Mother cat tries to eat her kitten

My cat who's about 1 year old escaped from our house and she got pregnant. It wasn't something we expected or planned for, but it happened because we just didn't get her fixed in time. She gave birth yesterday(Jun 13) to five kittens, two of them being twins. For about the first 24 hours, all was going well. She was feeding them and snuggling with them and everything. Thank god my family was awake this morning because they woke me up to tell me my cat was trying to eat one of the kittens and apparently was 'very determined' to eat it. They told me she had the kitten's head in her mouth and was gnawing on it. They're all as safe as they can be and I'm preparing to have to bottle feed them now even though they're only a day old. I don't know what else to do because I don't know if I can trust my cat with the kittens anymore. I hear it could be that she's overwhelmed being a first time mother and being so young, I can remember her being given to us after getting weaned off her bottle just like it was yesterday. I considered maybe I could try letting her raise two or three of the kittens so that they have more of a chance, but I don't think I'd even feel good leaving her alone with just two. Right now, she's in distress, I can tell. She won't stop meowing and she's been searching for her kittens. I feel bad, but I just don't want to return them to her right now.

My question is: When might I be able to reintroduce her to the kittens? When might it be safe? We're not gonna keep all of them because we don't have the room, but I'd like to be able to reintroduce her anyway and we're probably keeping one of them. Am I even doing the right thing? Is there a chance she could safely raise a couple of the kittens herself?

And what are the chances of these kittens surviving? I want to put as much as I can into it. I know I have to feed them their first week every 2 hours about 5-6ml/feeding. I know I have to sterilize everything in between uses. I know I need to wash my hands well, disinfect them or use rubber gloves. I know I need to keep the kittens warm, even though I live in a really hot area and it's in the middle of summer, so that isn't much of a problem. I know I need to give them affection too and also need to help them pass gas, pee, poop and whatnot for a few weeks. What else can I do to up the chances of them surviving?

I've read that there is something in the mother's milk that contains antibodies in the first 2 days of their lives. I know they for sure were feeding from their mother for a bit over 24 hours. I hope that makes a difference.

Sorry you are going though this.

Did she actually kill the kitten that she had by the head ?

GemsGem said:

Sorry you are going though this.

Did she actually kill the kitten that she had by the head ?

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The kitten is ok. My family noticed it crying out so they checked out what was going on and were able to save it. I just hope I can help the kittens survive, it would hurt me a lot if I couldn't

Did the kitten have any injury to the head ?

Ok this is what I am thinking here. Unless the kitten was injured in anyway apart from a wet head

I think she was just trying to pick the kitten up to move it to another place. This is a common thing they do with newborns.

Now to anybody that as never seen a mom cat pick up a newborn - it can look frightening like they are trying to kill it. But they are not ! They pick them up by the head, kittens do cry out sometimes and if the mom cat has not got a good enough grip on the head they keep grabbing the head - this can look like they are chewing on them.

I agree with Gemsgem.  IF the mom was wanting to eat or kill the kitten for real, she would just do it.  There is a tremendous force in the jaws if they wants to, and the teeth are sharp, almost razor sharp.    YOu dont never need to hesitate what was a bite for real   (deep wounds or totally thrashed body), what was something mishappen in play (a tiny scratch), or what was just a gentle love bite or a carrying trial...   (none, or just barely visible traces)

If there were no severe wounds, it couldnt have been any serious killing attempts.  No way.

There sometimes happens, if a kittens dies, cat moms ates it if she cant carry it away and hide safely.   But that was apparently not so here.   Or it happens even, a severly stressed mom, being panicked in extremis, do kills her kittens.  But again, this wasnt apparently nothing such here.

Make sure the mom doesnt needs to change her nest, (nonstressed, non threatened,  bedding changed every day)  and let her back to her kittens asap.  Also, do talk sweetly to her.

Good luck!    @warringecstasy

The kitten was completely fine after that happened. It wasn't injured in any way. I was told it cried a little, but it wasn't injured...But wow, thank you for this because I decided to take a chance and see how my cat would be with her kittens. She right away took one to my bed, I guess because it's quiet and dark and because I'm usually the one to be petting her and all, so she's more comfortable. Then I took the rest of the kittens there and she's not laying there feeding them. THANK GOD, thank you. Now they have a much better chance of survival. I feel really bad because my cat was in such distress, but I'm glad that after all these hours of us trying to feed them and take care of them, she's still accepting them.

None of us are experienced with newborn kittens or mother cats and their kittens so we have no idea what's supposed to happen. I'm glad I know now. I guess it makes sense. My mom now tells me it did look like she was biting at its neck and I suppose she was trying to take it somewhere more quiet because we had their box in our family room. And it does make sense than if she wanted to kill it, it would be dead because they are so fragile. I'm keeping an eye, but it's going really well so far

Yeah, it's going really well. And I've been petting my cat on her head and scratching her neck very gently since she likes that. Not too much, just when it seems appropriate. I've been talking sweetly to her too. Thank you everyone. Everything is going well!

Glad things are going well

It's an easy mistake to make when you see this for the first time It really can seem like they are hurting them and it does look brutal

Sounds like she is actually going to be a good mom :nod: