Content
- Is my cat a bad mother?
- Problems with the health of one or more puppies
- The mother's health
- Ability to care for the litter
- the stress
By nature, cats are very good mothers, even when they have their first litter. It is part of their natural feline instinct, so it is normal for them to know how to take good care of their puppies without the help of human hands.
However, sometimes the mother refuses to take care of one of her puppies or the entire litter and you may wonder: why my cat rejects her puppies? That's what PeritoAnimal will explain to you in this article, presenting the different factors that may be motivating this situation. Good reading!
Is my cat a bad mother?
Many people when they notice that a cat rejects her puppies, interpret it as if it were a bad mother, that the cat does not want to take care of her litter out of whim or lack of love.
However, although felines are capable of developing a very deep affection, it should not be forgotten that they are animals that govern their behavior according to instinct and that it is possible that there are factors that lead a cat who has recently had kittens to reject them. These factors are related to:
- litter health
- mother's health
- Ability to care for puppies
- Stress
To help you with the task of raising a feline, in the video below you can find tips on how to take care of a kitten:
Problems with the health of one or more puppies
In animals the most important is the survival instinct, and cats are no exception. With this instinct the mother is able to detect if any of the puppies, or even the entire litter (something rare, but possible), was born with any infection or disease.
When this occurs, it is normal for the mother to refuse to waste care and milk on a litter that thinks it will not survive. Or, when it comes to just one of the puppies, it moves it away from the others to avoid infecting the healthy litter as well as for make your milk available only for the puppies that are more likely to survive.
This may sound cruel, but that's how the animal world works. A cat with kittens doesn't want to risk the health of an entire litter for a kitten that is sick and unlikely to survive. However, you, as a tutor, can help in this situation. If you suspect the rejected puppy is sick, take him to the veterinarian for a diagnosis and directions given to feed the newborn kitten rejected by his mother.
The mother's health
It is possible that the cat be sick or feel like you're about to die, either because of complications that occurred during childbirth (some breeds may have problems during this phase), or because you suffer from another illness. When this is the case, the cat will move away from her puppies, both for the discomfort she feels and for prevent them from getting infected of your illness.
If you see a cat with puppies weak or looking sick, take her to the vet immediately to ensure her health, as well as that of the little ones.
Ability to care for the litter
Although most cats have the instinct to care for their litter, there are some cases where the cat doesn't know how to take care of them, how to feed them or how to clean them, so you will choose to abandon them.
If this happens, you can try to show her what to do, bringing them closer to nurse or cleaning them close to her to see how she should do it. In these cases, it takes a lot of patience.
It may also happen that the litter is too big (5 or 6 cats more or less) and that the cat feels she can't take care of them all or that she doesn't have enough milk for so many puppies, so she'll drive away the one that seems weaker to take care of the ones that are more likely to grow. .
In these last two cases, the feline instinct tells the mother that she should bet on saving all the food, heat and space needed only for the fittest cats, even if this means letting the less strong ones die.
the stress
The cat knows that she will give birth, so it is normal that before giving birth, she tries to find a space that seems ideal to take care of her puppies, keeping away anything that could hurt them.
As with humans, in the last few days before giving birth the cat will be a little nervous and if you start bothering her with caresses, pampering and attention she doesn't want, or if you change the place she's chosen for her nest, it is possible that your stress levels will increase and decide not to take care of the puppies when these are born.
You must respect the nest she has chosen and put some blankets in place so you can be more comfortable. Consider moving only if you think the family might be at risk there, and allow your cat to feel good about the new space.
Ideally, you should pay attention to the mother, but allow her to be calm. Likewise, once the litter is born it is not recommended to touch the cats too much during the first few weeks, as the stranger smell (the human owner) can make the cat reject the puppies.
We hope this advice will help you to better understand this situation. If you notice that your cat rejects one of the puppies or her entire litter, don't hesitate to talk to your veterinarian. If the puppies are healthy, you must take responsibility for becoming their surrogate mother during the first few weeks.
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.