postpartum blues in cats

Question
Hi, I was wondering if you could tell me, Can cats get postpartum blues? And if so, what might be the majr signs? Thank you in advance

Answer
Hi Jennifer,

Well, I don't know if there is an actual condition in cats that would be characterized as "postpartum blues" but some cat moms, also known as "queens", do reject their kittens for one reason or another.  If the cat is very young herself she might not know what she's supposed to do and end up leaving them in favor of your attention, or if the kittens are sickly she might reject them.  It sounds cruel but its nature's way of ensuring the strongest survive.  Most queens become very protective and can be aggressive if you try to handle the kittens when they're very young.  As horrible as it sounds, we have had instances of young queens eating one or more of their kittens--but that was in situations where the queen was scared, just off the streets and usually very young.  We're always very careful to give new moms a lot of space and quiet when they come into the rescue.  You shouldn't have to worry about that with your cat.