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You’ve most likely heard the rumor that male cats will viciously kill kittens if they get the opportunity. This alarming rumor paints male cats as bloodthirsty, violent creatures. This can be an especially scary thought if you’re considering adopting kittens as a pet owner. However, is there any truth to the rumor? Do male cats harm or even kill kittens?
Believe it or not, the rumor is not false. Male cats have been known to attack and show violent, even lethal behaviors to kittens that belong to another cat. However, the reason they do this may not be what you think. While this instance is considered rare, it is important to know why male cats will sometimes behave this way and how to prevent it.
As a pet owner, it is especially important to learn about how to keep your kittens safe. Whether or not you are introducing kittens into your household or just generally curious, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll explore the origins of male cats’ behaviors, the different kinds of reactions that male cats can have to kittens, and how to best protect kittens from harm.
So, What’s Behind the Rumor?
Male cats have actually been recorded to inflict harm upon kittens that do not belong to them. They will react violently to the presence of kittens and can seriously harm or even kill them. However, it isn’t because male cats are cruel, evil creatures. The reason actually has to do with evolutionary purposes. Along the lines of “survival of the fittest,” cats naturally have the urge to preserve their family line and pass along their own genes to the next generations.
Back when cats were wild creatures, they tended to be extremely territorial. As solitary creatures, other wild cats in the area were perceived as threats, and as a result, so were their kittens. Male cats in the wild would often kill rival cats’ kittens in order to protect their territory. Though cats have been domesticated for an estimated ten thousand years, some of their innate instincts from their time in the wild have endured.
In fact, most cats still exhibit some of the less extreme behaviors of their ancestors. Most of the behaviors today come across as somewhat playful and even humorous like when a cat silently stalks a toy mouse. However, more grimly, some male cats will hurt or even kill kittens that do not belong to them in line with their evolutionary roots. But, it is important to note that even though this behavior is rare, it does happen.
Why Else Would a Male Cat Attack Kittens?
There are a few different reasons why a male cat would attack kittens that do not belong to him, and they all stem from the evolutionary behaviors as we just described. Most of the time, if a male cat attacks kittens, he feels threatened by their presence. As mentioned, male cats can be extremely territorial and will consider their owner’s house to be their territory. Any other animal that comes into that space, especially kittens that are not their own, will likely be considered a threat. Tragically, due to squirmy movements, a male cat could also mistake kittens as prey.
Though not all male cats will react negatively or violently towards new kittens (we’ll talk about neutered vs. unneutered behaviors shortly), it is not unlikely that a male cat will be welcoming to new members of the household. Kittens may not only seem like invaders or prey to your male cat, but they can also be seen as a big source of stress. Adopting a new pet can disrupt the typical order of things and be very hectic during the transitioning periods. This may lead to male cats lashing out at new kittens as an outburst of emotion.
Typical Male Cat Behaviors Around Kittens
Most of the time, male cats will not react violently to kittens. More often than not, a male cat will be potentially disinterested or disengaged with kittens – especially kittens that are not their own. On the flip side, some male cats may exhibit some very paternal behaviors including playing with and grooming kittens! How a male cat will react to a kitten can heavily depend on its levels of domestication and whether or not they have been neutered. Next, we will explore the differences in how neutered and unneutered cats respond to kittens.
How Unneutered Cats Respond to Kittens
There is often an observed discrepancy among male cats’ behaviors around kittens depending on if they are neutered or not. If a male cat is NOT neutered, its chances of harming or even killing kittens increase substantially. An unneutered cat will feel more of a primal urge to assert dominance over new cats and is much more likely to perceive kittens as a threat.
They are also much more territorial and aggressive than neutered cats and are more likely to get violent to protect their territory from intruders. Therefore, kittens are much more likely to be harmed by an unneutered cat than from a neutered one. It is not a good idea to bring kittens into an area where they will be spending time with an unneutered male cat.
How Neutered Cats Respond to Kittens
If a male cat has been neutered, their chances of harming kittens go down substantially. This is because when a male cat is neutered, his hormone levels go down significantly. As a result, he is much more likely to not exhibit evolutionary behaviors like killing kittens because there is a lack of hormones driving him to do so.
