Do Male Cats Kill Kittens?

feralvr · May 19, 2012

mas1953 said:
I learned firsthand today that male cats do kill kittens. A mother cat who recently had kittens adopted a kitten that was abandoned. A little while ago I went outside and saw the mother cat laying on the porch with a male cat. I knew where the kitten was, so I went to check on it. I was horrified to find that the lower half of it's body was missing! The worst part of it was the kitten was alive when I got home a couple of hours before.

I have some feral male cats, so after reading this, I now know what happened to the poor little kitten. It was also a male.

I don't know how I'm going to get that image out of my mind.

OH dear

hno: I know that those awful images seem to stick in our minds for a very long time, I am sorry about that kitten..... I hope you are able to get all of those cats sterilized as that will save any more kittens from this horrible fate. :sniffle:

Bless you for caring. Please feel free to start your own thread here in the forum for more advice and suggestions about stray cats. :hugs:

don1945 · Sep 30, 2012

I know this is an old thread, but I have just recently encountered this problem with a bunch of strays I feed at my shop every night. I have been going there every night for the past 3 years and feeding anywhere from 6 to 10 cats that show up. For the longest time they all got along well and would eat together with no problems, but a while back a maie showed up and immediately things changed. He runs other cats off, but gets along well with people.

He and a small female had a liter of two kittens and as they got old enough the mom would bring them around to eat too. Suddenly the one disappeared and only the little white one showed up. A few nights ago I noticed the little white kitten coming all by herself and her mom seemed to abandon her. Then last night the little white one came and seemed really scared, even of her own dad and mom. Then I saw the dad chase after the kitten, who ran for her life.

I am really upset, and am going to try to save the little one by trapping her, if she is still ok. I may trap the male and have him neutered also. All of the problems seemed to start when he started coming around, and it is time to stop it now.

Don

jennyr · Sep 30, 2012

I hope you manage to get her in time. Yes, toms will kill kittens, and not just male ones who may be potential threats.Killing a litter will bring a mom back into heat more quickly so the male can mate with her, therefore female kittens are also at risk.

feralvr · Sep 30, 2012

Don1945 said:
I know this is an old thread, but I have just recently encountered this problem with a bunch of strays I feed at my shop every night. I have been going there every night for the past 3 years and feeding anywhere from 6 to 10 cats that show up. For the longest time they all got along well and would eat together with no problems, but a while back a maie showed up and immediately things changed. He runs other cats off, but gets along well with people.

He and a small female had a liter of two kittens and as they got old enough the mom would bring them around to eat too. Suddenly the one disappeared and only the little white one showed up. A few nights ago I noticed the little white kitten coming all by herself and her mom seemed to abandon her. Then last night the little white one came and seemed really scared, even of her own dad and mom. Then I saw the dad chase after the kitten, who ran for her life.

I am really upset, and am going to try to save the little one by trapping her, if she is still ok. I may trap the male and have him neutered also. All of the problems seemed to start when he started coming around, and it is time to stop it now.

Don

Sending loads and loads of vibes for the little white kitten. OH I hope you can save her. :vibes:

don1945 · Oct 3, 2012

Well, since I last posted that information I have arranged to borrow an animal trap and am going to try to catch the Dad and have him neutered. The local shelter does strays free. I am also going to try to catch the Mom and have her fixed too so the cycle of them having kittens only to have them die will stop, at least for that family.

There was also some good news. Last night when I went to my shop to feed them, not only did the Dad and Mom show up, but the white kitten was right there with them........they were one big happy family, so I am not sure what was going on a few days ago !

They all love chicken hot dogs for a treat and all three of them sat right there and waited for the next bite. The little white one also played with a mouse on a fishing pole I had, and got within a foot of me while I sat there. She can be domesticated I am sure, and I am going to try to trap her and get her adopted. She is a really pretty little cat and I don't think she will be very big when fully grown.......her Mom is tiny.

So thanks for the good wishes, and I will let everyone know how I make out.

Don

don1945 · Oct 3, 2012

Today I borrowed a trap and the first cat in was the little white one. She is in my shop office right now and tomorrow I am going to get on the phone to try to get her taken in by some organization. She is really very tame for being a stray kitten, my Son was able to pet her through the wire cage and she wasn't freaked out much at all. If I am only able to save one of them from the terrible life they live outdoors, I want it to be this little one.

After that is taken care of I am going to try to trap her Dad, then her Mom and get them fixed. They have been in the wild too long to tame them, but at least they won't be bringing any more little ones into the world to die.

Don

bapuji · Oct 4, 2012

Dear Friends! Human beings are slowly understanding animals. The male lions after defeating the existing male master, take over the harem, kill all the young ones - it is the nature's way of deciding the stronger genes should survive. The females do not mate immediately with the new male lest the new master may be shortly defeated by another male and all their offspring be killed. They wait till the new male established its supremacy and strength.

Another interesting act of the drama of life that is looked down upon in human society: the females in a harem mate with subordinate males behind the back of the master. This is to ensure genetic diversity. If the master has genetic defects, all the litter will be exposed to it. Nature protects itself through different ways. We must continue to learn by studying/observing nature.

