I hope this isn't a silly question!

[smeagoll]

Do queens miss their kittens at all?
I have been feeling sad for the queen of a litter I am fostering, her owner took her home a few days ago and said she is constantly crying and calling.
The kittens are 5-6 weeks old. Young I know but the owner was adamant on taking the mother cat.

 

[missymotus]

If the kittens leave over a week or so rather than all at once, and at an appropriate age it's best for her, it also helps with the milk drying up.

Very normal with such young kittens for her to be crying, she knows she's meant to be with her kittens still. She should stay with them for 12 weeks. 

They'll just have to put up with it until she settles, spaying will help but it will still take a while for her hormones to settle. Poor girl .

 

[orientalslave]

Have you tried suggesting to the owner she should be back with her kittens?

 

[smeagoll]

I have suggested I take her back for a few more weeks but the owner said no., I was not happy about her taking the queen so soon but when she is not my cat - I cannot deny the owner.
Do you think not having their mother at this early age will have any negative impact on the kittens?
The wee sweeties below melt my heart. Here is 3 of the 4 babies.

image.jpg

• smeagoll
• Dec 5, 2012

 

[callista]

Unfortunately, yes, kittens do tend to have behavior problems a little more often when they are taken too early. Momcats will teach them "how to be a cat". However, your foster kittens are better off than most orphans: They did get to stay with their mom for a few weeks, and they have their siblings with them to teach them to play nice with other cats. That's certainly better than nothing.

Please tell me they are spaying the mom...

 

[missymotus]

How can they take back a cat they've surrendered to a shelter? Hopefully the shelter organisation spayed her before sending her back, or she'll just wind up in the same situation.

As said above they can have behaviour issues, having each other helps but it's not the same as mum teaching them.

 

[smeagoll]

Thanks for replying.
She did not surrender the mother, just the kittens. But allowed the queen to come with me also, as knew some weeks with the litter would be better than none.
She has been spayed now, thankfully.

 

[missymotus]

Surely the rescue has some say over keeping a mum with her kittens, at the very least for 8 weeks. But what's done is done, and wonderful she's now been spayed. 

 

[callista]

We demand photos for the Fur Pictures section! Those little darlings are... well, darling!

 

[krazy kat2]

What precious little ones! I just cannot resist an orange baby.