Just a thought, but the key here is probably that "you have had most of them fixed". A male cat who is neutered has no need or drive to kill kittens to bring their mother back into heat (sadly a well known male strategy known as "infanticide" in many animal species) because he is not driven by hormones to reproduce at any cost (this is why male cats fight so much if not neutered). A male cat who is father or close relative of kittens probably will not hurt them either, provided he has been around mom enough to recognize himself as a possible father, indeed as others have posted, he may actually help with raising them, and will likely drive intruding males away as well to protect his reproductive investment. The danger is when an unrelated, intact feral male moves into the area where a mother has vulnerable kittens. It is their instinct to hasten mom into heat by killing the kittens. Terrible thought that seems, remember we cannot judge by human moral standards, they just don't apply to the wild drive to survive and reproduce. (Important note: I'm referring to true ferals, not stray house cats). The best solution whenever possible is to TNR feral male cats; the second best is to provide an environment where they cannot easily intrude which yes, includes having neutered adult cats to help keep them away. I've seen our Mama cat Patience and her son Patches join together to face and chase off not just other cats but LARGE DOGS to protect their kids/siblings! We don't have intruders on our property any more, other than a neighborhood cat that Patches has befriended and keeps trying to bring inside!
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Do Male Cats Kill Kittens?
- Thread starter harini
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So have I. I have never seen the father do it. Usually they leave or they actually help and care for the babies. Only thing I find a bit misleading on this thread is that people are referring to the male feral cats as a separate species of cat altogether. That is disturbing. It is only that the ferals are not tame and usually wild but they are the same as regular house cats in terms of species simply not socialized. I have actually tamed several ferals it simply takes time and also depends on the cat.
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I am very sorry to hear of your cat but do you think it might have been another dog or raccoon or other animal besides a male cat?
Oh, yes, they do, and the fact that a tom cat is the father of a litter has nothing to do with it. This is true not only of house cats but of the larger felines, such as lions. As long as the queen cat is nursing a litter she does not come into heat again, so the tom kills the kittens so he can mate with the female. It is horribly brutal, but that's nature. (I have experienced this tragedy myself --
If the kitten was bitten in half, it was likely not done by a tomcat. This is something a raccoon or other wild animal would do. As someone has said, if a tom was to kill a kitten, it would shake it, not bite it in half.
I've never experienced a tomcat killing or harming a kitten. The feral tomcat I care for has been a great papa to his kittens, and has brought them and other young cats in distress to my porch for me to feed and care for (including a 10 month old cat that someone had shot). Now I realize that my un-neutered tomcat may not be the norm, but I find it hard to believe that any tom would bite a kitten in half.
I've never experienced a tomcat killing or harming a kitten. The feral tomcat I care for has been a great papa to his kittens, and has brought them and other young cats in distress to my porch for me to feed and care for (including a 10 month old cat that someone had shot). Now I realize that my un-neutered tomcat may not be the norm, but I find it hard to believe that any tom would bite a kitten in half.
Yeah. Unless somebody acutally SAW the tom assaulting the kitten, the quilty is most probably somebody else, wild animal or quite probably a dog.
If a witness saw just the tom and the kitten at the place - but NOT the assult itself, the most probable was the tom tried to rescue kitten from the attacker. Simply chased him away, perhaps even fought with the attacker and forced him to abandon his victim and flee for dear life.
But the rescue come too late...
I see in Jett Crays original post there were no actual witnesses, just the aftermath, the badly mauled dead body... So my guess now is, a astraying dog, or even more probably, a group of straying dogs, got him.
Foxes for example, are also often huning kittens or weak adult cats. They can dare to come near the house too. If the fox was scared away he didnt carried the body with him...
That said, the best solution for the situation with this territorial dominant tom is still to neuter him, even if he wasnt such a brute as we thought.
When he cools down after several weeks, who knows, he may turn into a shy but socializeable friendly cat.
