One of the behaviors of postpartum cats is to move their kittens to another place. Some even do it several times during the first days of the little ones. For what reason do they move? Likewise, it is possible to find female cats that take their young to their guardians without them understanding the reason for this behavior.
For all the above, in this article we are going to explain why cats move their kittens by talking, first, about the instincts of the cat as a species, many of which are still present in domestic felines. In addition, we will detail why some cats take their children with their humans and what to do in each case.
Why do female cats move their young?
To understand why cats move their children after birth, you must first consider that your kitten is an independent animal that retains some instinctual habits of her wild relatives. While enjoying the comforts, care and delicious meals that home life brings her, your cat is a small feline and she shows it, for example, through her powerful hunting instinct and the way she takes care of her puppies. .
In the wild, when the time of delivery approaches, pregnant cats should seek a hiding place or refuge where they can be calm and safe to give birth to their puppies. And after giving birth, this female is particularly sensitive and must remain very alert to detect any threats and prevent predator attacks on newborns. Thus, when they see strange movements or stimuli in their hiding place, female cats move their young to ensure that they are always in a safe haven. Similarly, cats move their cubs to preserve the integrity of the newborn and the continuation of the species.
Because newborn cats cannot see or hear well, as they are born with their ears covered and their eyes closed, they are especially vulnerable to attacks from opportunistic predators and depend on their parents for survival. This instinct, which is commonly known as ‘ maternal instinct ‘, is essential for the survival of felines in the wild. After all, the continuity of a species depends on its ability, not only to reproduce but also to generate new individuals strong enough to reach adulthood and generate their own offspring. That is why cats change their place to puppies.
Now, in our homes there are no predators that can motivate feline mothers to make these changes, so why do female cats change places with their young? The answer is the same, they perceive some kind of threat to the kittens, which does not have to be the presence of a predator, and they decide to put them safe where they think they will be safest. For this reason, it is always recommended to establish the nest where the cat wants, to avoid these changes in space in the little ones once they are born.
Why does my cat bring her kittens to me?
Another very common situation among cats that give birth at home is to observe that they constantly bring their kittens closer to the area where their trusted human is. One of the reasons is the one we have already explained, he does not consider that his puppies are safe in the nest and he takes them with you because you transmit security. Try to find a quiet and isolated place in the house to move the little ones with their mother and guarantee that they like that place, otherwise, you may end up rejecting the little ones and stop feeding them. Another solution is to move the nest to the place where you spend the most time, both to watch over the little ones and make sure they eat well and to keep the mother calm.
On the other hand, a dependency relationship can also justify the cat taking her young with you. Although cats are excellent mothers, they are also animals that have earned a reputation for being independent, something that is not entirely true. It is real that they need to enjoy their own space and that they do not always want to receive our attention, but they need attention, affection and pampering. Sometimes it happens that, unintentionally, the bond becomes so strong that the animal becomes totally dependent. This dependent relationship can cause a newly born cat to seek the company of her human at all times, causing her to move her kittens.
Why do cats eat their young?
Although this attitude may seem very strange and even repulsive, it is a natural behavior that can be found in many species, not just felines. Although there is no single reason why the cat eats the puppies after giving birth, generally the female does so because she considers one or more puppies to be fragile, have a deficiency or deformation and will not be able to survive in the wild. . However, there are other reasons why cats can carry out this behavior, such as:
- Stress
- Feline mastitis
- Lack of interest in caring for puppies
- Not recognizing puppies as yours
At what age do cats abandon their young?
There is no exact moment from which female cats abandon their young. If your cat moves her kittens and you think she does it because she wants to abandon them, you have already seen that this is not the reason. When a cat decides to abandon her young for whatever reason, she simply leaves them and walks away, never taking care of them again.
Now, if what you want to know is when to separate the kittens from their mother to give them up for adoption, the ideal is that you respect the natural weaning process, which usually begins after three weeks of life. At this point, you can start offering the little ones solid food moistened with water, allowing them to continue eating breast milk. Little by little you will see that the mother herself will begin to reject them and the little ones will eat more solid food.
The importance of sterilization
Now that you know why cats move their young and you have experienced first-hand what it means to have a litter of kittens, the care it requires and how difficult it can be to find a home for them, we strongly recommend considering the option of neutering or spaying to the cat. This intervention will not only prevent you and the cat from going through this situation again, it also helps reduce the number of abandonment and allows control of the feline population. Remember that shelters and shelters are full of kittens waiting for a home.
