Why do hamsters eat their babies? Why does a cat eat its kittens? Is treatment possible?

Dolphins. Many people consider dolphins to be wonderful creatures of remarkable intelligence and kindness. This is partly true, but the mind plays a cruel joke on our sea friends, and among them there are also real scum. Bottlenose dolphins, for example, sometimes kill and torture porpoises (dolphin-like cetaceans) just for fun. They don't eat them or try to drive them away, but simply beat them and don't let them breathe until they die. Also, some male dolphins rape both females and fellow males, not to mention other species.

Ants. Some species of ants use aphids as “cash cows,” eating their sweet secretions and protecting them from predators. It seems as if this is a completely harmonious symbiotic relationship, but the aphid is in complete slavery. If it tries to escape, the ants use special pheromones to stupefy the aphid and continue their slave-owning practices.

Chimpanzee. Jane Goodall, the famous primatologist, once observed that some chimpanzees regularly kill and eat newborn babies for no apparent reason. More detailed studies have shown that monkeys are also capable of antisocial and outright insane behavior, similar to that in humans.

Sea otters. Sea otters are the most charming creatures that swim on their backs, amusingly folding their paws on their stomachs. However, this impression is somewhat dispelled when it comes to mating. Male sea otters behave extremely aggressively during sex, painfully biting females. If there are no females nearby, they try to find someone who could replace them - for example, other male sea otters or other sea ​​creatures. There are known cases of sea otters raping and killing cubs. fur seals who were unlucky enough to be nearby.

Penguins. At the beginning of the 20th century, British explorer George Murray Levick and his team stumbled upon Adelie penguins during an expedition - and were horrified. The written story about the behavior of the “cute birds” impressed the censors so much that they banned its publication. According to Levick, male penguins tried to copulate with anything - the ground, other males, frozen corpses of females and baby penguins. They also raped females in large groups, crushing their eggs in the process. Levick described penguins as evil and emotionless creatures.

Gorillas. In May 2016, a famous tragic incident occurred at the Cincinnati Zoo. A three-year-old boy fell into the enclosure and ended up in the hands of a large male gorilla named Harambe. Zookeepers had to shoot the gorilla to save the child, which subsequently caused a wave of condemnation. But the people who defended the gorilla didn’t really understand what they were talking about. In fact, male gorillas often behave extremely aggressively and violently, especially when defending their territory. Sometimes they beat the young to death. And a child for them is the same enemy as an adult.

Sloths and lions. Many zookeepers have watched in disgust as female sloth bears repeatedly eat their newborn offspring. But when in one such case people intervened and saved the cub, it turned out to be extremely weak and sick. Perhaps the cubs eaten were the same, and the female was trying to conserve her resources for healthier children. Lionesses have also been observed to behave similarly—they sometimes leave lion cubs to starve to death, then eat the corpses. Also, lion cubs can be killed by a male who has captured a new pride.

Sharks. Unborn tiger shark cubs fight to the death without leaving their mother's womb. Up to twelve fry can be formed, but only the one who wins and eats the rest will be released into the world. This may be due to the fact that the female shark mates with different males, and the brutal fight between the pups determines the offspring with the best genes.

Hyenas. In The Lion King, hyenas were mostly the butt of jokes, but in reality they are not something to be joked about. For starters, the hyena gives birth through the clitoris, which is more reminiscent of a penis, often dying in agony. Sometimes, during such a birth, the cubs also die - by suffocation. But even having survived, they find themselves pumped up to their ears with testosterone. This results in causeless aggression and fights between young animals to the death.

Cats. You've probably heard the saying "plays like a cat and a mouse." So, it is based on a very real phenomenon. Cats, having caught a defenseless creature like a mouse or a bird, often torture it for a long time before killing it. There is an opinion that in this way the cat hones its hunting skills, but many animal behaviorists assure that this is just a game, simple entertainment.

In an act that seems savage, cold-blooded and downright heartless, the helpless cubs sometimes die and may even be eaten by the animals that gave them life or helped raise them from their earliest days. Undoubtedly, in the eyes of people, infanticide is a heartbreaking phenomenon.

