Sibling suckling. Why do adult domestic cats do it?
“Sibling suckling” is when domestic cats beyond the age of weaning suckle on each other for reassurance and comfort.
Tagged: cat mothering
Infographic on “Why does a cat like being stroked?”
Because of her early days experiences, a kitten equates being provided for with her mother. As the human caregiver continues to provide for the now adult cat, the cat relates to their human caregiver...
Reason why cats massage you
Strictly speaking it’s not massage! There is one reason why domestic cats ‘massage’ their owner. And it is not really massaging as I am sure many of you know. The word ‘massage’ is misleading...
Cat cannibalism – 9 reasons why it occurs, one of which is “murder”
Cat cannibalism is nearly always a form of abnormal maternal behaviour. Most often it concerns the queen (breeding mother cat) consuming her young. Often it is the first-born kitten. Apparently, it occurs quite commonly,...
Mother cat makes a street garbage can a den for herself and her kittens
RELATED: China, Confucius and Cats This is a tragic and, in some ways, charming cat video from China. The mother cat decided to make a common street garbage can her den in which to...
Female, domestic stray cat has a kitten and knows she needs a human caregiver and asks
There is only one way to interpret the behaviour of this stray, female domestic cat who leads the video maker on a rainy day towards a lobby area of what appears to be an...
Cat sits on the sidewalk and swats at pedestrians. Why?
This is a said video for me. I can feel the sadness in this cat. And the loneliness. This must be a stray cat who was once a domestic cat. And they are sitting...
Mother cat engages the help of family dog to raise her kittens
The mother cat’s owner, Lauren, says on TikTok: “She brings her kittens to Toby when she needs a little break”. A colleague of mine is not quite so sure and thinks that the mother...
Kitten development – comprehensive discussion
In this article on kitten development, I refer to the development of the domestic cat after birth. About 70% of kittens are born nose and feet first (the so called “diving position”). They are...
5 ‘weird cat behaviors’ in a TikTok video explained
In this TikTok video the cat owner thinks that her cat behaves weirdly. The video shows 5 different types of ‘weird’ feline behaviour. I thought I would try and explain them so that they...
5 reasons why mother cats kill their kittens
People ask why mother cats kill their kittens. Here are five possible reasons. The first general point to make is that inexperienced mothers are more likely to kill her kittens. And stress plays a...
How long are cats pregnant? It varies depending on the species.
How long are cats pregnant? The answer depends on the type of cat. Here is a graph showing the domestic cat and some wild cats, medium and large and the differences in length of...
What is the largest litter of kittens on record?
There is an official world record for the largest number of kittens in a single litter. The source of the information is, of course, the Guinness World Records website. They state very succinctly that...
Domestic cats can have the courage to protect dog and human companions
Female cats can have the courage and motivation to protect their human and canine companions. It’s entirely instinctive. They are protecting their offspring. They appear to merge their feelings for their offspring and their...
How do mother cats wean their kittens?
A kitten’s mother typically starts to wean him/her in the fourth or fifth week of their life. It may be earlier if: the litter is large or; the mother is stressed or; the mother...
Note: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified.
