Mother cat attacking her kittens

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Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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Hi everyone,

Mey had her kittens 3 weeks ago. I had to go away for a while and a friend looked after them. One of the kittens died and the others were in a bad way; the mother cat was also very thin. My friend ended up taking the kittens to her place to feed them.

Now that I'm back, my friend brought the little ones over and Mey, the mum, is trying to smother them, especially one of the two. I put the mum outside, and tried again the next day: Mey sniffs them, lies down, and tucks them under her paw, but once she sees she can't feed them, she tries to kill them again.

So my questions are:

- Help! What should I do? Other than keeping the kittens away from their mum...

Just to add: the mum was a stray who turned up in my garden (already pregnant). She's used to being outdoors, so I'm wondering if I should stop letting her come into the house now...

Thanks so much for your help and advice!!

Luminita😁

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6 answers
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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    I'm so happy for the mum, you and the kittens.
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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Success!

    Mey has been with her kittens for 2 hours now; she’s grooming them and cuddling them.

    I spent a good while stroking all three of them together, which seems to have really put her at ease, and now they’re purring away like mad!

    Thanks to everyone for your advice and encouragement!

    Have a lovely evening,

    Luminita

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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    That’s all brilliant. Yes, it’s definitely helped, and for someone who's a complete novice, I think you’re doing really well so far.
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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Thanks for your replies.

    The mum is calming down; I let her get near the kittens and she’s started grooming one of them... She’s eating well and seems to be doing fine.

    Anyway, I’ve got an appointment the day after tomorrow to get her spayed and, as soon as I can, I’ll take the kittens in too.

    She saw me bottle-feeding them and caught the scent of the milk; I have a feeling that reassured her (though I’m no expert!)

    I’m going to keep gradually getting the mum used to her kittens and vice versa, while keeping a close eye to make sure she doesn't nip them!

    Thanks everyone,

    L.

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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    I don't think letting her back outside is a good idea. I think she needs to build up her strength, and because she feels like she can't cope, she's trying to kill them.

    It would be a good idea to get her spayed if possible, because if she’s already in a bad way, another litter could really take its toll on her and be quite dangerous.

    You could potentially help her look after the kittens if she lets you, but do wait for more advice as I’m not really an expert on cat breeding.

    Best of luck to you.

    Edit: @Anima beat me to it! :D

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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Yes, you'll need to keep the mother separate until the kittens are weaned, which should be done as early as possible. After that, you can reintroduce them so she can socialise them properly. This kind of behaviour usually happens when food is too scarce to ensure the kittens' survival, or if the kittens themselves aren't in the best of health. I’d definitely recommend taking the kittens to the vet for a check-up to make sure they're doing okay.
    Translated from French

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