We must take extreme care when we have a pregnant cat. The cat should be constantly observed for the arrival of the feline babies. For the whole cat-loving family, this is a unique experience, but there are cases where the cat eats its young after birth. In this article we are going to help you to have knowledge of the Why do cats eat their young?.
Weak or sick pups
The first thing we have to know and be clear about is that all kinds of animals will instinctively devour another animal in nature, this behavior is called cannibalism.
When this happens with our domestic animals we wonder why cats eat their young, the answer is that it usually happens that one of the newborn kittens they present some type of disease or some deformation that is noticed which the mother cat can perceive through her fine sense of smell. It will depend on this whether or not the pussycat wants her baby cat to survive and that is when she makes the decision to eat it to avoid an instinct to infect the rest of the kittens.
This can be compared How cats are born , and sometimes they can be born with some deficiency of malnutrition that is weaker than the others where the litter of felines is always five to six kittens and there are always some that are strong while the weak one is the smaller one the cats also take the decision to dispense with the weaker offspring in order to nurse and care for the stronger babies who have a better chance of living.
To be human this may sound cruel but for the animal it is a natural instinct, it is a behavior of choice where every animal practices it in one way or another.
Stress in pregnant cats
The cat in captivity will not suffer from this symptom since she has the shelter of the family where she knows that she is totally protected. But there is a difference when the cat is stray where the environment is more dangerous where they must be vigilant of any person and animal that can harm her, it is then when she suffers from nervousness or agitation since this environment that surrounds her is very noisy where she develops the cat in her gestation period and is always nervous and alert.
Beyond thinking about her safety, she thinks about the future of her litter of kittens and she is afraid that her puppies will be separated from her by people or by any animal, it is the situation where she would be very disconsolate.
That is why the pregnant feline needs a balanced diet, it is necessary to administer vitamins and mineral salts, all under the direction of the veterinarian, she must be given specific prepared foods for pregnant cats, so it is necessary to prevent the mother from make efforts. In short, you have to offer the cat a serene and calm environment, help her prepare the bed in the place she prefers, eliminating dangerous obstacles and preventing her from going out for a long time so that she can have her litters calmly.
Lack of maternal instinct
There are cases where the furry pussy cat does not develop and lacks that maternal feeling and that is when the group of baby kittens is in danger since the mother will not feed them and will not take care of them, or because she does not have a sense of motherhood she does not know how to do it and it will come to the point of eating their kittens.
It is essential to observe the feline during the birth process of the young and see their behavior in order to protect the life of the kittens, taking on the role of father to be able to feed them and give them the necessary warmth so that they can survive.
Feline mastitis
Mastitis is a disease, common in many mammals, which damages the mammary glands. To the point of triggering death for both mother and kittens, but it's also remarkably simple to cure.
The difficulty is that when an immense ailment is generated and even more so when the feline babies want to breastfeed in order to feed themselves, which can induce the mother to reject it, reaching the point of eating it to remedy the torment, a cause of why the kittens eat their offspring. If you have a feeling that the issue of your feline friend may cause, you should consult immediately with the veterinarian to tell you what treatment you should apply in this case.
Does not recognize kittens
It is feasible that the feline does not identify the kittens as her own, or members of her own species. It occurs in some cats that have undergone a surgical operation, it results in the lack of hormones that are generated, which are the ones that produce love and affection for their young naturally after childbirth in the pussycat. However, this does not always have to occur after the surgical intervention, this intervention is what causes the feline not to identify her offspring since the birth process was not carried out, resulting in her devouring them for not recognizing them.
In the same way, in some breeds of animals or with first-time mothers, they may confuse the kittens with the rodents which serve to feed them and lose the maternal instinct. You have to be aware that it is not recommended not to touch the kittens unless it is mandatory, since the human scent eliminates the smell of the feline breast, causing it not to recognize them.
What can you do if your cat eats her newborn kittens?
First of all, we must keep the peace. We know how surprising this can be for humans, but don't let your emotions get the best of you and don't put your feline companion down. Simply, it is known as a natural behavior that has its arguments, and that is instinctive despite the sight of the human being unpleasant.
If any of the cats in the group of felines were left alive or you realize in time that your mother is attacking her kittens to consume them, the most convenient thing, as we have already mentioned, is that you take charge of the upbringing and thus prevent Something very unfortunate happens to him. Take it to a specialized person to check her health and in turn tell you How to feed a baby cat. It is convenient that if the cat eats all her young, they assess the possibility of sterilizing her and being able to prevent this behavior from repeating itself. Give him the love and affection that you usually show him, so this situation will be more bearable for both of you.
Instead of despising the pussycat, try to investigate what could have caused the behavior that occurred after having read some causes for which the kittens would be in danger, either due to physical deformities, illness or the environment where they live and love. produce anguish and lead the cat to make that decision. In any circumstance, as always, it is recommended that you visit the veterinarian and present the case, since she is the person qualified to indicate the most convenient treatment.
Six reasons why cats eat their young
1. The baby cat comes with some disease
2. The baby pussy has the smell of the human.
3. The feline mother does not have any maternal feelings towards her young.
4. Suffering from teat infection or mastitis.
5. Stress is one of the causes why cats eat baby cats.
6. When the cat has undergone a caesarean section and does not develop the instinct.
Curiosities
Heat and change in behavior We have a half-year-old cat and we live in the country. We are afraid that she will start in heat and run away. Although we want to operate on her later, the problem is how to know if she is in heat right now. Females experience noticeable changes in behavior. behavior when they are about to ovulate.
The normally calm and reserved cat becomes more affectionate and affectionate, rubs her body against the owners, increases social behavior and the emission of sounds, her meows are constant, she adopts different postures, such as crouching or opening her paw in front of people or others. cats withdraw their tails to the sides. Some cats start very early.
In short-haired males, sexual maturity is reached around seven or eight months. The cat expresses its need to be fertilized at approximately the same age. However, it is best to separate him from 7 months and live together in a group. On the other hand, a good breeder never covers an 8 or 9 month old kitten so as not to run the risk of a serious accident in the first birth.
In the event that the male and female are old acquaintances, the ritual is much shorter. This ritual is like a game where the experienced male knows when it is time to approach the female.