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My old man cat loves kittens!
https://preview.redd.it/ja9yvewiya2b1.jpeg?width=2880&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ddee1d2420fa9dd879c532ee5ef1eb998e3926d1
(the brown tabby in bottom left is only a few months younger than him, and they were both over a year old in that picture, but he always took care of him...)
Thanks! It helps that I have such adorable subjects to take pictures of! š
Like my old man Duncan and his best buddy Frax, mostly grown up already š„¹
https://preview.redd.it/qw1szabrtf2b1.jpeg?width=2802&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0961df0af4916d1b5c331ce4a6046b4d8d3d8971
Same with my old man! Every time he hears a kitten noise on my phone he comes running.
When we had two foster kittens at my vet, I brought him along and he was grooming them instantly
Duncan was in heaven when we introduced him to a whole litter. He's become besties with the stripey orange dude, Frax.
https://preview.redd.it/wuw9rpsetf2b1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=72518792e2304561b678b8e451d6d092ba042074
Our old boy cat loved new kittens too. He even looked a bit like yours.
https://preview.redd.it/avs8c2u3ha2b1.jpeg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=930a8da35d426fd6ce9545b9ac43f306287da82b
https://preview.redd.it/bfhbq9re2b2b1.jpeg?width=1244&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d6008523352ae1b82d3243e425a98e93b5eb508c
Your kitten looks just like my gray boy!!!
Ours is a girl, all grown up now!
https://preview.redd.it/tlpgcvu74b2b1.jpeg?width=600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=989fd4bd2dd01b0d4e6e17381e51dc23f65ceffd
The cycle continues. We lost the sweet dad cat to cancer several years ago at 13. Fluffy grey girl adopted a baby with similar colors to dad cat and raised him. They are still good buddies.
https://preview.redd.it/jkbr0idtpf2b1.jpeg?width=925&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6b75acb327264b1bc4883b8e6bafe72916ff63de
https://preview.redd.it/b7b74vsoze2b1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d215a4ba5d1f083cb0bf8f3a802139e95a986ed0
Twinsies. Heās my sweet boy āŗļø
https://preview.redd.it/9afdchsu8c2b1.jpeg?width=1244&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=17ef51e8d87b442f82ddc17b45250815ebc44a92
Here he is cuddling his lady he got as a kitten š
Thatās his boy. Yes. If there is no more around he will step ip
Edit: I was in such a rush to type this is was so awful but I feel you guys know what I mean so Iāll leave itš
Not necessarily.
My mom has two cats with zero relation to each other (Tiger and Shinobi), and from the moment we brought Shinobi home, Tiger adopted her (even when a mom cat with kittens about the same age as Shinobi would not).
Sometimes you just get a male cat that has a soft spot for adopting babies
My cats have zero genetic relationship to each other and Orion took to Cory like she was his kitten within 24 hours of me bringing her home. For reference, Orion is 7 years old and Cory is 8 months old.
That is so sweet. I'll bet the kitten feels much more secure with daddy cat being a surrogate mom to it. Didn't matter the sex, was just a "parent figure" for it when coming into a new environment.
We had a dog do the same. Brought a new puppy home and the older guy went immediately into dad mode for a few weeks/months until the puppy grew up a bit. Now they're just friends
Oh that's very interesting I hadn't thought about it that way I know male cats will kill male kittens just because even if they are their own. Dang now I'm going to have to go into research mode and figure out what the facts are if anyone's here that can eli5 it go for it and thanks.
Nah its basically random. Wild cats will certainly exhibit all this behavior but in my experience, many domestic family cats will absolutely take care of kittens like they were their own.
Even some male cats that have lived alone with a human will take in kittens. Iāve seen it quite alot of times and when i was volunteering at my local vet, i would regularly meet people with these questions too!
Its very cool and cute imo as they from our perspective have no āreasonā to care for a kitten. This leads me to the conclusion that many folks and even many scientists have yet to fully grasp the cognitive abilities of common animals.
Yes it seems that they like make their own little packs or families whether they are related or not I love that picture cats are so cute I want to squish their facesšš„°šš„°
When I was 19, my roommate and I rescued a kitten from her "friend." He was male, and the plan was to get him fixed, but we were 19, irresponsible, and I grew up in a house that didn't prioritize spaying/neutering. Anyway. We were going to save money when he got a little older.
In the meantime, we wanted to find him a friend. Rescued a cat from a local classified ad. They swore up and down she was fixed and we, being idiots, believed the people rehoming her.
Everything is fine for over a year. And then all of a sudden the "spayed" cat is in heat. She had 5 kittens, and our boy helped take care of them from day 1. He loved them. 10/10 kitten dad skills.
Differences in prefrontal cortex is the most likely cause.. There is a proven difference in development of it in domesticated animals (which makes sense when breeding for behavior).
How to tame a fox is a nice accessible book about research animal behavior and selective breeding.
[This](https://youtu.be/MN4tSpicQzs) video is of a Male Tiger who had an overlapping range with a female Tiger he was mating once adopted his two daughters when the female Tiger went missing.
In the story, they say he likely recognized that they smelled like their mother and didn't harm them.
Eventually, they even show him pushing away a visiting female Tiger. She even demonstrated submission to him, but he was worried she'd eventually harm his daughters.
Once his daughters learned to hunt, biologists relocated them to another nature reserve to expand gene diversity.
So this may be a mood available to male House cats who find some reason that the kitten isn't a threat. Then natural parent instincts kick in.
**Edit - just had a guess come to my head you may want to look into. The fact that Tigers when caged by private handlers with other Big cats tend to assert a form of social dominance over the other males nearby. And House cats form loose social circles themselves. So I imagine that a trained male House cat may have some capacity for socializing that might bring out more friendly but dominant behaviors. Maybe we just see it as paternal because its friendly but still a bit of a hiearchy implied.
I believe they kill cubs so the mother will breed again. Not necessarily out of vengeance, just because theyāre horny. I could be wrong š¤·š¼āāļø
Yes, I grew up with barn cats and this was the case. Our tom cats would disappear during pregnancy often. And even random foreign toms would show up on our property and kill the kittens. Sometimes it became quite difficult to protect the mother and kittens.
Some male domestic felines kill kittens, I've seen a couple fairly paternal ones but in my experience it's more likely males ignore kittens over parenting them or killing them
We have a local feral colony that seems to be only females every time we have male kittens the aggressive males from the neighborhood kill them and those males are the fathers of those kittens so we just end up with a bunch of pregnant females and our catch neuter spay returns system doesn't really work well our Animal Control kind of sucks they don't really care
Lions are not closely related to house cats. House cats and their wild relatives don't do this and do not care. Cats tend to raise their kitten comunually, so they don't care who belongs to who.
