Mother cat decapitates her four kittens
A mother cat (a queen) bites the heads off her four kittens – an act of infanticide. Why?
Domestic cat infanticide. Photo: Dee.
Dee, a regular contributor to PoC and a very experienced cat caretaker, has experienced something sad and unsettling. This is what she says:
“I was called to a neighbor’s house some distance from me to see what her mother cat had done. They brought her in as a stray not long ago and, then, discovered she was pregnant. They said that she walked and trotted around while giving birth with babies just hanging out of her one by one. They also said that after the first 4 weeks they nearly had to force her to care for them too.
The mother cat seems to be around 10-12 months old and had a first litter of 4. She seemed to have been a good mother for about 4 weeks; but, suddenly she has bitten every head off of her 4 babies, killing them of course. I can’t find any explanation for this.
Do you have one?…..[she was] the only cat in the house. The only thing I can think of is that she was just too young and inexperienced or got annoyed by their crying. It’s a first for me.
It’s so heart-breaking. There was plenty of food around, so the mother wasn’t lacking..So, I just don’t get it. Why would she do this?”
My only thought in response was that the mother was unable to cope and had decided in the interests of her survival to destroy her litter and start again sometime in the future when things might be more favourable. But she was well fed so there was no pressing need from the point of survival.
I did some research…..a good number of the reasons for female domestic cat infanticide are directly or indirectly associated with survival of both kittens and/or mother.
There are other reasons too. According to Sarah Hartwell, kitten-killing (infanticide in cats) is more commonly carried out by females than males. Until I had read that I had always presumed that males where the primary killers of kittens or cubs (for wild cats) as a mating strategy and as a means to create his own offspring. It seems that amongst domestic cats, the situation is more complicated than that. All my excellent reference books refer to male infanticide with no reference to female infanticide, which I find interesting.
Hunting instincts dominate maternal instincts
Some mothers don’t develop maternal instincts on the birth of their offspring. Their hunting instincts take over or dominate their actions and they kill their kittens. These queens have poorly developed maternal instincts.
Defective Kittens
The mother has decided that the kittens have a poor chance of survival because she detects a defect that is not obvious to us. She decides that it is not worth expending energy on raising them. This is the cut-throat world of survival. She kills them.
Out of season births
This means early spring, late autumn and winter which results in a reduced chance of survival as prey is scarce. The mother instinctively assesses the difficulty in survival of herself and her kittens and kills them.
Disturbed nest
If a birth nest/den is disturbed and if the cat has difficulty moving to what she perceives as a more secure place, she may kill her kittens as the only response as she probably perceives the threat to her kittens and herself as too great under the circumstances. This action allows her to escape to save herself.
Inexperience
Sometimes queens accidentally kill their kittens through incompetence or desperation when trying to move them to a new nest. Very rarely, an inexperienced and anxious mother may inadvertently seriously injure or even kill her very young and fragile kittens when cleaning them and then eat them to “hygienically dispose” of the body.
Stress
Sometimes stressed mothers decide to “cut their losses” as Sarah Hartwell calls it and kill and eat their kittens. The reason for eating her own offspring is purely functional. She has invested in creating them and wants to reclaim some of the investment while simultaneously improving her chance of survival and readying herself for the next litter. Under these circumstances she may cull part of her litter thereby improving the prospects of successfully rearing the remainder.
An abused mother cat be anxious with kittens and kill them. This is stress related.
Handled another person or animal
A queen may kill her kittens because, in being handled by another animal or human, her scent on her kittens has been obliterated or obscured such that she no longer recognised them and they become prey. A kitten’s size, movement and sound could encourage a cat to treat them as prey.
Natural death of kitten
Where a kitten or kittens have died naturally the mother may dispose of the body by partially eating it giving the impression she has killed it.
