Whether kittens miss their mother is usually of interest to those owners who have begun to notice excited behavior in the kitten. Anxiety affects the nervous system of both the baby and everyone in the household. Requiring close attention, the kitten is trying to get the missing warmth from its mother, so try to spend as much time with it as possible.
If you want to help him, the main thing is not to harm him. After all, constant physical contact (for example, from a child) can cause stress in a cat of any age. Trying to get him out of the corners of the apartment, where he tries to hide, know that he is doing this for a reason, it means he is calmer this way, he needs to adapt to the new housing. As night approaches, kittens will be more active, as they prefer dark environments.
The kitten is sick
Why does the kitten constantly meow? The reasons, as you can see, can be different. But among them one cannot fail to highlight another extremely important factor. If your pet is sick, he will try to show it. And the only thing he can do is meow.
Read also: If attacked by a pack of dogs, what to do
This is exactly how a cat will behave if something hurts. A common phenomenon that owners rarely pay attention to. However, it is also wrong to blame owners for this because it is very difficult to determine the cause. After all, as practice shows, there are many reasons for a cat to cry.
The optimal age for a kitten to be weaned from its mother, why you can’t take the baby earlier
Not all cat lovers pay attention to the age at which a kitten is separated from its mother. However, this factor deserves attention. Many people believe that it is better to pick up the baby early in order to promptly accustom him to cat litter, the food that he will constantly eat. But these are misconceptions. There is an optimal age for weaning a kitten from a cat, which ensures smooth adaptation and reduces the risk of various problems. It is worth studying the features of the development and upbringing of children in different periods in order to make the right decision.
Nasal rinsing
After reading the article, the owner will know what to do if the kitten sneezes. You should be prepared for the fact that the veterinary clinic will prescribe a nasal rinse with saline solution or chlorhexidine. Representatives of cats cannot stand this procedure, resisting with all four paws and teeth. The kitten must be wrapped in a towel or blanket before proceeding. The step-by-step instructions look like this:
- Warm the solution to room temperature.
- Draw the required amount into an insulin syringe without a needle.
- Hold the kitten between your knees. If there is an assistant, he sits the baby on his lap, supporting his muzzle with his right hand.
- Raise your pet's head and carefully pour the solution into the right nostril. The animal will begin to snort and sneeze. You need to wait a while, giving it the opportunity to get rid of excess liquid.
- Carry out a similar manipulation with the left nostril.
- Remove the remaining solution from the muzzle with a paper towel or soft napkin.
We suggest you read: Can you get rabies if you are scratched or bitten by a cat?
Optimal age: three months
Most experts agree that the best time to wean a cat is three months. There are good reasons for this assertion. By this time, the kitten has developed a strong immune system and has certain skills. Three month old babies:
- have social skills and easily get used to strangers;
- know how to eat solid food and drink independently;
- Carefully lick the fur and wash.
At this age, it is not difficult to instill in a kitten the rules of cat etiquette. Mom has already taught him to go to the litter box, all that remains is to show him where he is. The baby will quickly master the scratching post if the cat has used such a device. An important advantage is the high-quality functioning of the digestive system, which already digests solid food.
By this age, the kitten’s immunity is fully formed. In addition, he has already received the first vaccinations against rhinotracheitis, chlamydia, calcivirosis, rabies, panleukopenia, and has been treated for helminths. Consequently, the new owner will not have problems, and the risk of the baby getting sick is minimal.
How to take care of kittens who miss their mother
It is important that from the first day the kitten has its own place, warm and cozy, in which it will feel protected. Make sure that this place is not in a draft, as a weak baby may catch a cold. Sometimes, squeaking, crying or restless behavior does not at all mean that the kitten misses its mother. Pay attention to how he feels, touch his nose, it should be cold and wet.
Pay special attention to the nutrition of kittens, because after breastfeeding by a cat, their stomach is relaxed and may not be ready to accept adult food.
How long kittens miss their mother depends on the environment in which they find themselves. If they are surrounded by warmth and care, then the melancholy goes away in a few weeks. The strengthened kitten begins to feel like a master and lead an independent life in its new home. The correct attitude of adults and children towards the animal will make the adaptation period easier for it. By taking home an animal, you undertake to become a new mother for it, and so that the kittens do not miss the cat, they need to be warmed, protected, fed and protected.
What not to do?
You cannot swear, shout at the kitten, much less beat it . For him, this is additional stress, which will in no way help eliminate the problem. Do not create stressful situations for the animal. For harmonious development, like human babies, kittens must grow up in comfort, love, affection and care. They should have their own place (bed, house), toys, their own dishes, proper diet, water, toilet. They should receive attention and care from their owner. But in moderation. Animals do not like to be held a lot against their will. If the cat has sat on your lap and wants to go for a walk, don’t interfere.
Do not lubricate the cat's chest with any bitter or sour substances . Kittens can get poisoned or get an upset stomach. Such procedures are also not safe for the cat’s health. The skin of the nipples is delicate and can harm the cat's health.
Do not try to wean babies from sucking by spraying water. This will cause them to have a phobia of water in adulthood (there will be problems with bathing). Or they will form the wrong attitude towards the owner. Which they will fear rather than love.
Negative psychological factors of early weaning
According to statistics, in 80 cases out of 100, when adopting a kitten before three months of age, minor and medium-sized problems arise. In the remaining 20 babies they had a serious form. More than a third of pets separated from their mother too early acquire the habit of sucking on pillows, soft toys, and blankets. 40% of kittens have an aggressive attitude towards people. Many babies, separated from their mother before 2 months, are too timid, afraid of sounds, strangers, and do not adapt well to a new environment. Such pets often exhibit psychoneurotic dysfunctions.
