These last two weeks have turned me into a sleepless wreck.. my cat had four kittens all was well for two weeks. Last week I found she smothered one. That’s weird? To days ago same deal.. woke up she smothered another? And just now I found she smothered the all white baby with not a spec of color on her fur?? The past three days I just stay up all night till 7am and then sleep all day as there are people here to keep an eye on them through the day. But at night it’s all up to me and it’s not working. She refuses to be brought inside. I have to run across the yard to the shed every twenty minutes and check on the last kitten. I feel horrible about it all. Like Is she smothering them because of something I’m doing? Or not doing?
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Cat smothering her baby’s?
- Thread starter tank27
- Start Date
Right, it wont be more job for you handfeeding, then now running there every 20 minutes... So taking the last baby for handfeeing is a hot alternative here.
And why she is suffocating them? May be pure accidents - not all are naturally good mommas.
May be stress - there is something she feel gravely threatened...
May be she felt they were goners - and so, helps them go on...
And why she is suffocating them? May be pure accidents - not all are naturally good mommas.
May be stress - there is something she feel gravely threatened...
May be she felt they were goners - and so, helps them go on...
I’m so sorry! It is nothing you are doing wrong.
Is your cat comfortable inside your home? If so, bring her and her last kitten inside where it may be easier to keep watch. If not, she may be in heat and agitated, in which case, go ahead and get her spayed and hand-raise the kitten.
Here is a helpful video for feeding:
Syringe Feeding — Kitten Lady
Do keep us posted.
Is your cat comfortable inside your home? If so, bring her and her last kitten inside where it may be easier to keep watch. If not, she may be in heat and agitated, in which case, go ahead and get her spayed and hand-raise the kitten.
Here is a helpful video for feeding:
Syringe Feeding — Kitten Lady
Do keep us posted.
I feel very sorry for you and your attempt to keep at least one baby alive! I went through a similar ordeal, Katy was living in a feral colony, pregnant, trapped and was put in a room in my basement. She gave birth to 3 kittens, One was smothered (accidentally?) after a few days. The others were failing. I had help to teach me how to bottle feed so that I was trying to force milk into these babies every 2 hours. Then another kitten was found dead - it had been bitten! The third died and looked as though it had been eaten. All within a space of 6 days. At the same time my partner was accusing me of trying to kill us all, by leaving a saucepan of water with plastic bottles and nipples to boil dry in the early hours of the morning. The smell was dreadful, but we are still alive.
Thinking back: Katy was far too young (later estimated to be 5 to 7 months when she gave birth), she had spent the previous winter outdoors being mobbed by the larger cats and she was not healthy. Needless to say she is now neutered, a shy but charming indoor cat (no more kittens for her!).
Reading older books about cats and kittens, I have noticed that there is often a reference to cats killing their first batch (wrong word) of kittens. I can well imagine that cats living outdoors were seldom neutered and naturally had kittens from the age of about 5 months, when mama was still a kitten herself. So, don't blame yourself - either mama was too young or the kittens were sick anyway. Do your best for the surviving baby and good luck!
Thinking back: Katy was far too young (later estimated to be 5 to 7 months when she gave birth), she had spent the previous winter outdoors being mobbed by the larger cats and she was not healthy. Needless to say she is now neutered, a shy but charming indoor cat (no more kittens for her!).
Reading older books about cats and kittens, I have noticed that there is often a reference to cats killing their first batch (wrong word) of kittens. I can well imagine that cats living outdoors were seldom neutered and naturally had kittens from the age of about 5 months, when mama was still a kitten herself. So, don't blame yourself - either mama was too young or the kittens were sick anyway. Do your best for the surviving baby and good luck!
