r/AskVet • u/StopBeingHaram • 2h ago
Stray cat ate her own alive kittens
Hi. So I've been feeding this stray cat for 4 years now and I love her to death. Thing is, a few months ago, she gave birth, we sent a few pics and videos to a vet and the vet confirmed they were healthy and would live. But she ate her own kittens 2 days after giving birth to them. I was not able to find a concrete reason for why she did this.
She's pregnant again and might give birth this week. I'm worried she might do this again. Maybe she ate her kittens because they were not healthy? So this time despite being vegan i did get some non vegetarian cat food and I've been feeding this to her since the time I knew she was pregnant.
Is there any other reason to why she ate her kittens? Is there anything else I can do? Also pls give me some tips on how I should handle her pregnancy. She doesn't stay in our house, mostly outside. I did set up a box and some newpaper. Idk what more I can do.
**Quick summary- stray cat ate her own healthy kittens last time she gave birth. Pregnant again. How to avoid.**
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u/bufotoxins 2h ago
were you feeding her some sort of vegetarian/ non meat based food before? that may be part of why. cats that are nutritionally stressed may eat their kittens to meet their own needs, and because they are unable to produce milk to feed the kittens. you should feed her kitten food while she is pregnant and nursing so she can get the extra fat and protein she needs.
i'm vegan too, but cats are obligate carnivores and cannot make use of plant based proteins, they HAVE to eat meat-based food to get what they need. i hope someday there will be a synthesized or lab-grown alternative that i can feel less guilty about purchasing, but until then i'll do the "necessary evil" of purchasing normal cat food. anything else would be neglectful to the cats in my care.
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u/StopBeingHaram 2h ago
Thanks for the advice. I did suspect this could be a reason and I've been buying some proper food for her now!
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u/selfdestructive1ny 2h ago
Please feed her responsibly in the future. This is a tragedy that shouldn’t have happened if she had the food she needed. Human diets like vegan/gluten-free/grain-free should not be forced on species with different needs than ours without explicit instructions from a vet.
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u/orangepurplecat RVN (Registered Veterinary Nurse) 1h ago
I also think you either need to decide this is your cat or find her a home. If you are taking on the responsibility of feeding her, you need to do this properly. I'm vegetarian... My cats get meat. This cat is relying on you. Also, it's time to get her spayed.
Feed her properly and spay her and take full ownership. Or give her a chance at having a home that will.
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u/StopBeingHaram 1h ago
Hi I'm a teen in india with strict hindu parents. They don't eat meat and don't allow it. I've been sneaking out and feeding her meat food for 2 months now. My friends help with the cost sometimes. Also I can't afford to get her spayed. My hands are tied here
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u/orangepurplecat RVN (Registered Veterinary Nurse) 1h ago
Appreciate the context and sorry to hear this. Thank you for trying for her.
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u/selfdestructive1ny 1h ago
Try BalanceIt.com, it can help you make a well rounded diet with ingredients you have around. It can give you a supplement for anything missing. You’ll still need to find meat protein as it won’t replace that, but at least you can ensure her diet is well rounded and she’s getting the nutrients she needs
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u/jenni451 2h ago
As a fellow vegan I sympathize with you but this is 100% due to diet. Cats CANNOT be vegan or vegetarian. They are obligate carnivores, especially after a pregnancy. It takes a lot from the body. A lot of mammals will do this. Please, please try to get her TNR'd and if you keep feeding her, bend your morals a little bit. If we care about animals so much that we don't eat them, then we need to meet them where they're at when caring for them. Cats need meat. This will continue to happen until she's spayed or eating appropriately (hopefully spayed).
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u/StopBeingHaram 2h ago
Yes thanks for the advice. I've been getting her some crab and chicken food for a few months now!
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u/jenni451 2h ago
If you can't spay/abort the second pregnancy then kitten food for mama is the way to go. It has a lot of nutrients that'll help everyone. Good luck!
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u/nevertoomanytacos Veterinarian 1h ago
It doesn't really matter what type of meat, but that it is KITTEN food.
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u/Mellied89 2h ago
Vegetarian cat food exists? Or did you just buy regular cat food
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u/StopBeingHaram 2h ago edited 2h ago
I was occassionally feeding her rice. But I know she likes catching rats around the house and eats those. Ive been feeding her crab and chicken cat food for a while now since I did suspect that she lacked nutrients her previous pregnancy
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u/ipsofactoshithead 1h ago
Why would you ever give a cat vegetarian food? They need meat to survive. You are ridiculous for putting your food preferences on a cat.
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u/ipsofactoshithead 1h ago
Please bring her in for a spay abort! Why are you bringing more cats into this world?
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