It Was an Accident

Cats can get pregnant as young as 4 months old, when they themselves are still babies. This is part of the reason why they don't always make good mothers and SNUGGLE Pet Rescue gets the offspring. It's a basic lack of experience that leaves these first-time moms stuck wondering what to make of these mini versions of her. This can cause her to feel stressed and anxious, leading to not feeling safe or secure enough to care for her babies.

The health of the mother is another potential problem. If she has mastitis or galactosas this can lead to her experiencing discomfort and reducing her maternal instincts, resulting in her taking off and not returning. Plus, if she detects that one or more of her kittens is ill or has a congenital defect, she may reject the entire litter.

Otis knows what it feels like to be rejected. His first-time mom, for whatever reason, decided motherhood was not for her. Thankfully, this neighborhood stray only had 2 babies. Otis' sibling was found dead still inside the amniotic sac which a mother cat usually breaks open so the kitten inside can breathe. The homeowner in Winfield, Missouri thankfully discovered the two kittens laying in the yard in time to get Otis to us. Before they scooped up Otis they stood back because the mother showed back up. They watched as she sniffed her two babies a couple times and then she scurried off. If Otis was going to have a chance at living, waiting any longer to see if the mother would decide to do her job was not an option.

We have had Otis for 2 days now. We're sad he's missing out being raised by his mom, but he is responding well to the care we are giving him. But what is more upsetting is that his mother will more than likely get pregnant again, since cats can get pregnant up to 5 times in a year. Maybe by her second litter she'll figure out this whole motherhood thing, but if not, we may just end up taking care of more of her babies.

This is another example of why spaying and neutering must be done. It's stray mothers like Otis' that are contributing to the number of unwanted kittens and cats to skyrocket. For more information on assistance with spaying and neutering, click on the link below.

https://www.missourianimals.org/spayneuter

What can you do to make sure there are no more kittens like Otis and his sibling brought into a world that has no room for them?