The Two-Parent Bengal Family:
    Father Does His Part


    Current research in cat behavior shows that females living in a colony often cooperate in kitten-rearing tasks, including helping their female relatives and friends with birthing, guarding the nest, and moving kittens from one place to another.

    Perhaps less well known is the role that the fathers can have in caring for the colony's kittens. The slide show below includes photographs of an adult whole male (in this case the father of the litter) caring for the kittens...including nesting with them, grooming them, and even stimulating them to urinate and defecate.


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    NOTES:

    This litter was born and raised in a small in-home cattery...in fact, in the breeder's bedroom, with both the stud and the queen present at all times. As the photos illustrate, the stud and the queen took turns in caring for the kittens (other than providing milk of course), and also both parents often provided care together to the litter.

    When these photos were taken both the stud and queen were slightly over a year old; it was the first litter for both of them. The kittens were 3-5 weeks old.

    All photographs are by Nancy Prince and cannot be reproduced except with her permission.



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