Based on research done on cats, it can be framed that they tend to move their kittens frequently. They keep changing their babies’ location to protect them from humans, animals, and predators. Mainly, feral cats focus on providing a place to live that offers their kittens food and water.
It is quite normal to keep stray cats as pets, but in the case of feral cats, only a kitten can be kept as a pet.
Usually, these cats have extra care and concern for their kittens mainly because they have less experience and the presence of a threat.
Table of Contents
- Do Feral Cats Move Kittens?
- Why Do Feral Cats Keep Moving Their Kittens?
- Will a Feral Cat Abandon Her Kittens if You Touch Them?
- How Long Can Feral Kittens Be Left Alone?
Do Feral Cats Move Kittens?
Yes, feral cats, in general, keep on moving their kitten from one place to another. There are various reasons that create a situation for them to move their babies. As there is no specific number, it is quite challenging to form a proper record for the same.
They keep moving their babies from one place to another when they find any danger. There is no standard set for the number of movements that will be there of kittens.
There are various reasons that lead to the movement of the kittens:
- Loud noises and activities are present in the living area.
- Moms have a feeling that they can give birth easily to babies at a specific place.
- The place has so much dirt and smells that kittens cannot live easily.
- Predators, animals, and humans come across them easily.
- Either the place is too warm, or no warmth is present.
Why Do Feral Cats Keep Moving Their Kittens?
Mother’s cat keeps their main concern is keeping their babies safe and protected for an extended period. She keeps searching for a new location to protect kittens from predators and bad weather. They mainly search for a site that is secure and comfortable.
Changing the place of living continuously will generate a feeling of safety and security for the mother.
Even it will help their kittens to learn how they can survive in different areas that involve problems to some extent.
Cats are good mothers as they adore their kittens. Newborn kittens face difficulty hearing and seeing things around them; this makes them helpless.
At this stage, there is a requirement for cat mothers as they will protect them. Various reasons make an option of shifting kittens an advisable option.
- Protection from Predators: Kittens easily get caught in attacks by predators as they are small and have no survival experience. Predators like foxes and birds can harm them adversely. To provide protection, mom cats keep moving their babies from one place to another.
- Search for Safer Location: Even moms plan to move their kittens as they feel that their current location is unsafe. They mainly avoid keeping their kittens in areas that are too cold, wet, and hot for them. Searching location that offers them shelter will make things comfortable and secure.
- Separation From Other Cats: Adult cats are at a friendly and playful stage so they might cause harm to other kittens. The damage to kittens can either be intentional or unintentional. At this stage, offering them protection will be a good choice as they will be saved.
- Helps Them to Learn Teaching Skills: Mothers of cats protect their babies from difficult situations and teach various skills like hunting, grooming, and social behavior. It will even give kittens an experience of survival.
Will a Feral Cat Abandon Her Kittens if You Touch Them?
Touch cannot be considered the prime reason that will lead to rejection by mothers. There is not a definite reason that will lead to this situation. Various points will finally put the mothers in a condition where they will abandon their kittens.
- Sometimes the situation might be that mothers do not like their kittens. In this situation, they will surely abandon them.
- If a mother is sick, it becomes difficult for them to care for their babies. Even face trouble at delivery, and they cannot take care of their babies properly.
- Sometimes when kittens are sick, and the mother has an idea that it is their last stage, they abandon them. All the kittens are not abandoned simultaneously; one that is ill will only be part of the rejection.
- Mothers are in no way bound to care for kittens for a lifetime. When they grow old, mothers usually do not care for them as they can take care of themselves.
How Long Can Feral Kittens Be Left Alone?
Feral kittens can be left alone for just a short period. If we consider the kittens younger than four months, they should not be left alone for not more than a few hours. If they are older than four months, then they can handle themselves for 5 hours.
There are various ways that a person can opt to move their kittens from one place to another. It is a difficult task, but having some idea in advance will simplify things and make it an easy process.
Carrying
Mom cats use their mouth to carry their kittens to a new location. She will just pick a kitten by the scruff of the neck by using a unique technique name scruffing.
It is a process that will make the procedure of carrying the kittens easy. It is a primary method that makes carrying babies an easy option.
Dragging
Sometimes, mother cat even drags their kittens with teeth and drops them in a new, safer location.
If possible, the method must be avoided as it might harm the kitten significantly. Try can be there if the kittens are older.
Encourage Them To Follow
The safest and most effective way to shift the kittens is by nudging them with her nose or pushing them with her paw.
Mothers even meow or purr, which encourages the kittens to move to a new and better location. It is an advisable method as kittens learn how they can live independently.
