# How do you tell....



## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

...who mama is? Hubby says yellow and white kitty had babies in the tack room. Then he says babies are dead. So yesterday when we put the 2 new goats in the pen in the barn....I find a "nest" with 4 kittens! Yellow mama claims them. We move them and she moves them to another chicken nest (had to remove eggs so she and babies would fit :roll Today...she and black mama kitty are sharing the nest with the 4 babies. Both look like they are nursing. :thinking: Black mama had kittens a while back but then must have lost them. All 4 of these are pretty new babies so it can't be a mix of both their babies. Any clues? LOL Yesterday....


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

And today


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

And more...


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## NubianFan (Jun 3, 2013)

I wouldn't even worry about it, let the two Queens share them and raise them together, afterall does it really matter who is mama? either one that wants to raise them or if they both share the duties the kittens will still be fine.


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Good point. I've just never seen 2 queens trying to raise the same litter. I am a little worried they might squash kittens tho....


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## NubianFan (Jun 3, 2013)

Actually it happens quite often and in a way it works out better for the Queens and the kittens if the Queens amicably share them and don't fight. Less stress on each Queen they can take more breaks from nursing and care because they always have a built in babysitter and the kittens get double the care. 
There was even a case with one of the ferret breeders of two Jill's sharing a litter.


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## mayia97420 (Apr 22, 2014)

I have had a lot of mama and daughters or sisters sharing litters.


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## MylieD (Sep 16, 2013)

I agree with Nubianfan. We had two barn cats give birth within days of each other. They were sharing all 12 kittens, until one mom decided she didn't want to anymore. Then the other mom finished raising them. We helped a bit. But anyway, your kittens will probably be better off with the two. ;-)


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

I'll be darned! Learn something new all the time!


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## Cactus_Acres (Sep 24, 2013)

That would have been nice in our situation here when our momma cat disappeared. Anyway, how long ago did the black one have kittens? One feral cat in a close by town had kittens no more than three months apart.I know because I took kittens from two of her litters this summer to the local shelter. One early summer, and one about two-three weeks ago.


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Black mama had kittens about a month ago


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## Cactus_Acres (Sep 24, 2013)

Unless he tossed out the dead ones, or felt them himself, I would guess that maybe he stumbled across them napping and assumed they were dead.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

Our three mama cats always share raising of the kittens..we never know who mom is by the end of the week...lol..its real sweet, some babies might be smaller do to being younger..moms dont seem to care..they feed them all..take turns ect....


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Oh gosh mine always share. I'm the dumping ground for cats it seems lol so I just let them do their thing but once we had 1 have kittens then the other one got in the box a week later and had her kittens there and actually killed them nursing the other cats kittens. Last year one let the other cats kittens nurse her and they were bigger and she lost her little one. This year the same 2 are sharing but the one that last hers last year was smarter and waited longer to bring her 3 out. It's funny to see big kittens and little kittens nursing. 


Sent from my iPhone using Goat Forum


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Elissa...he didn't feel them...just thought they "looked" dead. Men! In all my years of having barn cats I've NEVER seen them "share" kittens before...ever. The black mama isn't a good mama, she's had a couple batches and they don't seem to survive (no clue what happens to them as we never see them). We just know she has them and then she doesn't have anything nursing after a couple days. The yellow mama just showed up here one day. Hubby said she was pg and then saw the newborn kittens in the tackroom on Monday (I think) and then said the next morning they were dead. I'm not really holding out much hope for this batch to survive cause they aren't in a very good spot....and it's pretty close to winter. But maybe with both mamas they'll have a fighting chance. On a good note, Keela (the dog...yep she's still around) doesn't bother them at all.


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

Awww , the mommas look very young themselves. So cute


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## Cactus_Acres (Sep 24, 2013)

Maybe she had a super-large litter and had half of them there and half somewhere else. Though for all of the dead ones to just "disappear" seems odd too. I just wonder if the black momma actually makes any milk. Since she has a habit of dead litters after a few days, I wonder if she is actually producing enough to feed them.


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

I don't know if she has any milk or not. All I know is her litters have not survived. But I don't know where she has them either....if they aren't protected...they won't survive. Both of these are probably only a year old themselves and one just showed up and the other was from the vets. Black mama always has obvious nursing marks around her teats. That's all I know. Since they are barn cats, we don't monitor too close. I really don't like that they want to keep these kittens right at the barn door. Not protected at all. Not holding out much hope for their survival.


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## Cactus_Acres (Sep 24, 2013)

Would they let you pick them up and put them in a plastic tote right there? Or a warming barrel for baby goats? Our momma cat had more sense and when she did move them, put them behind something in our garage. So I put them back in the plastic tote that had been in my kids' playhouse, just up in the garage this time. That seemed to be a happy compromise. Our barn cat momma though was super-friendly, and her kittens came by it honestly from her, so they are all love-bugs (soon to be slippers if they keep getting under my feet though).


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

I just thought of something…..they usually move their kittens a couple days after having them…if not sooner. Do you think thats possible with your momma kitties ?


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Well, the kittens have been moved. Not sure when and no clue where. Black mama was hanging around the barn with the tom...yay. And orange mama is gone too...hopefully with babies. She was usually hanging out in the balen building so maybe she moved them down there. Guess we'll know in a couple months whether they survived.


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Kittens have been found again. They are the black mama's. She is panicking all day and looking all over and I think they babies are dead. Hubby comes home and mama is all over his pickup and he opens the door to get something out and she jumps in. She keeps moving them INTO his pickup! He's gone all day....mama is frantic and babies starving by the time he gets home. This is the 2nd time she's done it. And we are down to only 3 kittens now...no clue what happened to the 4th.


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

Oh my gosh, I wonder why she likes the pickup. That is funny.
It is great that they both want to help raise them,.


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Told hubby we may have to put a kennel in there with the kittens in it. Once mama accepts that, then move the kennel to the barn. I think she likes the closed in feel of all the "junk" in the back seat of his pickup. LOL


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Well, 2nd day in a row hubby has had to bring mama and kittens home (we are down to 2). NOW she is putting them under his toolbox in the bed of his pickup. He finds out they are there when mama comes wandering into the shop at work. :eyeroll:


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

Oh my , that is too funny , lol. Too bad you couldnt lock her in a spare room with them till she settles down with them.


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## DesertFlowerNigerians (Mar 27, 2014)

How are the 2 kittens? You can try bringing them in the house, and giving them Goat's Milk, if they are hungry.  I hope Black Mama settles down.


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Not sure how the babies are doing. Haven't seen them in a few days...I'll have to go hunt and see if they are still out here. No option on bringing into the house....they are barn cats and will have to fend for themselves. Sounds harsh, but that's the way it is. I have done it before but it was with a "special" cat. LOL These can't stay in the house and once winter gets here they will have to survive outside so best they just stay and hopefully survive.


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Yes, kittens are still alive. They are in the tack room. Yay. At least they aren't in hubby's pu anymore. Poor Keela (yes, we still have her)....she decided to investigate the tack room. Guess it's a good thing the babies have 2 mama's. Mama's attacked. Keela backed up and hit the door, shutting it! Then....poor puppy....she's locked in a dark room with a lot of stuff and 2 very PISSED OFF mama cats!!!!


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## DappledBoers (Feb 10, 2013)

.... How is the getting her kittens into the pickup?????


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Hubby leaves windows down or doors open


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## DappledBoers (Feb 10, 2013)

Oh yeah that makes sense.. I really didn't think of the window lol.. Maybe she thinks it's more comfy in there then on the ground haha


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