Father cat should be kept away from the kitten until the kitten becomes a little older and start living alone. Kittens should be old enough to make their decision and safeguard their interest. Once the kitten turns 8 to 9 months old, you can have them meet their father.
When can I introduce the father to the kittens?
Wild animals are weird. They possess threats to their identity all the time. When the male cat sees its competitor is born and it may take the position of its assets, the male cat becomes aggressive towards the kittens.
Mostly, male cats try to attack and kill the male kittens. They see them as a future threat to their territory. So they do not want any other animal to take their place.
You will notice the mother cat changing the living places. She does that to protect their newborn babies from the male cat.
It can be another cat sneaking into their house or the father cat. Both are an equal threat to the kittens. It is estimated that the mother cat changes nine areas before she finally settles down in the new safe place.
After the kittens have become adults, there is not much threat from the male cat. The kitten can protect themselves from the male and even give a tough fight to the father cat if he tries to hurt them.
Let the father spend some time with the kids. Even after introducing the father cat to the kittens, keep them under observation. Sometimes the father cat may become aggressive and try to hurt the kittens.
Thus, a few days track their activities, especially during feeding time. The kittens are more active during feeding time. They may irritate the father cat and not allow the cat to eat their food.
Once the father cat becomes comfortable with the kitten, the cat will help the mother cat in babysitting. The kitten will leave the mother alone so she can rest for a while, and the father cat will take charge of the kitten’s safety.
Can the father cat be around the kittens?
Yes. It is okay to have the father cat around the kitten. However, it would be best if you observed the behavior of the father and mother both. Sometimes the father becomes aggressive towards the kittens. Also, it has been noticed that the mother kills the kitten when they find the other male
cat is threatening their life. So it would be best if you kept the father cat and mother cat under observation until the kitten starts walking alone and living separately from the mother.
Particular male cats are territorial species. They find the newborn babies threat to their territory. As a result, they attack the kittens and kill them before they even walk correctly.
The brutal behavior of the male cat would prevent the kitten from growing and surviving in the home.
Not all male cats are the same. But it would be best if you kept them in control. Leave the kitten and mother alone in a safe place. Stay close to the mother all the time in the early days of the growth of the babies. The reason for that is the mother feels safe when you are around.
They see you as a close buddy who will protect them when anyone threatens their life. Growing stress could make the mother cat sick.
Mental pressure will affect the decision-making power of the mother cat. As a consequence, she will try to kill her babies. So be there with your cat and support their growth.
Do kittens know who their dad is?
Cats use their scent to recognize their family members. The familiar scent indicates the cat is from their family.
It helps the female to avoid mating with their family members. In the absents of the scent, the cat cannot recognize the other cat.
A similar situation occurs with the newly born kittens. The kittens also get trained to recognize the threat and friendly cats with their scent. If they find the familiar scent on their body, they become more comfortable interacting with them.
It applies to human interaction also. When the cat touches you, she passes its scent or smell to your body. It helps the cat from their family recognize you as their family member.
Therefore, a kitten can only identify their father if the female spreads the scent to the male cat. If the smell is not recognizable, it is clear that the male cat does not belong to the family.
The female cat will repeal the male cat from them and even fight with the male cat to protect their babies.
Try to introduce the male cat or father cat to the kitten when they become older. Their senses would have developed fully, and they could make decisions quickly.
How do you introduce a kitten to dad?
First few days, keep the male cat under observation. Let the mother protect the babies from the father cat. The problem with the dad cat is the aggression that they develop when they see the other male cat.
Even the male kitten could make them angry. If the dad cat has a close encounter with the male kitten in the early stage, the adult cat will kill the kittens.
Let the mother take charge of the family when you introduce the dad cat to the kittens. The mother will pass the scent to the cat and kitten, familiarizing them with their family members.
The process is essential because the kitten cannot identify who is a threat to their life and who is a friendly cat. The scent will help them find the right cat that stays with them.
Once you feel the male cat is ready to have a close encounter with the kittens, you will be able to enjoy the playtime when the male cat and kittens come together.
Keep them under observation for a few days. Also, at night do not keep the male cat close to the kitten.
It would not be easy to monitor when you are away from the kittens. It will be a threat to the kitten. So be aware of their behavior and keep them calm.