Neutered male cats have a tendency to be much calmer in the presence of kittens and, as mentioned before, may even take on a paternal role. However, even though neutered male cats are less likely to harm kittens, the possibility is not altogether removed. As we’ll further explain later, the best way to ensure your kittens’ safety is to remove a male cat’s presence around kittens entirely.
How to Protect Kittens From Harm
Although it is quite rare for a male cat – especially a domesticated house cat – to inflict harm upon kittens, it is still possible. While you may feel like you’re being overprotective with your kittens, it is still a good idea to take precautions. It is better to be safe with happy kittens than sorry with none.
There are several steps you can take to ensure that your kittens will be safe if you are bringing them into an environment where there is a male cat present. Next, we’ll go over those steps, along with how to achieve them.
1. Neuter Your Male Cat (If Possible)
As explained earlier, neutered male cats are much less likely to exhibit violent behaviors towards kittens. With that said, the simplest solution to protect your kittens from male cats is to have the male cats neutered. Making sure all male cats in the household are properly neutered is the foremost step a pet owner can make when planning to introduce kittens into the mix.
2. Limit Contact as Much as Possible
If you are introducing kittens into a household where there is already a male cat, it is important to maintain lots of space between the two as they adjust to their new living situations. Make sure your kittens have their own space in their new environment which is not accessible to your male cat.
Any contact that your male cat has with kittens should be heavily supervised and limited. After your kittens are past the eight-week mark, it is most likely safe for them to be in the same environment as a neutered male cat. However, make sure to still keep a close eye on their interactions as you introduce them.
3. Secure Your Kittens’ Environment
If there are tomcats (unneutered males) nearby, your kittens’ risk of harm increases substantially. If your kittens are in an environment accessible by tomcats, it is incredibly important to take steps to protect and secure their space. As mentioned earlier, tomcats are much more likely to attack kittens than housecats are. As such, measures must be taken to prevent tomcats from having access to your kittens.
Water and other physical barriers are some of the best ways to put distance between your kittens and any unwanted visitors. For example, you could use a pet gate to discourage your male cat from entering the room where the kittens hang out. Keeping your kittens in a playpen is also a good way to keep them distant from a tomcat.
MYPET Portable Pet Gate: https://amzn.to/3QzC1Gy
Foldable Metal Pet Pen: https://amzn.to/3mOaN1h
Sprinkler systems, fences, and wiring are good ideas to get started. In other words, make the perimeter of your kittens’ environment unideal for tomcats to enter. These barriers can also be fortified with pinecones or cast deterrent fragrances like lavender and citrus. If you’d like to be extra safe, you can take it a step further than DIY deterrents. Most pet stores carry cat deterrent sprays, like this one:
SmartyKat Scratch Not Deterrent Spray: https://amzn.to/2ZPWbGy
Note: NEVER spray the product directly on the cat. It’s actually best if your cat is out of the room when you use the spray.
Final Thoughts
If you are planning on introducing kittens to your household, it is incredibly important to establish proper boundaries and secure environments to limit any interactions they could have with a male cat. Even if your male cat is neutered and has never shown any aggressive behaviors before, it is best to still play it safe and limit his contact with kittens. The most important takeaway is that it is unlikely that your kittens will come to harm by a male cat, but not impossible.
That’s why the only responsible decision is to be prepared for any scenario. Do not allow male cats to be around kittens unsupervised and create a safe environment for your kittens that male cats cannot access. But also, keep in mind that your male cat is likely not hiding a bloodthirsty monster under his purring, cute persona. If a male cat was to inflict harm upon kittens, he is probably doing it out of his innate urge to protect his territory. So, for both the well-being of your kittens AND your male cat, it is best just to keep them separated until your kittens are at least eight weeks old.
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Disclaimer: The Purring Journal is not in the medical field. This post is made for entertainment purposes only. Use the information presented in this article at your own risk. Always seek medical advice from licensed veterinarians.
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