Let us not take sides, lest we miss the important lessons.

pyroclasm · May 16, 2013

Help ....I found a kitten barely 2 weeks old because her eyes had barely opened and i found it next to an under construction building but her mother was nowhere to be seen and some of the workers told me her mother no longer comes there and the kittens siblings are dying ..

i took it home and ever since i was looking for her mother ..i found a different pregnant cat living in my gym building she had one kitten barely 5 weeks old ..i tried to see if she would adopt it ...She did she went nuts after her when i bought the kitten in a box ..she was smelling and hissing at me to let her out ..she picked it up gently and cleaned her and fed her soon enough ..I waited a few hours to confirm if the other kitten would be a threat to the 2 week old kitten . it seemed harmless ..I have been checking up on them and the little kitten is doing well in her new home ..but today i could not find her .turned the whole place upside down but no trace of her.......the other kitten is alive and well but the 2 week old just vanished ....few hours later i returned to the area with 'LOST KITTEN' posters but i saw a huge male cat with the mother .....he scared the kitten away into hiding, the mother kept him from attacking the kitten .could he be the cause for the other kitten to disappear >??

any clues if he did attack her what would happen to the body ???Would it be nearby or would he have taken it with him ???

I have been looking all over i just wish i could find out what happened to the kitten .....This happened on a mezzaine floor of the building

its sorta empty .Just so to give u guys an idea if the male did attack would he drag the body with him to the stairs and then out of the building.Honestly its day 2 and i am really upset over not being able to find out what happened

StefanZ · May 17, 2013

Pyroclasm. The male could attack, and in this case, he would either leave the rests lieing, or even eat up them.

But the other 5w kittens was alive and well yes? So my guess is, the little kitten got sick and died... So the adoptive mom did eat up it, OR carried away long from her nest.

May be the reason the first mom did abandoned her litter, she understood there was something wrong with them.

Is the male friendly with the female? If so, he wouldnt prob not hurt the kittens. They can live in family groups if so is, you know. And toms who are friends with the mom, do take care and help with her kittens, even if not biological fathers.

Mom wouldnt want to be friendly either if he did hurt her kittens. She would succumb to a rape, but not be friendly.

The male coming is a coincidence in this variation, I think. A healthy mom can usually defend and even scare away any male, if she thinks they are a threat to their kittens.

Your help was in wain here, but nonetheless, your help was most welcome and a praiseworthy doing.

Better luck next time!

Next step, engage in some nice TNR-rescue group...

Good luck!

Welcome to our Forums!

yolanda nieto · Jun 14, 2013

I have a colony of feral cats in my yard that includes several males and females. I have had most of them fixed to help cut down on the overpopulation, but I have been unable to catch all of the cats thus far. My experience is very different from what I have read on here. The male cats in this colony not only do NOT harm kittens that are born of the females, but they actually help to care for them. I have watched them "babysit" to give Mom a break. I have seen them guide the kittens back to the group when they begin to wander off. I realize that this is highly unusual, but I am assuming that these males are simply behaving as they have seen those males before them behave. I feel pretty fortunate to have such a loving colony of feral cats that I care for. I try to catch the kittens after they are weaned so as to socialize them and find them homes. I have been pretty successful at it. I have adopted more than my share of these babies myself. I am that crazy cat lady who lives down the street. AND PROUD OF IT!

jett cray · Jun 28, 2013

Hi guys
I am new to this forum and interested i this thread as I am grieving for my little kitten that was attacked and died Wednesday.
I thought he was playing about with my other cats and then realised he was missing. Myself and the children searched high and low calling his name not realising that he was dead under the decking.
A day passed, we went to neighbours houses, searched sheds...everywhere. Then my daughter tried looking under the decking and was convinced she saw something....the rest is history.
I cried and cried as did my daughters...we are still
devastated.
Then today I heard my cat Ed screeching outside and ran out to see a big grey cat attacking. Ichased him off.....had never seen this cat before. Tonight a similar incident with my cat Boomer so I can only assume it was this strange cat that killed my baby cat.....if only I had known.....I miss the little guy so so much.

Norachan · Jun 28, 2013

Hi Jet Cray,

I'm so sorry for your loss, poor little guy.

Is the big cat that's been attacking Ed and Boomer a stray? I have ten neutered cats of my own and care for a colony of about six, around half of whom are neutered so far. (The rest are going to be done as soon as I've saved up enough cash.) I've had the same problem with a large stray cat coming around and attacking them. Apparently they will even attack spayed females as they see them as a threat.

If this grey cat is a stray I'd recommend trying to trap him and have him neutered if you can. Once he has decided that your house and yard are part of his territory he'll keep coming back and beating up your cats. Getting him neutered will make him less aggressive and, if he's not getting fed in your neighbourhood, he'll probably move off.