But for an animal that lacks resources and seeks overall dominance or simply feels threatened, killing an unfit offspring is often a necessity.

10. Bottlenose dolphin

Photo. Cute dolphin

Dolphins are one of man's most beloved ocean mammals. Often described as intelligent, dolphins have advanced hearing, communication and vision. Due to the constantly visible "smile", one can easily assume that dolphins are harmless animals. However, in a rare incident of cruelty, a group of bottlenose dolphins were seen trying to kill a newborn calf in August 2013.

The story went public when researchers witnessed the birth of a baby dolphin off the coast of Georgia. Amazingly, not more than two minutes after the calf was born, two male dolphins began trying to drown the little dolphin and continued to do so for 30 minutes. This shocking behavior of bottlenose dolphins has only been observed twice. What's even sadder for the cub is that it was attacked underwater, as evidenced by the severe beating that researchers partially saw. Scientists now understand that because dolphins attack young underwater, there may have been more attacks and even deaths than previously thought.

Some try to explain this cruel behavior as territorial fights, food problems and attempts to force the female to mate after the death of the baby dolphin.

9. Common guillemot

Photo. Two common guillemots

From northern seas The black-and-white guillemot is a relatively small bird that is usually limited to nesting near rocky shores. Although the bird outwardly seems docile, it is engaged in attacking and killing the chicks of its own species. According to the University of Leeds and the Center for Ecology and Hydrology, there has been an increase in infanticide among guillemots in colonies. After studying a colony in Scotland in 2007, it was determined that chicks were either pecked to death or simply thrown off cliffs.

Interestingly, approximately two-thirds of the deaths were committed by adult birds that were not the parents of the dead young. Researchers as one of possible reasons killings were associated with a lack of food resources. Global warming is most likely to blame for the lack of prey for seabirds. Therefore, both parents are forced to search for food, leaving the chicks unattended, which leads to neighboring guillemots attacking and killing the chicks.

8. Black-tailed prairie dog

Photo. Blacktails are playing around prairie dogs

Prairie dogs are terrestrial rodents that are found from Texas to Canada. The most common species, like the black-tailed prairie dog, are preyed upon by a variety of hunters, including badgers, coyotes, mountain lions and even long-tailed weasels. Among the black-tailed prairie dog, the infant mortality rate is very high and it is not because of insects, main reason death is infanticide.

In fact, the black-tailed prairie dog loses approximately 39 percent of its litter to pup infanticide. In some cases, the entire litter may be destroyed. Usually the culprits of such killings are females, who attack the offspring of close relatives, but not their own cubs. Females typically nurse their young while they are committing infanticide, leading to speculation that they are committing cannibalism for food during the busy feeding period of their own young.

There have also been known cases of male prairie dogs committing infanticide. Oddly enough, they often attack the cubs of females with whom they previously had a relationship. Because female prairie dogs can give birth to pups from more than one male, scientists have proposed that this is the males' way of telling which pups are theirs. The eventual father will then try to improve the chances for his own pups by killing members of the other litter.

7. Meerkat

Photo. Meerkat with her baby

If there is one animal that knows that there is strength in numbers, it is meerkats. Native to the southern plains of Africa, they are very sociable and organized animals that form communities for collaboration in all aspects to survive. While a group of animals is going about its daily business, sentinels are usually posted to signal the others when problems arise. But it may come as a shock to know that despite their great sense of community, female meerkats are actually tyrants.

In the hierarchy of meerkats there is an alpha male and a female, who hold everything in iron hands. If lower-ranking females give birth to cubs, the alpha females will viciously eliminate them. Showing no remorse at all, the alpha females then force the grieving mothers to decide to stay and become assistants in raising the alpha female's young or live in exile. The choice to stay comes at a cost, as suffering females lose significant weight.

Scientists believe that alpha females who kill the young of other mothers are trying to reduce competition in order to better care for their own cubs. Although the alpha female's methods are extreme, they are certainly effective.