Cats do not just kill their babies. This article leads people to believe mother cats are cold blooded killers of their babies. This is wrong. When a cats kills kittens it is more often than not because there is something wrong with the kittens. At times it is because mother becomes stressed and has no milk for them. But mothers do not kill babies because they can’t handle their crying. Crazy theory. I’ve had cats all my life. Delivered, nurtured, and even bottle fed. I’ve had more mothers take kittens not their own than I can count. Don’t paint these pictures. It’s hard enough to save cats lives.
Thanks Pamala for commenting. I have responded in the Facebook discussion. I don’t think that the article gives the impression that cats are cold blooded killers. I am simply reporting on a phenomenon associated with domestic cats. Also I don’t think suggesting reasons either from visitors or from other people is a bad thing. It is called freedom of speech. And I don’t think the article affects the saving of the lives of cats. I disagree completely with you. Perhaps you are a troll. I get a few.
Aren’t you just the perfectly arrogant, two-faced, hypocritical bastard.
No, I am not. But you are certainly a shitty woman.
Yes, they sometimes just randomly kill their kittens for no reason whatsoever. I call these cats Christian cats.
Lmfao …that’s fucken funny..nd yes there are cats who just can’t handle the stress and are too young and inexperienced..it’s the same concept of when a mother just up and abandons them wich I’ve seen numerous times and had to hand raise a number of them. I’ve had cats all my life as well and they are not some infallible Supreme being. And the articles has no direct impact on the number of cats people are willing to rescue. That woman is obviously a cat Karen,who’s only relationships are with her cats Cuz no one wants to be around someone that can’t take a politely worded disagreement without automatically resorting to name calling. And im willing to bet even the cats try to escape and plot her demise.
Years ago, I had rescued a cat from a trucking company that I worked for. I got sick and tired of her kittens getting run over (accidentally). It took a while but I finally got her to trust me and I took her home. She was pregnant when I got her and she had her kittens in my house. The runt wasn’t doing well and I tried to help the baby but one day I heard her crunching and when I checked she had killed the baby and was eating it. I was horrified but I loved her and had her spayed as soon as the kittens were weaned. I also got her older kittens and brought them home (what a job that was! Back in the early 80’s). I never had any more problems with her after that. She was my “Buddy Girl”.
Wow, great story Robin. It is nice to hear a first hand experience story of a mother cat killing and eating one of her kittens even if it is gruesome and sad. It confirms that this happens. Thanks.
I know this is an old article, but I was researching mama cats killing their kittens and came across this. I was researching because about a week ago I found the mama cat eating her 3 week old kittens head. I don’t know if she killed it, I didn’t see. This was the runt of the litter of 3 kittens. The other 2 were much bigger, fat little butter balls. This evening I went outside and found her yet again eating her kittens head. This kitten was seemingly healthy. It was disturbing. We have many cats, they are well fed. We’ve been thru many kitten seasons, multiple litters each season. We put boxes out when the mamas are close to having birth so they have a place to stay w their babies and we know not to disturb their box or handle the kittens… We’ve had mamas abandon kittens for that reason. Um… Just trying to deduce reasons.. oh, she’s had 2 or 3 litters already, prior, and she was a good mama, so I wouldn’t say she was inexperienced. She doesn’t seem to be lacking in milk as I’ve seen the babies feeding multiple times a day recently, even earlier today before i found the 2nd dead kitten. We’ve separated her last kitten from her so she doesn’t kill it also. I just had a lot questions, so I was looking online.. 1-did she kill them herself? (I think most likely she did) 2- why? 3- will she kill any more of her own litters-to-come. 4- will she kill any of the other kittens we have, because we currently have about 4 other new litters and some mommas haven’t given birth yet. 5- is she okay/is something wrong w her? 6- why did she eat their head? 7- why in the world did she kill her happy little bouncy fluffy cute fat 4 week old baby? ????
