My cat is attacking her kittens like they are toys. She starts by licking them and than she gets them in her front paws and starts to paw them with her back ones while she is biting them! They are only 2 weeks old.This really upsets me, but is it normal? If so I guess I will just have to deal with it!
2006-09-29 17:37:01 · 14 answers · asked by msmit106 2 in Pets ➔ Cats
At 2 weeks old it doesnt sound like she is playing with them. And they are still far too young to be played with like that. As they get older THEY (the kittens) will play with her like that. But it sounds a little odd for her to be doing this when they are just 2 weeks old. Watch her around them and make sure that she doesnt hurt them when she's doing it. Do the kittens ever cry out when she does this? That is something u have to ask urself aswell. If a kitten doesnt like the way they r being handled they WILL cry out. So watch for that too. Also ask a vet why she may be acting in this type of nature.
My guess is that this is your cats first litter (Am i right with that?)
and that she is still young herself. So being at an "immature" age still, she might have the tendency to think its fine to play with them like her toys seeing as the babies r about the same size.
2006-09-29 17:53:52 · answer #1 · answered by hott_n_furious 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
That is NOT Normal!!!! What kind of cats do these other folks have?
Two weeks old is way too young to be teaching them to fight. At two weeks, she should be grooming them constantly, purring to them, and hissing at any other pet stupid enough to get near her. Using the back paws as you have described is very aggressive behavior in cats, and you don't usually see that until they are grown and playing with a cat their own size.
Even if this is her first litter, this cat seems confused and is still not behaving correctly. If you are unable to take her to a vet to see if there is a physical cause for this (not likely), this puts you in a position of having to make some hard decisions fast.
I would suggest removing the mom immediately from the kittens, but please know that kittens are NOT able to regulate their body temperature. They depend on Mom for heat, so if you feel you have to get Mom away from them tonight, make sure they are kept warm.
The kittens can be handfed, but will also have to be massaged to poop and other responsibilties. At two weeks, they don't have a great chance, but Mom is going to kill them, plain and simple. A grown cat can't "play" with two week old kittens that can't defend themselves without injuring or killing them. And unless you are able to monitor her 24/7, and pick her up by the scruff every time she abuses the kittens, you can't win here. For some reason, she is confused about what they are to her.
If there is a shelter in your area, they may have volunteers who can manage handfeeding and caring for the kittens.
I wish I had better news, but I feel you've got to make a tough decision here and do what's right for the kittens. This is NOT normal behavior for a Mama cat. This is what a jealous, aggressive male cat would do to a litter in the wild.
This situation is not one where you "just have to deal with it." You aren't a two week old kitten with a nutzoid cat trying to kick your head or spine loose, or puncturing your internal organs so that you die slowly. I know you don't want that, you sound like a caring, concerned person. So please take this cat to a vet if you can afford it, and do what's best to insure the kittens are not tormented. Don't wait until they are injured, that is very hard to deal with.
Good luck to you.
2006-09-29 18:15:30 · answer #2 · answered by Charlotte M 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Most cats do it. It always worried me too! I would tell mama cat to be easy. I always say "nice nice" when I want my cats to be easy with a small child or an animal or their babies.They learn the phrase and mind me.WARNING :DO NOT READ IF SQUIMISH OR TENDER HEARTED! Watch the cat and make sure she doesn't hurt them. I have had three mamas kill their babies and it upset me horribly! Once when I had just had a baby and the cat killed 2 of her 6 wk old babies and ate them! I freaked out!My emotions were everywhere anyway but when I saw that I got the other kittens and brought them in the house and kept them there!They weren't going to hurt my baby like a grown cat might get on a baby.That is an experience I hope you don't have to see but it is a natural thing, I am told. Another cat did it at 6 -8 wks also and the other one I don't remember how old the kittens were because I was very young. I remember getting upset and running to tell my mom and she told me that it is natural and sometimes they will kill one if something is wrong with it.It is nature's way of keeping the weak and crippled animals out of the breeding cycle. Best wishes!
2006-09-29 18:09:35 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
If the kittens are that young then no it's not normal. Kitty sounds like she's not really into motherhood and will take some extra watching to ensure she doesn't hurt the kittens. If they are 2 weeks old she doesn't have to be with them constantly so I would start restricting her time with them, let her in for 15 to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours for now. She can nurse them and then be taken away before she hurts them. I would also suggest for your peace of mind (as well as hers) that you have her spay as soon as this litter is gone.
2006-09-29 17:51:03 · answer #4 · answered by patti duke 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
absolutly not normal if they are that young she may just not be a very good mother or was really young herself when she had them and doesnt know what to do. you need to make sure she feeds them about every 45 minutes to hour and if she doesnt want to try holding her their and put them up to her teet to start nursing and if that doesnt work you may need to bottle feed and watch how she is biting and kickig them it is not uncommon for a mother animal to kill her young if it gets to rough seperate from her and start bottle feeding,and you need to get a old rag and get it warm a gently message their bottoms to stimulate them to go potty or they will not go and die and do that about every 30-45 minutes about feeding time usualy i always tryed doing it before and if nothing happend then a few minutes after and you also have to take a warm clean rag and keep them kinda cleaned up to tummy face eyes remember you will become mommy and have to pick up where she is leaving off oh you can buy kitten milk at any pet store or grocery store in the pet department
2006-09-29 18:18:04 · answer #5 · answered by duster 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think you should take her to the vet and get her check, our cat never did that to her kitten's in fact she was over mothering to them, even when they where three month old.
2006-09-29 17:42:10 · answer #6 · answered by Robin W 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
She's probably rejected them for some strange reason. You'll need to handraise them, or mama might kill them.
2006-09-30 04:22:11 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
If she isn't hurting them then I would say its probably natural. Maybe she just gets too rough with them.
2006-09-29 17:45:35 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
trust me i have had a cat before..... she is training them if they ever get caught out in the wild and they need to protect themselfs
2006-09-29 17:46:02 · answer #9 · answered by Baby gurl! 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
this is normal, it's sort of like playing with them
2006-09-29 17:42:32 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