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Why is my cat moving one kitten but ignoring the rest of her litter?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Female | unspayed

My cat recently had a litter of 4 kittens. When they were born she moved one kitten and stayed with it while ignoring the other three. I put all four kittens in a box with a blanket and she keeps moving the one kitten and leaving the other three. Why would she be doing this?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Jessica Desrosiers

Veterinary Technician

Published on July 11th, 2018

There are a few possibilities: One, she is a new mother and is feeling a bit overwhelmed or doesn't know what to do with an entire litter, so she is just trying to move a single kitten with her. Two, there may be something wrong with the other kittens such as a deformity, etc, as some cats will try to push away or stop caring for these kittens if they sense something is wrong. Three, she will eventually move ALL the kittens, she is just trying to find a place that she feels safe and comfortable in before she does so.

Making sure she has a nice cozy and private place to house her kittens may help her feel more comfortable. You may also need to start helping out and supplementing feeding for any kittens she is pushing away or is having trouble nursing. If any kitten or momma cat seems ill or aren't thriving, bringing them into your vet for an exam to rule out any illness or genetic issues is best.

2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT
Licensed Veterinary Technician
Published on January 30th, 2017
Return it to the litter. Monitor her and the litter if she moves them again. She may move the litter to keep them "safe" or if she is stressed. If she leaves the same kitten, it may need to be handraised. This will require an appropriate kitten milk replacer and bottle feeding. Consider having the mother spayed in a few weeks to prevent further litters.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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