Observations of a Momma Cat
Shawna Ellis
CAT and HUMAN breastfeeding mothers (as read in this group... I have no
baby yet).
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No one ever asks the cat if she has enough milk... she is feeding four
and everyone assumes she has plenty (which she does).
She is not asked incredulously, "The kittens sleep with you at night and
nurse in your bed? How will they EVER learn to sleep on their own?!!"
(Note: all adult cats I have known sleep just fine, and so were
apparently never harmed by family bedding!)
It has never been suggested that she use kitten formula, and people
would be shocked and perhaps upset if I gave her kittens a bottle when
the mother is still available, healthy, and producing milk.
No one has ever suggested that the kittens be given water or juice...
everyone knows that their mother's milk has all of liquid they need.
It has never been insinuated that Sabre is using her nursing kittens
just to satisfy her own "perverse" needs.... nor is it considered sexual
or at all suggestive for her to be breastfeeding.
She has not yet been asked "When will you wean those kittens? Aren't
they getting too old for this?"
It is perfectly acceptable for her to nurse her babies wherever she is,
in front of ANYONE, including male cats and other kittens.
Everyone knows that she wants to be with her babies almost all of the
time, and they accept this as natural... she has not been encouraged to
"get away for a while."
She does not feel compelled to hide the fact that she is breastfeeding
her kittens due to shame or embarassment from her mate, family, or the
media.... or because "all the modern mother cats are using formula."
She is confident and secure in her mothering, and follows her instincts
without doubting herself. Sabre doesn't care what anyone else thinks of
her mothering techniques.
Sabre never lets a kitten "cry it out," and most people would consider
her a bad mother if she did so. If it were suggested, even by her vet,
she would still not try it.
No one questions the fact that we pamper the new mother, and allow her
time to recover and spend time with her kittens before encouraging her
to go back to mousing and other duties.
Everyone expects her to be nursing, rather than suggesting it as an
"alternative" for hippy earth mother cats.
She is not trying to lose the weight from her pregnancy, and no one is
suggesting that she diet and quit breastfeeding in order to do so.
Her vet assumes she is nursing, and all of the growth charts in her
office would reflect this!
Almost everyone comments upon how content she is with her nursing
kittens as she snuggles them close, rather than concentrating upon how
tied down she must feel.
It will be completely acceptable for her to still be nursing her kittens
even when they are "toddlers" old enough to walk, meow, and play.
If I were to give the kittens solids at this point, people would wonder
why and would point out that "Mother cats make all the food their babies
need until they are at least three weeks old."
So far, cans of kitten milk replacer have not shown up on my doorstep,
nor do I expect them to!
On the can of kitten milk replacer I have remaining from finding two
abandoned kittens earlier in the year, it says: "If at all possible,
allow the kittens to get AT LEAST their first few feedings from the
mother, which provides important protection from disease." This is more
than human mothers are sometimes encouraged to do after the baby's
birth!
At the birth of kittens, what is the first thing that the human
attendant does after checking to see that the kitten is breathing? He or
she encourages the kitten to nurse, and it is almost unheard of to try
to seperate the mother and babies for any length of time. If only the
same emphasis and importance could be placed upon a baby's first feeding
of colostrum at mother's warm and safe breast in the hospital! And even
more so.... if it could only be as accepted for a human mother to use
the tender love and nuturing of breastfeeding without making her doubt
her abilities to nurse her baby!!! If only, if only!
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I must say her that the mother cats, dogs, and other animals I have
known have greatly influenced my choice to breastfeed, which I made when
I was young despite having a family which did not do so. The total love
that these animals feel toward their babies, and the complete confidence
they have in taking care of them (past the initial confused stage some
feel that first hour or so) is a great inspiration for natural
mothering. No one ever seems to question their abilities, yet this same
carefree and accepted attitude toward nursing one's young is seldom
passed on to human mothers.... for whatever reason. A pity, isn't it?
-Shawna
===============================
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April & Mark
--
April in Canada
Proud Mommy to Julianna 11/28/99
Visit Jules' Site (Updated 9/17/00): www.angelfire.com/stars/julianna
julibo...@hotmail.com
Shawna Ellis wrote in message
<7800-39D...@storefull-216.iap.bryant.webtv.net>...
Suzanne Dallapè
of friends. Nature seems so easy; why do humans insist on making these
things so difficult?
I do hope you find yourself pregnant very soon. Children need to have
mothers like you!
--S.
--
e-mail: sdal...@earthlink.net
website: www.geocities.com/sdallape/index.htm
Shawna Ellis
pregnant soon, as well... you may recall that I have been readng and
asking questions on this newsgroup for over a year now, which is just a
little longer than the length of time I have been trying to conceive.
By the way, a belated congratulations on the birth of Ewan!
mad...@my-deja.com
"Suzanne Dallapè" <kar...@smugglersalliance.org> wrote:
> Nature seems so easy; why do humans insist on making these
> things so difficult?
>
Aw, c'mon, Suzanne, it's 'coz they're *animals* and we're *humans*!
-- Madolyn <-- tongue planted firmly in cheek
(mama of Amelia, 11/24/99)
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Mary Ann Tuli
>
> These are differences I have noticed between the reactions to a mother
> CAT and HUMAN breastfeeding mothers (as read in this group... I have no
> baby yet).
> -----------------------------------------------
Great post Shawna.
Those observations may come in handy for you to bat off
ignorant remarks when your time comes.
Mary Ann
Shawna Ellis
ignorantt remarks about breastfeeding. And I know that if it is my
parents or father-in-law (MIL has passed away, sadly) who gives such
remarks, I can remind them of their complete faith in a mother dog,
horse, cat, cow, goat, or any other animal (they are all familiar with
such animals and have had them) to produce enough milk for their babies.
It should be hard to refute, unless they take that ever-so-silly route
and say, "Yeah, but we are HUMAN!" That would just be plain
exasperating!