The instincts of cats make them suspicious, and the mother cat's responsibility is to protect herself and her cubs like the ancestors of wild cats, so after giving birth, cats will be very wary of anything around them. even for the owner. Therefore, it is possible for the mother cat to hide her cubs. And how will you handle it when your kittens suddenly disappear?
Why does the mother cat hide her baby?
Mother cats can hide their babies in the following cases:
- The mother cat is too young or has never given birth.
- The cat has just moved into a new home and is not close enough with the owner.
- The nest is not private enough.
- Lost cats, rescued cats, adopted... It's best not to try to approach the cat's nest if the mother cat has been in these situations.
Similar cases when cats hide their kittens:
- Cats give birth elsewhere and take them home one by one.
- Cats give birth in many places and then breastfeed each one.
- Cats give birth and hide in many places.
So how to detect that the mother cat has given birth but hides it? There are many cases where the mother cat takes her kittens away, or she carries all of her kittens and hides them in a hidden corner, or takes them individually and hides them in so many different places that she herself forgets where to put her kittens.
When petting a mother cat, you can see the signs that the cat has given birth with the naked eye: The mother cat is thinner compared to when she was pregnant or the area around the nipples is wet when nursing or has The body is also swollen and stiff due to the suckling of the kitten.
The mother cat and the kittens will not be safe when the mother cat takes her baby to hide, especially for kittens this is very dangerous. The stray kittens can get sick, the mother forgets where to hide the kittens, is attacked by other animals, accidentally stepped on by outsiders... and there are many other dangers that the mother cat did not anticipate.
How to handle when the mother cat hides her baby?
1. Where does the mother cat hide the kittens?
Cats can hide their kittens in any open space, and you can keep the following in mind:
- Behind the refrigerator.
- Inside the wardrobe.
- Underneath the washing machine.
- In a basin of dirty clothes.
- Inside the microwave.
- In unused empty boxes.
- In dark places.
- Bathroom.
- Car chassis.
- The cat escaped to the neighbor's house.
2. What to do to not hide the cat?
In order not to encounter the case where the mother cat hides her baby, you need to fully prepare the litter box for the cat when the cat is about to give birth:
- Prepare a cage for the cat so that the cat can't wander around when it's about to give birth.
- Place the cat's cage in a quiet, secluded place, without much light.
- Put enough food and drink to make the cat feel secure and always full. Prepare delicious food that your cat likes to keep the cat in the nest.
- Absolutely do not let people and other pets approach the cat. Even cat owners need to avoid going near the cat and kitten cages when it is not necessary.
- Stroking and comforting the mother cat often to make the mother more secure, but do not touch the newborn cat.
- Eliminate all strange smells, strange sounds around the cat litter area or cat litter.
3. What to do if a hidden kitten is found?
When the mother cat hides her kittens, the kittens can be hidden anywhere, as long as the place is private and safe. Because the mother cat can also hide the newborn kitten in many places, you need to be careful when operating and walking to avoid unintentionally injuring the kittens. If you suspect that the mother cat is hiding her kittens, you need to pay attention to the places you come into contact with where a kitten may be hidden.
For example, be careful when turning on the microwave, when emptying the washing machine, paying attention when entering or placing heavy objects in the corners of the house, nooks and crannies in the house or when moving heavy objects ...
You should look around the house or watch from afar to see where the mother cat frequents and hides, but it is best to look around the house to make sure the mother cat is not negligent).
If you find a kitten: Absolutely do not move, do not touch them for at least the first 6 days. If the mother cat is still fully nursing the kittens, do not take the kittens elsewhere, because the mother cat will just let them go and hide them again.
The mother cat can rest easy for you to have more contact with the kittens once they have grown a bit and have become more mature. And even if you can't find the kittens, the mother cat will probably introduce the kittens to you on her own if they are grown and able to walk.
If the kitten is being placed in a dangerous place such as a washing machine, under a car, a corner of a balcony ... then you need to be more cautious. Make a fully equipped cage for the cat, place it in a secluded place where few people pass by, and cover the cage area so that the mother cat can take care of her baby.
And do not try to hunt and move the kittens, because this can be extreme to the mother cat even causing the mother cat to abandon the kittens, take them to hide or eat the kittens.
Here is some information on how to handle when mother cat hides baby that we want to share with you. Wish you have healthy and lovely cats. If you need to know more about other ways to take care of cats, contact http://vanchuyenchomeo.com/ for advice.
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