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Yes they do and definitely will tote them off. It happened to us and I am so mad at the male Tom who did it I am probably going to tote him off tomorrow. I had to post here seeing that this was started in 2003 and nobody this year had posted anything yet. :-):nod::lol3:
What do you mean you will prob tote this tom tomorrow? Kill it? Nay please dont do it, it should be enough with neutering him. Neutered he will not be dangerous, unless he is a unusually vicious beast.Yes they do and definitely will tote them off. It happened to us and I am so mad at the male Tom who did it I am probably going to tote him off tomorrow. I had to post here seeing that this was started in 2003 and nobody this year had posted anything yet. :-)
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Several people (including myself) posted responses to this thread earlier this year in April and May--did you not see these posts?
My experiences with toms and their kittens have been positive. My male feral took very good care of his kittens and brought them to me to feed, and my neighbors and I ended up adopting them. If the tom you're speaking of "toted" off his kittens, he likely was moving them away from humans in order to protect them. If mama cat was around, she wouldn't have allowed him to randomly tote them off without putting up a fight. At any rate, there's no evidence he hurt them.
What do you mean by your statement that you're going to "tote off" the tom? I hope you're not intending to kill him. or to trap him and release him some place foreign to him. Feral cats can't be dropped off in an unfamiliar territory--that would be a very cruel thing to do. I'm wondering if your entire post was just some sort of joke because of the laughing icons after it, which I frankly found disturbing.
My experiences with toms and their kittens have been positive. My male feral took very good care of his kittens and brought them to me to feed, and my neighbors and I ended up adopting them. If the tom you're speaking of "toted" off his kittens, he likely was moving them away from humans in order to protect them. If mama cat was around, she wouldn't have allowed him to randomly tote them off without putting up a fight. At any rate, there's no evidence he hurt them.
What do you mean by your statement that you're going to "tote off" the tom? I hope you're not intending to kill him. or to trap him and release him some place foreign to him. Feral cats can't be dropped off in an unfamiliar territory--that would be a very cruel thing to do. I'm wondering if your entire post was just some sort of joke because of the laughing icons after it, which I frankly found disturbing.
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Do male cats who were neutered as kittens also exhibit this sort of behavior, or is it just the non-neutered males?
As explanation, I live in a rural area of Central Texas and a couple of years ago had a longtime female barn cat (a stray who had been spayed, that was an excellent mouser and quite friendly -- semi-fearless and loyal, too although she always complained for a few days after I didn't put out food for her when I was away on sometimes lengthy business trips). She suddenly went MIA and never reappeared, but was apparently taken out by a rattlesnake -- I had killed several in my yard previously that she was actually stalking, and a couple of weeks after she went missing I killed another pretty large one. As the rodent population recovered and began to be a recurring problem, I eventually decided to get a replacement and so got a feral male kitten ~2 months old (coal black)from the county animal shelter who had been neutered last November. I wasn't sure at first whether he had stayed around but knew that something was eating the food I'd put out in the mornings (anything remaining in the evening gets taken inside overnight to avoid attracting the inevitable raccoons and opossums), and eventually a couple of weeks later saw that it was him though he was and is still pretty averse to my immediate presence. Around Christmas, another stray cat (a small, dusky-hued tabby) showed up and began to appear pretty regularly when I'd put out food in the morning before the black cat would show up -- I couldn't tell whether it was male or female, and while it wasn't as skittish as the black cat, it wasn't friendly enough to allow touching or my close proximity though seemed to gradually become more comfortable with me and lately would tolerate my presence a few feet away from the food bowl while it ate.
For a short while in late February, a third cat -- a big male (who was an interesting melange of tabby on the back half and white, grey and black splotches on his front half) appeared but ended up tussling with the half-grown black cat after a few days and when I rousted them in the middle of one for the 2nd or 3rd time, the big male sort of stopped appearing. I was gone for a couple of weeks in early April but upon return both the black and tabby cats were still around, and the food I put out certainly was getting eaten. In mid-May I discovered the tabby lounging in the shade on my front porch near a firewood rack suckling 4 kittens -- that verified it was a non-spayed female and the kittens (2 tabbies, 1 splotchy black/white and 1 splotchy grey/white) were quite likely the product of her mating with the big melange-colored male back in late February.
