Content
- Weakened or sick puppies
- Stress
- lack of maternal instinct
- feline mastitis
- Doesn't recognize her offspring
- What to do when the cat eats the puppies?
One litter of kittens to be born is always a reason for nervousness at home, but also for emotion. you've certainly been nervous about the arrival of new family members, wondering what life with the puppies will be like. However, there are times when that thought ends when you discover that your cat, the mother of puppies, has decided to eat some of her cubs, or even the entire litter. This not only causes frustration in the family, but also disgust and disgust.
However, this is behavior that, to some extent, is normal in the animal world. Continue reading this PeritoAnimal article, find out why do cats eat their puppies and learn to deal with this situation.
Weakened or sick puppies
First, it is necessary to clarify that when any animal devours another of its own species, the process is called cannibalism. Although the word is strong, this is not a rare behavior in nature.
In some cases, the puppies in a litter may be born with an illness or disability that cannot be seen easily and that the mother detects with her keen sense of smell. In these cases, the cat assumes the cub will not be able to survive, deciding to eat the offspring and prevent it from infecting the rest of the litter. The same happens with offspring that have some deformity.
Something similar happens with the weaker offspring. In all litters, especially those of 5 or 6 kittens, there are kittens that are bigger and stronger than other smaller and weaker ones. Although it doesn't always happen, some cats find it convenient to do without the less able offspring to give their milk and care to those who have a better chance of surviving.
These things may sound very cruel, but they are just a process of natural selection by which all species are governed in one way or another.
Stress
Generally, a house cat doesn't kill her kittens due to stress, but we shouldn't rule out this possibility. A very noisy environment during pregnancy or childbirth, constant movement of people from one side to the other, filling the animal with care and attention without providing a quiet space to give birth, among other reasons, can provoke nervous behavior.
The nervousness caused in the cat does not only arise for herself and for her safety, but also for fear of what might happen to her litter (that they separate the puppies from the mother, that they are prey to some prey) and, in some cases, this feeling brings about that sad ending we're talking about. it can also happen when there are other animals around and the cat sees them as possible threats.
All of this is usually more common in cats that are mothers for the first time, when stress is able to suppress their maternal instinct.. For this reason, it is essential to provide the best care for Mom during pregnancy and ensure that she has a relaxed, peaceful and stress-free environment.
lack of maternal instinct
It is also possible that the cat has no maternal instinct and, in this case, will not have any interest in taking care of the puppies or he won't know how to do it, which makes him want to get rid of them and, soon, eat his newborn babies.
To prevent this from happening or to save as many offspring as possible, observe your cat's behavior after giving birth and, if you notice that she has a lack of maternal instinct and that the lives of the puppies may be at risk, you should be the one who welcomes and takes care of the little ones. for that, don't miss this article that explains how to feed a newborn cat and, if necessary, seek help from a veterinarian.
feline mastitis
Mastitis is a common infection in many mammals, affecting the mammary glands. It can be deadly to mom and puppies, but it's also very easy to care for. The problem is that causes a lot of pain, especially when the cubs are suckling milk, which can cause the cat to wear them down, even eating the children to avoid suffering. If you suspect that this may be the case with your kitten, consult this article on mastitis in cats and make sure you are well informed so that you can consult your veterinarian and start treatment.
Doesn't recognize her offspring
It is possible that the cat does not recognize the kittens as her own or even as members of her own species. This happens with some cats who needed a cesarean, as the maternity-related hormones that are usually activated in childbirth are not produced.
Likewise, in some breeds or in the mothers of the first litter, they may confuse puppies with smaller prey, rather than seeing the little ones as their own children. For this reason, we recommend that you don't touch the puppies if you don't have to., since the human odor eliminates the cat's scent, making it unrecognizable.
What to do when the cat eats the puppies?
First of all, keep Calm. We know this can be very impressive to people, but don't get carried away by the emotions and don't mistreat your cat. This behavior is well founded and natural, although for us it is not.
Instead of scolding the cat, try to understand why this happened, analyzing the reasons presented. These are reasons for your cat's health or stress, so you should try to get them treated as soon as possible with your veterinarian.
If any of the cats in the litter have survived or you noticed in time that the cat is biting the kittens to end their lives, we recommend that you raise them yourself to prevent something bad from happening. Take the puppy to a specialist to examine its health status.
Likewise, if all the kittens were devoured, we recommend that you sterilize the cat to prevent the event from happening again. Don't forget to give your cat the same affection and love as always so that, together, they can overcome this little tragedy.
This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.