In a remarkable and unusual turn of events, a ‘rainbow’ kitten named Magnus has been born a full week after the tragic passing of his siblings. The unique case, believed to be a rare instance of ‘superfecundation,’ where a single litter of kittens can have multiple fathers, has captured the attention of cat enthusiasts and experts alike.
Magnus’s mother, Sylvia, was pregnant with all her kittens simultaneously, making the extended gap between their births especially unusual. This occurrence has surprised even experienced foster carer Leeann Williamson, who has been volunteering with Sheffield cat charity Cat-Ching for three years and is now caring for Sylvia and Magnus.
“Superfecundation is not something I have come across in my time fostering,” Leeann explained. “But basically a litter of kittens can have more than one dad! Superfecundation occurs when multiple males mate with a female during her optimum time of conception. This is actually a relatively common phenomenon, but, despite having different fathers, the kittens would normally all be born at around the same time – just minutes apart in some cases. Not with Sylvia’s babies though!”
Cat-Ching’s veterinarian, Alan Beatty from Beech House Vets in High Green, confirmed that the substantial gap between Sylvia’s kittens’ births was indeed unusual but not unprecedented. “Yes, it is very rare, but it does occur,” he stated. “I have seen three examples in the last two years in cats, including Sylvia.”
Sylvia, a black and white cat believed to be around 18 months old, came to Cat-Ching after being relinquished to a vet where one of the charity’s foster carers works. She had previously given birth to two premature kittens, named Angus and Fergus by the charity, who sadly struggled to feed and passed away at the ages of three days and five days old.
However, two days later and one week after the initial births, Leeann discovered that Sylvia, now a second-time mother, had given birth to a much healthier and more robust kitten during the night. This special feline, referred to as a ‘rainbow baby’ – a term used for a healthy baby born following the loss of an infant – was named Magnus.
“Sylvia is a great mum and is managing to feed and care for Magnus by herself,” said Leeann, who also has her own adopted cat named Carrots. “He’s putting on weight and growing well.”
Cat-Ching, a registered charity founded in 2018 by Jasmine Roger and Lauren James-Thompson, is dedicated to reducing cat overpopulation in Sheffield. Currently caring for 143 cats, the organization faces financial challenges, with monthly expenses of approximately £12,000 covering essentials such as vet care, food, and cat litter. Adoption fees only cover around 40 percent of these costs, with fundraising efforts and support from the community covering the remainder.
“In January last year, we launched our free neutering scheme for owned cats whose owners are unable to afford the cost themselves. We’ve neutered almost 500 cats since then,” Leeann mentioned. “We have also recently launched a free microchipping scheme in preparation for new legislation, which will make it mandatory from June 2024 for all pet cats to be microchipped.”
