My mother cat leaves kittens alone for hours. Should I worry?

New moms should only leave her kittens for a few minutes at a time for a visit to the litter box or to eat and drink. The older her kittens, the more time she will spend away. During the first week of life, new mom cats should only leave her babies for a few brief times each day. During their first few days of life, not only are the kittens both blind and deaf, but they are dependent on their mom to regulate their body temperatures, for food, and even for stimulation to be able to potty. It is best if you confine her to one small room with the kittens and be sure keep her litter box, food and water near her babies. She should not have free roam of the house. If you find that she is not properly caring for the kittens you may have to remove them from her and bottle feed them yourself. If that is the case she may just not be cut out for being a mom and should then be spayed so this does not happen again. I suggest you get a gram scale and weigh them daily. If they are gaining weight each day then they are probably just fine. If they are not gaining or they are losing weight you will need to take them away from her. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

At this age most kittens begin to stray away from mom and become more independent, which they should be doing in order to build up necessary skills for survival. I would allow the kitty to venture from the mama cat and she will eventually get used to the idea of her going astray. You can also allow mama cat to go with the kitten a few instances, so that she can see that Shunu is safe and free from harm. This is quite unusual for a mama cat to miss her young at this age, but I suppose you have one dedicated mama cat on your hands. : ) Best of luck and take care.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is ok that Patch wants to get up and walk around. The kittens need to be fed every 2 hours at minimum. So as long as she goes back to them. Patch can eat, drink and use her litter box. After cats give birth they tend to be very affectionate. I hope this helps, good luck!

I would worry that this cat might not truly be the mother, and if they have been separated for two weeks and this was her only kitten she may not have sufficient milk left to feed it. If your kitten is eating solid food it may no longer require nutrition from its mother. If the kitten is not eating solids you could try leaving it outdoors next to a little food and watch closely to see if the mother comes and cares for it, but be prepared to bring the kitten back inside if the mother ignores the kitten.

If the kittens are old enough to survive on kitten food instead of needing to nurse (around 8 weeks) then I would not be too concerned. Mama may just be teaching them cat manners. If the kittens are younger than that and still dependent on mom for milk, then I would contact your vet, as it is important that they are getting enough nutrition, or they could quickly become ill. It's also important to have mama cat checked to make sure she isn't feeling unwell as sometimes conditions like mastitis (inflammation in the mammary glands) can lead to a mother cat refusing to allow kittens to nurse. I hope that helps!

The best way to determine if your cat is producing milk is by observing the kittens. Newborns spend long hours nursing - up to 8 hours per day - with sessions lasting up to 45 minutes. When the mother's milk is being let down, the kittens will each latch onto a preferred nipple and stay there. If you observe closely you will be able to see their little mouths and tongues moving from the suckling action. Often their ears may move as well. Nursing kittens will knead the mother's abdomen which is an important stimulus to milk let down. After a feeding session, the kittens will have round, full bellies and will fall asleep. Ideally, healthy kittens who are nursing well will gain 7-10 grams every day. They can, and should, be weighed every few days to confirm gains.

The weaning process typically begins around 4 weeks of age and "ends" around 8-10 weeks of age. Given the circumstances, the mother cat may be a bit more clingy and that's fine as long as she isn't interfering with the kitten's normal activity and appetite. You can try gradually acclimating her to its absence by gradually separating them for ever increasing periods of time. Use toys, treats and playtime as distractions for the mother.