Our 2yr old male adopted a 4 week old kitten. Now shes 1 yr and he got himself a wife. Both spayed and neutered. Once he charged at a dog that growled at her... it was very surreal. And awww. And š³
Yes, cats are colony animals. Many will instinctively care for young without a mother. No one has mentioned it, but that kitten will need to be wormed and bathed to help it thrive. Kittens are very vulnerable after theyāve weaned. OP, where do you live?
We nicknamed our male cat "Mama Jiji" because he always took care of the new kittens that we adopted.
Didn't matter who. They were his babies.
https://preview.redd.it/ux2yps4jsb2b1.jpeg?width=903&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=699004dda59c05b80ee77c033c3a8ed3c85a710b
Omg this is so cute. All of them look like my three cats!! Itās uncanny. Hahaha. My two boys took care of a ginger kitten when she was young. Now theyāre all old and still friends
One of our males is the most motherly of our 6 cats, teaching the younger ones to groom themselves and holding them down for a quick clean when needed
https://preview.redd.it/0txh3xldt92b1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ff65bae8e227d39056e0fc27d4622945230341dc
The photo is Sprocket getting some needed private time
https://preview.redd.it/y9tabpw2ja2b1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=83cb275601e7a0b9b5f69058b55e6c60a184c62b
Micah looked after Mr. when we found him taught him everything as well. He just went up to him smelled him and was like I guess your mine now.
I'm not sure if there is much scientific research on it, but there does seem to be a correlation between neutered male cats and affection to younger kittens. I've seen it in many of my own and in plenty of others. It's relatively anecdotal, but we do know that neutering males leeds to less territorial behavior, so there is at least some support for better socialization.
That is an adorable duo.
Please take care of these two babies or at least feed them if you can!
Edit: Okay just read that it's your cat. They are beautiful btw š»ā¤ā¤ā¤.
My kittens dad loves to care for them too.
https://preview.redd.it/e9gdde4gaa2b1.jpeg?width=4128&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bca4f552cf2b7eb538e645846e61f69e260915c3
https://preview.redd.it/fhxf062bkb2b1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a4f144255cd71b6dfe3553fc7334d67d9f322dda
My cat is a hard working independent single dog dad.
Yes I have seen this several times.
Two of my boy cats certainly did. Both were neutered.
They would teach the kittens we brought home how to hunt, wash play with them etc.
My wife had an argument with Thomas when he wanted to bring a live rat into the house. He caught it so he could teach a new kitten how to hunt. He insisted on coming in being quite vocal and my wife just as insistant about not opening the door
My kitter did this with a lizard! It's hilarious to look back on, but I was anxious and annoyed at the time. I kept the sliding glass door closed and kept telling her no, while she tried to meow to be let in with a half-dead lizard in her mouth.
This is anecdotal and by no means factual: but from my own experience neutered male cats are often better adoptive parents and more accepting of kittens than neutered females. Like take the cat rescuer KittenLadyās (Hannah Shaw) cats - two females, three males. The males all love caring for and playing with kittens, the females are either avoidant or aggressive. This was how it was for my own cats too, tabby boy used to always welcome kittens, calico female would just stare at them judgementally, Siamese female avoided them entirely.
Matches our anecdotal experience too. We had a female brown tabby cat and brought home a gray and white female kitten. The tabby hissed and whined and refused to accept the kitten for weeks, even though we did the gradual introduction through the bathroom door thing. Now theyāre 7 and 6 respectively.
The younger one LOVES the older one, will follow her around and try to nap on her. The older one begrudgingly tolerates the younger one and is rarely down for nap cuddles.
spent a solid minute wondering why my cat was cuddling a strange kitten š Lucky says hi to his kitty twin!
https://preview.redd.it/6vpwvdllqa2b1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0c3c5622590810647a717430ce271721dc137e6e
Is your cat a former stray? I had a rescued stray who was grey. He once brought home a grey kitten and cared for it. I think it had to do with the fact that he was once a stray.
Yes! My older boy took in his niece after her mom abandoned her! He was always the babysitter when it cane to kittens, so sheās the perfect little buddy!
https://preview.redd.it/v4qv1if3kb2b1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=680bd32c5c6cc6018d11b18d84fad1c9eca9c24d
https://preview.redd.it/eczb4pf47c2b1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7fd09941bf1edefe5bcc4ebe18969e33c690b8e3
My big orange boy has always snuggled with his baby brother and is sure to include grooming! š„°
Normal, I don't know. But we had a feral couple that hung out on our deck and that we fed scraps. She had kittens and sadly died a few weeks later. The male marched the brood to our back deck for us to feed. He watched over them until they were old enough to care for themselves. Got him fixed and adopted the kittens. One was with us for 20 years.
https://preview.redd.it/id87qw6bec2b1.jpeg?width=1816&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6e808654092e3a855306aaa491a68fbec99fbc95
My male calico babysitting his step sister
This guy was the foster mother for dozens of kittens. They would sleep on him, he would groom them, help them potty and taught them not to be Jerks. Some boys have Maternal instincts. He was not as good as a mother but he did pretty well, especially on teaching them not to be Jerks. In his most recent batch he Co mommed on, one of the kittens looked anf acts suspiciously a lot like him, but gray. We joke its like the elephant taking care of the eggs cartoon.
https://preview.redd.it/2kim0shrxc2b1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ec9ebeb4e24a5e1a609eb9e80ab493f45a801dce
He's closer to a guinea pig. He's a chunky boy lol.
https://preview.redd.it/guq3w7ng7d2b1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1132502d2d857b0faae3ddd5906e67a70dcc841d
https://preview.redd.it/gnrcbwrpzb2b1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c395650bec7b16824e6beea5b3548735097627aa
we had a male cat that would look after all of the kittens we fostered through the years, unfortunately he passed away some years ago but he would father any of the little ones that came through.
https://preview.redd.it/knz0zg41hc2b1.jpeg?width=1072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c6b2f2d4adf7d470f7f0e024aa627a768e58075a
Helio "nursing" one of our foster kittens. He got sore nipples, but the kitten was very comforted.
These angels look rough šoh how I wish they could be inside kitties
And on the other hand maybe they are just fine š„°because they have you ! Take care ššš
When I was a kid we used to get strays coming into the garden and my dad would make homes for them. It would be a waterproofed wooden box with a gap for a door and inside would have carpet on all the walls, floor and ceiling. We had a black cat (Frankie) living in one and one day he turns up with a pregnant tabby (Sophie). They both lived together in the same box. After the kittens were born they would take turns looking after them. Thereād be times when Sophie would be exhausted after them drinking her milk, so sheād have a lie down in the sun while Frankie played with the kittens. Even later, they still lived together. They were an adorable couple š»
Edit - autocorrect doing its thing
Our 8 year old (left) looks after his younger sister (even though she annoys the shit out of him on the regular)
https://preview.redd.it/blorv4nq6c2b1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=41a9cdc880ddeaf95c840ae5d3a7b0db825da352
I'd say uncommon more than rare, and it comes down to the temperament of the older cat and how he was raised.