So, I've enjoyed watching those kittens play about and grow over the past month or so and made an effort to ensure their mother got good nutrition along with the black cat (who has grown pretty large), and the kittens had just begun to come around the food bowl so they were on the cusp of being weaned from suckling and were also growing comfortable with my presence nearby. However, in the past week the number of kittens has gone from 4 to 3 to 2 to 1 and now I'm afraid they've all been killed by something -- when the number dropped to two kittens, the mother apparently relocated them from beneath the wood rack where they were living into a patch of really thorny yucca for protection, but it seems it wasn't enough. I've never found any of the bodies -- nor smelled the carcasses either and given how hot it is here now they would have begun decomposing pretty quickly -- and can't figure out whether the culprit of these disappearances is some raccoon, that big male cat who fathered them (or another non-neutered male), or the neutered black cat. About a week ago late at night I actually heard something making noise around the firewood rack and shone a strong flashlight on it to see what was causing it, and it was the black cat -- at first, I thought it might be going after a mouse but when the kittens started disappearing I wondered if it could be him.
Thus, the original question with which this post began -- is it possible that a neutered feral male would act in that manner, or is it more likely there's another male (or raccoon) who is the culprit? Thanks for the insight.
As explanation, I live in a rural area of Central Texas and a couple of years ago had a longtime female barn cat (a stray who had been spayed, that was an excellent mouser and quite friendly -- semi-fearless and loyal, too although she always complained for a few days after I didn't put out food for her when I was away on sometimes lengthy business trips). She suddenly went MIA and never reappeared, but was apparently taken out by a rattlesnake -- I had killed several in my yard previously that she was actually stalking, and a couple of weeks after she went missing I killed another pretty large one. As the rodent population recovered and began to be a recurring problem, I eventually decided to get a replacement and so got a feral male kitten ~2 months old (coal black)from the county animal shelter who had been neutered last November. I wasn't sure at first whether he had stayed around but knew that something was eating the food I'd put out in the mornings (anything remaining in the evening gets taken inside overnight to avoid attracting the inevitable raccoons and opossums), and eventually a couple of weeks later saw that it was him though he was and is still pretty averse to my immediate presence. Around Christmas, another stray cat (a small, dusky-hued tabby) showed up and began to appear pretty regularly when I'd put out food in the morning before the black cat would show up -- I couldn't tell whether it was male or female, and while it wasn't as skittish as the black cat, it wasn't friendly enough to allow touching or my close proximity though seemed to gradually become more comfortable with me and lately would tolerate my presence a few feet away from the food bowl while it ate.
For a short while in late February, a third cat -- a big male (who was an interesting melange of tabby on the back half and white, grey and black splotches on his front half) appeared but ended up tussling with the half-grown black cat after a few days and when I rousted them in the middle of one for the 2nd or 3rd time, the big male sort of stopped appearing. I was gone for a couple of weeks in early April but upon return both the black and tabby cats were still around, and the food I put out certainly was getting eaten. In mid-May I discovered the tabby lounging in the shade on my front porch near a firewood rack suckling 4 kittens -- that verified it was a non-spayed female and the kittens (2 tabbies, 1 splotchy black/white and 1 splotchy grey/white) were quite likely the product of her mating with the big melange-colored male back in late February.
So, I've enjoyed watching those kittens play about and grow over the past month or so and made an effort to ensure their mother got good nutrition along with the black cat (who has grown pretty large), and the kittens had just begun to come around the food bowl so they were on the cusp of being weaned from suckling and were also growing comfortable with my presence nearby. However, in the past week the number of kittens has gone from 4 to 3 to 2 to 1 and now I'm afraid they've all been killed by something -- when the number dropped to two kittens, the mother apparently relocated them from beneath the wood rack where they were living into a patch of really thorny yucca for protection, but it seems it wasn't enough. I've never found any of the bodies -- nor smelled the carcasses either and given how hot it is here now they would have begun decomposing pretty quickly -- and can't figure out whether the culprit of these disappearances is some raccoon, that big male cat who fathered them (or another non-neutered male), or the neutered black cat. About a week ago late at night I actually heard something making noise around the firewood rack and shone a strong flashlight on it to see what was causing it, and it was the black cat -- at first, I thought it might be going after a mouse but when the kittens started disappearing I wondered if it could be him.
