What is considered 'normal behavior' for mother cats when kittens are trying real food for 1st time?Psycho?!?!

Question

The kittens are approx. 5 wks old & the mom doesn't appear to be starting the weaning process(at all).While she was eating on one side of the house, I fed the kittens some special kitten food.They loved it, but she finished before they did and when she saw what was going on, she started trying to eat the food.When I picked her up to take her out of the room so they could finish, she started hissing and growling and tried to bite me(viciously!).She's never done this to me.I'm the one she followed around while in labor, to make certain I would be there with her to help her if needed. Is this normal behavior? How do I handle this and still continue to wean them from her?

Answer 1

You get between a mother and her babies "or" her food and you got it comming...sorry man, life suck sometimes.

Answer 2

The mother may not be ready for her kittens to be weaned from her. Some kittens don't wean until 8 weeks of age, so 5 weeks is still young. As far as the behavior goes, yes it is completely normal. She is protecting her children. I took in a pregnant stray that was the sweetest thing you ever met, but if you tried to get near her kittens she got very vicious. It is her maternal instinct. You might want to just give her some more time nursing and see if that helps, or if you are dead set on weaning them now you are just going to have to lock up momma in another room when you are feeding her so you can make sure the babies can finish eating.

Answer 3

OH LORD! It is not your place to try and wean these kittens at 5 weeks old! Let nature take it's course! A mother cat knows when to begin weaning the kittens. Generally the weaning process is completed between 8 and 12 weeks. There is absolutely no reason you should initiate the weaning process on your own. You can begin supplementing their nursing with kitten food when their MAMA starts to wean them, and not before! Also, you should not restrict the mother cat from eating whatever she wants. She requires significantly more calories per day during lactation and you should allow her to eat as much as she likes. If she is hissing and growling at you she clearly does not appreciate you interfering with her kitten rearing. Mother knows best! Let her do her job. It sounds like she's doing a tremendous job to date. You are lucky for that. Don't interfere please until you clearly see the mother cat swat her kittens away or walk away from them while they try to nurse. That's when you know weaning has begun.

Answer 4

Your cat hissed because you took her away from the food! She probably found it especially appealing (was it soft?)
Kittens will nurse for a long time! They do not need to be officially 'weaned', but she will stop letting them nurse at a certain point, and they will be dependent on cat food. Feed the mother cat near the kittens so they can check out her food and test it (kittens can eat adult dry cat food, but you can mix in some kitten food to make it easier on them). The mother may be a little irritated that they are eating her food, but she will not hurt them. The kittens will get the hang of it. Good luck!

Answer 5

WOW What a grouchy mommie! You can never tell how a mother cat will act when she has, I am assuming her first litter. Now the kittens are a little older she may be feeling jealous and a bit territorial, though she still loves and cares for them. You are correct, they are old enough to wean, may be you can just keep feeding them separately from mom, in another room. Dont worry, she still loves you and the babies, maybe she is having postpartum, (sorry, bad joke). She will be back to normal soon.

Answer 6

I have found that it's best to leave decisions about weaning to the mother. Unlike humans, mother cats and dogs do not become overly attached to their offspring. When their job is done, (meaning the little ones can fend for themselves,) they usually push them away. While nursing, a mother cat works up an incredible appetite. If there's any food anywhere, she'll eat it., Just make sure there's enough for her and her little ones. Then everyone will be happy.

Answer 7

Maybe the food you gave the kittens was yummier than the food you gave her and she wanted to finish it.
You are right to start the babies on a little canned food at 5 weeks, and offer some to mama. After all it's not easy raising a litter of kittens.

Answer 8

Let the mom nurse as long as she will. Immunities in her milk will protct the kittens from diseases.
If you read the food bags, you'll see that the kitten bag has more protein than the adult bag. Since she is nursing, it would probably be better for her.

You'll see when the mom starts to not want her kittens to nurse anymore. Then start the food.

Answer 9

I believe that she may have simply been trying to be a pig. Also she knows that they are fed through her so she probably sees no need for them to be eating regular food. I would say that your best bet is to put her in one room with the door closed and then feed them, that way she will be unable to get to them to ruin their dinner. Even when they are older she will take their food, thats normal so just seperate them til they can hold their own..lol

Answer 10

they will still nurse...as long as 12 -13 weeks but you are doing the right thing by offering them real food.. they will slowly begin to drink less and less milk. she sounds like an over protective mother...just put more food out than the mother cat can eat and the babies will get there share

Answer 11

I would give her one more week. watch her very closely when the week is near the end. if by three days after that week she has not started weaning them you do it.Put her in a cage and set it up where she can see youy weaning them. do that for 3 days then give her another try.