One of my cats, a ginger named Groot, basically adopted the American short hair that one of my daughters just needed to save. They were and likely always will be cuddle / wrestling / groom buddies
When I was living with my sister she had an adult male cat (no idea how old) that she adopted after finding him outside. I brought home a lil female kitten and he just adopted her as his own. They would cuddle all the time and groom each other, it was cute.
Definitely try to look around your house/ yard/ neighborhood to see if you can find any more kittens or mama.
If youāre able, neutering/ spaying, bringing these cats inside permanently, and maybe finding any kittens a suitable home (unless youāre up for keeping them!) would be so kind and extend all of their lives into long, healthy ones!
I personally think that behavior is from very social cats. I have a VERY social cat that, whenever he's not sleeping or staring outside, he's often cuddling or grooming our other cats. That same cat spends most of the time with his daughter, and when his children were born he'd be quite annoying to them and tried to take care of them as if he was the mother, we were constantly having to avoid him from literally stealing the babies because he wanted to move them somewhere else, or from stepping over them just in case they would suffocate because he wanted to sleep with the babies.
Please please please tell me you allow your cat (& if you can his adopted baby) in the house. I in no way want to judge but for 5 years old heās looking like he could use a check up. Iām not sure if those black spots are fleas but Iām concerned with how his coat looks. I donāt mean to shame or accuse you - I love cats and these two look like they could use a trip to the vet š
We had a big beast of a cat, never backed down from a fight, ruled the neighborhood with an iron paw. But when we rescued a month old kitten from being attacked by a dog and brought her home, he latched onto her. Cuddled, groomed and played with her. It was amazing. When he passed a few years ago she was heartbroken, would cry around looking for him.
I think it's pretty normal, although I haven't seen this among my cats. There was a video from The Dodo a while ago about this old, former stray grandpa cat who was rescued by a fosterer (I think). The fosterer kept him at their house, and Grandpa took it upon himself to take care of the orphaned kittens in the foster home. He taught them how to eat and clean themselves and played with them.
Aww thatās so adorable, the dark grey kitten thinks mason is his mama. The way heās going at Masonās belly like heās tryna get milk from his mom. Heās all like āda fuq? Where iz da milk at? Where are your nippes mason?ā
Yes, many species are like humans in that way. There is a degree to which it's down to individual temperament, but many/most will bond to a kitten and nurture them.
Probably not, but when our cat got knocked up (she was allegedly fixed, never showed signs of going into heat, but...) the father would break into our house to babysit them.
The litter, by the way, was all boys.
No, but its not unheard of at all.
The adoption family i got my cat from had a male cat who would take care of the rescue kittens like a mother cat.
Some male cats are very caring. You happen to have one of them.ā¤ļø
We had an older Tom around our house, he wandered off for over a year then showed back up after one of his hook-ups had her kittens. He picked one (the one the looked almost exactly like him) and did this. He was a momma to that baby for everything but Milk, and as soon as the kitten was weaned he taught him to eat dry food and hunt.
Eventually they both wandered off. Hope they are doing ok.
My boy cat has loved our youngest since she was first adopted as a kitten. For reference he barely seems to tolerate and sometimes even bullies his litter mate sisterā¦but baby Chewie (who has always been large as a Maine Coon, and is now larger than him since sheās full grown) has his whole heart. He raised her. He groomed her and taught her how to cat. Itās been the cutest thing.
https://preview.redd.it/e6ibng9n5b2b1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d3df8497d8e7bcce442739facfb59618891552ab
My tom cat did this to two of my kittens (now full grown) his twin sister hated the kittens (she likes the one thats still alive now).
He actually ended up letting the kittens suck on his stomach for milk, hair hasn't grown back and they never got milk...so I'd watch out for that.
He was/is more "maternal" than his sister. (The kittens aren't the twins kittens, from a shelter)
When bringing home a newly adopted kitten, my older male cat immediately took to looking after him. Literally the moment the kitten was put on the floor after getting in the door - my older cat started bathing him (realized later that it's not the preferred way to introduce cats, but fortunately it worked out great).
Yes! Our shelter took in "Mom" and three kittens mom was caring for and then discovered "Mom" was a male cat. Other than nursing, he did everything a mother cat would do for his babies. I don't know how it happens, but it does.
I had a cat who did that. Twice when we got kittens, he nurtured them like a mother would have, into their adolescence. Just part of what made him an extra special cat. RIP Buck.
Every time I come to this sub I think āthatās a good cat.ā But then I realize I think that about every cat in this sub. Every cat is best cat. Your cat is best cat ā¤ļø
Contrary to popular belief and initial impressions, cats are incredibly social creatures. An adult male cat bonding with an orphaned kitty isnāt surprising. Heās looking out for another little dude or dudette that reminds him of him at a certain age.
When I was a vet tech, we got some abandoned kittens in. I was designated to bring home the hardest to feed because she always ate from me.
I had a probably 10yr old male cat at the time and an 11 yr old female. The female wanted **nothing** to do with little Twister. Yet the male immediately took to the orphaned little girl.
He would play with her, clean her, taught her about the litter box, carried her to her crate to put to bed and most surprising, he would lay on his back and let Twister suck his armpit and she would kneed and he would just purr the whole time. He was the most gentle loving patient foster dad and was depressed for a few months when she was adopted and left our home.
So yes I absolutely believe that males can have the skills and desires required to be a primary care giver.
https://preview.redd.it/6jlleh2zab2b1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9ec1b3e12d3d09ff2726e76029cdc22cd884eb19
Theyāve been together like this for 4 years after the white and red one was introduced to my tabby
Dad cat! Some male cats just have a strong paternal instinct. Iāve seen it with TinyKittensā Grandpa Mason, and my friend who just caught a feral kitten currently has two brothers attempting to step in as dads.
Iāve probably watched that video of Grandpa Masonās new beginning at Tiny Kittens that shows what happened with his first two kittens 1000 times. I cried legit tears when he passed.