I know this is an old article, but I was researching mama cats killing their kittens and came across this. I was researching because about a week ago I found the mama cat eating her 3 week old kittens head. I don’t know if she killed it, I didn’t see. This was the runt of the litter of 3 kittens. The other 2 were much bigger, fat little butter balls. This evening I went outside and found her yet again eating her kittens head. This kitten was seemingly healthy. It was disturbing. We have many cats, they are well fed. We’ve been thru many kitten seasons, multiple litters each season. We put boxes out when the mamas are close to having birth so they have a place to stay w their babies and we know not to disturb their box or handle the kittens… We’ve had mamas abandon kittens for that reason. Um… Just trying to deduce reasons.. oh, she’s had 2 or 3 litters already, prior, and she was a good mama, so I wouldn’t say she was inexperienced. She doesn’t seem to be lacking in milk as I’ve seen the babies feeding multiple times a day recently, even earlier today before i found the 2nd dead kitten. We’ve separated her last kitten from her so she doesn’t kill it also. I just had a lot questions, so I was looking online.. 1-did she kill them herself? (I think most likely she did) 2- why? 3- will she kill any more of her own litters-to-come. 4- will she kill any of the other kittens we have, because we currently have about 4 other new litters and some mommas haven’t given birth yet. 5- is she okay/is something wrong w her? 6- why did she eat their head? 7- why in the world did she kill her happy little bouncy fluffy cute fat 4 week old baby? ????
It is a mystery! Are u sure that the second kitten that she ‘killed’ was not already dead? I know they were seemingly healthy but I wonder. When cats eat prey they start at the head. Has there been a change in the environment from her perspective which might have stressed her?
When my shelter rescue gave birth, she had a litter of 7 with two stillborn. She did not seem to know some things about being a mother. She would just lay on top of the kittens and ignore their cries of pain. Also, she would try to move them under the bed and dropped them in the process. (I am surprised they were not more seriously hurt.) One day, she got into the crawl space when her kittens were only a couple weeks old. There was one kitten who would screech and wail every time a human picked him up. (He has outgrown that now and is very social.) But, I used her maternal instincts to get her out of the crawlspace. I carried the kitten downstairs…wailing and yelping. She came running out and followed me back upstairs to tend to her baby. I think she was an immature mother, but a good one. I have not heard much of felines killing their babies, but I have seen them abandon them under stress or if they were too sick to survive.
I know someone that said their cat had killed her offspring. Come to find out the poor cat had mastitis. She probably was in extreme pain and a timely vet visit may have prevented it. As you can guess, they were not very good cat owner’s. When questioned further, they should have responded to the mother when she first stopped feeding the litter.
I know it happens, but the majority of cats are very good mothers.
Thats disgusting how they say all cats are raped its horrible. I think she will be traumatised. The poor Girl 🙁 Hopefully you can give her some tlc. A long time ago my older sister cat had that happened and it was horrible. Its the one thing I wanted to Protect Jasmine with.
Sounds good to me *
The vets will say all cats get “RAPED”
Take it in stride-If you Love her she will
communicate with you ONLY_
Also, please keep in mind that they will advise having her fixed right away; which is not always the correct route to tka yet ____.If she is very young this can damage her hormonal system for a lifetime.!!!
Some cats gain far too much weight-because they are trying to eat everything in sight to nurse kittens [even if they don’t have them anymore. The vets in it for the $.Give her mental state a chance to catch up with her body-or you may end up with a not so healthy cat anyway. This happened to my Theo. she was still nursing; had stopped but still in that nesting stage and off balance to begin with. She is 11yr. of age and I have to bathe her because she can’t clean and she has urinary infections, cystitis sometimes and is overweight and on prednisone to help with respiratory issues and her movability-which is hampered. I stopped the vet. because they accuse me of her being overweight. A catch 22.It is what it is.
ed*******@gm***.com E_MAIL ME so I know you read this post____________
Sounds good to me *
The vets will say all cats get “RAPED”
Take it in stride-If you Love her she will
communicate with you ONLY_
Also, please keep in mind that they will advise haven’t her fixed.If she is very young this can damage her hormonal system for a lifetime.!!!