Thus, the original question with which this post began -- is it possible that a neutered feral male would act in that manner, or is it more likely there's another male (or raccoon) who is the culprit? Thanks for the insight.
Un-neutered male cats kill kittens so that the mother will go into heat again and mate with them. It's unlikely that your neutered male would do so, especially as he was neutered at two months old. Cats kill kittens by violently shaking them but they don't eat them unless they are starving, so you would see the bodies unless they were taken by scavengers.
In this area most of the feral kittens that are killed are taken by foxes or hawks. I think your kittens were probably taken by another predator. Poor Mummy Cat, it must be very sad for her.
"Un-neutered male cats kill kittens so that the mother will go into heat again and mate with them."
That's an unfair generalization. Some un-neutered male cats may harm kittens, usually ones that are not their offspring, but others protect and provide food for their offspring. This has been the case with my feral tom, who brought his kittens to me last summer to feed, and who looked after them even after their mother took off, until my neighbor and I trapped and adopted them around 3-4 months of age. He also brought to me an older offspring who was lame and unable to care for herself because someone had shot her. There have been many anecdotal stories on this forum about toms who have been protective of, and caring towards, their offspring. Bottom line is that each cat is different, and unless someone observes a tom harming a kitten, I wouldn't make the assumption that this is what is going on.
That's an unfair generalization. Some un-neutered male cats may harm kittens, usually ones that are not their offspring, but others protect and provide food for their offspring. This has been the case with my feral tom, who brought his kittens to me last summer to feed, and who looked after them even after their mother took off, until my neighbor and I trapped and adopted them around 3-4 months of age. He also brought to me an older offspring who was lame and unable to care for herself because someone had shot her. There have been many anecdotal stories on this forum about toms who have been protective of, and caring towards, their offspring. Bottom line is that each cat is different, and unless someone observes a tom harming a kitten, I wouldn't make the assumption that this is what is going on.
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Yes, you're right. I've never seen any of the feral male cats I care for, un-neutered or neutered, displaying any aggression towards kittens. I should have said that I've heard that it happens, but it's very unlikely a male cat that was neutered at two months would kill and eat the kittens and leave no trace of them.
That's a sweet story about your tom cat bringing his kittens to you to take care of.
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There are certainly hawks consistently around this locale (a few bald eagles during winter as well), and coyotes but no foxes anymore (at least not since I was a kid, and I'm now into my early 60s). It's entirely possible that one or more of the kittens are still alive, but have just grown to the point of being more mobile and the clan has relocated to someplace nearby that is a bit cooler, as that wood rack faces to the south and the daytime temperatures are now consistently in the mid-90s in the past week or so. When the mother cat came to the food bowl this morning, I tried to get a look at her mammaries to see if they were still full and being suckled, and it appeared from the side view that she was still nursing. So, I'll maintain watch and see if they reappear -- I haven't seen any other cats besides the momma and neutered black male and he's been pretty scarce since the daytime heat and humidity has become so unpleasant. Since he would have been born in late Autumn, this is the first Texas summer he's experienced and has probably reverted to being mostly nocturnal when it's a bit more tolerable.
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I should have followed up on this awhile ago, but other matters have intervened. There are still three kittens who are alive, apparently doing well and becoming more curious and independent as they grow -- the full tabby (small like the mother, apparently female and who looks remarkably like the mother cat in pattern and coloration) and the two splotchy grey/white/tabby ones (who are much larger, apparently male and who closely resemble the probable father of the litter). Given all their friendly interaction with the neutered male black cat, it's unlikely that he is the culprit for the permanent disappearance of the black/white kitten which occurred shortly before I posted the recent additions to this thread. Whatever transpired was clearly a traumatic event for the mother cat and the remaining three kittens, because the mother's defensive/hostile attitude toward almost anything involving a sudden movement was evident for a few weeks, and it took even longer for the kittens to begin reappearing whenever I was around.