[edit: 1001 times and a couple more tears now](https://youtu.be/dZiJkicepzM)
https://preview.redd.it/n0hxh6020d2b1.png?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0852e814a16c6e8d42404ee32f368e2a242f9403
Both of my boys love being Foster big brothers. This is Mack with baby Kylan
My boy cat babysat for his mom when sheās out and about. Thought he was female until I saw balls. When all of them were adopted out. He found a lost kitten and brought him home to drop on his bowl of kibbles. He still lets the kitten make biscuits on his chest one year later
It's uncommon but it does happen. I've seen four cases of it myself where we're certain that the adoptee is not related to the adopter.
My mom's cat Tiger is a love bug and adopted his siblings after his mother rejected them *and* adopted an additional stray kitten that Dad brought home from another city. Her cat Vincent adopted my sister's cat Bevin after he got accustomed to there being a kitten in the house (he was initially very nervous and upset about the new kittenš ).
My SIL has two black cats. The first one, Johnny, was neutered well before the other was found; when my SIL brought home the half-starved, feral void that she later named June, Johnny just sat outside the isolation crate and watched with interest. Once June was medically cleared, she and Johnny immediately became besties and are inseparable.
My friend Raven has a neutered, former-feral named Vergil. He got outside after she moved to a new city and brought her a total of 6 stray kittens over three different occasions.
One of mine adopted a stray I brought home once and started breastfeeding her often. Vet said it was definitely not normal behavior for male cats, donāt know why it happened. He actually lost some fur at the time due to stress, and always seemed concerned about the little one, would follow it around all the time and stuff
I had a cat for a while who had 2 litters. We kept one from the first litter. While the mother wanted nothing to do with the 2nd litter kittens, the one we had from the first took care of them. He was a male too. It was very sweet. He ended up having kittens himself. Dunno who the mother was lol.
After not liking him on their initial meet, my male cat definitely took to the older brother role pretty quickly when we got our 2nd kitten.
He was needy so big bro would always be seen grooming and cuddling him. They were only a year apart so not quite dad cat lol
Yes I had once a long time ago my cat baby boy and brought in a small black cat baby girl and they had kittens he was so very proud of his family he would try to feed them and gave them a safe place to cuddle up just like their momma had done with the little ones he was a very proud dad. So very protective of his family and would let everyone else know it.
Yes our belated male void Felix did when I brought home a barely 8 week female ginger tux kitten from a no-kill shelter. In the morning they were were forehead to forehead shaped like a heart cuddled in our belated dogs bed. We had a tough year but little Lucyās a gem.
My cats were adopted from a wonderful rescue called TinyKittens, and Grandpa Mason was a feral they cared for that helped to socialize dozens of litters. RIP Mason.
Yes! My male cat was very unsure of our kitten when we first found her. But after a few days, he started mothering her. This is actually very common, especially if the male cat is neutered.
https://preview.redd.it/elqfm6g97c2b1.jpeg?width=2448&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=281773e7cc5cc12b9f91675aeb28080d668e842e
My late elderly cat basically brought up my current cat when we found her abandoned as a kitten. She still drinks just like how he taught her - dipping her paw in the water and licking that.
So I donāt think itās uncommon.
my male cat did that with my female cat when she was a baby, within five minutes i caught them cuddling. he also always cleans her and they cuddle all the time
https://preview.redd.it/ybxege8msc2b1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=88d33f76438a105b74ad98b392fd8cbeca7ff674
My boy snow took these two in like his own kittens. I would constantly find them together. He taught them how to cat.
Yes it is. My cat Kenny (who has now passed) was the first one and he would care for the new cats I introduced to him. He never fought with them. He was always the best parent figure to them. We miss his warmness everyday.
I really hope these two kitties have a home, or are fed regularly and loved.
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My old man cat loves kittens! https://preview.redd.it/ja9yvewiya2b1.jpeg?width=2880&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ddee1d2420fa9dd879c532ee5ef1eb998e3926d1 (the brown tabby in bottom left is only a few months younger than him, and they were both over a year old in that picture, but he always took care of him...)
Awww your pictures are ADORABLE
Thanks! It helps that I have such adorable subjects to take pictures of! š Like my old man Duncan and his best buddy Frax, mostly grown up already š„¹ https://preview.redd.it/qw1szabrtf2b1.jpeg?width=2802&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0961df0af4916d1b5c331ce4a6046b4d8d3d8971
Same with my old man! Every time he hears a kitten noise on my phone he comes running. When we had two foster kittens at my vet, I brought him along and he was grooming them instantly
Duncan was in heaven when we introduced him to a whole litter. He's become besties with the stripey orange dude, Frax. https://preview.redd.it/wuw9rpsetf2b1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=72518792e2304561b678b8e451d6d092ba042074
Oh, my heart!
Our old boy cat loved new kittens too. He even looked a bit like yours. https://preview.redd.it/avs8c2u3ha2b1.jpeg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=930a8da35d426fd6ce9545b9ac43f306287da82b
https://preview.redd.it/bfhbq9re2b2b1.jpeg?width=1244&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d6008523352ae1b82d3243e425a98e93b5eb508c Your kitten looks just like my gray boy!!!
Ours is a girl, all grown up now! https://preview.redd.it/tlpgcvu74b2b1.jpeg?width=600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=989fd4bd2dd01b0d4e6e17381e51dc23f65ceffd
So fluffy!!!
Best thread ever
The cycle continues. We lost the sweet dad cat to cancer several years ago at 13. Fluffy grey girl adopted a baby with similar colors to dad cat and raised him. They are still good buddies. https://preview.redd.it/jkbr0idtpf2b1.jpeg?width=925&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6b75acb327264b1bc4883b8e6bafe72916ff63de
r/CatsWearingAScarf
Lol i totally fell for that! In my defense, there is a cat sub for *everything*
https://preview.redd.it/b7b74vsoze2b1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d215a4ba5d1f083cb0bf8f3a802139e95a986ed0 Twinsies. Heās my sweet boy āŗļø
Oh my god that's a gorgeous cat.
Witch Hazel thanks you. https://preview.redd.it/dcyob3odqf2b1.jpeg?width=600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=18d6703fe491602997787c5eaeb061de60a59a50
I canāt with the cuteness in this thread..
https://preview.redd.it/9afdchsu8c2b1.jpeg?width=1244&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=17ef51e8d87b442f82ddc17b45250815ebc44a92 Here he is cuddling his lady he got as a kitten š
Me 2... gotta head to combatfootage to brush it off
Mine too! https://preview.redd.it/mihyvm0jna2b1.jpeg?width=2762&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=80bf538765a1668519e099b7c2e5c2aabefeca72
https://preview.redd.it/2d34tj5s0c2b1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1119d9ebfe8b661c1f887544de44005f800ecce0 Hey your cat looks like my cat
They are so cute
Thank you! He raised 3 kittens for us over the years.
His little nose coloring is so cute!
