"Murdered" Kittens.

[MartinL]

I've kept cats in UK but never been involved with newborn kittens.

In the last few months, a semi-wild Thai cat has decided she wants to live with my us. She's nothing special to look at but, now we've got to know each other, it's clear she has a lovely character & temperament.

Last week, she had kittens somewhere in our back garden. On the first night following the birth, we had a cloudburst and mum & one kitten ended-up at our back door, making a helluva noise, so we let them in & they settled under the kitchen table for the night.

Next morning, I heard another kitten crying and eventually found her in the flooded nursery, probably very cold & close to death. Mum washed her, warmed her and, eventually, both kittens settled down to feed. Mum was happy for me to stroke the kittens during feeding and, if stroking also coincided with their wash time, mum licked my hand clean too :) .

Two days later, a kitten disappeared from the kitchen and we couldn't find her nor hear any distress calls. I eventually concluded that she'd been taken by a dog that might have come in through the open kitchen door.

This morning, mum & baby started screaming and I rushed to find a male cat carrying off the kitten. He got a swift boot up the backside & kitten was returned to mum, who licked blood from a small wound. I'm absolutely certain this male cat would have killed the kitten if I'd not intervened.

Needless to say, mum & baby are now shut in the house, away from any open doors or windows.

I've seen wildlife documentaries in which male lions kill cubs to bring the lioness back into mating condition.

Does the same apply to cats? Do any of you have similar experiences of "murdered" kittens? Are all other adult cats a danger to kittens? Must they all be kept away for fear that they might kill the babies?

I'd be most grateful for any experiences or advice on this subject.

Thanks.

[angiud]

A life with cats but never seen something like that. Look like a sort of natural selection.

In my garden some stray cat make babies and the alpha male doesn't care so much, sometime play too.

[eek]

Im no cat specialist, but ive had cats most of my life plus several books ive read about them..and ive never heard of this kind of thing. However, i have fairly limited experience of feral cats behaviour around kittens.

Are you quite sure you got the picture straight? Just wonder if possibly the male cat was removing the kitten from danger?? Im clutching at straws here because i dont want to consider that an adult cat is deliberately harming kittens.

[FarangCravings]

Im no cat specialist, but ive had cats most of my life plus several books ive read about them..and ive never heard of this kind of thing. However, i have fairly limited experience of feral cats behaviour around kittens.

Are you quite sure you got the picture straight? Just wonder if possibly the male cat was removing the kitten from danger?? Im clutching at straws here because i dont want to consider that an adult cat is deliberately harming kittens.

wild cats in this case feral will revert back to there wild natural behaviour and that includes males killing others offspring when a new dominant male moves into an area it is a natural behaviour but of course you dont see it because you have no way to see the life of the feral cat. you can read more in the link below

http://www.messybeast.com/kill_kit.htm

Edited July 20, 2010 by FarangCravings

[MartinL]

Thanks, eek.

The kitten was cuddled-up with mum 5 minutes before this event, under the kitchen display cabinet & totally safe - except from this male cat, evidently.

I retrieved the kitten about 50 feet from the kitchen, in the garden. She'd been carried away by her back leg rather than scruff of the neck as mum would carry her. There were puncture wounds from teeth on her back leg & hips. Kitten seems OK but I'm sure her back leg hurts because she isn't moving it much at the moment.

No, I don't think the male cat was being altruistic!!

Like you, I don't want to believe kittens are harmed by other cats, although I was willing to believe it of a dog. But maybe a dark side of cats' nature is showing itself here.

[FarangCravings]

Thanks, eek.

The kitten was cuddled-up with mum 5 minutes before this event, under the kitchen display cabinet & totally safe - except from this male cat, evidently.

I retrieved the kitten about 50 feet from the kitchen, in the garden. She'd been carried away by her back leg rather than scruff of the neck as mum would carry her. There were puncture wounds from teeth on her back leg & hips. Kitten seems OK but I'm sure her back leg hurts because she isn't moving it much at the moment.

No, I don't think the male cat was being altruistic!!

Like you, I don't want to believe kittens are harmed by other cats, although I was willing to believe it of a dog. But maybe a dark side of cats' nature is showing itself here.

Since it did not kill it on the spot it could also be taking it away to eat it depending on how hungry it wa, you have to remeber the male was a wild feral cat that has instincts just like Lions do

Edited July 20, 2010 by FarangCravings

[GarryP]

One of the managers where I work was telling me about something similar last week. He has three maine coon cats and one of them turned murderer, killing two kittens by biting them on the neck. He said the cat that did the killing was a tom, and he has been booted out of the house temporarily as he does not want the remaining kitten to become another victim.

[FarangCravings]

One of the managers where I work was telling me about something similar last week. He has three maine coon cats and one of them turned murderer, killing two kittens by biting them on the neck. He said the cat that did the killing was a tom, and he has been booted out of the house temporarily as he does not want the remaining kitten to become another victim.

I assume he was not the Father of the Kittens ???? does he own 2 females and the one Tom ?? more info would be good although males have also been known to kill there own offspring too

[Slip]

When I had a tom and a female with a litter, (he was the father judging by the colouring), we came home one day to find one of the kittens minus its head. We didn't blame the mother.

[GarryP]

One of the managers where I work was telling me about something similar last week. He has three maine coon cats and one of them turned murderer, killing two kittens by biting them on the neck. He said the cat that did the killing was a tom, and he has been booted out of the house temporarily as he does not want the remaining kitten to become another victim.

I assume he was not the Father of the Kittens ???? does he own 2 females and the one Tom ?? more info would be good although males have also been known to kill there own offspring too

No, not the father. 2 females and one male. One of the females was neutered after an injury, so only one productive female.

[sbk]

FC has it spot on, it does happen with cats.

Perhaps put some food out farther from your house so he wont' be tempted to come in

[bina]

fits the wild /feral cat actions. at the zoos female and litter are often separated from father or other males until they can hold their own or mom cand deal; situation very very much like with donkeys and to some extant horses. with donkeys we had our prime male kill foals twice (didnt knowit was him first time, second time saw him pick up the foal by the neck and run with it dangling in his mouth, while he shook it. and no, we couldnt interfere ), and to best of our knowlege they were his own ... however, the mothers were weak and had a weak bond with the foals; once they strenghtend, the male backed down; we finally learned to separate herd from prime male.with strong mothers the male gets smashed by hooves and bitten by the mom so backs down.

most dog bitches wont let other animals approach and it doesnt matter if its the sire or not; in canines if in a pack situation, there is often an 'aunt' that helps protect the litter. cats are not pack animals so a mother would go ot her den, give birth, move several times, and only search out an active male for breeding purposes anyhow...

[BottleBlonde]

I recently spoke with my vet regarding a possible similar incident. He told me that a mother can get pregnant again approx 6 weeks after kittens are born or sooner if her milk drys up. He said that a male cat will often kill the kittens in order to mate with the mother, he will not do this on site but will normally carry them off to kill them and possibly eat them too.