2006-09-21 10:40:41 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Cats
It is a preemptive strike to protect their turf. Cats are territorial and know that those little buggers will soon be adult cats.
2006-09-21 10:44:30 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Tom cats often kill kittens that were not sired by them. It is not territory as many people have suggested but simply a matter of genetics. Think of his purpose as two-fold.
1. He wants to spread his genes- which means get as many female cats pregnant as possible.
2. He has to ensure his genes survive and his kittens have the best chance of growing into adults.
A female cat that is nursing young will not go into heat. If the kittens are his, he will more or less ignore them. Some tom cats will be quite nice to their own young. However, if the kittens are not theirs, they will kill it so that the female cat comes into heat and they can mate with her. Interestingly many female cats form "cooperatives" with large groups of females that defend the young. They have been known to kill predatory toms.
When the kitten gets older- say about 3-4 months or so, the female cat can come into heat. It is at this point male cats kill younger male kittens to eliminate potential rivals but rarely if ever kill the females.
2006-09-21 20:46:18 · answer #2 · answered by imported_beer 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well they are threatened.
Lions for example: A males purpose is to protect the pride. When a single male comes along and challenges the protector of the pride and over throws him the single male will kill and eat all the cubs in the pride. Which causes the females to go into heat and then the new protector will mate with them all. It ensures his good genes and kind of shows his dominance.
Cats of all sizes are very territorial.
2006-09-21 17:44:43 · answer #3 · answered by Kamunyak 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A tom cat will normally establish a territory which contains a number of females or female groups, and it is in his own interest to repel other males and to destroy kittens which may have been fathered by another male and which contain the genetic complement of his rival. This is true of many social animals, relatively few of whom will expend their own energies in raising the offspring of another male.
2006-09-21 17:53:00 · answer #4 · answered by raventekanya 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is not uncommon in nature for males to kill offspring that are not their own. This is done for two reasons, first, it means their own children have less competition, and second, females are likely to come to 'heat' sooner if they don't have children (nursing actually suppresses ovulation).
I heard one report that stallions will actually 'kick' pregnant mares in a effort get have them miscarry. Nature is a brutal place.
2006-09-21 17:51:04 · answer #5 · answered by Wundt 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They'll usually go for the males first. It's a territorial thing and they're weeding out the future competition.
2006-09-24 17:32:49 · answer #6 · answered by Gingersnap 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
male cats will not only eat kittens but they will eat their own to put the female back in to heat cycle
2006-09-21 20:43:10 · answer #7 · answered by Lisa 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To prevent his territory from being taken over. He'll also eat them if he did not father them. It's the best to have them all spayed and neutered then you won't have to worry about it! Plus youll also save milloins of lives!!!
2006-09-21 17:47:28 · answer #8 · answered by pharfly1 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
they like to eat p*ssy
2006-09-21 18:10:46 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
they dont eatthem, they just kill them, and it is because they are not theirs.
2006-09-21 17:44:48 · answer #10 · answered by greeneyedprincess 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