What I now consider as the most likely culprit is an owl -- there are a number of large owls who nest and reside in this area pretty much all year, and it hadn't occurred to me in the earlier post to mention them as a possibility since they're nocturnal and I don't see them as much (but do hear the hoots at dusk and after nightfall). A few weeks ago on one of the local TV station's Saturday morning news show there was a story about how prolific the skunk population has been this year in many areas of the western US, and the interviewer asked a wildlife expert what were natural predators for skunks -- his response was that owls and hawks were pretty much the only predators, as they have little or no sense of smell.
Well, with that expert's comment the figurative light went off above my head as that small black/white kitten would have likely appeared to an owl as very similar to a smallish skunk, and it brought back a memory of something that occurred not long after I'd gotten the black kitten last Autumn. Although I hadn't actually seen that black kitten during the week after I'd released him outside, the food I was putting out for it was getting eaten by something during the day so I thought he was still around, but that was confirmed one night when right outside my bedroom window there was a very loud and angry/frightened cat yowl that woke me up from drifting off to sleep. It was followed a few seconds later by the hoot of an owl quite close (apparently from the tree next to the house), so I inferred that an owl had tried to make some sort of attack at this kitten but it was too savvy and/or feisty enough to have at least reacted vocally regardless of whether it had avoided or succumbed to the attack. Within a few days afterwards, food was still being eaten regularly and I had managed to catch a glimpse of the black kitten so I was glad to know it had escaped the clutches of that owl. I'm afraid that black/white kitten from the subsequent litter wasn't so fortunate, since it did not have the same degree of past experience as the (then-kitten, but now much larger) black cat had had at a comparable age.
So, if you happen to have black/white kittens who reside outside and also live in an area with an owl population, just be aware that those owls might consider them as skunk-like and therefore excellent targets of opportunity for predation over and above any of the other kittens with different patterns or colors. However, to the owl it might not make that much difference if they've got a nest of their own babies which they need to feed.
What I now consider as the most likely culprit is an owl -- there are a number of large owls who nest and reside in this area pretty much all year, and it hadn't occurred to me in the earlier post to mention them as a possibility since they're nocturnal and I don't see them as much (but do hear the hoots at dusk and after nightfall). A few weeks ago on one of the local TV station's Saturday morning news show there was a story about how prolific the skunk population has been this year in many areas of the western US, and the interviewer asked a wildlife expert what were natural predators for skunks -- his response was that owls and hawks were pretty much the only predators, as they have little or no sense of smell.
Well, with that expert's comment the figurative light went off above my head as that small black/white kitten would have likely appeared to an owl as very similar to a smallish skunk, and it brought back a memory of something that occurred not long after I'd gotten the black kitten last Autumn. Although I hadn't actually seen that black kitten during the week after I'd released him outside, the food I was putting out for it was getting eaten by something during the day so I thought he was still around, but that was confirmed one night when right outside my bedroom window there was a very loud and angry/frightened cat yowl that woke me up from drifting off to sleep. It was followed a few seconds later by the hoot of an owl quite close (apparently from the tree next to the house), so I inferred that an owl had tried to make some sort of attack at this kitten but it was too savvy and/or feisty enough to have at least reacted vocally regardless of whether it had avoided or succumbed to the attack. Within a few days afterwards, food was still being eaten regularly and I had managed to catch a glimpse of the black kitten so I was glad to know it had escaped the clutches of that owl. I'm afraid that black/white kitten from the subsequent litter wasn't so fortunate, since it did not have the same degree of past experience as the (then-kitten, but now much larger) black cat had had at a comparable age.
So, if you happen to have black/white kittens who reside outside and also live in an area with an owl population, just be aware that those owls might consider them as skunk-like and therefore excellent targets of opportunity for predation over and above any of the other kittens with different patterns or colors. However, to the owl it might not make that much difference if they've got a nest of their own babies which they need to feed.
That's a very sad story. It's a terrible facet of nature that most animals have to eat other animals to survive. I have heard of large, predatory birds carrying off kittens, though thankfully I haven't seen it happen in my area. I'm glad it wasn't the tom who killed the kitten. Intact male cats tend to get a bad rap, but most of them are only aggressive when fighting with other male cats for a mate. Some of them, like mine, can be very sweet with their offspring. I'm glad the other kittens are well.
