Why does my mother cat seem to favor one kitten over the others?

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.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Aww! I understand your feelings but Halley is still very young. Animals can be fickle especially cats. I would continue spending time with her and offer treats. Call her to sit on your lap. Also watch closely to signs she’s getting annoyed: slight flicking of ears, tail wagging that would indicate she doesn’t like how she is being pet. It is just as possible she’ll go back to showing you more attention. I wish you the best!

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Great job Icy!! I wouldn't get concerned, that mammary gland may be preferred due to a higher milk production or other reasons. Just make sure that each kitten is getting enough milk and is growing each and every day. You should be feeding the queen kitten food also to boost her nutrition during this stressful time. As the kittens get a little bigger, they may migrate to other nipples because they will be feeding for longer periods of time to account for growth. Remember also that kittens can be dewormed at 2 weeks of age and every two weeks after that with pyrantel pamoate. And don't forget to deworm the queen also. She is cleaning up the kittens poop and will get infected via a fecal oral route. The kittens will start passing parasite eggs when they are about 2-3 weeks old so deworm the queen then. Normally kittens are dewormed 3-4 times (every 3 weeks) after they have been weaned from the queen. Some parasites are transmitted in utero before the kittens are born and some are passed through the milk of the queen to the kittens. Monitor the queen's mammary glands, watch for heat, redness, pain, and a pus like discharge which would all be indicative of mastitis. Good luck with Icy and the kittens.

Poor thing. Sometimes mama cats can sense that a kitty has some sort of defect, so they will neglect them and focus on the healthier kitty. Also, if somehow the kitty was touched by a person and the mother no longer smells the kitty's scent, but instead a human, this too will cause the mother to neglect said kitty. Give it time and continue to monitor this kitty closely to see if she is getting fed and stimulated to pee and poop on her own. If she isn't, then it may be a good idea to separate the kitty and nurse her yourself until she can be weaned onto kitty dry food, which is around 3-4 weeks of age.

Hello and thank your for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I do not think that there is anything to worry about. It does sound to be a coincident that she keeps bringing that particular kitten to you. As long as Jade is looking after all her kittens and they are feeding well, passing normal stools and urine and the energy level is normal, you just need to monitor the mum and kittens.

This is a very concerning finding, if the mother is actively taking the kitten away from the others she may feel this kitten is unwell and may be putting the other kittens at risk. I wold recommend a vet check for the kitten and mother to rule out any signs of infection and it may be worthwhile trying to bottle feed the kitten if rejected by the mother but success rate is quite poor if the kitten is unwell

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Teagra likely visually doesn't remember the kitten sadly. She goes by smell with recognition. The kitten, since it was in a different home, smells different to her. It just may take time for her to accept it as a new house mate. You can rub the kitten down in her bedding or the other remaining kittens bedding. Also using feliway diffusers or spray to help calm her may help. But I think what Teagra is doing is relatively normal for a cat. http://pet-supplies.drsfostersmith.com/search?af=type%3Aproduct&view=grid&w=feliway&visitorID=&cartcount=0&wishcount=0&division=cats