Hi, I have a cat who has just had a litter of kittens (2 weeks old), 7 in total. All kittens were born healthy, on time and appeared to be nursing well and growing well. The mother cat has been excellent with them, only leaving them for a few minutes to eat, drink, or go potty. However, today the children accidentally left the back door a jar and the mother cat ran like a bolt of lightning out of the door with a kitten in her mouth. I saw her running so we all ran after her. She rand through the woods and we lost her. Being upset, we continued to search for both mother & kitten until dark. Three hours later the mother returned to the house, went back with her kittens and has not moved since. We cannot find the baby kitten anywhere & we're wondering why this happened? Is it possible that the kitten was sick and the mother wanted to do something? Is the mother angry for some reason? Even though we are continuing to search for this lost little kitten, we would greatly appreciate it if someone could shed some light on this matter.
Thank you,
Susan E.

Hi 30,
How long have you have the cat?? Was she ever a wild cat herself. They learn a lot from their own upbringing. This is not unusual for a cat. They will move the kittens to places that they think are safe. Did she have the kittens in the place that they are at now or did you move them from their original birth location? I have to wonder why the cat may have thought it was time to move the kittens? If they are only 2 weeks old, were they given enough privacy from the family?? In other words, were they constantly being "oogled" or "picked up" by the kids?? She may have felt they were being "pestered". The fact that she did not "abandon" the litter shows that she is trying to raise her litter. She obviously felt uncomfortable enough to try to move them. The fact is the one she hauled away will probably not survive if she is not given the opportunity to either decide to retrieve it or she will continue to try to move the whole litter. She may also abandon the rest of the litter. I have found litters in nest in trees and they can be quite wild to try to tame. You will have to decide to either keep her completely confined or let her do as she wishes. Tough call --- Ace

I would try to find the kitten first, and deal with the mother later!!
Confine her and the babies and find that kitten!

She could have been trying to re-locate the kittens,
Maybe too much interaction from the kids or other pets.
If you trust her and she seems to be looking for the kitten..
Let her out after she feeds them, and she may go back to it.
BUT! You may loose her all together also. BE CAREFUL!!
You could end up with 6 babies to feed with no momma!

That baby doesn't have mch of a chance overnight, I hate to say it.
Especially if it's cold out... one night at most, but the next day, no food...
Chances are slim to none. Don't take the kids if they, or you can't handle
A dead kitten.. I know it sounds cruel, but it's very serious!


As to why...
Again, she may have been beginning to relocate the kittens.

BUT, most likely, she may have been rejecting the kitten.
It doesn't have to be sick, maybe just a runt.
You can't read an animal's mind unfortunately.
If she tries to start moving other kittens then confine them until she stops.
Confine her too, in a room where she can move them to a closet or something.
Somewhere that she can create a den of sorts. Let her get comfortable and give her space.
Don't try to move them back, deal with her where she puts them but keep it on your terms. You are the boss after all. Not her.

And hopefully, she may return to the lost kitten and you can save it.

Good luck.

Could be she had intentions of taking all of the kittens but was interrupted. My cat took her kittens outside one day. I retrieved them and she followed. If the mother was previously an outdoor cat or indoor/outdoor, it just might be her instinct to have them outside. They usually put their kittens in very tight spaces, i.e. underneath something where they really have to squeeze in. Good luck.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bkks30

Hi, I have a cat who has just had a litter of kittens (2 weeks old), 7 in total. All kittens were born healthy, on time and appeared to be nursing well and growing well. The mother cat has been excellent with them, only leaving them for a few minutes to eat, drink, or go potty. However, today the children accidentally left the back door a jar and the mother cat ran like a bolt of lightning out of the door with a kitten in her mouth. I saw her running so we all ran after her. She rand through the woods and we lost her. Being upset, we continued to search for both mother & kitten until dark. Three hours later the mother returned to the house, went back with her kittens and has not moved since. We cannot find the baby kitten anywhere & we're wondering why this happened? Is it possible that the kitten was sick and the mother wanted to do something? Is the mother angry for some reason? Even though we are continuing to search for this lost little kitten, we would greatly appreciate it if someone could shed some light on this matter.
Thank you,
Susan E.

---

Hi its usually a cats instinct to snatch up a kitten and move it to another safe place if she feels as though they are in danger with the door open or a sudden yell or bang or other strange noises, But with her having a few I suppose it's a bigger urge to get back to the main litter leaving the other to its fate, "If it happens again" I suggest leave her out for awhile with someone watching from a distance to see where she goes, The other kittens will usually sleep until mum comes home. Im sorry for the loss. CARL.

If you are really worried about finding the other kitten, try letting just mom out. Follow her discreatly. She may lead you right to him/her. Good luck.