My neighbor's domestic pet tom cat killed three of my male kittens. I had a pet tom cat kill some of my male kittens. He was Persian! There is usually a bite mark right on the skull. So its not just a feral tom cat that does this.
Like an African lion, many cat breeds kill any male in the litter that he does not identify as his. He can tell by the scent. Just because a kitten looks the same does not mean it is.
Some breeds will kill all the kittens is he is young, stressed and desperate to mate.
The reason why the female can sometimes into heat after losing one or two kittens, is because of decreased milk production. Not because of grief. This is a biological fact in any species.
Like an African lion, many cat breeds kill any male in the litter that he does not identify as his. He can tell by the scent. Just because a kitten looks the same does not mean it is.
Some breeds will kill all the kittens is he is young, stressed and desperate to mate.
The reason why the female can sometimes into heat after losing one or two kittens, is because of decreased milk production. Not because of grief. This is a biological fact in any species.
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This thread is obviously an "oldie but a goodie." I just finished reading all of these interesting and mostly sad stories. I applaud everyone here for being so good and humane, then again if you didn't care you'd never even find this site so...
Anywhoo, I had the exact same thing just happen during the past couple days. I feel like such an ignorant fool and only wish I'd had more common sense and/or read this forum prior.
I adopted my little female cat some time ago and she just had her first litter (with a cat who is not the "king" now, those other gentleman suitors never came around again) and I actually witnessed the birth of the last two of the litter of four,
The now King Male cat has been sorta adopted too (he's a beautiful big white cat with baby blue eyes) and shares meals and is generally friendly with my female (although he is a murderous feral).
When the last two were nestled in I went back inside thinking "Great, the male will protect her and the litter!" And it certainly seemed so.
About 15 mins later I hear the kittens meowing loudly as if distressed, I go outside to find the last two, which were the weakest on the ground, one was paralyzed (now I know why) and the other was just injured. Stupid me assumed they got hurt due to the fall, all the while the stupid male was sitting right there looking innocent, I assumed he was trying to help but simply too dumb to know what to do, quite the contrary, he tried to kill them.
So the next day passes and I continue wrongfully assuming he is there as a protector, he certainly played the part well, but looking back on it now all the signs were there and I was too ignorant to pick up on them, figuring that nature should and will take its course, and boy did it ever. Like many posters on here I learned that same hard lesson.
The two that had been attacked of course died within 24 hours, one of the strongest two was murdered (bite to the head), and once again trying to see the bright side assumed it was some other feral cat or animal and woefully prepared for my third burial.
I didn't want to take anymore chances so I set up my security camera where her nest was but the next morning she wasn't there nor the sole remaining kitten, I thought the worst but lo and behold, she had simply moved her nest over to a "more secure" area, I adjusted the camera.
The next two days went off without a hitch and I thought for sure that the male was defending the kitten, but he was only waiting for the right time to strike, as he was, and still is afraid of my female. Right after I feed them both, I go around the corner to water plants and my kitty walks with me for some TLC as usual, and then suddenly ran off instinctively toward her nest and then made that weird groaning sound I can only now interpret as grief. The last cat had been killed, and as I walked up to confirm what I already knew, I see that big SOB and he ran off but with guilt in his eyes (this cat is not afraid of me and doesn't run from me unless he knows I'm cross about something).
He knew he'd done wrong and showed it, this is how I knew he was guilty (he knew I cared for the litter) all along and the revelation hit me, the mother had been trying to get away from him and I did nothing!
My first instinct was to put down the SOB (even though at that point I knew he did it 'cause they weren't his own) of course, I cannot let such a horrid and distasteful act go unpunished! But then I think rationally and try to make sense of it all, leading me to this ever so enlightening forum, thank you btw.
I am now of course torn between putting him in the ground or letting nature take its course since I now know he did it due to his feral instincts (and to be honest I do kinda want to see his offspring) and not because he's pure evil!
The information presented here by all of you has helped me very much, my thanks again.
I only have one question left, despite my best efforts I fear the male is too old to be domesticated. I do like this cat and understand why it did what it did now. So, if I were to get this male cat neutered after impregnating my cat, would there still be a strong likelihood that he'd do the same to a litter of his own making?
