Our cat had kittens five weeks ago and all was going well until last night. She has started hissing at them and hitting them with her paws and the back of her neck fur stands straight up when she is around the kittens. We are at a loss as to why she has suddenly rejected them. They are using the litter box and eating wet and dry kitten food. We have separated them and mom wants to be back where the babies are but when we introduce her back she starts her hissing and pawing all over again. Her behavior with us is fine as long as the kittens s are not around. Also her belly is all hard and lumpy I am assuming because she is not letting the babies nurse. Is there anything we can do or is she just done with them? We have homes for the kittens s when they are ready but I don’t want to give them away until they are ready. This is my first time having a cat that has had kittens so I am at a loss. Our cat is maybe a year old (she showed up in our shed last summer and stayed so we kept her)
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Queen cat rejecting kittens
- Thread starter Sakerts
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She's a bit on the early side of weaning but I do believe that she is done. Don't force her to be with them.
Could she be in heat? Has she been outside where an intact male could mate with her? Regardless, she needs spaying soon.
She may be done with the kittens and if so, it’s good that they have weaned already. It’s unusual for a mother cat to reject her kittens this early, but not unheard of.
She may be done with the kittens and if so, it’s good that they have weaned already. It’s unusual for a mother cat to reject her kittens this early, but not unheard of.
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Any chance it could be mastitis?
If it’s mastitis she would definitely not want to nurse due to pain, and that might very well be what is bothering her. Mastitis requires antibiotics to cure. A vet visit is in order to treat or rule out. If she is ill, she will begin to feel better on meds and will want to be back with her kittens, which is truly what they need.In the meantime, check her mammaries. Are they red and swollen? Does she flinch if touched? Apply a warm, damp compress for relief until you see the vet.
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Since we realized she was pregnant in March she has been kept inside and we do plan on getting her spayed (we didn’t even realize she had went into heat as she wasn’t even a year old) I was just waiting until the kittens were weaned from her.
The kittens are doing really well and are eating both wet and dry food so I think they will be fine but we are keeping an eye on them!
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I have a call into the vet to check. Her mamary glands are full but they look normal with a pink hue. She lets us pet her and rub her belly and acts totally normal with us. We are planning to keep the kittens until 8 weeks unless mom starts to warm to them then we will keep them longer! I will try the warm compress tonight thank you for the suggestion!
In the meantime, check her mammaries. Are they red and swollen? Does she flinch if touched? Apply a warm, damp compress for relief until you see the vet.
Try sitting with her on the floor and putting a kitten to her to nurse. Maybe if you keep her calm she will let them nurse. And if it’s not mastitis, it could simply be that the kittens’ teeth are hurting her and she’s just over it. This does happen. The compress will help to soothe regardless until her milk dries up. Drying up is a painful two-week process.
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