Will a cat abandon her kittens?
Will a cat abandon her kittens?
I heard a noise in my shed this morning and when I looked in a box, a cat jumped out, ran across the yard and over the fence leaving behind a litter of kittens. The kittens have not even opened their eyes yet. My question is will she return or should I look into finding some assistance for the kittens? I'm afraid I may have frightened her away and I have no personal knowledge about cats so any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
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Auntie Debbie
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Re: Will a cat abandon her kittens?
I hope by now she has returned to care for her kittens. A mother cat will generally not abandon her kittens but will keep a watch from a distance and will go off in search of food for herself. If she has returned, please keep a good eye on her and the kittens to ensure things are going we..
If she hasn't returned, you will need to be their mama. There are several good links on the opposite side of this board on caring forf orphans and kjittens in general. Please review them. If it is at all possible to trap the mother and bring her and her kittens indoors that would be ideal. If you can't maybe someone else can or a local rescue group may help.
If you do need to care for them if the mother hasn't returned, please do so immediately at this point. They will need to be fed and you will have to massage their bottoms so they cfan eliminate as they cannot do so on their own as yet. You can pick up kitten formula at any pet store or for an emergency, the sites on the opposite side of the board will explain. You can and really should consult with a vet. Depending on exactly how old they are they could need to be fed every two hours. And too, if the mother hasn't returned and you take in the kittens to care for them, it would be ideal if they were seen by a vet to make sure they asre healthy.
Good luck in any case with them. I hope Mom's still around and caring for them. Please let us know how things are going, ok?
If she hasn't returned, you will need to be their mama. There are several good links on the opposite side of this board on caring forf orphans and kjittens in general. Please review them. If it is at all possible to trap the mother and bring her and her kittens indoors that would be ideal. If you can't maybe someone else can or a local rescue group may help.
If you do need to care for them if the mother hasn't returned, please do so immediately at this point. They will need to be fed and you will have to massage their bottoms so they cfan eliminate as they cannot do so on their own as yet. You can pick up kitten formula at any pet store or for an emergency, the sites on the opposite side of the board will explain. You can and really should consult with a vet. Depending on exactly how old they are they could need to be fed every two hours. And too, if the mother hasn't returned and you take in the kittens to care for them, it would be ideal if they were seen by a vet to make sure they asre healthy.
Good luck in any case with them. I hope Mom's still around and caring for them. Please let us know how things are going, ok?
Kitty kisses,
Debbie
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"Those we shelter on earth will be our treasures in Heaven." Victor Hugo, I think
Debbie
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"Those we shelter on earth will be our treasures in Heaven." Victor Hugo, I think
Re: Will a cat abandon her kittens?
Update please?
As Debbie said, the mother will most likely come back, and she may be nearby, just watching, she is probably fearful but if you don't create a scene or are not very loud or do not handle the kittens, chances are she will return.
The kittens need to be kept warm however, so please keep an eye out for the queen but from a hidden distance so she cannot see you. If you feel or know she hasn't returned within 6-8 hours, get the kittens to a vet immediately so they can make sure they are warm, initiate bottle feeding of kitten formula, examine them for health issues etc. Ideally they need to be fed every two to three hours, and the mother cat usually takes care of that, but if you have not seen her return within 6-8 hours, don't wait, get the kittens to the vet.
As Debbie said, the mother will most likely come back, and she may be nearby, just watching, she is probably fearful but if you don't create a scene or are not very loud or do not handle the kittens, chances are she will return.
The kittens need to be kept warm however, so please keep an eye out for the queen but from a hidden distance so she cannot see you. If you feel or know she hasn't returned within 6-8 hours, get the kittens to a vet immediately so they can make sure they are warm, initiate bottle feeding of kitten formula, examine them for health issues etc. Ideally they need to be fed every two to three hours, and the mother cat usually takes care of that, but if you have not seen her return within 6-8 hours, don't wait, get the kittens to the vet.
..........Traci