A Michael Broad Blog
I think the question in the title is a little harsh and it needs to be discussed. Not all white cats make bad mothers. In fact, it might be argued that white cats don’t make bad mothers despite the fact that if the mother is completely white with blue eyes, they have a 60%-80% …
I believe that the answer to the question is more nuanced than you will see on many websites. At the time of writing this, October 1, 2023, the top ranked site according to Google states that for the first four days kittens are both blind and deaf. And the pet MD website states that …
Kittens are susceptible to various disorders, from digestive ailments to the deadly feline herpesvirus. People should familiarise themselves with the following symptoms as they may indicate something is wrong with a young cat. Many kittens suffer from roundworms; tapeworms and hookworms are also common internal parasites (endoparasites) in kittens and cats. Diarrhoea is one …
Kitten weight gain is important. Healthy domestic kittens weigh in the order of 110 – 125 grams at birth on average. This weight should double in 7 – 9 days. At five weeks of age the weight should be in the region of one pound (0.45 kg). At ten weeks of age kitten weight …
There are two hormonal issues which help to ensure that the bond between mother cat and her kittens is strong and that the kittens are trusting during their first few weeks after birth. Mother Firstly, the nursing mother receives a wave of the hormone oxytocin which is produced in the hypothalamus and is secreted …
Mother cats might eat their kittens’ poop for the first three weeks of their kittens’ lives during anogenital stimulation which is a form of tactile stimulation by the mother to encourage her kittens to urinate and defecate. When she does this she might eat their poop. In other words she might cleanup. It’s important, …
Honestly, I don’t know what cat litter is best for kittens! But I can think of six things which may be useful to know about. At about 5 to 6 weeks of age kittens can begin using a litter box. Lifelong preference? The type of litter substrate that a kitten is given to use …
The language I’ve used in the title comes from that wonderful writer, Desmond Morris. He is also a great animal behaviourist. I would say that he is still the best. He explains why kittens don’t squabble when feeding at their mother’s breast. Soon after birth kittens have an attachment to their own nipple. It’s …