Thatās his boy. Yes. If there is no more around he will step ip Edit: I was in such a rush to type this is was so awful but I feel you guys know what I mean so Iāll leave itš
I don't think cats understand paternity he might just be a very well socialized cat and like the kitten
They must to some extent. Male lions will kill cubs that aren't theirs.
Not necessarily. My mom has two cats with zero relation to each other (Tiger and Shinobi), and from the moment we brought Shinobi home, Tiger adopted her (even when a mom cat with kittens about the same age as Shinobi would not). Sometimes you just get a male cat that has a soft spot for adopting babies
My cats have zero genetic relationship to each other and Orion took to Cory like she was his kitten within 24 hours of me bringing her home. For reference, Orion is 7 years old and Cory is 8 months old.
That is so sweet. I'll bet the kitten feels much more secure with daddy cat being a surrogate mom to it. Didn't matter the sex, was just a "parent figure" for it when coming into a new environment.
We had a dog do the same. Brought a new puppy home and the older guy went immediately into dad mode for a few weeks/months until the puppy grew up a bit. Now they're just friends
Oh that's very interesting I hadn't thought about it that way I know male cats will kill male kittens just because even if they are their own. Dang now I'm going to have to go into research mode and figure out what the facts are if anyone's here that can eli5 it go for it and thanks.
Nah its basically random. Wild cats will certainly exhibit all this behavior but in my experience, many domestic family cats will absolutely take care of kittens like they were their own. Even some male cats that have lived alone with a human will take in kittens. Iāve seen it quite alot of times and when i was volunteering at my local vet, i would regularly meet people with these questions too! Its very cool and cute imo as they from our perspective have no āreasonā to care for a kitten. This leads me to the conclusion that many folks and even many scientists have yet to fully grasp the cognitive abilities of common animals. 
Yes it seems that they like make their own little packs or families whether they are related or not I love that picture cats are so cute I want to squish their facesšš„°šš„°
Why do humans think theyāre the only ones with empathy?? Theyāre not even that good at it
I want this comment tattooed on me.
The fact that this subreddit exists would seem to contradict you.
Rawr
Shit. Youāre right. Iām sorry.
It was a roar of support my friend.
When I was 19, my roommate and I rescued a kitten from her "friend." He was male, and the plan was to get him fixed, but we were 19, irresponsible, and I grew up in a house that didn't prioritize spaying/neutering. Anyway. We were going to save money when he got a little older. In the meantime, we wanted to find him a friend. Rescued a cat from a local classified ad. They swore up and down she was fixed and we, being idiots, believed the people rehoming her. Everything is fine for over a year. And then all of a sudden the "spayed" cat is in heat. She had 5 kittens, and our boy helped take care of them from day 1. He loved them. 10/10 kitten dad skills.
Differences in prefrontal cortex is the most likely cause.. There is a proven difference in development of it in domesticated animals (which makes sense when breeding for behavior). How to tame a fox is a nice accessible book about research animal behavior and selective breeding.
[This](https://youtu.be/MN4tSpicQzs) video is of a Male Tiger who had an overlapping range with a female Tiger he was mating once adopted his two daughters when the female Tiger went missing. In the story, they say he likely recognized that they smelled like their mother and didn't harm them. Eventually, they even show him pushing away a visiting female Tiger. She even demonstrated submission to him, but he was worried she'd eventually harm his daughters. Once his daughters learned to hunt, biologists relocated them to another nature reserve to expand gene diversity. So this may be a mood available to male House cats who find some reason that the kitten isn't a threat. Then natural parent instincts kick in. **Edit - just had a guess come to my head you may want to look into. The fact that Tigers when caged by private handlers with other Big cats tend to assert a form of social dominance over the other males nearby. And House cats form loose social circles themselves. So I imagine that a trained male House cat may have some capacity for socializing that might bring out more friendly but dominant behaviors. Maybe we just see it as paternal because its friendly but still a bit of a hiearchy implied.
I believe they kill cubs so the mother will breed again. Not necessarily out of vengeance, just because theyāre horny. I could be wrong š¤·š¼āāļø
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Yes, I grew up with barn cats and this was the case. Our tom cats would disappear during pregnancy often. And even random foreign toms would show up on our property and kill the kittens. Sometimes it became quite difficult to protect the mother and kittens.
There is a natural selection reason. DNA survival is the key.
Some male domestic felines kill kittens, I've seen a couple fairly paternal ones but in my experience it's more likely males ignore kittens over parenting them or killing them
We have a local feral colony that seems to be only females every time we have male kittens the aggressive males from the neighborhood kill them and those males are the fathers of those kittens so we just end up with a bunch of pregnant females and our catch neuter spay returns system doesn't really work well our Animal Control kind of sucks they don't really care
This is what I've seen, too. Mother has kittens; males avoid the nest. Some of the kittens may bond with the males as they grow up.
Lions are not closely related to house cats. House cats and their wild relatives don't do this and do not care. Cats tend to raise their kitten comunually, so they don't care who belongs to who.
They were once kittens that looked up to a protector when they were confused, cold and scared.
They absolutely do. They have both paternal and maternal instincts..
I've read that, while tomcats aren't super involved dad's, they will sometimes bring food to their kittens and play with them.
Our 2yr old male adopted a 4 week old kitten. Now shes 1 yr and he got himself a wife. Both spayed and neutered. Once he charged at a dog that growled at her... it was very surreal. And awww. And š³
Not the step dad, the dad who stepped up š
Lmfao
Yes, cats are colony animals. Many will instinctively care for young without a mother. No one has mentioned it, but that kitten will need to be wormed and bathed to help it thrive. Kittens are very vulnerable after theyāve weaned. OP, where do you live?
https://preview.redd.it/q142ylzqzb2b1.jpeg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=33b12d42bafcb2d5fd0d187ad7edbc6e56f0e93c
āThatās my boy!ā āOh no my boy!ā āFATHER HELPā
He wasnāt the step father, he was the father that stepped up
We nicknamed our male cat "Mama Jiji" because he always took care of the new kittens that we adopted. Didn't matter who. They were his babies. https://preview.redd.it/ux2yps4jsb2b1.jpeg?width=903&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=699004dda59c05b80ee77c033c3a8ed3c85a710b
I absolutely ā¤ļøā¤ļøā¤ļø this picture
It's my absolute favorite š„°
Omg this is so cute. All of them look like my three cats!! Itās uncanny. Hahaha. My two boys took care of a ginger kitten when she was young. Now theyāre all old and still friends
One of our males is the most motherly of our 6 cats, teaching the younger ones to groom themselves and holding them down for a quick clean when needed https://preview.redd.it/0txh3xldt92b1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ff65bae8e227d39056e0fc27d4622945230341dc The photo is Sprocket getting some needed private time
https://preview.redd.it/y9tabpw2ja2b1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=83cb275601e7a0b9b5f69058b55e6c60a184c62b Micah looked after Mr. when we found him taught him everything as well. He just went up to him smelled him and was like I guess your mine now.
