Two momma's 8 kittens and falling. Please help!!

[confusedkittyfriend]

So a friend of mine has 2 cats - they each were pregnant at the same time. (Yes I have lectured her and set appointments to spay them) nevertheless; they got knocked up!
Momma 1 had 7 healthy kittens. Momma 2 didn't pay any mind to the kittens. 5 days later momma 2 has 2 kittens.
Momma 2 has since attempted to take her two kittens away and suffocate them, bite them, essentially kill them but will pick up the larger 5 day older kittens and want to nurse them. Unfortunately last night after a week of being on top of it she snuck in and killed one. This was a perfectly healthy kitten. Tonight she picked up all 7 of momma 1 kittens and moved them to different location leaving her 1 kitten behind And nursed the larger kittens. Does she think that since her kittens are smaller that they are sickly? Is momma kitty having kitty psychosis? Is it such a thing? Momma 1 had adopted both smaller kittens and bless her heart was nursing her 7 and the other 2 and is still nursing momma 2's 1 kitten left. She is amazing. I suggested she lock momma 2 out for good let her dry up and put kittens and momma 1 in safe locked closet let momma 1 out when she wants out and in when she wants in. Just to keep the one smaller 5 day younger kitten safe. ...

What do you all think. Why is momma confused?
Will it hurt her to keep momma 3 from all kittens?

Sidenote: momma 2 is the momma to momma 1 - again I have already made my friend the necessary appointments to prevent this from happening again!!

 

[Flybynight]

Hi,
I don't know but didn't want to read and run. Hopefully, someone who has experience can help.

 

[StefanZ]

Exactly why momma 2 behaves as she does, may be interesting speculations. But we really dont need to pursue them.

Suggest your friend again, mentioning me / us, isolate momma 2 from the batch. You can also spay her soon.
Let the splendid good momma 1 take 100% care of them all on full time.

The other nr 2 may perhaps become an OK aunt when they are a little bigger?? n

The only aber is, with such a big stock its necessary to look out for the renown "runt". so keeping watch all kitten raise minimum 6g a day, but preferably 10+.
A rotation system may be useful.

And be sure momma 1 gets lotsa of good nourishing food, with lotsa of calcium. The need of calcium will actually rise with time, as the kittens gets bigger and eats more...

confusedkittyfriend

 

[cataholic07]

Does momma 2 nurse and care for the large kittens? As in zero aggression at all? If so, it would be ok to give her a few of the older kittens to nurse and keep mom 1 and 2 completely separated. But if she was showing any aggression then keep her seperated and I would suggest a vet check up asap to ensure there's no medical issues going on with mom 2. You can check her nipples to see if any are hot to the touch as mastitis could be an issue. If mom 2 has an infection it could be why her kittens are small.

 

[Sarthur2]

I agree that if she is not aggressive with the older kittens there is no harm in letting her nurse them. It gives the other mom a break because nursing 8 kittens is a lot. But if she is aggressive with them too then it’s best to separate her and get her spayed now.

How old are the kittens?

 

[confusedkittyfriend]

Exactly why momma 2 behaves as she does, may be interesting speculations. But we really dont need to pursue them.

Suggest your friend again, mentioning me / us, isolate momma 2 from the batch. You can also spay her soon.
Let the splendid good momma 1 take 100% care of them all on full time.

The other nr 2 may perhaps become an OK aunt when they are a little bigger?? n

The only aber is, with such a big stock its necessary to look out for the renown "runt". so keeping watch all kitten raise minimum 6g a day, but preferably 10+.
A rotation system may be useful.

And be sure momma 1 gets lotsa of good nourishing food, with lotsa of calcium. The need of calcium will actually rise with time, as the kittens gets bigger and eats more...

confusedkittyfriend

Thank you so much. Momma two got runt of original litter and 2 others and fed them today but left her baby with 4 of the

Does momma 2 nurse and care for the large kittens? As in zero aggression at all? If so, it would be ok to give her a few of the older kittens to nurse and keep mom 1 and 2 completely separated. But if she was showing any aggression then keep her seperated and I would suggest a vet check up asap to ensure there's no medical issues going on with mom 2. You can check her nipples to see if any are hot to the touch as mastitis could be an issue. If mom 2 has an infection it could be why her kittens are small.

Imma 2 will choose 2 random larger kittens most Everytime the runt and her one left so the two smallest and sets them in a different area and only feeds the remaining 6. Momma 2 had a total of 2 kittens... So she randomly chooses 2 to set aside and refuses to feed them. I just checked she had again removed 2 (as if they were the two she had, one always being her own, the only one of her two left, and was feeding and momming THE HECK out of 6 of the normal sized one. She will occasionally remove a large sized one with her smaller one but mostly the runt of momma 1s litter and get 1 surviving one. Babies are all well fed so they don't seem to be missing a meal when momma 2 tries to do whatever she is doing but I'll just found 2 in another box her original and took them to her and she is fine but she doesn't know I stuck them in with her!

 

[Sarthur2]

You’re going to have to count heads and keep a close watch on the situation since kittens are getting moved around so much. As long as all are eating and growing and the one cat is not harming them all should be well.