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Welcome Crazy Cat People
So your beautiful queen is pregnant, what an exciting time and you may be asking yourself ”Does my cat trust me with her kittens?” I did some research below and discuss in detail how to know if your cat really trusts you.
As a general rule if your cat sees you as part of her colony she will trust you with her kittens. One way to know she trusts you is by bringing her kittens to you, she trusts you to look after her kittens and she respects you as part of her pride.
There is so much more we can do before kittens are born to create a stress-free environment for the queen. So when the kittens arrive all our feline friends are happy and calm. In a relaxed environment, your cat is more likely to trust you with her little bundles of joy.
Keep reading for tips and to discover more.
If your cat trusts you she will most likely trust you with her kittens
Cats are known for taking their time to trust us humans and rightly so, they want to make sure that we are safe, friendly and that we are going to be kind to them and their future babies.
If your cat has built up a level of trust with you and also other members of the household over time then I am sure that once the queen gives birth she will trust you to handle her kittens because she knows that you will do a great job at helping her look after and raise her babies.
I can tell you now from personal experience that building trust with a cat can be hard sometimes but it is so worth it and once you gain that trust you truly do have a lifelong friend.
If you would like some cool tips on how you can build up that trust, see my blog post which has 13 tips to build a loving, lasting bond!
Signs your cat trusts you
- She kneads on you – she remembers the happy feeling she got when asking her mum for milk when she was a kitten, so she may see you as a maternal figure – she would only do this if she felt happy around you and trusted you.
- Headbutting and rubbing against you – cats do this to leave a scent, they only leave a scent on people they trust.
- Your cat brings you treats or dead mice – they see you as part of their family and they are sharing their pride and triumph from their kill.
- The cat’s tail is standing up when she sees you and when she walks towards you – cats’ tails are often indicators of their mood and a happy cat who feels safe will have a happy tail.
- Your cat exposes their belly to you – Cats will never roll onto their back to expose their belly unless they feel safe as being in this position makes them very vulnerable.
So it is safe to say that if your cat engages in these behaviours with you and other members of the household then she is one happy cat and your environment will be perfect for her to give birth to the little kittens.
If there is anyone in the household she doesn’t trust then it may be worth taking the time to build a relationship with everyone in the home before her birth.
Create the right environment before kittens are born
It is a good idea for the Queen to have the perfect environment so when her kittens are born the queen is not stressed and feels safe. A safe mother will not worry about her offspring so much and will defiantly trust the rest of the family with her kittens.
So there are a few things you can do to make sure that your environment is just right before birth.
Create a safe area and a nest for the birth
It is a good idea two weeks before birth to create a nest for the queen, a good idea is to use either a cardboard box (Cats love cardboard boxes and they make great toys), a new empty litter box with a door, or an old laundry basket.
Place this in a safe place away from passing traffic and in a quiet area where other house pets or children will not intrude. You can line the nest with a newspaper which the queen may tear up to make her nest comfortable or use old towels etc…
Place food, water and a litter tray not far away from the nest in preparation for the birth.
There is no guarantee that the queen may use this area for the birth as cats are very independent and she may find another more suitable area.
A cat who I used to know ended up using an old cupboard full of towels and it took us a day or so after the birth to even realize the kittens had been born.
Feed the queen kitten food prior to the birth
Kitten food is perfect for feeding to the queen for a month or so before she gives birth as it contains more nutrients and will provide a good energy source for the cat which will be important right now for the healthy development of her kittens. If her kittens are born healthy she will feel a lot more relaxed once they arrive.
Use a feliway plugin
These plug-ins mimic a hormone or pheromone that is released by glands on their face when they are feeling calm and want to communicate that to other cats in the area, it works to calm cats down and relieve stress. Read more on the soft paws blog about Feliway and how it works.
I cannot stress how great these plugins are for relieving anxiety and stress in your cat.
Check out Feliway plugins by clicking here
Will a mother cat kill her kittens if you touch them?
As a general rule, the queen will not kill her kittens if a human touches them. People who have raised cats for a long time say this is a total myth, although it can happen in the wild if the queen is under extreme stress.
So you may have heard people tell you not to touch the kittens when they are born. This leaves many cat owners so fearful to even go anywhere near the kittens.
I spent a lot of time doing my own research and when looking through forums such as Quora and Reddit I discovered this is not the case and I came across people who have owned cats for a long time and have never known this to happen.
I did however read that it can sometimes happen in the wild if the cat is under extreme stress or threat from predators, a very rare occurrence for a domestic cat who has the comfort of a nice warm house.
Why does my cat keep bringing me her kittens?
Cats often bring their kittens to humans because they trust them. She wants her kittens to get used to human contact and she trusts you will keep them safe. Wild cats form colonies with other females who watch over their kittens, so she may see you as part of the pride.
This is a sure-fire way to know that the new mother really values you and trusts you. She is giving you her precious babies as she wants to show them off to you, she wants to seek your approval and acceptance of the new little bundles of joy.
How cute is that! While we’re on the subject of cute – see the image below.
Just make sure that if she is bringing you the same kitten all the time to examine the kitten to make sure that there is nothing wrong with them as she may be trying to alert you to something that could be wrong.
Conclusion – Does my cat trust me with her kittens?
So yes she will trust you, as long as she trusts you already. The birth of kittens is such a precious time for you and the queen so enjoy it.
Leave your Cat alone to adjust to her new circumstances, make sure she has all she needs, and when she does finally bring the new kittens to you then make sure you take some photos and enjoy knowing that the proud new mother trusts you.
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Ding, Dong! It’s the Cat box!
These boxes are full of treats, toys and surprises! I Guarantee you will be more excited than the cat! 🙂
As always take care of yourself and your little fur babies.
Mark (The Crazy Cat Man)