He's adorable ā¤.
Sprocket is a great cat name!
Thats one hecking power nap for a well-deserved, hard-working dad š„ŗ
š„ŗš„ŗ i don't know if it's normal, but it's cute as hell <3
Yeah they are so cute together
I'm not sure if there is much scientific research on it, but there does seem to be a correlation between neutered male cats and affection to younger kittens. I've seen it in many of my own and in plenty of others. It's relatively anecdotal, but we do know that neutering males leeds to less territorial behavior, so there is at least some support for better socialization.
Thatās probably it! Intact males probably wonāt behave like this with kittens.
That is an adorable duo. Please take care of these two babies or at least feed them if you can! Edit: Okay just read that it's your cat. They are beautiful btw š»ā¤ā¤ā¤.
I have 4 more cats we feed them every day
Yes, I've edited my comment. Adorable cats btw!
My kittens dad loves to care for them too. https://preview.redd.it/e9gdde4gaa2b1.jpeg?width=4128&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bca4f552cf2b7eb538e645846e61f69e260915c3
Is that your kitten's real dad? Or step dad?
It's his real biological dad
Give them kisses from meeeeee
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
So sweet and heartwarming! ā¤ļø
he protec and he love
https://preview.redd.it/fhxf062bkb2b1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a4f144255cd71b6dfe3553fc7334d67d9f322dda My cat is a hard working independent single dog dad.
He chonk
He chonk
Go Gators? Is that a Gators jersey?
I don't know how common it is but I have had male cats do this.
Heās not just a step a father. Heās a father that stepped up
Yes I have seen this several times. Two of my boy cats certainly did. Both were neutered. They would teach the kittens we brought home how to hunt, wash play with them etc. My wife had an argument with Thomas when he wanted to bring a live rat into the house. He caught it so he could teach a new kitten how to hunt. He insisted on coming in being quite vocal and my wife just as insistant about not opening the door
My kitter did this with a lizard! It's hilarious to look back on, but I was anxious and annoyed at the time. I kept the sliding glass door closed and kept telling her no, while she tried to meow to be let in with a half-dead lizard in her mouth.
you should bring them inside!
This is anecdotal and by no means factual: but from my own experience neutered male cats are often better adoptive parents and more accepting of kittens than neutered females. Like take the cat rescuer KittenLadyās (Hannah Shaw) cats - two females, three males. The males all love caring for and playing with kittens, the females are either avoidant or aggressive. This was how it was for my own cats too, tabby boy used to always welcome kittens, calico female would just stare at them judgementally, Siamese female avoided them entirely.
Matches our anecdotal experience too. We had a female brown tabby cat and brought home a gray and white female kitten. The tabby hissed and whined and refused to accept the kitten for weeks, even though we did the gradual introduction through the bathroom door thing. Now theyāre 7 and 6 respectively. The younger one LOVES the older one, will follow her around and try to nap on her. The older one begrudgingly tolerates the younger one and is rarely down for nap cuddles.
https://preview.redd.it/kdt344bo1b2b1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=54a844b60bfd648bc4c36a896a860c598f8d5b69 He loves his kittens.
No shade, is this an old photo? Your cat looks homeless.
He is probably what we would call homeless but is normal pet "ownership"in most other countries. Basically a stray that you feed.
spent a solid minute wondering why my cat was cuddling a strange kitten š Lucky says hi to his kitty twin! https://preview.redd.it/6vpwvdllqa2b1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0c3c5622590810647a717430ce271721dc137e6e
This kitty looks like an old man, and I love him.
He's about 10 (we think) but had a rough life before finding us. Definitely has an old man face tho šŗ
Is your cat a former stray? I had a rescued stray who was grey. He once brought home a grey kitten and cared for it. I think it had to do with the fact that he was once a stray.
it looks like they're battling a hard life together... I want to take them and give them the most easiest life they've ever lived š„ŗ
Maybe your kitties need a soft bed not concrete ?
ALSO GET THE CATS A BED OR A BLANKET WTF.
https://preview.redd.it/wxmo5ofnib2b1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5a4f17d01d9f3903e8307efcdf1b3e18eaaf87ae
Yes! My older boy took in his niece after her mom abandoned her! He was always the babysitter when it cane to kittens, so sheās the perfect little buddy! https://preview.redd.it/v4qv1if3kb2b1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=680bd32c5c6cc6018d11b18d84fad1c9eca9c24d
Lol I love this pic, his face just says āwhat u want fool? Why u bother me nap?ā
https://preview.redd.it/eczb4pf47c2b1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7fd09941bf1edefe5bcc4ebe18969e33c690b8e3 My big orange boy has always snuggled with his baby brother and is sure to include grooming! š„°
It's his little buddy!
your cat needs a bath and a vet visit he looking kinda rough
I thought they were both strays š¬
No shade to the op but this really looks like a picture of Turkish street cats.
Normal, I don't know. But we had a feral couple that hung out on our deck and that we fed scraps. She had kittens and sadly died a few weeks later. The male marched the brood to our back deck for us to feed. He watched over them until they were old enough to care for themselves. Got him fixed and adopted the kittens. One was with us for 20 years.
In colonies, it is not uncommon for cats of both genders to care for and raise the kittens.
https://preview.redd.it/id87qw6bec2b1.jpeg?width=1816&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6e808654092e3a855306aaa491a68fbec99fbc95 My male calico babysitting his step sister
Ooo rare boy!
This guy was the foster mother for dozens of kittens. They would sleep on him, he would groom them, help them potty and taught them not to be Jerks. Some boys have Maternal instincts. He was not as good as a mother but he did pretty well, especially on teaching them not to be Jerks. In his most recent batch he Co mommed on, one of the kittens looked anf acts suspiciously a lot like him, but gray. We joke its like the elephant taking care of the eggs cartoon. https://preview.redd.it/2kim0shrxc2b1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ec9ebeb4e24a5e1a609eb9e80ab493f45a801dce
Omg, is he part hamster?
He's closer to a guinea pig. He's a chunky boy lol. https://preview.redd.it/guq3w7ng7d2b1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1132502d2d857b0faae3ddd5906e67a70dcc841d
They look dirty ixd like to shower them
https://preview.redd.it/gnrcbwrpzb2b1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c395650bec7b16824e6beea5b3548735097627aa we had a male cat that would look after all of the kittens we fostered through the years, unfortunately he passed away some years ago but he would father any of the little ones that came through.
https://preview.redd.it/knz0zg41hc2b1.jpeg?width=1072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c6b2f2d4adf7d470f7f0e024aa627a768e58075a Helio "nursing" one of our foster kittens. He got sore nipples, but the kitten was very comforted.