Some cats gain far too much weight-because they are trying to eat everything in sight to nurse kittens [even if they don’t have them anymore. The vets in it for the $.Give her mental state a chance to catch up with her body-or you may end up with a not so healthy cat anyway. This happened to my Theo. she was still nursing; had stopped but still in that nesting stage and off balance to begin with. She is 11yr. of age and I have to bathe her because she can’t clean and she has urinary infections, cystitis sometimes and is overweight and on prednisone to help with respiratory issues and her movability-which is hampered. I stopped the vet. because they accuse me of her being overweight. A catch 22.It is what it is.
ed*******@gm***.com
Sounds good to me *
The vets will say all cats get “RAPED”
Take it in stride-If you Love her she will
communicate with you ONLY_
Also, please keep in mind that they will advise haven’t her fixed.If she is very young this can damage her hormonal system for a lifetime.!!!
Some cats gain far too much weight-because they are trying to eat everything in sight to nurse kittens [even if they don’t have them anymore. The vets in it for the $.Give her mental state a chance to catch up with her body-or you may end up with a not so healthy cat anyway. This happened to my Theo. she was still nursing; had stopped but still in that nesting stage and off balance to begin with. She is 11yr. of age and I have to bathe her because she can’t clean and she has urinary infections, cystitis sometimes and is overweight and on prednisone to help with respiratory issues and her movability-which is hampered. I stopped the vet. because they accuse me of her being overweight. A catch 22.It is what it is.
ed*******@gm***.com
Not so young, Eva.
I think she is at least 10 months old but still a newbie. She will be tested and fixed even if I have to foot the bill myself. UGHHH!
Please tell me more about Theo. I want to understand about her chronic ITI’s, mobility problems, and respiratory issues. How many do you think are caused from her being overweight?
I so hate Prednisone except in a pinch. Let’s find a way to let her lose some pounds and give her some relief.
Thank you for reading my post *There could for so many reasons for what happened.She could have been raped repeatedly by more than one male? She may have been afraid,not having a Mother around or other cats to learn and emulate from.
God Bless you & the Queen.
Luv^Hugs Eva
Again, thank you so much, Eva.
I’m able to plan a course of action now.
I’ll go to them and ask to have her tested for FIV, etc. even at my own expense, before having her neutered.
I think you may have hit the nail on the head. She may have been raped time and time again and is traumatized.
I could just cry.
BAD BOYS, BAD BOYS! STAY AWAY!!!!
P.S. Eva.
Hit the reply under a post so I get an email about it.
I just happened to come across this post.
I would never have seen it otherwise.
However-this is quite unusual anyway for a new Queen to kill her litter_it is usual for an outdoor stray to do this if she has already given birth before and her litter could not survive or her health in jeopardy. Are you positive this was her first litter? We had a stray japanese bobtail cat I called ‘Bunny’ she had one set after the next and once she brought her last kitten to my doorstep and ate it in front of me.!? I never knew what happened to the other babies. After I talked with her and we bonded she felt secure in bringing her next litter to my yard so I could help her with them. This was The greatest gift from her to me + I have 4-Maine Coon adult cats I care for on a daily basis. they all have some health issues-but I’m still learning a lot about cats; even though I have raised them and everything involved with doing this responsibly,for almost 30 years now.Cats are Amazing creatures and they are very loyal to their offspring & grieve over them no matter the situation just as we do.They also possess a form of mental telepathy and understand my thoughts,feelings,intentions etc….
I feel confident that this was her first litter, Eva.
I was so surprised to learn that she just pranced around with baby after baby hanging out of her as if she had no idea what was going on.
Thank you for alerting me to the possibility that there may be a health issue involved.
I’ve spoken with the caretakers and told them that I would take her in to be tested and neutered (it only costs me about $15.00). But, if they ever feel the need that they can’t handle, I will take her (GOD HELP ME).
