I know that rabbits can absorb them if conditions are unfavorable. Can a cat? I had a cat several years ago that had one kitten and then got pregnant again but she never had them. She got spayed eventually but that one kitten in the first litter was all she ever had.
2007-03-23 12:53:06 · 5 answers · asked by Dellajoy 6 in Pets ➔ Cats
Yes, cats can and do re-absorb litters, usually before the fifth week, because after that the bones start to calicify. If there was an embryonic death, the fetus would either mummify, or decompose and the cat would become ill.
Something you might not have considered, is that she had a false pregnancy. This is likely more common than the absorption. The teats will turn pink, they will gain weight, and some may go the whole nine weeks and produce milk without producing kittens. For the most part, the hormones drop on their own, sometime after the seventh week, and the weight gain stops. They simply go about their own business and return to cycling about 4-7 weeks after the "due" date.
2007-03-23 16:38:24 · answer #1 · answered by carraigcreative 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I have raised rabbits and many, many, many cats. I have taken litters from the rabbits and cats because of eating the young. However, I have had them absorb the litter. Basiclly they just miscarried the pregnancy and the kittens are broke down and naturally "absorbed" into the body. Not sure exactly how but it does happen. Its a nature thing.
2007-03-23 20:36:39 · answer #2 · answered by fuzzyfellonmt 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Actually rabbits don't absorb their litter they eat them. Some rabbits have litters and are fine at mothering and some we take their young from them because they eat their young. This situation can be caused by a variety of conditions like when the does become excited by an environmental change or when the nutritional status (usually water) is restricted. I have never done this to an animal but these are possible causes.
I use to raise rabbits when I was a kid. Some animals will eat their young if they are dead or if the mother feels they are sickly. So some cats could end up eating their young but I haven't ever seen it and I have had cats since I was a child.
The eating of young is an instinctive survival response that kicks in whether the animal needs to do it to survive or the animal is imature.
2007-03-23 19:58:15 · answer #3 · answered by Serinity4u2find 6 · 0⤊ 3⤋
When we had outdoor cats on the farm, the male cats would sometimes eat the newborn kittens. I heard they want to get the momma back in action. Don't know if that part is true, but Tomcats do exhibit this behavior. Sorry, this sounds terribly gross.
The best we thing we can do for our furry friends is spay and neuter them. There are annual spay/neuter clinics where vets perform the services at a reduced cost.
2007-03-23 20:38:39 · answer #4 · answered by nodogs3cats03 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, rabbits can absorb their litters. Guinea pigs and certain other rodents also do this.
As far as cats, I don't know for sure....but I've never heard anything about it happening.
2007-03-23 20:07:09 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