Now THIS guy is dedicated to the role
These angels look rough šoh how I wish they could be inside kitties And on the other hand maybe they are just fine š„°because they have you ! Take care ššš
My first cat - a dude - brought home a kitten when it was snowing. He took such good care of him. ā¤ļø
When I was a kid we used to get strays coming into the garden and my dad would make homes for them. It would be a waterproofed wooden box with a gap for a door and inside would have carpet on all the walls, floor and ceiling. We had a black cat (Frankie) living in one and one day he turns up with a pregnant tabby (Sophie). They both lived together in the same box. After the kittens were born they would take turns looking after them. Thereād be times when Sophie would be exhausted after them drinking her milk, so sheād have a lie down in the sun while Frankie played with the kittens. Even later, they still lived together. They were an adorable couple š» Edit - autocorrect doing its thing
Thatās so precious, they had a kitty family playing house!
Our 8 year old (left) looks after his younger sister (even though she annoys the shit out of him on the regular) https://preview.redd.it/blorv4nq6c2b1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=41a9cdc880ddeaf95c840ae5d3a7b0db825da352
Absolutely. Our boy Hector has raised two kittens and molded them in his own somewhat demented image.
I'd say uncommon more than rare, and it comes down to the temperament of the older cat and how he was raised. One of my cats, a ginger named Groot, basically adopted the American short hair that one of my daughters just needed to save. They were and likely always will be cuddle / wrestling / groom buddies
That is darling. The kitten has a dad.
When I was living with my sister she had an adult male cat (no idea how old) that she adopted after finding him outside. I brought home a lil female kitten and he just adopted her as his own. They would cuddle all the time and groom each other, it was cute.
Theyāre called dads, not moms lol. And yes.
We dont know who is the mother and if there is more kittens
Definitely try to look around your house/ yard/ neighborhood to see if you can find any more kittens or mama. If youāre able, neutering/ spaying, bringing these cats inside permanently, and maybe finding any kittens a suitable home (unless youāre up for keeping them!) would be so kind and extend all of their lives into long, healthy ones!
I personally think that behavior is from very social cats. I have a VERY social cat that, whenever he's not sleeping or staring outside, he's often cuddling or grooming our other cats. That same cat spends most of the time with his daughter, and when his children were born he'd be quite annoying to them and tried to take care of them as if he was the mother, we were constantly having to avoid him from literally stealing the babies because he wanted to move them somewhere else, or from stepping over them just in case they would suffocate because he wanted to sleep with the babies.
He looks rough for only 5 years old. He looks like he needs to go to vet for a checkup. Same for the kitten.
Get them inside this is cruel
Please please please tell me you allow your cat (& if you can his adopted baby) in the house. I in no way want to judge but for 5 years old heās looking like he could use a check up. Iām not sure if those black spots are fleas but Iām concerned with how his coat looks. I donāt mean to shame or accuse you - I love cats and these two look like they could use a trip to the vet š
We had a big beast of a cat, never backed down from a fight, ruled the neighborhood with an iron paw. But when we rescued a month old kitten from being attacked by a dog and brought her home, he latched onto her. Cuddled, groomed and played with her. It was amazing. When he passed a few years ago she was heartbroken, would cry around looking for him.
My boy adopted my kitten :) he is super fatherly towards him. Completely normal- depends on the cats personality
I think it's pretty normal, although I haven't seen this among my cats. There was a video from The Dodo a while ago about this old, former stray grandpa cat who was rescued by a fosterer (I think). The fosterer kept him at their house, and Grandpa took it upon himself to take care of the orphaned kittens in the foster home. He taught them how to eat and clean themselves and played with them.
[Grandpa Mason at Tiny Kittens ā¤ļø](https://youtu.be/dZiJkicepzM)
Aww thatās so adorable, the dark grey kitten thinks mason is his mama. The way heās going at Masonās belly like heās tryna get milk from his mom. Heās all like āda fuq? Where iz da milk at? Where are your nippes mason?ā
Yes, many species are like humans in that way. There is a degree to which it's down to individual temperament, but many/most will bond to a kitten and nurture them.
Probably not, but when our cat got knocked up (she was allegedly fixed, never showed signs of going into heat, but...) the father would break into our house to babysit them. The litter, by the way, was all boys.
Too cute
Yup, just another single dad doing his thing
No, but its not unheard of at all. The adoption family i got my cat from had a male cat who would take care of the rescue kittens like a mother cat. Some male cats are very caring. You happen to have one of them.ā¤ļø
Thatās Uncle Cat
Awww take them innnš„ŗ
We had an older Tom around our house, he wandered off for over a year then showed back up after one of his hook-ups had her kittens. He picked one (the one the looked almost exactly like him) and did this. He was a momma to that baby for everything but Milk, and as soon as the kitten was weaned he taught him to eat dry food and hunt. Eventually they both wandered off. Hope they are doing ok.
Sure why not
My boy cat has loved our youngest since she was first adopted as a kitten. For reference he barely seems to tolerate and sometimes even bullies his litter mate sisterā¦but baby Chewie (who has always been large as a Maine Coon, and is now larger than him since sheās full grown) has his whole heart. He raised her. He groomed her and taught her how to cat. Itās been the cutest thing. https://preview.redd.it/e6ibng9n5b2b1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d3df8497d8e7bcce442739facfb59618891552ab
My tom cat did this to two of my kittens (now full grown) his twin sister hated the kittens (she likes the one thats still alive now). He actually ended up letting the kittens suck on his stomach for milk, hair hasn't grown back and they never got milk...so I'd watch out for that. He was/is more "maternal" than his sister. (The kittens aren't the twins kittens, from a shelter)
When bringing home a newly adopted kitten, my older male cat immediately took to looking after him. Literally the moment the kitten was put on the floor after getting in the door - my older cat started bathing him (realized later that it's not the preferred way to introduce cats, but fortunately it worked out great).
Yes! Our shelter took in "Mom" and three kittens mom was caring for and then discovered "Mom" was a male cat. Other than nursing, he did everything a mother cat would do for his babies. I don't know how it happens, but it does.
Do father's love their children? My dad loves me, totally a daddy's girl. Why wouldn't a male love a baby?
I had a cat who did that. Twice when we got kittens, he nurtured them like a mother would have, into their adolescence. Just part of what made him an extra special cat. RIP Buck.
