r/cats • u/OverthinkerMoonchild • 8d ago

Advice MY CAT JUST GAVE BIRTH & SHE'S GROWLING AT THE NEWBORN KITTY WHAT DO I DO?!

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Context: I've 3 cats, 5yo, 1.5yo, 5 months, all female. 1.5yo just gave birth an hour ago and then left the kid under the inverter box with the umbilical cord connected. And went ahead to beat my other 2 kids like dirt. Now my other babies are safe in the other room and this girl is growling at her own kid instead of nursing him. I somehow managed to clean the kid & cut the umbilical cord safely. Now what do I do?! Please someone help me out 😭

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u/A_very_smol_Lugia 8d ago

Tbh ik the reason for it but its also hilarious to think about

"Shit the baby is deformed what do"

"Eat it"

"Aight bet"

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u/A_Queer_Owl 8d ago

animal logic 👍

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u/catshateTERFs 8d ago

Filial cannibalism isn't a black and white phenomenon (as in, there are multiple theories why animals may do this) but in cases where offspring are born with lower likelihoods of survival it may be a method of removing non-viable offspring so the mother or parents aren't investing resources into it they could be using for themselves (or their other offspring) and they can recoup some of the energy expended in reproduction. It is indeed animal logic

With domestic animals we can obviously intervene though

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u/[deleted] 8d ago

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u/bananakittymeow 8d ago

It also technically gives momma the nutrients needed to feed her other babies and keep them alive. It’s honestly a very efficient practice survival-wise, just a bit… gruesome.

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u/linkardtankard 8d ago

Makes sense from a resource perspective. The kitten would be unlikely to survive and when digested by mother cat it provides sustenance to pop out a couple replacement kitties.

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u/mapmakinworldbuildin 8d ago

It’s suprisingly more humane than the alternative.

Bred cats for years. Cleft palate babies and other deformities are…. Devastating. We always were glad when the mommas didn’t let those babies suffer so we didn’t have to make sure they didn’t suffer ourselves.

Or find a kitten tossed out in the cold dying slowly.