The reason why women separate kittens from their mothers hurts: ‘Trauma’

Cats are so common in our homes that we tend to think of them as fun pets that love to sleep and play. However, one Michigan resident shared a sad reminder that they should not be taken for granted as they still have the natural instincts of their wild ancestors.

Erin Moore, 37, has fostered many cats over the years, but faced a new challenge when she adopted Gossip, a pregnant stray, in March. Although Gossip is still young at 10 to 11 months old, she was quite advanced in her pregnancy when she showed up at Moore’s girlfriend’s doorstep.

On March 31st, she welcomed three kittens, Rumer, Whisper, and Tuttle. But about 12 hours later, Moore, who lives in Madison Heights, Mich., noticed that Gossip still wasn’t producing milk..

That’s where “the concerns started,” she said. newsweek. Gossip seemed stressed, had no appetite, and showed signs of infection.

“Even though she had her own private room, she stopped eating and kept moving the kittens all the time. I took Gossip to the vet, where my suspicions were confirmed. There was something else going on, not just stress, but she didn’t feel good,” Moore said.

“She was given an oxytocin injection to drain the debris and increase milk production. She was also given amoxicillin to fight infection,” she said.

The next day, Gossip showed signs of improvement, but the kittens were still not fully grown and Whisper in particular “didn’t show much interest in nursing.”

Moore bottle-fed Whisper to help him gain weight, but when he returned home on day eight, he couldn’t believe what he found. When he went to feed the smallest kitten, Gossip had eaten one of the kittens and he found “only the remains of a head”.

“We’ll never know why, but I feel like a few things were to blame,” Moore said. “The kitten may have been unhealthy or had a birth defect that we couldn’t see. Gossip was inexperienced, stressed, and malnourished from not eating for several days. They may not have been able to feed all the kittens, so they decided to eat Whisper.” ”

When animals eat their own young, it is known as filial cannibalism. national geographic. It is most often done when the infant is sick or deformed, or when the mother is unable to care for the infant. This occurs more regularly than people think, and is most common among leopards, African lions, and many fish species.

Filial cannibalism is definitely shocking and, as a result, gossipy cats will be perceived negatively, but it is a necessary part of nature. national geographic Say.

“Her spirit is broken.”

Of course, Moore was horrified by what she found, but told Gossip she was “not angry or disgusted.” In fact, I felt very sad for the mother cat who felt like this was her only option.

She decided to wean the remaining kittens from Gossip and give them to another rescue cat, Harriet, who is an experienced mother.

“I decided to relieve Gossip of her motherly duties and have my other nursing cat take over Gossip’s remaining kittens, giving her a better chance of becoming a kitten again,” Moore said. .

“Her kittenhood was cut short by her pregnancy at a young age. She’s still a kitten who just wants to play and be silly,” she said.

Unfortunately, one of the other kittens died after a few days, but the remaining kittens are doing well with Harriet. As for the gossip, she is scheduled to be spayed in the next few days and it looks like she is back to her old self.

Moore said Gossip was too young to be ready when she became pregnant, but “situations like this can be avoided” if people spay or neuter their pets early.

“Her name comes from the fact that she likes to talk all the time. When she got kittens, she stopped doing that, and her spirit was like broken. But now… She’s mewing and jumping like a kitten again,” Moore said.

How did TikTokers react?

It wasn’t an easy experience for Moore, but it was one she learned from and shared her story on TikTok (@emookitkats) to educate others.

The post has already received more than 1.6 million views and 119,900 likes since it was shared on April 9th. Many of his TikTokers have expressed sympathy for the gossip, and other his TikTokers have also shared similar experiences.

The post has already garnered more than 1,800 comments, with one person saying, “Ms. Whisper is likely dead and Gossip Inc. probably instinctively got rid of her. I’m sorry for the trauma, but she is He’s still very young.”

Another said: “Poor Gossip is still a baby herself and nature can be cruel, but you gave her and the kittens the best possible chance. I’m so sorry it had to happen. I hope it’s okay.”

Another comment read: “Sad but I love how you don’t get angry or blame her.”

Do you have a pet story you’d like to share? Send it to life@newsweek.com with details about your best friend. It could be featured in this week’s pet lineup.