6. Chakma

Photo. Chakma helps in cleaning pests

Chacma baboons (bear baboon) have one of the complex social structures in the world of primates. Monkeys, which can be found in the southern regions of the Zambezi, are organized into groups and are subject to a strict hierarchy, where important friendly relations and connections.

Although the Chakma community encourages family and family ties, alpha males sometimes take it upon themselves to kill a female's offspring that is not theirs because they want that female too. Killing the baby and not stopping the female's lactation makes the female available.

Scientists have observed that in order to thwart attacks on their young, mothers understandably maintain non-sexual friendships with other males in the group, often courting and staying in close proximity to them in exchange for protection. In addition, males can find support in the group after forming a bond with a female. Whoever said that men and women cannot be friends is seriously mistaken...

5. Gulman

Photo. Gulmans with cub

The benefits of South Asian gulman are twofold. First, primates are used as "pest" repellents and can be trained to repel aggressive rhesus monkeys and other wildlife that may enter public places and cause harm. This was seen at the Commonwealth Games held in Delhi in 2010. Gray langurs, as they are sometimes called, are also widely revered by Hindus and are seen as a deity in the form of the monkey Hanuman, who is considered a hero in Sanskrit legend. But the “holy” gray langurs are not as peaceful as they seem.

IN wildlife one dominant male is in charge of the troop, where the females are fiercely defended by him. If a rival succeeds in overthrowing the alpha male's regime, the new alpha male usually kills all existing babies to pave the way for his own cubs. The study shows that because alpha males are the only males in their troop, they commit infanticide in an attempt to advance their genetic line.

4. Chimpanzee

Photo. Chimpanzee with baby

Some of the more alarming reports of infanticide among primates in the wild come from chimpanzees. Chimpanzees live in communities where males are the dominant class. In some cases, gangs of males from one group attack opposing groups of males from another community in order to fight fiercely, resulting in the death of infants left unprotected. What is even more alarming is that mothers of dead children sometimes join criminal communities.

Of course, infanticide is not limited to outside influences. Males and females kill young in their own communities. In some observed incidents, males cooperated with females to either kill and eat the young or abandon them entirely. As for why females are more likely to kill their young, scientists continue to conduct research.

3. Leo

Photo. Adult lion and lion cub

Even though they are the only ones big cats who live in groups (prides), African lions They are called the “kings of the jungle” and rightly so. They are powerful, majestic animals and increasingly endangered as lion populations are widely reported to be in decline across the board. According to forecasts, their number will decrease by 50 percent over 20 years. Lions are dying due to loss of prey and habitat, and people are also retaliating for the killing of their livestock.

Lionesses are known as proud hunters. But when rogue males make their move, the cubs are at risk of extermination. Like many other groups of mammals, when the alpha male loses a fight, the new male almost always kills the offspring of the dethroned alpha male. Lions do this so as not to waste energy and time on cubs that are not their relatives. After the cubs are dead, the males can mate with the females so that the females continue to lactate and can give birth to a new litter.

2. Bear

Photo. Two little bears

Bears, regardless of species, are large and caring animals. They are solitary, strong and extremely protective animals. It's hard to imagine a mother bear harming or even killing her own cubs, but it does happen.

Take the sloth bear for example. In a frightening incident at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, a female sloth whale was in the process of giving birth to her babies. But after the first cub was born, the mother ate the baby until she gave birth to others. She went on to give birth to two more cubs and lived normally with them for a week.

Still reeling from the shock of infanticide, zookeepers were stunned when a mother sloth bear ate another of her cubs and completely abandoned the third. After rescuing the third cub from its negligent mother, it was discovered that the cub was sick and it was later determined that the cubs that had died before were also sick.

This is horrifying and painful because these actions seem crazy to humans, but mother bears (and even male bears) in the wild routinely kill cubs that are unhealthy or deformed. Perhaps the mothers are doing their babies a favor by saving them. short life from suffering and illness?

