The Castro upstairs is just to the left of my upstairs desk and PC. It's in another room that I use as a TV & reading room. I was watching my money going away at Delta Downs when I heard these crazy sucking sounds. I grab my camera and see both Shiloh and Trouble at their mother's gut and nipples. I snapped this photo just before Mister Mittens got mad, went nuts, and got up to swat and chase her kittens away with claws and teeth. But she had them nursing with her permission for maybe five minutes - that the milk is gone I am certain.

No way was I getting involved except for the photo. But I was amazed that Mister Mittens put up with the "nipple grab" for several minutes before she put a stop to it. She truly loves her kittens and backs off the feed dishes to let them have have first gulps but I still have no idea why she permits them into her belly sometimes. Mister Mittens is beyond nursing her young and her kittens are on solid food for months. And they have adult teeth in front - not a good deal for Mom.

Jeez, if anybody can explain cats to me please shoot me an e-mail, a PM, or get me on to a good book. I have read a couple of thousand pages about cats and am still befuddled about their behavior.

After Mister Mittens chased her two young ones downstairs off her nursing equipment they did not know what to do. They started to come upstairs again tentatively but the Momcat stopped them by standing at the stop of the stairs and making a cat noise that I have never heard. The two young ones speak "cat" and retreated.

Trouble and Shiloh are both crashed in my wife's bed downstairs. They are warm and happy and not hungry. Mister Mittens stayed upstairs with me and is now sleeping happily.



It's true - cats within a family can work things out without bloodshed.