She is really darling and seems as confused as I am.
Wow that was just horrible hearing that. I guess there was something seriously wrong with the Queen. I’ve never hear a situation happening like that before. I guess also she wasn’t feeling safe or something. 🙁
_ In the wild a mother cat will sometimes eat her kittens to stay alive; but this case appears to me first that the kittens all became ill or did have a defect. It’s either this or the Queen is sick and cannot feed/nurse them. it is often very hard to tell if a cat or kitten has a medical condition. They must be evaluated by a trained veterinarian for this to be verified. In this instance-the Queen may be infected or affected with whatever her litter may have carried? Hope this helps answer the question?
Sounds plausible, Eva, that the queen is afflicted with some malady and/or her kittens.
I think she’ll need a good physical and bloodwork before getting neutered.
Thanks Eva. I think you are onto the correct causes. It is shocking only because humans tend to put to the back of their minds the realities of survival.
Michael-I double posted=SORRY
I can’t delete the extras?
Like you, Michael, I thought that male cats were the culprits. I had no idea that mother cats would do such a thing. I’m still in shock.
But then I reflect on how that mama cat I wrote about just abandoned her babies in a storm, leaving them to drown or be rescused by me {God, help me).
I, seriously, question the nurturing insticts of queens now. They just seem to be selfish bitches today.
It is a bit shocking but we are the same really and worse. Push comes to shove the kids die first. Look at Africa. Cats are all about hard survival. Hard-wired just as they were before domesticated. The domestic cat is a better hunter than the tiger it is said. For a cat mating is about procreation, to further the genes and the species. It is just hard fact and science.
OMG she just bit their heads off and left them!!!!!
I couldn’t look too closely at the picture. I hope she will get her neutered quickly now, she must not be allowed to have any more kittens.
Noooo you sure don’t need any more cats my friend!
Yes, R.
Nothing I’ve ever seen before. I’m sure I’ll have nightmares down the road.
But, I’ll take her if need be; no way I want her killed.
I don’t think that she is guilty of any crime. Something was terribly wrong. I’ll get her neutered and, maybe, stop that terrible cycle.
Don’t know.
Oh this is so awful! I’ve heard about mother cats killing and eating newly born kittens, but not at a month old! She must have been worried about something happening to them, maybe she was mentally unstable, cats brains are very like humans so I think that’s possible. I suppose she only ate their heads because their bodies too would be to much for her stomach to take. I hope she was spayed after that.
She didn’t eat any part, R. Just gnawed their heads off their bodies and walked away.
I’m still sort of in shock.
I tried to help this woman who was so upset but had no concrete explanation to give her.
She spoke of taking mama cat to the kill shelter because she must be “crazy”. But, I asked her not to and to please get her neutered. If couldn’t afford, I would take her myself. I, also, asked her to call me if she couldn’t handle it all and I would take the cat (like I need another… God help me)
Interesting thought. I wonder whether she was a bit mentally ill. That did not cross my mind but it is entirely feasible. I didn’t list that as a possible reason.
R is so smart…
Why don’t we ever think that animals could be as mentally unstable as some of us (well, not me or R – only you, Michael LOL!).
Ofcourse they have psychiatric issues, especially if they have been abused. God knows what could have happened to this mama before she was taken in. God knows what could have happened to her own siblings. Maybe all that ever happened to her caused her to do what she did. I feel so sorry for her.
And, yes R, I don;t need, but I’ll keep her safe , fed, warm, and loved if I must.
Mental health in cats is not something the experts would contemplate but it seems very plausible. Why not. There are a lot of mental health issues in humans.
Well I had it confirmed yesterday when doing a silly quiz to see what I was in a past life….I was a cat would you believe? lol
So maybe I still think from my memory bank like one 😉
MEOW!
A tarot card reading said I was a lion in my past life 😉