1. Sea otter

Photo. Two sea otters

Sea otters (sea otters) occupy a completely new level. Attractive marine mammals there is a dark side, a side many have probably never seen or heard of. There have been confirmed reports of adult otters forcibly mating and even drowning and killing baby seals. Yes, they drowned it. During a remarkable observation by researchers off the coast of California between 2000 and 2002, it was observed that 15 of 19 incidents resulted in death. Even after the seal pups were killed, the otters took the bodies and continued to mate with the corpses.

Oddly enough, sea otters also play in a similar way. Females are held (sometimes underwater) for prolonged mating, even though this process may result in the female being killed. Even after death, the male can continue to copulate with dead body females.

What is the reason for this unusual and wild behavior? Scientists say that the reason for this is common sexual dysfunction. As the population of female otters dwindles in an area, male otters become desperate and unfortunately take out their aggression on unsuspecting little pups.

This incredibly aggressive behavior has been observed in one specific region, but it is possible that it occurs in other places in the wild.

You can read about these and other animals that show extreme aggression and belong to the category in our other article.

- The hamster gave birth to babies yesterday, and today there are none left: they are all eaten.

The word "cannibalism" comes from the French "cannibal" - "cannibal". This term was introduced to refer to the phenomenon of eating human meat, which was common among primitive peoples. However, eating their own kind is also common in the animal world.

Cannibalism occurs for various reasons.

The first one is: there are too many animals in a certain area.

There is an opinion that among mouse-like rodents, absolutely all males treat their young poorly. However, it is not. Male white-footed hamsters drag the cubs that have fallen out of the nest back, cover them with the available material, and warm them no worse than the females.

Male mice, together with females, build a nest, drag their own and, if there are, other people’s cubs into it, and warm them with their bodies. They often clean and lick the cubs, holding them with their paws.

Although cannibalism among rodents is not uncommon, it is not so much the males who eat the young as the female mothers. Cannibalism can also be partial: the female eats one or several cubs at certain intervals, but does not touch the rest, continues to feed them, and they remain alive.

Cannibalism is most typical for those species of rodents that give birth to many young: golden hamsters and mice. The female begins to eat the cubs in the first days after their birth and stops when they can already eat food themselves.

Many animal lovers are convinced that the female eats the weakest, non-viable cubs. However, this is not true. Weak cubs can be accidentally eaten, but the strongest ones are often eaten. There really isn't any choice.

Experiments were carried out. Near the female golden hamster, who had nine cubs of her own, eleven mice of the same age were placed, but they were smaller than her cubs. She immediately dragged them all into her nest, began to lick and feed them, just like her cubs. However, starting from the fifth day of the cubs' life, she began to eat them, mice and hamsters without any choice.

Another female golden hamster was offered two yellow pieds that were three days old. She immediately dragged them into the nest, where her four cubs lay. Within a few days, she ate two of her own children and fed the parrots until their eyes opened.

This type of cannibalism occurs when animals give birth to too many young, when broods follow each other and the mother’s body is severely depleted, lacking proteins and minerals. And if the females nursing the cubs are given milk, meat, and spongy bones, cannibalism stops.

Another type of cannibalism: the female eats all the young. This usually happens in the first hours or days after they are born. Such cannibalism may be due to lack of water or illness of the female. In addition, stress factors play a large role in its occurrence.

If the animals live crowded, the nursing mother is often disturbed, and in addition, the animals may fight with each other. And in such a tense situation, the matter often ends with the female eating her cubs.

Cannibalism is sometimes provoked by sharp sounds. Often the owner of the animal himself becomes the culprit in the death of the cubs: he often looks into the nest and takes the newborns in his hands.

To prevent cannibalism, the female golden hamster is placed in a separate cage when pregnancy becomes obvious. IN last days During pregnancy, female golden hamsters must be handled with extreme caution, and if possible, avoid sudden fluctuations in room temperature and extraneous noise. You should not touch the born babies with your hands.

