a second cat mom?

Question
okay this is gonna sound weird but i need to know if its normal or what should i do. my cat just had 6 kittens about 3 days ago & she does nurse them and everything, but i have this other cat who always wants to lay in the catbed with them. even though i always take her out, she keeps going in and licks them all as if they're her kittens. the real momma doesn't seem to mind that she's there but i'm concerned with the normality of the situation. what should i do? should i keep the non-mom cat away from them all, or is it normal and i should just let her be in there with them?

Answer
Hi
i wouldn't worry about this behavior, some female cats have a very strong maternal instinct and if they are close to another cat then it would be natural for her to want to help out with the kittens. i would see it as a positive thing as your kittens will now have two adult females to learn from and as long as the mother cat is happy for her interaction then i would not worry about the situation. If spats do start to break out then you may have to separate them until after the kittens are 7 weeks old.

I have a page about kitten care just for your information /kitten-care.html

best wishes
Kate