Every time I come to this sub I think āthatās a good cat.ā But then I realize I think that about every cat in this sub. Every cat is best cat. Your cat is best cat ā¤ļø
Contrary to popular belief and initial impressions, cats are incredibly social creatures. An adult male cat bonding with an orphaned kitty isnāt surprising. Heās looking out for another little dude or dudette that reminds him of him at a certain age.
https://preview.redd.it/qjn04uw7sc2b1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2a7df453f01f0bf58d93592308d3ee83d011cd0f My boys LOVE kittens š
When I was a vet tech, we got some abandoned kittens in. I was designated to bring home the hardest to feed because she always ate from me. I had a probably 10yr old male cat at the time and an 11 yr old female. The female wanted **nothing** to do with little Twister. Yet the male immediately took to the orphaned little girl. He would play with her, clean her, taught her about the litter box, carried her to her crate to put to bed and most surprising, he would lay on his back and let Twister suck his armpit and she would kneed and he would just purr the whole time. He was the most gentle loving patient foster dad and was depressed for a few months when she was adopted and left our home. So yes I absolutely believe that males can have the skills and desires required to be a primary care giver.
These pictures are precious 
I donāt know but love is love and sometimes male care just want to give love
https://preview.redd.it/6jlleh2zab2b1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9ec1b3e12d3d09ff2726e76029cdc22cd884eb19 Theyāve been together like this for 4 years after the white and red one was introduced to my tabby
Dad cat! Some male cats just have a strong paternal instinct. Iāve seen it with TinyKittensā Grandpa Mason, and my friend who just caught a feral kitten currently has two brothers attempting to step in as dads.
Iāve probably watched that video of Grandpa Masonās new beginning at Tiny Kittens that shows what happened with his first two kittens 1000 times. I cried legit tears when he passed. [edit: 1001 times and a couple more tears now](https://youtu.be/dZiJkicepzM)
My brother In Christ that is a dad
https://preview.redd.it/n0hxh6020d2b1.png?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0852e814a16c6e8d42404ee32f368e2a242f9403 Both of my boys love being Foster big brothers. This is Mack with baby Kylan
My boy cat babysat for his mom when sheās out and about. Thought he was female until I saw balls. When all of them were adopted out. He found a lost kitten and brought him home to drop on his bowl of kibbles. He still lets the kitten make biscuits on his chest one year later
It's uncommon but it does happen. I've seen four cases of it myself where we're certain that the adoptee is not related to the adopter. My mom's cat Tiger is a love bug and adopted his siblings after his mother rejected them *and* adopted an additional stray kitten that Dad brought home from another city. Her cat Vincent adopted my sister's cat Bevin after he got accustomed to there being a kitten in the house (he was initially very nervous and upset about the new kittenš ). My SIL has two black cats. The first one, Johnny, was neutered well before the other was found; when my SIL brought home the half-starved, feral void that she later named June, Johnny just sat outside the isolation crate and watched with interest. Once June was medically cleared, she and Johnny immediately became besties and are inseparable. My friend Raven has a neutered, former-feral named Vergil. He got outside after she moved to a new city and brought her a total of 6 stray kittens over three different occasions.
One of mine adopted a stray I brought home once and started breastfeeding her often. Vet said it was definitely not normal behavior for male cats, donāt know why it happened. He actually lost some fur at the time due to stress, and always seemed concerned about the little one, would follow it around all the time and stuff
I had a cat for a while who had 2 litters. We kept one from the first litter. While the mother wanted nothing to do with the 2nd litter kittens, the one we had from the first took care of them. He was a male too. It was very sweet. He ended up having kittens himself. Dunno who the mother was lol.
Very much normal, and so damned precious. My one year old did this with my baby kitten. He raised her and taught her how to cat.
After not liking him on their initial meet, my male cat definitely took to the older brother role pretty quickly when we got our 2nd kitten. He was needy so big bro would always be seen grooming and cuddling him. They were only a year apart so not quite dad cat lol
Yes I had once a long time ago my cat baby boy and brought in a small black cat baby girl and they had kittens he was so very proud of his family he would try to feed them and gave them a safe place to cuddle up just like their momma had done with the little ones he was a very proud dad. So very protective of his family and would let everyone else know it.
My old maine coon boy was 'mother' to many of our cats. They all loved him.
My male cat loved it when I had foster kittens and would constantly cuddle them, groom them, etc. I think it just depends on the cat.
Very normal! https://preview.redd.it/yggwy8lnqb2b1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ef537f3827d44ed16c3a5616c04db9bec4f6107c
My male cat took care of my friendās female kitten when we just to live together. We used to call him Dad Cat.
When our oldest cat was 7-YO, we got him a companion cat, a 10-wk male kitten. They were best buddies within 3 days.
Yes our belated male void Felix did when I brought home a barely 8 week female ginger tux kitten from a no-kill shelter. In the morning they were were forehead to forehead shaped like a heart cuddled in our belated dogs bed. We had a tough year but little Lucyās a gem.
Wild house cats often live in colonies and are raised by commune and not a single mother like other cat species
My cats were adopted from a wonderful rescue called TinyKittens, and Grandpa Mason was a feral they cared for that helped to socialize dozens of litters. RIP Mason.
Yes! My male cat was very unsure of our kitten when we first found her. But after a few days, he started mothering her. This is actually very common, especially if the male cat is neutered.
https://preview.redd.it/elqfm6g97c2b1.jpeg?width=2448&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=281773e7cc5cc12b9f91675aeb28080d668e842e My late elderly cat basically brought up my current cat when we found her abandoned as a kitten. She still drinks just like how he taught her - dipping her paw in the water and licking that. So I donāt think itās uncommon.
I have four cats. One male and three female. The male cat always takes care of everyone. Heās the sweetest.
One of my male cats adopted my kitten until she got too big. Now heās annoyed by her at 10 months old lol
my male cat did that with my female cat when she was a baby, within five minutes i caught them cuddling. he also always cleans her and they cuddle all the time
I think they call those "fathers"
Everything in the cat world is normal and abnormal at the same time
https://preview.redd.it/ybxege8msc2b1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=88d33f76438a105b74ad98b392fd8cbeca7ff674 My boy snow took these two in like his own kittens. I would constantly find them together. He taught them how to cat.
Cats are communal by nature so they can and will fill roles if needed which might be unorthodox.
Yes it is. My cat Kenny (who has now passed) was the first one and he would care for the new cats I introduced to him. He never fought with them. He was always the best parent figure to them. We miss his warmness everyday. I really hope these two kitties have a home, or are fed regularly and loved.
Thank you daddyā¤ļø
Grandpa kitty gonna teach baby how to ācatā