is it normal for female cat to share a litter of kittens?

Question

Background informatiom~~ 2 weeks ago my cat Molly give birth to 4 kittens. Then last Thrusday I noticed that my other female Maggie was bleeding from her vaginia. I never even noticed that she was pregers, but it seamed the she was giving birth & I set her up in a birthing box. After an hour nothing had happened,the bleeding had stopped & she was up walking around, so we asumed that maybe she had her kitten(s) outside. We then put her outside & watched her. We even walked the intire yard looking & listening for kittens. We can came up empty handed. So my next though was maybe she had a miscarriage, I called the vet & he said to just keep an eye on her & look for signs of infection. So now I have Molly with kittens & Maggie without any. During last few days Maggie has climbed in with Molly & her kittens. Molly seams not to care & Maggie nurses the kittens while Molly is away. Last night, Molly was nursing 1/2 & Maggie the other 1/2. I'm not sure what I should, if anything. Advice needed

Answer 1

No worries. Sharing and protecting newborns is an instinct shared by all animals (even humans). In feral colonies, queens (females) often share or guard other queens' kittens to protect them from the roaming toms (males) who murder kittens that are not their own.

Keep an eye on Maggie over the next few days. If she is able to help nurse Molly's kittens, it is probable she had a stillborn baby, and may have hidden it in bushes or covered it up. Feel her abdomen and if there is a hard lump, she may have a stillborn baby or placenta inside her, in which case, she needs to get to the vet asap.

If Molly is willing to share the responsibilities with Maggie, then the babies are getting all the milk they need, and you will have a healthy kindle of kittens. Once they are weaned, though, please ensure that Molly and Maggie are spayed.

Wishing you the best of luck with your new furry family.

Answer 2

As long as they are healthy and happy, no problem. Cats do adopt other kittens sometimes. Just make sure that the kittens are indeed fed, that she has milk, and that the mothers are healthy (no dead kittens in her womb).

Answer 3

This happens now and then - you need to get both those cats spayed or you will be overrun with kittens - and there aren't homes for all the ones now, please don't add more to the homeless population.