17.03.2016

Don't forget to tell your friends

Among insects and animals, cannibalism is not a rare event. Often our smaller brothers can feast on their own kind without blinking an eye. We present to your attention 10 notorious cannibals from the animal kingdom.
To date, it has been established that more than 1,300 species of animals practice cannibalism in one way or another. These include fish and insects, as well as mammals such as dogs and monkeys.
Biologists have made the observation that most often eating their own kind is associated with unfavorable conditions habitat: hunger, overcrowding of the habitat by predators, drought, etc. Scientists also concluded that females are more prone to cannibalism than males. The most famous in this regard is the female praying mantis. This is where we will start our top.

Female praying mantis

For female praying mantises, size matters. Some representatives of this order are known for decapitating and eating their partner during mating. However, research shows that only one in six males suffers such a fate. Moreover, as a rule, small individuals fall under the attack of hungry predatory females.

Burrowing frog

Many cannibalistic animals become "criminals" by pure chance, but this is not the case with Pyxicephalus adspersus, a frog that deliberately feasts on members of its own species.

Adult burrowing frogs often throw a feast of young frogs, but baby frogs and even tadpoles themselves are not without sin - they can also eat their own kind. When the population of your own species is not under threat, why not become a cannibal? In such conditions, other frogs are the most convenient source of food.

Polar bear

Despite their color, these bears also have a dark side. They are equally dangerous both for other animals and for members of their own species. In case of food shortage, adult polar bears are capable of eating cubs.

The researchers note that in last years cases of such cannibalism have become noticeably more frequent. This may be due to global warming, as a result of which the ice area has noticeably decreased. Meanwhile, bears get their food from under it, or hunt seals lying on the frozen surface.

Black-tailed prairie dog

Some of the cutest cannibals in the animal kingdom are black-tailed prairie dogs. However, their appearance is deceiving. If these little animals had a court, it would often consider cases of such atrocities as murder, kidnapping and pedophilia.
Lactating females of Cynomys ludovicianus sometimes supplement their vegetarian diet with the young of relatives living in neighboring burrows. This practice is so common among black-tailed animals that only half of newborn prairie dogs survive in such conditions.

Rattlesnake

Who would have thought, but these terrifying inhabitants of the Mexican bush practice the most “humane” cannibalism. Females of Crotalus polystictus after “giving birth” need rest and food, so most rattlesnake mothers (about 70%) eat their stillborn offspring.

Cannibalism rattlesnakes allows them to recuperate without resorting to hunting, which is not only dangerous, but also energy- and time-consuming.

Black Widow

Sexual cannibalism is something that could potentially bring Latrodectus mactans spiders together with female praying mantises.

Black widows are famous for eating their mate during or immediately after the mating process. This phenomenon is due to the fact that the female spider spends a huge amount of energy on mating. In order to satisfy her hunger, the “widow” devours her “groom”, who is often smaller than the female.

Spiderlings of this species are also cannibals: while in a cocoon, they eat each other. As a result, only a couple of spiders are released into the wild.

Crocodiles

The thought that these terrifying animals are also cannibals makes you feel a bit uneasy. However, it is a fact that some adult crocodiles often eat their younger “comrades”.

Djungarian hamster

One thing you probably didn't expect this from was hamsters. Especially from the beloved “jungarians”.

Females of these rodents are unlikely to ever win the “Mother of the Year” category. However, not everything is so simple here. Hamsters often eat part of their offspring in order to be able to feed the survivors. The female eats stillborn, non-viable, defective cubs, as well as the weakest ones with a large litter, if she feels that she is not able to feed everyone.

sand shark

From sexual cannibalism to embryonic cannibalism. This form of cannibalism is characteristic of many species of sharks, but among members of the sand shark family it is especially cruel.

The fact is that the cubs that have not yet left the mother’s womb eat their brothers. The embryos that are lucky enough to hatch first are feasted on by those who have not yet been born. Moreover, unfertilized eggs, which are rich in nutrients, are also used.

Common octopus

Sex can be a matter of life and death for octopuses. For males of these cephalopods, each sexual intercourse may be the last. Those who are most unlucky are those who get involved with a female much larger than herself and who got up with the wrong tentacle.

Female octopuses, like female praying mantises and black widows, practice sexual cannibalism. The rules of the game are the same, it’s just that in this particular case the male runs the risk of being first strangled and only then eaten.

