Mamma kitty abandons kittens, sort of...

[ThisDesertSoul]

My cat, Lo-Lo, gave birth to 4 kittens several weeks ago. Unfortunately, one died shortly after it was born, leaving us with 3 tiny & cute fuzzballs. The first 3-4 weeks after the birth, she was a great mom; cleaning feeding and protecting them around the clock. Then right around week 4, despite all 3 being healthy, Lo-Lo abandoned her litter. We tried everything to get her to return and take care of them to no avail. Thank goodness my parents cat, Ditto, also had a litter at the time, and we were able to slip Lo-Lo's 3 kittens in with her to nurse between our own bottles of kitten formula. Though a little on the small side, Lo-Lo's kittens were coming along just fine. In fact, Ditto claimed them as her own as they played and mingled with her actual brood. Then, 2 weeks after abandoning them, Lo-Lo came back for her babies. She wandered around crying for them, even snuck into Ditto's kitten cave to pick them up and carry them off one at a time by their scruff. She was trying to nurse them when we found her, even though she no longer had any milk. This behavior has gone on for almost 2 weeks now and I'm starting to wonder if my cat is addled in the head. Has anyone else ever heard of anything like this or does anyone know why my cat is acting in this manner?

 

[Sarthur2]

No, she is not addled. She is responding to her natural hormonal cycles. Your cat likely went into heat and lost interest in her kittens. If she has had access to intact males, she will have conceived again already, and is now in the affectionate, motherly mode again. If no access, then she is between estrus cycles.

Have you and your parents considered spaying your queens so they no longer breed?