Giving kittens away will sadden the mother cat. If the kittens are still nursing, the mother cat's sadness will be more severe, and she may even experience postpartum depression, howl at her owner, or refuse to eat. If the kittens are older and no longer nursing, the mother cat's emotional reaction will be relatively less, but she will still be sad.
When a mother cat is sad, she may experience a decreased appetite and lethargy. However, after a while, she will gradually forget about her kittens and recover from her grief. If you must give the kittens away, be sure to comfort the mother cat promptly.
