try and do. i have read your other posts unlike some and i know the situation to what happend, and we would like a picture of this new little one.
and she can be spayed when the kittens is around 7-8 weeks old, just in case you wasnt sure, which i think you know anyway
 

tiffanyl

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Originally Posted by XxtashaxX

also one more good reason for the older kitten not to be in with his mum and the new kitten is because the older kitten may hurt the little one by play fighting as he will try and do. i have read your other posts unlike some and i know the situation to what happend, and we would like a picture of this new little one.
and she can be spayed when the kittens is around 7-8 weeks old, just in case you wasnt sure, which i think you know anyway
Tasha, are you sure you read her other post? J/K!!! She posted the link to the kitten's picture in her last post about him.
 

xxtashaxx

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opps lol yes was ment to put *we would like more pictures of this little one* i really should read over my posts before i post them lol.
 

fostermomm

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Definatly dont let the little guy in with his mom and the kitten. He could accidently hurt the new baby. Also he really doesnt need to nurse. My foster kittens still try to nurse and they are 14 ish weeks. Though she doesnt have any milk anymore. She does still let Luna suck on her. But she isnt produscing milk any more.
 

jen

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My point was just that you can put them together it's just that you should have him neutered first due to the risk. A 4-5 month old kitten doesn't need to keep nursing. I didn't think the mother was spayed yet and if the lone kitten is really young then you should not spay her yet.

I have no idea why the there was a suspcion that the male was sterile. I just read and responded to this posting. I am sure I probably read the OPs other posts but I can't remember who all posted what. I simply answered the question.
 

fosterkitty

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I understand that everyone has a uniquie situation, but I assumed (usually a bad thing to do, but I was right in this situation) that someone who let a cat get pregnant twice in 4 months is not a uniquie situation.
To the OP, the 4 month old kitten does not need to nurse. He's old enough to eat his own food and more importantly, to be neutered. The mom should have been spayed regardless of the fact that another male was thought to be sterile. It doesn't matter, spaying is not just to prevent pregnancy, there are a whole lot of other positives to spaying. I would keep them seperated definitely, as the younger one might also get jealous and hurt the new kitten.
 

gayef

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Originally Posted by fosterkitty

I understand that everyone has a uniquie situation, but I assumed (usually a bad thing to do, but I was right in this situation) that someone who let a cat get pregnant twice in 4 months is not a uniquie situation.
No one "let" this queen get pregnant twice in 4 months ... admittedly, the first time was a mistake, however, regarding the "surprise" kitten, the OP had been told ~by a trusted vet~ that there was virtually no chance the only remaining intact male in the house could effectively reproduce. There were money issues at play here as well and the OP did as they thought was best for them in their own unique situation. So, factually, you were not right in this situation - you simply assumed the OP was irresponsible for not neutering the male when that couldn't have been any further from the truth.
 
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