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- Jun 12, 2006
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Hello!
I have 4 kittens and a mom cat, and the kittens are eating wet and dry food normally, but tend to still suckle with the mom really late at night or early (5-6am) in the morning. I am not sure they are getting anything out of it, but the mom will call the babies to her and it seems more like a family or comfort thing. I have seen her kick them away or she will move away if they try to nurse when she isn't interested, and like I said they eat a lot of normal food so its not for food nourishment they are doing this.
They just got all their shots and a visit to the vet, and we were told to seperate the mom and the babies for a week or so night and day so her milk will dry up and for some socialization issues.
However, I just don't 100% agree exactly. We did seperate the mom and babies for 2 days and they ALL acted like they were being punished and when they were reunited, they started hiding under the couch and chair which they never did before..... It was actually an anti-human social experience for them, or so it seems to my paranoid heart that is sensitive to them :-)
I guess I was just curious to see what a larger group of folks like yourselves think about the mom doing more comfort nursing, and making the decision for herself when and how she will let the kittens come to her, and if human interferance is really necessary?
The kittens were a little anti-social at the vets office - but taking into consideration it was their first time out of the house and in a car and at a vets office and being handled by a lot of strangers....they weren't too bad (even fell asleep 1/2 into the visit). The vet nurse/tech said that it wasn't really normal for kittens to not want to be held or to be afraid like they were.......and I took that to heart without any other knowledge or experience in this kind of situation.
I guess I am weaving in another concern with this thread - about their socialization - but I am freaking out thinking I didn't do a good job raising them . I will figure out my next question in the meantime! :-) I have concerns about how to catch some socialization stuff into the next few weeks before they graduate into 3months old!
I have 4 kittens and a mom cat, and the kittens are eating wet and dry food normally, but tend to still suckle with the mom really late at night or early (5-6am) in the morning. I am not sure they are getting anything out of it, but the mom will call the babies to her and it seems more like a family or comfort thing. I have seen her kick them away or she will move away if they try to nurse when she isn't interested, and like I said they eat a lot of normal food so its not for food nourishment they are doing this.
They just got all their shots and a visit to the vet, and we were told to seperate the mom and the babies for a week or so night and day so her milk will dry up and for some socialization issues.
However, I just don't 100% agree exactly. We did seperate the mom and babies for 2 days and they ALL acted like they were being punished and when they were reunited, they started hiding under the couch and chair which they never did before..... It was actually an anti-human social experience for them, or so it seems to my paranoid heart that is sensitive to them :-)
I guess I was just curious to see what a larger group of folks like yourselves think about the mom doing more comfort nursing, and making the decision for herself when and how she will let the kittens come to her, and if human interferance is really necessary?
The kittens were a little anti-social at the vets office - but taking into consideration it was their first time out of the house and in a car and at a vets office and being handled by a lot of strangers....they weren't too bad (even fell asleep 1/2 into the visit). The vet nurse/tech said that it wasn't really normal for kittens to not want to be held or to be afraid like they were.......and I took that to heart without any other knowledge or experience in this kind of situation.
I guess I am weaving in another concern with this thread - about their socialization - but I am freaking out thinking I didn't do a good job raising them . I will figure out my next question in the meantime! :-) I have concerns about how to catch some socialization stuff into the next few weeks before they graduate into 3months old!