I had to tell
you of the incredible thing that has happened and I hope this event
will help someone else who may encounter the problem I had. Well,
remember momma cat had discarded three kittens out of her litter of
six. I had taken the three abandoned ones and placed them in a carrier
in a separate room.
Meanwhile, momcat
continued to care for the remaining three in another room. That evening
after she left the last kitten behind, she was exploring the house.
I decided to give her some freedom to explore, hoping she would feel
more at ease and not forget the remaining three kittens. She found
the carrier with the three abandoned kittens and was very anxious.
She tried to get in and wasn't being angry or mean. I decided to take
the carrier to a room next to the one she had her nesting box in.
She was still very interested in the kittens in the carrier. So then
I took the carrier into the same room as the nesting box but placed
it well away from the three remaining kittens. I opened the door of
the carrier and stood well away to observe. Momma cat went in and
began licking he kittens and allowed them to nurse. She was very good
and caring.
I left them with
her for the night. I found one of the abandoned kittens out of the
carrier the next morning, but she was fine. That day I put the carrier
in the adjacent room to the nesting box room. Throughout the day,
mom cat cared for the kittens in the original nesting box and occasionally
came and cared for the ones in the carrier. She came and cared for
the abandoned ones when I was feeding them, and when I woke them up
and allowed them to cry for a minute. I still had to feed them throughout
the day too.
Then, the next
dayhurrah! I did not have to feed them at all. She went from
room to room all day! She cared for the ones in the carrier just as
much as the ones she had left in the original nesting box. I put the
abandoned ones in their own new box in the same room as the nesting
box and now two days later mom cat is feeding all six kittens on her
own. She goes from box to box and actually gives each group of three
the same attention. I have left all kittens with her for two nights
and all are okay. I am so proud of momma cat! She just couldn't handle
all six climbing all over her at the same time but divided up she
does well. What a solution! I never thought of it at first. So, perhaps
someone else can benefit from my experience and hopefully it will
work for their overwhelmed momma cat too.