I want to raise these next kittens to be domestic but I also want them to be strong, outdoor cats who can defend themselves and drive pests from my property, I'm not sure if they'll be helped or harmed by the father. Nor do I know if neutering him will change his instinctual tendencies, which I actually do appreciate in a lot of ways. Again he's a strong and very handsome cat, I'd hate to have to get rid of him but if he does such horrid things to his a litter of his own I'll get rid of him. I even have doubts about letting him near his own litter now. That's if I decide NOT to turn him into animal control, he's like a small lion, an impressive specimen.
I'm a man of science so I'd appreciate any and all input, I ask you all for advice on how to go about the next couple months. I'm open to any methods that can promote a "happy family" environment, I also wish to maintain the cats' (now and future) strength, territorial ism and overall outdoorsy aptitude.
Please advise!
Anywhoo, I had the exact same thing just happen during the past couple days. I feel like such an ignorant fool and only wish I'd had more common sense and/or read this forum prior.
I adopted my little female cat some time ago and she just had her first litter (with a cat who is not the "king" now, those other gentleman suitors never came around again) and I actually witnessed the birth of the last two of the litter of four,
The now King Male cat has been sorta adopted too (he's a beautiful big white cat with baby blue eyes) and shares meals and is generally friendly with my female (although he is a murderous feral).
When the last two were nestled in I went back inside thinking "Great, the male will protect her and the litter!" And it certainly seemed so.
About 15 mins later I hear the kittens meowing loudly as if distressed, I go outside to find the last two, which were the weakest on the ground, one was paralyzed (now I know why) and the other was just injured. Stupid me assumed they got hurt due to the fall, all the while the stupid male was sitting right there looking innocent, I assumed he was trying to help but simply too dumb to know what to do, quite the contrary, he tried to kill them.
So the next day passes and I continue wrongfully assuming he is there as a protector, he certainly played the part well, but looking back on it now all the signs were there and I was too ignorant to pick up on them, figuring that nature should and will take its course, and boy did it ever. Like many posters on here I learned that same hard lesson.
The two that had been attacked of course died within 24 hours, one of the strongest two was murdered (bite to the head), and once again trying to see the bright side assumed it was some other feral cat or animal and woefully prepared for my third burial.
I didn't want to take anymore chances so I set up my security camera where her nest was but the next morning she wasn't there nor the sole remaining kitten, I thought the worst but lo and behold, she had simply moved her nest over to a "more secure" area, I adjusted the camera.
The next two days went off without a hitch and I thought for sure that the male was defending the kitten, but he was only waiting for the right time to strike, as he was, and still is afraid of my female. Right after I feed them both, I go around the corner to water plants and my kitty walks with me for some TLC as usual, and then suddenly ran off instinctively toward her nest and then made that weird groaning sound I can only now interpret as grief. The last cat had been killed, and as I walked up to confirm what I already knew, I see that big SOB and he ran off but with guilt in his eyes (this cat is not afraid of me and doesn't run from me unless he knows I'm cross about something).
He knew he'd done wrong and showed it, this is how I knew he was guilty (he knew I cared for the litter) all along and the revelation hit me, the mother had been trying to get away from him and I did nothing!
My first instinct was to put down the SOB (even though at that point I knew he did it 'cause they weren't his own) of course, I cannot let such a horrid and distasteful act go unpunished! But then I think rationally and try to make sense of it all, leading me to this ever so enlightening forum, thank you btw.
I am now of course torn between putting him in the ground or letting nature take its course since I now know he did it due to his feral instincts (and to be honest I do kinda want to see his offspring) and not because he's pure evil!
The information presented here by all of you has helped me very much, my thanks again.
I only have one question left, despite my best efforts I fear the male is too old to be domesticated. I do like this cat and understand why it did what it did now. So, if I were to get this male cat neutered after impregnating my cat, would there still be a strong likelihood that he'd do the same to a litter of his own making?
