Momma snubbing babies...

Hi all, I have kind of a silly question, I guess...

Oreo's babies are about 8 weeks old now. They all eat kitten food and drink water, but the runt is still pretty "runty"...Just smaller than the rest.

Anyway, today Oreo seems to be really agitated by the babies. They were all being really wild earlier this morning, which was fine (and normal for them - there is nothing they won't climb!!). She has been growling really low at them every time they come near her, and she won't really let them nurse. Every now and then it is like she "gives up" and lets them have a nip for a minute or two. Then she jumps up and runs off, as if to get away from them.

I've read that they shouldn't be weaned completely for another month or so. Do I need to worry about this behavior change? Or is she just teaching them that it is time to stop nursing?

Thanks for any advice you might have!!

This sounds like Ruby. The babies were 8 weeks old yesterday, and unless they catch her while she's napping, she won't let them nurse. I think she's just telling them its time to grow up. Now that the kittens have free reign of the house, they generally sleep under the couch, while Ruby sleeps next to our bed. They are apart 90% of the time. The kittens don't give mom the time of day and vice versa.

I'm actually tempted to try the sock around the belly idea, so her milk dries up and she can be spayed sooner than expected.

Originally Posted by AnnasMom

I'm actually tempted to try the sock around the belly idea, so her milk dries up and she can be spayed sooner than expected.

Click to expand...

I have never heard of this, but it sounds interesting. I want to get Oreo spayed too...She seems to start to go into heat, but then not really...Anyway, I just want her "fixed" so I don't panic every time a door to the house opens anymore.

She has always come downstairs at night if all the babies weren't in the same room as her. She would come down and "call" to them until they all went back upstairs with her. But now they all just run everywhere, and I don't see her looking for them too often. The other night I had three kittens sleeping with me - I couldn't move because I would have disturbed them!!

So do you think it is safe to start finding adoptive homes for the babies now? I figure it will take a few weeks to screen people anyway. My husband wants the babies gone - and I am just too in love with them to think about it!

We have started the search for homes. The people who fell in love with them at one week old are no longer interested. So we have 3 to find homes for. My husband also wants them gone. I think it will take a few weeks to find the right people, so I had my mother put up some flyers at her office (she works at the Wal-Mart Home Office-ISD, so that is about 3,000 people who will see the fliers in the break rooms daily). We also have a friend who owns a gourmet pet snack bakery and he said we can bring them up there. We are charging a $50 adoption fee because they've had their first shots and we've gotten vouchers from the local shelter for $20 speuters.