We have a 7 month old male kitten/cat. His mother lives in the same apartment block and she and he have access to eachother's homes. My neighbour who owns the mother watches over our boy while we are at work which helps keep our minds at ease specially as we were easing him into the outside world.
Mummy cat was pregnant with her second litter (she will be spayed soon) when the neighbours left for an overseas trip a few days ago - we gladly agreed to cat-sit as we have done in the past. I didn't put too much thought into the fact that she would give birth while they were away, as the neighbours seemed to handle the first birth so effortlessly.
The 3 babies were born today (Sunday), and I just realised when we are away at work all day, our boy will be in the house with her and the babies. What are the chances he does not understand what the kittens are and will try and play with them? Alternatively, he understands what they are and will try and kill them to claim territory? Looking at the new babies colouring I am confident that they have been fathered by the same Tom that hangs around our area that fathered our boy, so our boy is 100% related to this new litter.
Our boy has not been neutered - I will be organising soon as soon as time and finances permit. His reaction to them so far has just been to slowly/timidly approach the box, peer over the edge, and then just as slowly retreat. He does this about once an hour, the rest of the time going about his usual business in other areas of the house - playing, napping, eating - without us even having to encourage him to be away from them. Is this a sign that he has no hostility towards them? I had always thought if a male cat were to kill kittens they would attempt to do it at first sight.