behavior problems and creative solutions

kitten rejection

(this is an excerpt from a string of e-mails that I received. The mother cat was rejecting a kitten or two every few days and we couldn't figure out why.)

I had to tell you of the incredible thing that has happened and I hope this event will help someone else who may encounter the problem I had. Well, remember momma cat had discarded three kittens out of her litter of six. I had taken the three abandoned ones and placed them in a carrier in a separate room.

Meanwhile, momcat continued to care for the remaining three in another room. That evening after she left the last kitten behind, she was exploring the house. I decided to give her some freedom to explore, hoping she would feel more at ease and not forget the remaining three kittens. She found the carrier with the three abandoned kittens and was very anxious. She tried to get in and wasn't being angry or mean. I decided to take the carrier to a room next to the one she had her nesting box in. She was still very interested in the kittens in the carrier. So then I took the carrier into the same room as the nesting box but placed it well away from the three remaining kittens. I opened the door of the carrier and stood well away to observe. Momma cat went in and began licking he kittens and allowed them to nurse. She was very good and caring.

I left them with her for the night. I found one of the abandoned kittens out of the carrier the next morning, but she was fine. That day I put the carrier in the adjacent room to the nesting box room. Throughout the day, mom cat cared for the kittens in the original nesting box and occasionally came and cared for the ones in the carrier. She came and cared for the abandoned ones when I was feeding them, and when I woke them up and allowed them to cry for a minute. I still had to feed them throughout the day too.

Then, the next day—hurrah! I did not have to feed them at all. She went from room to room all day! She cared for the ones in the carrier just as much as the ones she had left in the original nesting box. I put the abandoned ones in their own new box in the same room as the nesting box and now two days later mom cat is feeding all six kittens on her own. She goes from box to box and actually gives each group of three the same attention. I have left all kittens with her for two nights and all are okay. I am so proud of momma cat! She just couldn't handle all six climbing all over her at the same time but divided up she does well. What a solution! I never thought of it at first. So, perhaps someone else can benefit from my experience and hopefully it will work for their overwhelmed momma cat too.