Well, Tilly's kittens are 5 weeks old tomorrow and are all doing really well. They are now discovering that they can run and are having lots of fun climbing the curtains and anyone's legs who just happen to be around!! LOL!!

One of the kittens has already started eating dry kitten food (Applaws) and all are now drinking water...

One of the kittens has also already sussed out the litter training and the other 3 are getting there slowly!

I was awoken very early this morning .... to sound of Tilly running round the bedroom. When I got up to see what she was doing she was chasing the kittens who were running around at full pelt playing!!

Then Tilly started pouncing on the kittens and biting them... I don't think she was biting them hard enough to hurt them as the kittens were not crying out as they do when they play too rough with eachother, but this was behaviour I have not seen Tilly do before. She then pounced on one of the kittens who was just sitting still and started biting his body and legs....

I was a little concerned so I let Tilly out of the bedroom to have some 'time out'...

When she came back into the bedroom around 20 mins later (She does not like to leave the kittens for longer than this) she was fine and settled down to feed them.

Is this normal behaviour for mum's with 5 week old kittens??

Should I be concerned? I'm worried she may play too rough and end up hurting them???

Has anyone else experienced similar behaviour with their feline mums??

Oh and I will definately post some pics very soon if I can get the kittens to stay still for long enough to have their photos taken!!

__________________
****"If purring could be encapsulated, it'd be the most powerful anti-depressant on the pharmaceutical market." ~ Alexis F. Hope****

I wouldn't worry to much. She's teaching them to play, fight and the boundaries between the two. It can look very rough but it's all part of the kittens development.

If you're worried then by all means give Tilly the option of a timeout like you did. But it is normal behaviour...

no its normal, unless they are screaming very louding and she wont give in, then id prob intervene by showing her some food, as I dont like to medal!

here is one of my girls playing with her kittens:

YouTube - ‪wwwFrostymooncouk's Channel‬‏

as you can see they get them in headlocks, they esp do this when weaning in coming up and they try and stop the kits from feeding

__________________

One of my girls does this, I think she hates it that they can run away from her as she is an amazingly doting Mum in the early weeks. When she gets them in a headlock she washes them from top to bottom as if they've had the audacity to get filthy with all that rushing around. Putting human emocions into cats I know, but she gets in a proper strop and stalks off if they hide from her and she can't wash them.

Enjoy the chaos stage!!

Katy

Thanks Alaskacat, Taylorbaby and Dozymoo for your replies....

I feel a WHOLE lot better now knowing this is normal behaviour!!

I have noticed that Tilly is a little less patient when it comes to feeding babies and will get up and move while babies are still feeding. Whereas before she would remain with them until they had finished feeding and had fallen asleep... I guess this is her way of saying "that's your lot for now...now go and find your own food"

It's funny that the smallest kitten "Little N" who was the last one to be born is the first to start eating kitten food AND the first to know where to go to the toilet!! He puts the others to shame!!

They are all soooo adorable and have the most beautiful little faces....We are having real problems trying to decide which 2 to keep!! I'll be heartbroken when we give 2 up to their forever homes!!

I will try and post some pics later for you to see. The little girl with the ginger patch on her head is turning into a little stunner!!

__________________
****"If purring could be encapsulated, it'd be the most powerful anti-depressant on the pharmaceutical market." ~ Alexis F. Hope****

*keep....them...all...*

__________________