One of the most heart – warming things is to see how mother cat care and feed their cute little kittens but what makes them ro reject those adorable kittens? I know, now you will say that this is rubbish, how can a mother reject her child? But this is absolutely true, it is suggested that the kittens should ideally live with their mother until they are around eight to ten weeks old but sometimes, cat might reject one or more than one child. Now you will ask, why do cat reject their child? I am going to tell you the reasons which are as follows :-
1. ILLNESS OR DEFORMITY :- Mother cat knows are born with any deformities or illness. If the cat mother senses that any of her kitten is suffering from any disease then she might reject her by pushing her away from other healthier kittens. Mother cats do this in order to protect their other healthier kittens but, meanwhile, she is not willing to protect that sick kitten. Mother cats also want to reserve her milk for kittens who are healthier and stronger.
2. LACK OF MATERNAL INSTINCT :- If a cat mother lacks maternal instinct then she might not know how to care for her kittens properly. A young mom may feel disinterested as she hasn’t developed maternal instincts. Some mothers start out her way and figure out it and some don’t. The owners can help her in understanding maternal instincts by showing her how to take feed kittens, keep warm and clean them. For example, you can teach the mother cat to nurse the kittens by placing a kitten on her side and try to move her upto the mother’s belly.
3. TOO LARGE OF A LITTER :- If a cat mother senses that her litter is too large then she may reject some of her smaller kittens so that she can save food and place for the rest of the kittens. In this case, the mother will not allow the kittens which she rejected at the nursing time, to sleep and nap in her nest.
4. MOTHER CAT IS SICK :- If the mother is sick or if she sense that she is going to die from an illness or injury then she might reject their kittens in the litter as she will not want to infect her kittens by passing on any disease. In this case, she will be alone and will abandoned all of her kittens.
HOW TO TELL IF A CAT IS REJECTING KITTENS?
1. Watch the mother cat for signs and see if she is distracted, distressed or irritated. They should cuddle their kittens in order to keep them warm, suckle kittens and clean them by licking. If she is not doing these things then it is a sign that the mother cat is rejecting her kittens.
2. Check if any of the kittens are bawling or crying, a rejected kitten will cry in order to gain attention.
3. See if any kitten is physically separated or removed from the nest. Physical seclusion is a clear sign of rejection by the cat mother. Do not try to put back the kittens into the nest as it might make her to reject all other kittens. Now only you have to take care of the kitten by keeping her warm and feeding milk.
4. If the mother cat shows aggression towards kittens then it might be a sign of clear rejection so watch carefully.
WHAT TO DO WHEN THE MOTHER CAT REJECT KITTENS?
After being rejected and abandoned by the mother, the kitten will feel lonely and you need to care for him carefully, here are some points that will help you in taking care of the new – born kittens :-
1. FEEDING :- The new – born kittens needs to drink the cat mother’s milk as it provides all the requirements which the kitten needs. But after being rejected from mother, he won’t be able to drink from her mother so you can try feeding him KMR ( it is a formula, especially for kittens ) by using a dropper. After the kitten become three to four weeks old, then you can use a shallow bowl for feeding him milk.
2. CREATE A NEST FOR HIM :- You can use a carrier in order to provide a sense of protection with soft blankets. The nest should be warm, however keep the area cooler because if they get too hot, they can crawl to it.
3. BATHING :- You should bathe the kittens on a daily basis. If the kitten is younger than two weeks old then you can use mild soap in order to bathe him, on the other hand, you can use baby shampoo for older cats. During bathing, avoid using soap around his eyes and then clean him well with soft towel.
Caring for kittens is a wonderful experience but you should be prepared for the failure as there is a REASON that the mother cat rejected him. New- born kittens requires a lot of care abd attention whether his mother is there or not. Its important to understand the basic needs of kittens and I hope this article helps you.