I want to raise these next kittens to be domestic but I also want them to be strong, outdoor cats who can defend themselves and drive pests from my property, I'm not sure if they'll be helped or harmed by the father. Nor do I know if neutering him will change his instinctual tendencies, which I actually do appreciate in a lot of ways. Again he's a strong and very handsome cat, I'd hate to have to get rid of him but if he does such horrid things to his a litter of his own I'll get rid of him. I even have doubts about letting him near his own litter now. That's if I decide NOT to turn him into animal control, he's like a small lion, an impressive specimen.
I'm a man of science so I'd appreciate any and all input, I ask you all for advice on how to go about the next couple months. I'm open to any methods that can promote a "happy family" environment, I also wish to maintain the cats' (now and future) strength, territorial ism and overall outdoorsy aptitude.
Please advise!
Tom cats do not normally harm or kill their offspring, it's instinctual for them to reproduce and protect their own young. I've heard they can harm kittens that are not their offspring, but I've never witnessed this, so I can't comment on it. If you trap and neuter your tom, then he will lose interest in mating and become less territorial and aggressive, and would certainly not harm kittens that are his own or anyone else's. Your best solution is to TNR him.
Cats don't feel guilt like humans do. They act on instinct. It's pointless to think in terms of punishing a cat--they don't understand this concept. The tom you speak of isn't evil, and you shouldn't "put him down." He is behaving like many young toms do. If you contact Animal Control, they will trap him and euthanize him.
Cats don't feel guilt like humans do. They act on instinct. It's pointless to think in terms of punishing a cat--they don't understand this concept. The tom you speak of isn't evil, and you shouldn't "put him down." He is behaving like many young toms do. If you contact Animal Control, they will trap him and euthanize him.
Hi @Arturo Alvarez
I've never seen male cats killing kittens, but I've heard it does happen. As you said, this tomcat was just following his instincts. You can't blame a cat for that, any more than you can blame him for wanting to mate or for hunting for food. It sounds as if he already made himself at home at your place and if you feed him he'll stick around and start to trust you. I strongly urge you to get him neutered. The cat in my avatar was a feral tom. He was at least ten years old when we first met and got into some horrific fights before I had him neutered. Now he is 13 + and is a very sweet, gentle cat. He's calmed down so much since I had him fixed and plays gently with kittens that are no relation to him.
If you get this tom neutered and keep feeding him he will stop roaming around looking for females to mate with and he will protect the other cats you are caring for from other roaming ferals. He will see your place as his territory and will see your other cats as his family. He'll have a much more peaceful, comfortable life than he would as a feral tom.
I'd urge you to get the female cats spayed too. There are so many unwanted kittens in shelters all over the world, it's pointless to bring more kittens into it. Get the male and female cat a fixed and then, if you are able to support more cats, get some cats from a shelter. There are plenty of ex-feral cats looking for a home. You'll be able to save lives and have the colony of friendly outdoor cats you want.
Please PM me if you want any more advice on this matter. I have a large, happy family of ex-feral cats and I'd be happy to help you if I can.
I've never seen male cats killing kittens, but I've heard it does happen. As you said, this tomcat was just following his instincts. You can't blame a cat for that, any more than you can blame him for wanting to mate or for hunting for food. It sounds as if he already made himself at home at your place and if you feed him he'll stick around and start to trust you. I strongly urge you to get him neutered. The cat in my avatar was a feral tom. He was at least ten years old when we first met and got into some horrific fights before I had him neutered. Now he is 13 + and is a very sweet, gentle cat. He's calmed down so much since I had him fixed and plays gently with kittens that are no relation to him.
If you get this tom neutered and keep feeding him he will stop roaming around looking for females to mate with and he will protect the other cats you are caring for from other roaming ferals. He will see your place as his territory and will see your other cats as his family. He'll have a much more peaceful, comfortable life than he would as a feral tom.
I'd urge you to get the female cats spayed too. There are so many unwanted kittens in shelters all over the world, it's pointless to bring more kittens into it. Get the male and female cat a fixed and then, if you are able to support more cats, get some cats from a shelter. There are plenty of ex-feral cats looking for a home. You'll be able to save lives and have the colony of friendly outdoor cats you want.
Please PM me if you want any more advice on this matter. I have a large, happy family of ex-feral cats and I'd be happy to help you if I can.