StefanZ · Jun 29, 2013

Norachan said:
If this grey cat is a stray I'd recommend trying to trap him and have him neutered if you can. Once he has decided that your house and yard are part of his territory he'll keep coming back and beating up your cats. Getting him neutered will make him less aggressive and, if he's not getting fed in your neighbourhood, he'll probably move off.

Jett Cray. I agree with Nora-chan´s suggestions. Your case is somewhat different from what was asked in the thread. Your kitten wasnt attacked and killed because it was a kitten "probably not his own", but it was basically beaten up, and being so small, got too much. Probably crawled dying to under the decking to die there.

The remedy is the same regardless of the exact cause. If you neuter this brute, it will be better, at least after a couple of weeks when the most hormones have left. So, the ideal is if you (or the TNR group who helps you) should have somewhere to give him a quarantine of at least a couple of weeks.

You can release him in 12-24 hours too, but he may continue with his behavior several weeks.

Otherwise, you can try with the citys animal control. Yes, they may pts him, if he is aggressive to them, or they dont have a suitable quarantine - they probably dont have. (A friendly tom has often a chance even if caugh by citys animal control).

But the problem in large will be solved.

You can also try and chase him off, to solve your own immediate problem. The problem is, it is no good solution. As he IS an aggressive brute, he will terrorize other neigbourhoods instead, even if he lets him be scared off from your place.

We are cat friends, and pts healthy cats is NOT what I do nor recommend. But here may be one of the exceptions, as he IS dangerous to other cats, even neutered home cats, and kittens.

TNR:ing is the human solution, a good solution, it works here too. Especielly if you can double it with having him separated till the hormones go down.

But if you cant TNR, you must solve it in some other way. For your own best, and your neigbours.

Luck is, most toms arent THAT aggressive. Even dominant territorial toms are seldom aggressive into this degree.

Good luck!

Welcome to our Forums!

jett cray · Jun 29, 2013

Thank you for your response.
I am not residing in America but I will check out the resources here to help me deal with this cat.
I am so depressed and upset over the whole affair....the guilt overwhelms me so much. How did I not hear anything at the other end of the house??
The thought of him suffering kills me....I dont think I will ever get over it.......

jett cray · Jun 29, 2013

Norachan said:
Hi Jet Cray,

I'm so sorry for your loss, poor little guy.

Is the big cat that's been attacking Ed and Boomer a stray? I have ten neutered cats of my own and care for a colony of about six, around half of whom are neutered so far. (The rest are going to be done as soon as I've saved up enough cash.) I've had the same problem with a large stray cat coming around and attacking them. Apparently they will even attack spayed females as they see them as a threat.

If this grey cat is a stray I'd recommend trying to trap him and have him neutered if you can. Once he has decided that your house and yard are part of his territory he'll keep coming back and beating up your cats. Getting him neutered will make him less aggressive and, if he's not getting fed in your neighbourhood, he'll probably move off.
[/quote
Thank you for your reply and kind words. I aim to deal with this guy...he is vicious.
We are just so traumatised by it.... I cant stop crying. His name was Jett and he was adorable....he was so happy that sunny morning and loved being close to Ed.

StefanZ · Jun 29, 2013

Jett Cray said:
We are just so traumatised by it.... I cant stop crying. His name was Jett and he was adorable....he was so happy that sunny morning and loved being close to Ed.

Click to expand...

You are welcome to write Jett the kitten´s memory by a suitable thread in our Memorials subforum.

Giving him your tribute and paying your respects. To share your memories with others.

I wish you good luck!

jett cray · Jun 29, 2013

How do I get to the subforum?

Norachan · Jun 29, 2013

I think it's this one.

http://www.thecatsite.com/f/19/crossing-the-bridge

Good luck with trapping that aggressive stray, I hope you're able to do something before any other cats get hurt.

jett cray · Jul 1, 2013

Thank you Norachan for directing me to the site.

jesiccakitty · Mar 14, 2014

I have a calico cat and two brendel dogs. my calico is female and has already had one litter of 3. My two dogs are very big boys 1 is a Bullmastiff Great Dane mix and the other is a boxer pit, both my boys are very lovable consider themselves lap dogs. during the first pregnancy with the cat the boys very curious but never harmful, though the mother would swat at them. after having the litter the boys would try to mother them and play with them and at worst try to steal them, but never harmed them. at 10 weeks we found homes for the orange boy and the black boy and we thought we had kept the only female. apparently the third kitten was a late bloomer because we found out later that that was also a boy. Now my mother girl is pregnant again almost 2 years later and were worried that her son will attack the new babies. the mother and son have always been very cuddly he still attempted to nurse for some time and now everytime he goes to lay next to his mother she beat him up. if the boy and the mother get any more aggressive I would like to know any advice on how to keep them separate or what I should do, thank you. And as far as your stray cat and your loving dog, maybe include her, introduce them, maybe it might help, maybe she just gets lonely seeing you somebody else, even if it is just a stray cat. If she gets to violent then obviously she doesn't want to be included, I know when my boys got introduced to my cat they absolutely loved her. I hope whatever happens with your dog and your cat is just as joyous.

Do Male Cats Kill Kittens?

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