Reason Woman Removes Kittens From Their Mother Breaks Hearts: 'The Trauma'

Cats are so common in our households that it's easy to see them as fun pets that love to sleep and play. But one Michigan resident has shared a harrowing reminder not to take them for granted, as they still have the natural instincts of their wild ancestors.

Erin Moore, 37, has fostered many cats over the years, but after taking in Gossip, a pregnant stray, in March, she faced a new challenge. Gossip is around 10 to 11 months old, so still very young, but she was very far along in her pregnancy when she arrived on Moore's doorstep.

On March 31, she welcomed her litter of three kittens, Rumor, Whisper and Tattle. But after around 12 hours, Moore, who lives in Madison Heights, Michigan, noticed that Gossip still wasn't producing any milk.

That was "where the concerns started," she told Newsweek. Gossip appeared stressed, had no appetite and showed signs of an infection.

"She stopped eating and was constantly moving her kittens around, despite having a private room to herself. I took Gossip to the vet, where my suspicions were correct, that it wasn't only stress but something else was wrong and she wasn't feeling well," Moore said.

"She received an oxytocin injection to help pass any remains, as well as boost milk production. She was also put on amoxicillin to help fight the infection," she said.

In the following days, Gossip showed signs of improvement, but her kittens still weren't growing, and Whisper in particular "never seemed too interested in nursing."

Moore bottle-fed Whisper to help her gain weight, but when she returned home on the eighth day, she couldn't believe what she found. As she went to feed the smallest kitten, she discovered "only the remains of her head," because Gossip had eaten one of her babies.

"We will never know the reason why, but I have a feeling it was a few things," Moore said. "The kitten could have been unhealthy or had birth defects we couldn't see. Gossip is inexperienced, stressed and was malnourished after not eating for a few days. She may have decided to eat Whisper because she couldn't support all of her kittens."

When an animal eats its young, it's known as filial cannibalism, according to National Geographic. It's most often done when the infant is sick or deformed or the mother can't care for it. It occurs more regularly than people might think and is most commonplace among leopards, African lions, and many fish species.

While filial cannibalism is undoubtedly shocking and cats like Gossip will be perceived negatively as a result, it's a necessary part of nature, National Geographic says.

'Her Spirit Was Broken'

Of course, Moore was horrified by what she found, but she said she "wasn't mad or disgusted" with Gossip. Instead, she felt extremely sad for the mother cat, who felt this was her only option.

She decided to take the remaining kittens away from Gossip and give them to her other foster cat, Harriette, an experienced mother.

"I made the decision to relieve Gossip of her motherly duties and let my other nursing cat adopt Gossip's remaining kittens to give them a better chance and to allow Gossip to go back to being a kitten," Moore said.

"Her kittenhood was cut short when she got pregnant at such a young age. She is still a kitten who just wants to play and be silly," she said.

Unfortunately, one of her other kittens died a few days later, but the remaining kitten is doing well with Harriette. As for Gossip, she is set to be spayed in the coming days and appears back to her old self.

Gossip was very young when she got pregnant and was not ready for it, but Moore said "these situations can be avoided" if people spay and neuter their pets early.

"The reason she got her name is because she likes to talk all the time. She stopped that when she had her kittens, and it seemed like her spirit was broken. But now she chirps and prances around like a kitten again," Moore said.

How Did TikTokers React?

It hasn't been an easy experience for Moore, but it's one that she's learned from, and she shared the story on TikTok (@emookitkats) to educate other people.

Since the post was shared on April 9, it has already gained over 1.6 million views and more than 119,900 likes. Many TikTokers have shown empathy toward Gossip, while others shared similar experiences they've had.

The viral post has amassed over 1,800 comments already, with one person responding: "It's likely Whisper passed, and Gossip acted on instinct to dispose of her. I'm sorry for the trauma, but she's still so young herself."

Another wrote: "Poor Gossip is just a baby herself, nature can be cruel, but you gave her and her kittens the best chance. I'm so sorry you had to walk into that though, hope you're okay."

Another comment reads: "I'm sad but I love how you are not mad or blaming her."

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