Can female cats start lactating when there are kittens around?

Trinity has fallen in love with our two newest rescues, 8 week old sisters Eowyn and Luthien. She follows them around, grooms them, and tonight she lay down on her side and they started "nursing". Can she be lactating? Are they getting anything? She is not pregnant and has just recovered from mastitis.

I'm by no means an expert, but I know kittens, even quite large ones will suckle for comfort reasons.
I do not know if it is possible for cats to do so, but I've had cases of unbred, intact bitches lactating and 'adopting' newborn animals.

The really interesting part is that they *look* like they could be hers, she is a dilute calico, and they are a buff tabby and a dilute tortie. I know they're not hers for a fact. But they sure resemble their "new mom".

If nothing else, at least they have a 'momma' to show them the ropes

I had two female cats, when one had kittens.  My other, older, cat had not been in heat in years.  The older cat heard and found the kittens, and from then on she would not leave the box.  I had to make her let the real momma in.  It was a sight! The kittens were brand new and would snuggle and "nurse" on both.  I had to continuously pluck them off the adoptive mom and put them on their real momma, so they could get some milk.  I about fell over when a few days of doing that, I plucked one off, and milk came squirting out after! I felt her belly and sure enough she had developed quite the milk bags!!  I guess the hormones took over, and from then on the babies has 2 lactating mommies Wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it! So yes it is possible!

The answer is yes . I have a female cat that is not pregnant. When I took in a kitten that was about 5 weeks old she took to it weeks later I noticed the kitten was nursing. And yes she actually started to produce milk and is still nursing the kitten . Lol

melissa skinner said:

I had two female cats, when one had kittens. My other, older, cat had not been in heat in years. The older cat heard and found the kittens, and from then on she would not leave the box. I had to make her let the real momma in. It was a sight! The kittens were brand new and would snuggle and "nurse" on both. I had to continuously pluck them off the adoptive mom and put them on their real momma, so they could get some milk. I about fell over when a few days of doing that, I plucked one off, and milk came squirting out after! I felt her belly and sure enough she had developed quite the milk bags!! I guess the hormones took over, and from then on the babies has 2 lactating mommies Wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it! So yes it is possible!

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Yes I have just had about the same happen lol