The joyful event of the birth of offspring from a pet is often overshadowed by the inappropriate behavior of the mother cat. Instead of affection and care, the animal shows aggression towards the cubs and even eats them. There are many reasons why cats eat their kittens, and in each specific case it is necessary to find out and take measures to prevent the situation in the future.

Read in this article

Causes of cannibalism in cats

Cannibalism is intraspecific predation when animals of the same species are able to eat each other. This phenomenon is widespread among fish, insects, and is often found in mammals. Moreover, females are more predisposed to cannibalism than males. The reasons in nature are related to hunger or its threat, a change in habitat. In the wild, eating her offspring is due to an adaptive type of behavior, when, in order to preserve all offspring, the mother eats sick and weak cubs. In domestic animals, the phenomenon of cannibalism is less common. Nevertheless, cases of eating their offspring are often observed in pigs, dogs, and cats.

Numerous causes of cannibalism in domestic cats indicate a complex mechanism for this phenomenon.

Reasons why daddy cat destroys offspring

Cannibalism is inherent not only to domestic cats, but also to cats. As a rule, the female hides her nest from outside animals. But often a cat finds it and destroys the offspring. At the same time, males kill not only strangers, but also their own cubs. One of probable causes The reason why cats eat kittens is to stimulate the female to go into heat. In the event that a cat that has given birth feeds its offspring, sexual hunting She gets it in 3 - 4 months. If the cubs die, estrus occurs almost immediately after the kittens die. This pushes males to destroy their offspring and thereby stimulate the female to go into heat.

Another reason why cats kill kittens is competition, the struggle for existence. Adult males perceive small kittens as future competitors for food resources, territory, and females. That is why they can destroy both other people's cubs and their own. Also for this reason, at the level of natural instincts, the mother cat tries to place the future nest in a secluded place, inaccessible to other animals.

Symptoms of cannibalism

The reason why cats eat their kittens is not always obvious to owners of furry pets. Knowing about the likelihood of cannibalism in domestic cats, both an experienced breeder and the owner should know the warning signs of this phenomenon. There are no clear signs indicating an animal’s tendency to destroy its offspring. The owner should be wary of the cat’s excessive activity before and after birth, anxiety, fussiness, and nervousness of the animal.

Is treatment possible?

Cannibalism is a pathological manifestation of natural instincts and cannot be treated. Breed does not affect the manifestation of pathological behavior.

Prevention measures

Experienced breeders, when detecting such inappropriate behavior in a cat, remove it from further breeding, since cannibalism is inherited. The many reasons why a cat strangles her kittens make them difficult to identify. In this regard, the following preventive measures should be followed:

• Balanced and good nutrition pregnant female with the inclusion of vitamin and mineral supplements in food. A veterinarian will help you get recommendations on creating the optimal diet for pregnancy and after birth. Monitoring the level of calcium in the blood to prevent postpartum eclampsia should be done through clinical analysis, since both high and low content mineral in the body;

• Preparing the nest in a secluded, quiet and safe place, inaccessible to outside animals. A thick cardboard box or exhibition box is suitable for these purposes. The nest should be placed in a dark place. It should be dry and warm. Such an organization best suits natural conditions, inherent in the cat at the genetic level.

• Observation of the birth process of the pet. Unobtrusive help from the owner will calm the mother cat and allow her to control the cat. If aggressive and inappropriate behavior of the mother is detected, newborns should be isolated. The animal, on the recommendation of a veterinarian, may be prescribed sedatives to calm the nervous system.

• Availability of food and water after birth. Food resources should not only be freely available to the cat, but also in close proximity to the nest. This will reduce the mother’s nervousness about leaving her babies in the nest, allowing the animal to quickly get enough and eliminate protein deficiency.

Cannibalism in domestic cats is a serious mental disorder based on ancient natural instincts. An animal with a predisposition to eating its own offspring should be excluded from breeding and breeding. Cannibalism has no cure. However, taking preventive measures will allow you to avoid such complex psychological deviations.

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