Why do cats kill newborn kittens? - briefly
Cats may kill newborn kittens due to stress, illness, or perceived threats, or to prioritize resources for healthier offspring.
Why do cats kill newborn kittens? - in detail
Cats, particularly mothers, may kill newborn kittens due to a range of instinctual and environmental factors. One primary reason is the survival instinct. If a mother cat senses that a kitten is weak, sick, or unlikely to survive, she may euthanize it to conserve energy and resources for the healthier offspring. This behavior ensures the survival of the strongest kittens and aligns with natural selection principles. Stress and environmental factors also contribute significantly. A mother cat in an unsafe, overcrowded, or highly stressful environment may perceive her kittens as vulnerable and eliminate them to prevent suffering or to avoid attracting predators. In multi-cat households or feral colonies, dominant cats or other females may kill kittens to reduce competition for resources or to assert dominance. Additionally, inexperienced or young mother cats may accidentally harm their kittens due to lack of maternal skills, sometimes leading to fatal outcomes. Hormonal imbalances or health issues in the mother can also trigger aggressive or neglectful behavior. Male cats, particularly if they are not the father, may kill kittens to bring the mother back into estrus, allowing them to mate and pass on their genes. Understanding these behaviors requires recognizing the complex interplay of instincts, environmental pressures, and biological drives that shape feline actions. While this behavior may seem harsh, it is rooted in evolutionary strategies aimed at maximizing the survival of the fittest in challenging conditions.