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Cat Forum / General Topics / April 2004Role of Father cat
Can anyone explain to me the typical role the male (father) cat plays in rearing of a kitten if any?  SignatureStocksRus? AFAIK, none. The lifestyle of the 'tom' cat is love-em-n-leave-em. SignatureThe ONE and ONLY lefthanded-pathetic-paranoid-psychotic-sarcastic-wiseass-ditzy former-blonde in Bloomington! (And proud of it, too)? http://www.geocities.com/the_magic_mood_jeep/ http://community.webshots.com/user/mgcmdjeep > Can anyone explain to me the typical role the male (father) cat plays in > rearing of a kitten if any? "Magic Mood Jeep?" <nobody@nowhere.net> wrote in news:hVYbc.185832 $po.997173@attbi_s52: What if the Tom and the Mom are in the same home? Still the same? SignatureStocksRus? "Magic Mood Jeep?" <nobody@nowhere.net> wrote in message news:hVYbc.185832 > AFAIK, none. The lifestyle of the 'tom' cat is love-em-n-leave-em. And it will continue to be like this unless CSA steps in :) Joking aside, female cats often mate with more then one male during the heat, therefore often producing the litter of interestingly coloured kitties of suspicious decent :) I guess unless the father(s) acutaly live in the same house, he will probably treat them just like any other newcomer in the family, although I doubt he would hurt them in any way but educational. Gee >I guess unless the father(s) acutaly live in the same house, he will >probably treat them just like any other newcomer in the family, although I >doubt he would hurt them in any way but educational. > >Gee But, some toms will kill kittens. I'd sure be careful about protecting them. This happened to some barn kittens we had when I was a kid. (OK, that was many, many moons ago and memory could be serving me wrong :) Maybe somebody else has some input.. Sherry Sherry | But, some toms will kill kittens. I really doubt this. That is, if it happens, it would be an exception to prove the rule. Lions are known to kill cubs (to induce the females in the pride to come into heat), but their social dynamics are quite different from that of domestic cats. On the other hand, I've known cases of toms taking good care of kittens. Generally, if a tom shows interest (which he may not) then it's probably with benign intent. >| But, some toms will kill kittens. > >I really doubt this. That is, if it happens, it would be an exception >to prove the rule. Lions are known to kill cubs (to induce the females >in the pride to come into heat), but their social dynamics are quite >different from that of domestic cats. That's quite possibly a myth that I just grew up believing. What actually happened was I found a litter of barn cats when I was a kid, with their heads eaten off. The explanation at tthe time was, a tom cat would kill any kittens that he did not father....rather to preserve his genetic line? It does sound far-fetched. OTOH, I've heard of *mother* cats who kill their own babies. Which could have possibly been the case. Sherry "Sherry " <sriddles@aol.comkitty> wrote in message news:20040405102950.03308.00000450@mb- > That's quite possibly a myth that I just grew up believing. What actually > happened was I found a litter of barn cats when I was a kid, with their heads > eaten off. The explanation at tthe time was, a tom cat would kill any kittens > that he did not father....rather to preserve his genetic line? It does sound > far-fetched. Naah, lions do that and for that reason, not domestic cats. Must have been some other predator. Although very wierd that only heads were eaten not the bodies. I would assume bodies would have more meat for ani carnivore then a scull ?!?! > OTOH, I've heard of *mother* cats who kill their own babies. Which could have > possibly been the case. A mother cat could kill its own kittens if the kitten is ill, or has been tampered with (which is why is advisible not to touch the kittens for a while after birth cos if it doesnt smell correctly, mother will reject it and even kill it). >A mother cat could kill its own kittens if the kitten is ill, or has been >tampered with (which is why is advisible not to touch the kittens for a >while after birth cos if it doesnt smell correctly, mother will reject it >and even kill it). This is also an old wives' tale -- kittens bred by responsible breeders are handled very soon after birth (sometimes even while being born) and are regularly handled while the kittens grow to catch those all-important early socialisation periods. Orchid See Orchid's Kitties! -- http://nik.ascendancy.net/bengalpage Want a Purebred Cat? Read This! -- http://nik.ascendancy.net/orchid > "Sherry " <sriddles@aol.comkitty> wrote in message > news:20040405102950.03308.00000450@mb- [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > bodies. I would assume bodies would have more meat for ani carnivore then a > scull ?!?! I had a hampster that bit off the heads of her babies. I never did figure out why. I came home from school one day looked in the cage and she picked one up and chomped off the head. She ended up killing all the babies. > > OTOH, I've heard of *mother* cats who kill their own babies. Which could > have [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > while after birth cos if it doesnt smell correctly, mother will reject it > and even kill it). Sherry wrote on tomcats killing kittens: >That's quite possibly a myth that I just >grew up believing. Nope, it's not a myth. It generally happens with feral, not domestic, males, and AFAIK the deed is done if the mother is away from the nest. Apparently mothers will defend their kittens against a tom and drive him away, but if the kittens are alone then all bets are off. This is not to say every tom will kill kittens, but it does happen. Megan Signature"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -Edmund Burke Learn The TRUTH About Declawing http://www.stopdeclaw.com Zuzu's Cats Photo Album: http://www.PictureTrail.com/zuzu22 "Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way." - W.H. Murray > Sherry wrote on tomcats killing kittens: > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > away, but if the kittens are alone then all bets are off. This is not to > say every tom will kill kittens, but it does happen. Yes it does indeed happen. My last two much loved cats (Dennis and Golly) both miraculously survived an attack by a Tom, which left one of them deposited covered in blood in the neighbours garden (Dennis) and the other severely injured. Both eventually recovered and became the most affectionate and loving cats I have ever known. "Arjun Ray" <aray@nmds.com.invalid> wrote in message > Lions are known to kill cubs (to induce the females > in the pride to come into heat), Lion Kings( group leaders) will never kill their own cubs, only cubs of other fathers. Saying that, once his own cubs grow to adolescent age, and become a "threat" to the King, he will fight them and kill if nececery, so most often adolescent male cubs just leave the group. | Can anyone explain to me the typical role the male (father) cat plays in | rearing of a kitten if any? | | -- | StocksRus? It varies from tom to tom: Some care for their kittens, some eat them. Most toms' behaviour lies somewhere in between. Carola |
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