Why would a mama cat move only 1 kitten?

Question

I'm fostering a mama cat right now for the local animal shelter. She keeps moving 1 kitten to another closet in the house and nursing and loving that kitten there. She eventually comes back to the other 4 kittens but she doesn't take the kitten back to the rest of the group.

Any thoughts?

Answer 1

i can imagine she's probably quite confused.

she will come back to the others in time.

as long as they are all getting food and attention it's okay.

♥

Answer 2

maybe that kitten is sick or she likes that kitten more

Answer 3

There may be something wrong with the kitten, low weight or a small infection.  take the baby and put it back.  Are you weighing them?    The momma may feel she can not feed all at the same time and the little one need's special attention, where the demand isn't so high . keep puting her back and momma will be more willing to keep all the babys together after a while. How old are they?

Answer 4

That sounds like a scent problem. I would suspect that for some reason she doesn't see the other kittens as her own. She is caring for the others because they are there, more or less. In humans its called favoritism and the other children spend years in therapy. In cats, I would say that you can make up for some of the missing attention. At least she is still taking care of the others. Fortunately, since she is a shelter mom, after the kittens are weaned they will "fix" her so this problem won't come up again in any other litters she might have had.

I just wish I had the time (and money) to do what you are doing. So lucky!!

Answer 5

No Idea but thats nature for you....

Answer 6

She is trying to keep them safe and put them in a place that she feels is safer than where she is now, also cats move their kittens pretty regularly to keep their babies safe so that no prey find them-- this is their nature.  I wouldn't mess with the kittens, as long as she is feeding them all its ok.  The kitten she moved could be sick or she knows something is wrong with it, mama's will do that if they sense something is wrong!  Just let her do her business and keep an eye on them for a few days, if nothing changes then move the babies to the other kitten.

Answer 7

Sounds like she is trying to move all the kittens but just hasn't gotten it done yet. expecially if she is still careing for the kitten that she moved as well as the other kittens.

Try moving all the kittens in to the closet and see it this don't stop her from moving them around. Also she is moving the kittens because she does not feel that they are safe where they are at. so once you move all the kittens try to cut back on how often you check on them or let other people see them for a few weeks... Good luck