One of the sweetest experiences for a cat lover to witness is the care a male cat gives to a kitten

One of the sweetest experiences for a cat lover to witness is the care a male cat gives to a kitten. Whether in an organized feral colony or when a new kitten is fostered or adopted into an indoor home, males can be an asset and a joy to watch.

In this PoC article by Mary Reilly, Mary explains the role of the male cats in one of her colonies.

“While the main caregiver to the kittens is the mother, when the mother leaves to go eat or hunt, one of the younger male cats will slide in and fully care for the kittens until she returns. If the kittens become hungry before the mother returns, one of the other mothers will feed the kittens, but leave the actual care to the surrogate male cat.”

All of our males were neutered at a young age or at the time of adoption. To say they’re fascinated with kittens is an understatement. Our Jasper always loved to take a new young kitten and become (for lack of a better term) a parent figure. Brinkley was often seen as a role model for the kittens to learn from. Although all of our cats are spayed/neutered, the males appear as affectionate as the female, if not more so.

Although all of our cats are spayed/neutered, where grooming is concerned, the males appear as affectionate as the female, if not more so. Is this behavior genetic or learned by watching the other cats groom the kittens?

Apparently, I’m not the only cat caregiver to be emotionally moved by watching the gentle relationship that grows between a male cat and a kitten. Many of my friends post cute grooming photos daily on their Facebook wall.

Please feel free to upload a photo of your cats grooming each other. With all of the trauma taking place in the world, we all appreciate a feel-good story. Especially one where we can show off our cats.

Elisa