Background first - we started off with two female cats, about a year old each. "MowMow" had a litter of kittens in December - everything went fine, she was (and still is) a wonderful mother. The other cat "MaMa" just delivered her litter yesterday. She had two kittens - one was stillborn. MowMow had a stillborn also, and I had researched this and found that it is not abnormal to have a stillborn in a litter.

Anyway, so MaMa has only one kitten to care for. She nurses him, but does not spend as much time with him as she should. She is acting very fidgety - walking all over the house meowing, and acting very odd. The weirdest thing is - she keeps trying to "mommy" MowMow's kittens who are now almost 3 months old. She'll try to pick them up by the nape of their necks. She follows them around, etc. Why is she doing this???

By Missmudd on Tuesday, March 1, 2005 - 11:03 pm:

Does Mow mows kitten seem healthy? Sometimes mama cats know when a kitten isnt doing well. I would try seperating the families for a few days, keep mow mow w/ her kitten in the laundry room or something and see if she bonds more w/ her kitten. Gl

By Emily7 on Wednesday, March 2, 2005 - 04:26 pm:

She knows that she had two kittens & is missing or mourning the one that was stillborn & is trying to find it.
I would try to contain MaMa & her kitten in a smaller area so she has to take care of the kitten.
Did you give her time to see that her kitten was stillborn? Let her clean it up & do her motherly thing?

By Missmudd on Wednesday, March 2, 2005 - 07:57 pm:

I goofed I ment mama not mow mow, I tried to get the names right Let us know how your kitty family is doing.

By Amy~moderator on Thursday, March 3, 2005 - 02:02 am:

I have secluded them, and MaMa is doing much better with the baby. She had about 30 minutes with the stillborn. She did clean it and all that.

She is still acting a lot different. Emily, I think maybe she is trying to find it.

Her kitten is actually very strong - is almost walking already. I think it is very healthy.

Thank you for your advice!

By Breann on Thursday, March 3, 2005 - 10:11 am:

Glad she is doing better with the baby.
It sounds like she knew she had two kittens and can only find one. Poor thing
Kittens are so cute. Sounds like you have your hands full, not to mention your house!

By Emily7 on Thursday, March 3, 2005 - 10:17 am:

That is so sad. It is amazing how animals go through similar emotions that humans do when losing a baby. She just doesn't understand.