Up to 3 months, kittens undergo the formation of their main organs and systems; during this period they receive the main lessons from the cat, learn to contact the external environment and people. A pet that has not gone through this important period in a familiar society with its mother, sisters, and brothers often:
- does not comply with the rules of cat hygiene;
- difficult to switch to regular diet;
- He is disobedient and poorly trained in the litter box.
A serious problem is the psychological stress experienced by children who have not undergone social adaptation next to their mother. They are hit by several negative factors at the same time. They are deprived of the guarantees of safety that a cat provides, they are surrounded by foreign objects, smells, sounds, they do not know how to properly explore this area and look for a reliable shelter. No matter how caring the owner is, he will not be able to explain all these wisdom to the kitten the way a mother would.
Do cats have memory?
Felines certainly have memory. This is proven by numerous studies. Back in the last century, zoologists conducted an interesting experiment, the purpose of which was to find out whether these animals have the ability to remember and how long this process takes them.
Hungry cats were shown their favorite food, after which it was pointedly hidden under one of the overturned boxes and the four-legged participants in the experiment were removed from the room. Half an hour later they were let back in. Almost all the animals rushed exactly to the box where the treat was hidden. This meant that cats at least have short-term memory.
After that, the scientists did the same thing, only they let the experimental animals into the room not after half an hour, but after a day. The second part of the study gave different results. Some participants in the experiment forgot about the hidden treat and did not try to find it, others immediately rushed to sniff the boxes, trying to find out where the smell of their favorite food was coming from. In other words, some cats remembered that the food was hidden, but were unable to find it based on memory alone. This means that felines have long-term memory, but it is not as well developed as short-term memory.
Coexistence between animals in different conditions
Often, for example, among breeders, several generations of cats of different levels of kinship live peacefully with each other and do not share resources. In the wild, cats try to stay together in a pack, in which the smartest and most mature females rule. They perceive their matured sons as low-ranking males, and try not to mate with them - related genes can lead to harmful mutations. “Young people” live for the most part with their parents. The flock drives away strangers as competitors for resources at all times, except during the estrus period of the older female. An alien adult and strong cat can mate with a female and destroy weaker rivals, including kittens.
Possible health problems
Significant problems can also arise with the health of a pet that is separated from the cat for up to three months. During this period, the most important processes in the formation of organs and systems take place. The presence of breast milk eliminates the deficiency of essential minerals, vitamins, and other microelements. This allows the digestive system to establish the production of enzymes necessary for food processing, gradually, in a normal manner. A kitten that begins to eat regular food before the age of three months may experience various disruptions in the gastrointestinal tract. This often becomes the cause of chronic diseases.
It is known that cats have good health; their bodies cope with many diseases on their own, without medical help. These qualities are ensured by the strong immunity that nature provides to animals. The body of a newborn kitten is practically deprived of this natural defense and cannot produce antibodies to fight pathogenic microbes and bacteria. They come to babies from mother's milk. If kittens are deprived of this source too early, immunity does not have time to form and strengthen. Consequently, a favorable environment is created for the development of infections and inflammations.
Instincts and memory
Cats are intelligent mammals and have excellent memories. True, they have it a little worse than dogs. Animals remember and distinguish people by subtle, elusive odors, but can they really not remember a blood relative - brother, mother, sister?
Scientists answer this question - yes, they can. But this does not play a significant role. When a cat's offspring grow up - about six months after giving birth, her maternal instinct fades away. She perceives a grown-up daughter or son as a competitor for food, the attention of the owners and “a place in the sun.” Her next heat begins, it’s time to raise another offspring, so the cat drives away the matured offspring so that they do not disturb her.
Cats' sense of smell
Animals have a very delicate sense of smell. They are able to distinguish weak, barely perceptible foreign odors. Scientists believe that a single mark gives cats a clear idea of who made it. The animal remembers the smell of blood relatives from childhood, therefore, most likely, it is able to distinguish it from the rest.
But this does not mean that the cat will happily rush to its mother or brothers and sisters, as people would do after a long separation. The animal will sniff and look closely at its relatives for a long time, determining whether it poses a danger or not. If the cat has a friendly disposition and she decides that everything is in order, she can become friends with her mother or sister again. The relationship between cat relatives is completely different from that between people, and is based on instincts, and not on social connections.
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Stories about a cat's memory
There are many stories about the incredible capabilities of a cat's memory. Here are just two of them:
- A cat named Karim lived in Uzbekistan. When he was already 9 years old, his owner’s family decided to move to Russia. The long journey might have been beyond the strength of the middle-aged animal, and it was decided to leave it in Gulistan. However, Karim did not want to part with his loved ones. After 20 months, having covered 3 thousand km, he found his owner Ravilya at the market in Liski, Voronezh region.
- A 13-year-old ginger cat, picked up in a parking lot, was taken to an American veterinary clinic with kidney failure. He was treated and left in the facility. Three years later, a man and a girl—father and daughter—came into the same clinic and were struck by the resemblance of the saffron milk cap to their cat Tuffo, who had disappeared during the move. Seeing the people, the mustachioed old man jumped over the table separating them. The man, to make sure that it was really Tuffo, brought his second pet to the clinic, with whom the missing cat was familiar. After a joyful meeting, Tuffo was taken back to his family.
The fact that cats have both short-term and long-term memory is evidenced by the very existence of Yuri Kuklachev’s Cat Theater. Mustachioed performers have been delighting audiences for years with tricks they couldn't learn if they didn't have the ability to memorize.
