Slightly odd cats.

[HirplesWithHaggis]

So, I have a 12 yo neutered tom housecat. He's lovely, very good natured and chilled.

Three weeks ago we added two eight-week kittens (both male) to the household. After initial suspicion, hissing and growling, all three are happily sharing food, litter trays and beds. All good.

So good, in fact, that one of the kittens not only snuggles up to the old cat at night, he actually suckles from him. The other kitten joins in a bit, but wanders off after a couple of minutes. The first hangs in there for about half an hour, and uses at least two nipples. The old cat seems perfectly relaxed about this, and usually dozes off, though he grooms the kittens a bit too. This is the third night in a row this has happened.

I've known kittens suckle woolly jumpers and cotton T shirts before now, so that doesn't bother me. I've googled and it seems male cats can lactate, if suitably stimulated (as can human men). I'm hoping that 30 minutes in 24 hours isn't enough stimulation?

If he does lactate, might this cause health problems further down the line?

How very cute. I'd be amazed if he does actually start to lactate. This is something I know nothing about from a medical point of view but my first (or even second, or third) reaction wouldn't be worry. I'm sure it will do him no harm and it's lovely that they are all getting on.

I have seen abandoned kittens in gardens reared by a male cat. I don't think he managed to produce milk for them but he looked after them and brought them food. And we had to home them all together as they had such a bond.

Many years ago I had a cat who would nurse on a benign growth on my staffy's tummy.

I wonder what gives male cats the drive to look after kittens? MCat's washed Little M since he was a kitten. Gives him a smack on the head if he won't sit still. They both seem to enjoy it.

Thanks for your replies, I was slightly concerned I'd be accused of (poor) trolling! Glad it's unlikely to cause the old boy any harm, and yes, delighted they're all getting on so well. The suckling kitten approached him at lunchtime and groomed his ear as a "hello" before latching on again, but old boy only put up with it for about ten minutes before he chased the kitten away, so this may be a habit that disappears in time anyway.

I wonder what gives male cats the drive to look after kittens

Maybe it's because sex/gender roles and expectations are not as rigid as we think they are, even in nature? :) wanders back to FWR

Hmm, my old cat's a feminist? Interesting notion!

But when you compare his behaviour (and the tom who raised the abandoned kits) to that of their bigger cousins, lions, who often kill cubs they know not to be theirs, yes, it makes me wonder too. Where does that behaviour come from?

It's not even as if it's a human trait that we've somehow selected for in cats, over the millenia. Chimps murder baby chimps so they can breed with the mothers, and human children can be at great risk from "step fathers". Hmm.

Maybe ... but then there are all those heartwarming animal stories about chimps raising kittens and puppies or cats raising ducklings :). Maybe we tend to think of animals as too much about 'nature' and not enough about 'nurture' (or culture). I think your old cat is just a big old softy. You haven't provided a photo by the way. There are laws about that.

I've had toms who cleaned kittens from birth, wrapped themselves around them in their bed and chased them round like a sheepdog as they grew older. Not at all unusual for a tom to do this, although as they grow up, they can become territorial. Lovely to watch!

Come to think of it, my DSis' male shi tzu has taken her 2 new kittens under his wing. Here's a picture of one of them making biscuits on his tummy. He gets worried if they're playing out of sight, follows them around whining and carefully picks them up so he can "bring them to safety". .

Oh that is lovely. What a good boy . There is a gorgeous feral cat called Grandpa Mason at tiny kittens rescue who is very unsure of humans but comes alive when he meets kittens! He cuddles them, helps them to socialise and plays with them. It is just lovely. www.tinykittens.com/cases/mason

Sorry about the lack of photos, my tech (iPad) won't let me, honest Guv. I can't even put photos up on FB. :(

However, we are all blessed with imagination. :) So, picture a large ginger tomcat with a somewhat saggy belly from repeated weight gain and loss. Add a small cataract to one eye, and reshape the pupil of that eye to a flat-based arch rather than the usual oval. Chop off a rear leg at the hip, and remove all but about three inches of tail. Add an ocassional phleghmy cough that somehow never produces furballs, and silence the purr you can feel vibrating. That's the old boy. My biggest contribution to the local cat population was to have him neutered, those are not genes that need to be passed on.

Suckling kitten is black. There's not much more to say about him, lookswise.

His brother is white, with a black tail, a black patch on his side, another on the back of his neck, and two on his face. They make a lovely yin/yang pair when curled up together. :)