Are A Mama And Her Kitten Good For Long-term Companions For Each Other

myfamily

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My roommate moved in with a mama and a 2 week old kitten. The kitten is now 3 months old, and they are very tight. They play together, they sleep together. My roommate has been dragging her feet about finding the kitten a home. I suggested today that she keep the kitten because having 2 cats probably isn't that much different than having 1 cat. And the two of them together can keep each other company when no one's home. My neighbor has two cats who are sisters. She said she got two siblings instead of just one so that her cats wouldn't get lonely. Does this logic apply when we're talking about mama and kitten? Or at some point will the mama try to push the kitten away? I got mama spayed soon after she moved in. I will see to it that the kitten is spayed very soon too.
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susanm9006

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Mom and baby make great companions for each other and will be friends for life.
Just be sure that baby gets spayed as soon as possible so there aren’t additions to the family.
 

Purrrfectttales

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I think it should be fine. Most likely if they are getting along now they will probably get along going forward. It is common for siblings to be adopted together as well.
 

Norachan

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I have a mother and daughter that I've been caring for ever since Mom showed up as a pregnant stray. Daughter is 8 and mother is about 10 years old now. They get along well together.

Make sure you get the kitten spayed at around 4 to 5 months old, before she goes through her first heat cycle, particularly if she is allowed outside.

They look very cute together, what are their names?
 
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myfamily

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I have a mother and daughter that I've been caring for ever since Mom showed up as a pregnant stray. Daughter is 8 and mother is about 10 years old now. They get along well together.

Make sure you get the kitten spayed at around 4 to 5 months old, before she goes through her first heat cycle, particularly if she is allowed outside.

They look very cute together, what are their names?
thanks, the mama is Angel and my roommate named the baby, Bella. I call the baby Monkey or Munchkin.
 
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myfamily

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thank you for your replies. Based on the information gathered, and my encouragement, she is going to keep the kitten, and thus keep the mama and her baby together.
 
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myfamily

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I already have 3 cats of my own, btw. You'd think my boy cat who is 13 would have taken to the kitten by now, but he hasn't. He has never had anybody to play with, and my two females want nothing to do with him with regard to rough housing (he has tried many times to rough house with them). Now we have this little ball of energy in the house who is always up for play, and Rocky seems to have no interest. At least he's no longer hissing at her. But still I wonder if they will ever play? Rocky is still very playful and in good health.
 

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Awww... mama and daughter are adorable. :catlove:

So have all 5 cats met now? No fighting or other issues, other than Rocky hissing at the kitten?
 
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myfamily

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Yes five cats, and sometimes six, as a neighbor's cat has adopted me and never goes home anymore (his owner is a live-in caregiver at a different location and is only home 2 days a week). Rocky and my neighbors cat often have Mexican stand offs. The real trouble maker is Angel, the mama cat in the photo above. Since she arrived on the scene 3 months ago, she has harassed all of my cats. If she sees them either outside or in the house, she will chase them. One of my females, Flower, is scared to death of her. Flower has always been the type of cat who intimidates other cats. But for whatever reason, she is afraid of Angel. So yes, in effect, six cats, and we live in an apartment. Fortunately, it there is a big nature area behind my unit. They are all inside-outside, even the kitten.
 

fionasmom

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They all sound adorable! I have had a mama cat who is 14 and a "baby" who is 13 for all those years....Stella and Eve. They have remained best friends to this day and eat and sleep together. The mom has a somewhat serious case of diabetic neuropathy despite treatment and the baby sits with her for most of the day.
 
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myfamily

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They all sound adorable! I have had a mama cat who is 14 and a "baby" who is 13 for all those years....Stella and Eve. They have remained best friends to this day and eat and sleep together. The mom has a somewhat serious case of diabetic neuropathy despite treatment and the baby sits with her for most of the day.
Awww... that is so sweet to hear. Thank you for the encouraging story. I am so glad we have decided to keep mama and baby together, and we made the decision based on the stories here.
 

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We had a mother and her three kittens. We kept them together their entire lives. The mother lived to be 19, while the kittens lived to be 12, 16 and 17. The mother continued to teach them, watch over them and protect them every minute of every day. It was a truly wonderful experience for all of us.
 
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myfamily

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aww so touching. I feel bad for their loss when mama passed away, and for the little one who left you at 12.
 

Kflowers

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The mama outlived them. It was hard on her but they needed her help. It was like the universe knew they would need her. We did everything we could for each of them, but there are things only another cat can do. They were all happy and the kitten pile was something else when they weighed 12+ pounds.

Keep the mom and kit together, it will break her heart if you separate them. It will break your heart when you hear her crying for the baby.
 

maggie101

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I had a mama cat outside. She was excited to show me her kittens. She was always with them. When one of her kittens disappeared 5 weeks old, she was very upse Her kitten showed back up on my porch a year later. The mama cat was already adopted and I took in the kitten. Did she come back to my porch looking for her mama? Or just because it was where she temporarily lived. They were very close
 

rubysmama

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Rocky and my neighbors cat often have Mexican stand offs. The real trouble maker is Angel, the mama cat in the photo above. Since she arrived on the scene 3 months ago, she has harassed all of my cats. If she sees them either outside or in the house, she will chase them. One of my females, Flower, is scared to death of her. Flower has always been the type of cat who intimidates other cats. But for whatever reason, she is afraid of Angel.
Were you able to keep them separated at first, and do a slow introduction? Or could you try again? Here's a TCS article on How To Fix An Unsuccessful Cat Introduction if you are interested.
 
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myfamily

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The mama outlived them. It was hard on her but they needed her help. It was like the universe knew they would need her. We did everything we could for each of them, but there are things only another cat can do. They were all happy and the kitten pile was something else when they weighed 12+ pounds.

I wondered whether or not she outlived her babies. How sad. I dread the day my cats go. They are 10 and 13. I cherish each minute of each day with them, especially know when they are still in good health. Yes my roommate is definitely going to keep mama and kitten together. It is a huge relief because we have been stressing about finding the kitten a good home before she got too old.

Keep the mom and kit together, it will break her heart if you separate them. It will break your heart when you hear her crying for the baby.
 
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myfamily

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I had a mama cat outside. She was excited to show me her kittens. She was always with them. When one of her kittens disappeared 5 weeks old, she was very upse Her kitten showed back up on my porch a year later. The mama cat was already adopted and I took in the kitten. Did she come back to my porch looking for her mama? Or just because it was where she temporarily lived. They were very close
I wonder how a 5 week old outside kitten disappears and then shows up again a year later. There is a mama outside right now who had a baby. They were predictably very close. The baby just disappeared one night. I think a hawk got him. I saw the hawk swooping down in the back yard on previous occasions. I wonder where yours went during that year.
 

maggie101

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I am assuming someone took her then abandoned her. She was very scared. Stayed in my bedroom for a year. Now in the living room and eats and plays with my other cats.
 
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