Though it ranks as unusual cat behavior, yes, male cats can have maternal instincts. It depends on the cat as well as on the circumstances. I observed a mated pair of cats in our home in the high mountains of Colorado, and these observations gave somewhat of an answer to my question.
No other cats lived close by. The area harbored a great many coyotes, who would have thought these cats could make a good lunch. The cats bonded against the world, and it may have been the factor that brought out the male’s nurturing instincts. They had four kittens, and twice I watched them move those kittens to a location they must have felt was safe. For the move, each cat carried one kitten in its mouth.
Why Does A Cat Move Its Kittens?
Cats move kittens because of an instinct to protect the baby. The newborn is completely dependent on its mother for warmth, food, and protection. Often the parent will move the baby to what seems like a safer location. In the case of my mother’s cat, they must have both felt the need to protect their offspring.
Mother cat may have had good luck in choosing her mate. Some cats have stronger maternal feelings than others. Have you ever witnessed a cat adopting a stray kitten, or perhaps some other infant animal in need of mothering? The father cat may feel the need to defend the small kitten from danger.
There are documented instances where male cats have displayed what appears to be nurturing qualities. Have you seen a male cat grooming a kitten, sharing food, or even cuddling with them, a type of care that we normally attribute to a female cat?
Do Male Cats Share The Maternal Instinct?
While we commonly recognize that female cats have strong maternal instincts, we often do not see this trait as one of a male cat. However, in the right circumstances, some male cats can and do show nurturing behaviors which we’d typically associate with mother cats.
I believe my mother’s cat couple felt the need to share a united front, because they both had an awareness that they lived in a dangerous environment. Also, their temperaments must have matched nicely, to allow this sharing to occur. Perhaps this fact indicates that environment as much as temperament can regulate behavior.
Do Male Cats Possess The Proper Skills?
As far as possessing the proper capabilities, both male and female cats have this skill. Of course, the male cat cannot nurse the kittens, but their natural instincts, not biased by human perceptions, can create an effect on their perception of their parentql role. Individual personlity and past life experiences can also influence their behavior.
Though spaying or neutering can change the cat somewhat, it does not remove all maternal instincts. In either case, the cat might still have the maternal urges that would allow it to accept a kitten. These urges might not prove as strong as before spaying or neutering, but they will still factor in to affect their behavior.
The Effect Of Hormonal Makeup
Hormonal makeup, in fact, can definitely affect the male cat’s potential for nurturing behavior.If testosterone levels rank high in a male cat, its presence can influence the cat’s aggression levels and territorial behaviors, and these in turn may affect his inclination to nurture. When neutered, these levels drop, and he may then exhibit more nurturing behaviors.
Among wild or feral groups, one can sometimes see that roles can become shared. Upon observing these groups, one will find instances such as hunting as well as some other aspects of kitten care does not become the exclusive domain of the mother cat.
Male Cats As Caregivers
As with humans, cats show different traits, depending on the individual animal. A male cat will not automatically step into a maternal role as we would recognize it. They have their own ways of socializing and caring for each other that don’t always mirror our human ideas of family and parenting.
Of course, a male cat cannot mirror the mother cat’s comprehensive care, particularly when the kitten still nurses. However, as the kitten grows, the daddy cat can take a more active parental role, sharing in duties of play, teaching, and social develpment.
The Effect Of Neutering
Neutering removes the drive to compete for mates, so the male can can redirect that energy into helping with female roles. That could account for the behavior of my mother’s mated pair of cats: there was no competition for the male with another male, and thus that drive was removed from the male cat without neutering occurring. He knew he could count on having the mother cat all to himself.
Cats learn from experience. If a male cat sees another nuturing kittens, he is more likely to pick up on these behaviors. In the case of our two Colorado cats, since the only other cat for the male to learn from was his female mate, she may have taught him to share her role.
Here is a YouTube video I believe you will enjoy about Chester, a male cat who took on an active maternal role.
References I used for this post: blog.catbandit.com/understanding-how-cats-move-their-kittens/ intl.petsafe.net/en-gb/feline-maternal-instincts familypet.com/maternal-male-cat/