Forgive me for taking the easy option and presenting an embedded video with an advert at the beginning. It does, however, tell the story nicely.
We are not surprised are we? I am pleased the clinic employees understood that the female cat who wanted to get in was the mother of the kittens who were rescued and who were inside the clinic. I suppose something went wrong with the rescue because the rescuers, good as they were, separated mother from her kittens. We don’t know how it happened. There was probably a good reason for it.
It depends on the food supply. If you are feeding the mother enough to nurse she will continue while teaching them to hunt. If food is scarce her milk will diminish and dry up. Timing for socializing community cats is a different issue. ☺️
Interesting.
My experience with community/feral cats is that the mother casts aside her kits at around 8 weeks old and start kicking them aside, refusing to nurse anymore. That’s the time that I take them in, socialize, and adopt out.
If I waited until they were 5 or 6 months old and hunting, they would require at least another 6 months to socialize after being trapped.
Mothers don’t start letting go until they take their young to hunt. 5-6 months old… I’ve seen community cats that stay with their mothers. Kittens should not be adopted out until they are @12 weeks old…slightly younger if in pairs, multiples. Siblings teach each other how to be ‘good pets’… to not bite, scratch and or be play-aggressive.
So true, Diane.
The love that a mother has for her babies transcends any love imaginable. It’s almost unexplainable, the depth of that love and the lengths that would be taken to protect and care for them. Loving a spouse or companion can’t even compare.
Daughters are a blessing and mine is the best, but there is something that goes on with a mother-son that’s awesome.
In any case, I can’t think of anything that would bring out my claws and teeth as much as a danger to my babies.
Dee, I so agree!! A Mother’s love is a Mother’s love — no matter what the species. My son and I are best friends as well as mom-son. We even work at the same place!! I consider myself very blessed !!
Michael, loved this article!! I didn’t get ads in my video. Buzzfeed made a GREAT video of the Mother – child bond !! ♥♥♥
So love happy endings…
A mothers love is a mothers love in all species.
Cat mums don’t successfully start to let go of their kits until around 8-10 weeks which is the usual adoption period so as not to traumatize all.
Human mums seem to be the only ones who never let go, especially their sons. LOL!