As long as they're together, they retain the scent and will snuggle together and groom one another. For at least the first 10 to 12 weeks, Mom and her kittens will spend all their time together. Basic things kittens learn from their mother at a young age are essential before separation takes place.. An example of such things is how to provide food for themselves. When she hears their distress call, she'll come to the rescue. If so, he's even more likely to remember you after long absences and miss you when you leave. My cat gave birth to 3 kittens. Learning about these things will help you understand your pet much better. Then spring came. Cat imprinting is the process by which a kitten bonds with his mother as she cares for him. She gave birth to one female kitten. To understand, we have to remember our cats have patterns in their heads that are meant to ensure their survival in their natural environment. When she hears their distress call, she'll come to the rescue. If kittens are removed before the age of 10 weeks, this behavior from the mother cat may persist a bit longer, but not by much as she's instinctually programmed to leave her litter and cats do not "remember" or "grieve" for kittens in the way that a human parent would. I’m really upset. That’s all they know and I am thankful that they have each other. Is it evolutionarily advantageous for cats to maintain family "bonds" and hierarchies when kept in a communal situation which may subsequently be interpreted by inquisitive humans as a sense of "family" - … There was some low growling when the kittens came too close to her. I am in the fairly unique position of having inadvertently done an experiment on this. Thank you for this article. The kittens have copied their mother. MEOW: Do Cats Remember Their Owners After Years? It was gradual at first. Do cats have a sense of mother/parent/family in the same way as humans - no. This lets them know this is their safe haven. I was able to take 2 to NH. 2 yes ago, a stray cat had 4 kittens on my porch in NJ. Each kitten will has a distinct meow that Mom understands. As soon as they leave the nest, they pick of scents of their new environment. Mother cats don’t mean to leave their kittens before they are old enough to make it on their own, which is around 10-12 weeks. This can happen if the mother senses that one or more kittens … Mother cats can get uncomfortable with the presence of her kittens after the weaning process is complete. Maternal aggression towards people and other animals is a very normal mother cat behavior, and it will subside as the kittens grow. As for the kittens, they have each other and they are the closest of siblings. When they don’t recognize that the kittens came from them, the birth-related hormones that bond mothers to their litter are not released. Remember, not all mothers will consume their kittens with birth defects. This is because the act of rubbing leaves behind her scent on things. Some will choose to ignore them, which means not letting them feed. I have 2 homes, 1 in NH which is my primary and 1 in NJ where I go one wkend a month. Leaving The Nest. In this article, we’ll dive into the answers and everything in between. Even more so, she doesn’t remember that the two kittens that she sees every day, are hers. Hi Dawn, I’m not a pet expert by any means and am just sharing my experience here. She was with them almost every minute of the day. Oh, I’m a single “dude” who is sort of a jock and etc so, mess with Fred and you mess with me. What an interesting thing. Cats do not have the same emotional attachment to their offspring as humans do. This growing aloofness is normal behavior for mother cats as their kittens begin to grow up. A neighbour in the area put her out at about 4 months old and just moved away. Mother cats are very protective of their kittens, and their territorial instincts really start coming out. the snow melted and it was time to set them loose to enjoy the yard and neighbourhood (fixed, chipped, tattooed and licensed of course). Here’s why. I had a mummy cat (Rosie, pictured above, nursing) who had 5 kittens. A female kitten will stay with mom and may help her raise future litters of kittens. My poor geriatric cat can’t even remember that she ate….only 5 minutes before. Once they are weaned and rehomed they are not regarded as your cat’s responsibility and are often forgotten. The kittens will stay with their mother if they recognize it. They do remember their parents and siblings if they continue to be around them as adults. I didn’t realize that cats don’t remember their kittens – so fascinating! Some background in case you never caught my other posts. Outdoor or stray moms are sometimes scattering their kittens to avoid predation. 3. If she does this, you can remove the kitten and hand-feed it. Merciful reasons are the easiest to prevent. However, if one of them is taken away for a while and then re-introduced, then the cats see each other as strangers. When your cat is taken from his mother at a young age and comes to live with you, he may imprint on you. All 5, regardless of where they live NH or NJ, are indoor cats only and all female. Our mom cat is still very loving with us and she does tolerate her kittens, she just gets caught off guard some times. We rescued a beautiful kitten who was only 9 months old herself when she had her own kittens. That’s really horrible in my opinion. I had to find an image to replace the original one. Most experts recommend waiting until at least six weeks, while others say that it’s better to leave a kitten with its mother for 8 to 10 weeks. Most of the time they had to find a place in a hurry because lot of … Even though cats have astounding memory, their relationship with their family is far from the tear-jerking surrealness animal videos on the internet would have you believe. That means a cat will be protective over its territory and food, whether the other cat is a stranger or a sibling. For a few days after her kittens are gone, she may look for them around your home. This is Oz at 8 months old (short for Ozzy ‘Osbourne’, named before we knew they were all girls). In the wild they would drive off their offspring - to prevent inbreeding. Even more so, she doesn’t remember that the two kittens that she sees every day, are hers. If you brought your cat's grown child home, it would only cause her stress, as the cat would smell like a stranger to her. Its been very helpful. Before giving birth, a mother cat will scope out the area for potential dens to keep her babies in. This lets them know this is their safe haven. Why do mother cats abandon their kittens? Hugs. Do Kittens Get Along With Their Mothers As Adults?→, How Soon Can I Cuddle My Newborn Kittens?→. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. They were born just before the snow flew and we had about 7 months of snow this winter. I kept 2 of them (male and female) and gave 3 away. Much like the first 3-5 years of a child’s life are their important, formative years, I now understand that the cat’s formative time is counted in months, not years. Seeing a mother cat grooming and tending to her kittens is a heartwarming sight to behold. I … Mercy. When I came back to NJ. Do mother cats remember their kittens? I wondered if it was cruel to take the pups away and that’s the way she explained it as well! Remember, she wants to protect her kittens, and by entering the nest while you are watching, she is showing the location of the nest and exposing her kittens to danger. 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