Any ideas how old would this kitten may be???

[Brent Sinclair]

A while back someone asked about this old female and if I thought she would ever have a litter of kittens.
Well looks like she had for sure!!!!!
I treed her the first time 7 yrs ago and thought she was 2-3 at that time.
We recollerd her in July after the original capture in Jan. of this yr.
A few weeks ago while checking cluster points for the reaserch study the Tech. found this kitten at one of the GPS points where the female had spent about 6 days.
The kittens eyes appear to still be closed and it was dry with no sign of an ambilicle cord.
It is 14 inches in total lenght and weighs about 1.5 lbs .
Interesting to know the old female is still raising a litter, we hope to locate her again and see if she has any kittens with her in a couple more weeks.

[Big Horn Posse]

awwww never seen one that little. I would say it is a few weeks old. I would want to keep it if I found one like that, but then it would grow up.

[Benny G]

Brent,
I would tend to lean toward 4 to 5 weeks old, but the odd thing is the eyes. A kitten that big has to be older than a couple of weeks, yet it's eyes should be opened. I have seen kittens that same size, and there was absolutely NOTHING about them that was docile like they should be if thier eyes were still closed. The kittens that I've seen that size were fired up little buzz saws!

What's your take? You have been conducting the study, so what is your expert thought?

[Mike Leonard]

This kitten is less than 12 days old my guess is 7-9 days old. Usually kittens eyes open between 12-14 days. And 1 1/2 pound is concurrent with a healthy kitten of that age.

[Mike Leonard]

Although kittens can be born in any month of the year we find that in the west and southwest US the peak of kitten birth usually the month of August, but starting in later June running thru late September and into October are the highest months. Studies in Canada have also placed late August as a real high point in kitten births.

[Brent Sinclair]

Benny
I'm far from an expert, that's why I was lookin for some help on this one, I figure there are several lion hunters out there that have seen kittens this small in their travels.
In all my huntin I have only found one litter of kittens, these were about 10lbs this was in late Jan. When I caught one so my hounds would not kill it I had ahold of alot more than I could handle, good thing I had big ol leather mittens on ....it's teeth and claws were like needles!!!!!
I think Mike is real close in his assesment on the age, the key is the eyes, and the female may have moved the kitten from where she had it, and it died where it was found.
One report I heard is that it was still born, I think a kitten that size is about 10 days or so , but not one that was still born..it will make a conversation peice once it is mounted for sure.
Will keep you posted if we find the ol female has more kittens with her this winter.

Good Huntin everyone.
Brent

[BlacktailStalker]

Cute little bugger.
That would be interesting/fun to be part of a lion or bear study.
Especially if they share the results with you til the end of it. Learn a lot I would bet.

[sourdough]

I just read this topic and also say that this kitten is in the same age range as what Mike said. I was thinking around nine day's. If that old gal is not staying put in area and is not traveling back and forth to a location that she could keep a kitten safe from the dangers of being a lion kitten then it's a good bet that the kitten that was found is all she had and after it died she just went about life as always. I don't believe that, that kitten was still born as it's way to developed and went full term. A necropsy will tell a lot in whether that kitten nursed or not the old female may have not been able to provide enough nutrients to keep that little fart alive. I hope for your project that she does have other kittens with her it would be good information.

sourdough

[Brent Sinclair]

Sourdough
We will down load the collar again and look at her movement pattern sometime within the next few weeks, as you say it will give a very good idea if she has any live kittens with her.
We will likely do a necropsy on this one as well as that will add valuable date to the study...
I'm thinkin the same that it may have been the only kitten she had and she is back to living life as a lion.
The team doing the cluster investigation has found alot of interesting kills from this old female over the past 10 months, beaver seem to be a big part of her diet ,yet she has killed healthy mature mule deer bucks and also is a pro at scavenging on bait sites we have on our trapline for wolves.
She has been caught on trail cam twice eating old deer meat at a bait site of a wolverine study as well. She's a well traveld and intersting old lion...
I'll be sure to keep the info comming on her and what we find.

Brent

[sourdough]

She looks good and healthy from the pictures above. You must have a good beaver population? She still looks very capable of taking deer but, age will get her as it does every one of us. I found an old female a couple years ago that was nothing but skin and bone. I wish she could have been aged. I think she was well past sexual productivity her last meal was a skunk as she still smelled of it her canine teeth were worn and well rounded to the gum, very impressive set of teeth I have often thought about that old gal as to what she killed and ate to get her to that point in her life as there was no way she could have ever held a deer long enough to kill it. I may have a photo of her I will have to look! Thanks for sharing Brent.

sourdough

[Big Mike]

Great to see that old cat reproduced. How many kittens did she have? Thanks for following up on her.

[Brent Sinclair]

Great to see that old cat reproduced. How many kittens did she have? Thanks for following up on her.

WE JUST DOWN LOADED HER COLLAR AND THE TECH IS LOOKING AT THE DATA AS I WRITE, I JUST TALKED TO HIM AND SHE HAS MOVED ALOT SINCE THEY FOUND THE KITTEN SEPT. 25TH.
MY GUESS IS THIS MAY HAVE BEEN THE ONLY KITTEN IN THE LITTER BUT IF THERE WERE OTHERS THEY COULD HAVE ALSO BEEN KILLED BY SOMETHING AND SHE MOVED THIS ONE WITH HOPES OF KEEPING IT ALIVE, BUT THE DATA SO FAR DOES NO INDICATE SHE SPENT ALOT OF TIME IN ONE LOCATION THAT MAY HAVE BEEN A DEN SITE...
SHE'S KILLED 5 PORCUPINES A COUPLE DEER AND A FEW GROUSE IN THE PAST 6 WEEKS.
SHE'S HEALTHY AND IN GOOD SHAPE , I THINK OUR LIONS IN THIS AREA WILL REPRODUCE WELL INTO A LATE AGE AS THERE IS AN ABUNDANCE OF GAME IN MOST OF OUR LION COUNTRY, THEY CAPTURED A SMALL FEMALE ABOUT 1/2 MILE FROM MY DOG KENNELS A WEEK AGO, THAT WAS LIVING ON FERAL CATS AT A POULTRYFARM!!!!
THEY CLAIM THE LION ATE CLOSE TO 30 FERAL CATS IN A WEEK!!!!!
WONDERED WHY THE NEIGHBORS WERE SAYING MY HOUNDS WERE GETTING VOCAL IN THE NIGHT!!!!!!