Can't express milk?

Just checked on Sasha and the babies... they are nursing but me being paranoid wanted to make sure she has enough milk... I have squeezed every nipple and haven't seen a drop of milk. The kittens nurse for awhile and then go to sleep, they don't seem to be restless or hungry... so they must be getting something right? Just want to make sure everything is ok.

Wih some cats, you can squeeze a drop of milk from the nipples but with others, you can't, even though they have lots of milk. The best way to tell if the kittens are getting enough milk is to weigh them at the same time each day on a gram scale. They should gain 10-20 grams a day.

She had her babies!! Yay!! Just watch the babies closely. Everything will be fine. Oh yes, have you posted pics? sorry, I just didn't know she had her babies! lol, but everything will be alright, I am sure they will get enough to eat. Good luck! And Congrats!

I worried about that too with Butterball. I am still not able to express milk from her and the kittens are 3 wks & 3 days and are growing like weeds so they must be getting enough.

i think i posted the same thing last year with lilly. at first sometimes there milk is very clear so it isnt always seen, i was also told that sometimes when i check there might not have been any milk due to the kittens feeding not long before. but her kittens grew into healthy now 8 month olds.

Thanks so much! I'll try not to worry about it and just keep an eye on everything.

If the kittens are not getting enough milk they WILL be crying. I don't believe in weighing kittens every day to see if they gain or not.

Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

If the kittens are not getting enough milk they WILL be crying.

Click to expand...

That's a fact! Those little ones can let out some angry shrieks when they're hungry, so you would know something isn't right. Sounds like all is well.

GoldenKitty, can I ask why you don't believe in weighing the kittens every day as a way to see if they're healthy and gaining weight?

with the weighing i always find it a good idea so you can spot a problem straight away. i know some people have a lot more experince and know without weighing that there losing weight , but for some this isnt always the case , so i always recommend weighing them daily to be on the safe side.

Thanks again everyone.... they are all gaining weight well and are not at all loud and upset so I know they must be getting something.

I bred cornish rexes - I would know from the start if they were growing. I went by the feel of the bodies, tummies, actions. They were all fine.

I suppose most people panic too much if the kitten doesn't gain. You can tell visually (for the most part) in how a litter is doing or if a kitten is in trouble.

We don't lose/gain EVERY day, so why should a little kitten. As long as they are nursing well, are not crying a lot, and seem content, there is no need in weighing every day. If you are concerned, weigh them once or twice a week - that makes more sense to me.

Because of the build of certain breeds, its hard to say what is the proper weight of a kitten or how much they should gain.

All my kittens have gained every day, unless there was something wrong.

I was worried about my kittens when they were first born because they were so small weighing in at 1-2 oz each when I had read the normal newborn weight was 3-4 oz. They are fine though and weight from 10-13 oz at 3 weeks and are gaining steadily. I guess they were just quite small at birth.

Originally Posted by TiffanyL

I was worried about my kittens when they were first born because they were so small weighing in at 1-2 oz each when I had read the normal newborn weight was 3-4 oz. They are fine though and weight from 10-13 oz at 3 weeks and are gaining steadily. I guess they were just quite small at birth.

Click to expand...

This makes me feel awful. My smallest foster was 14 oz. at 7 weeks. My babies are so tiny!

Don't feel awful. Our foster babies have often had a really rough start, so is it any wonder they're tiny.

Just for the record:

Kitten Weight

At birth, weight should be approx 3-3.4 ounces.

At age 1 week weight should be approx. 4 ounces.

At age 2 weeks, weight should be approx. 7 ounces.

At age 3 weeks, weight should be approx. 10 ounces.

At age 4 weeks weight should be approx. 13 ounces.

At age 5 weeks, weight should be approximately 1 pound.

By the end of the 8th week, kittens should weigh approximately 2.2 pounds.

Of course, all these weights are approximate. You may have a kitten that is slightly under or over these weights and still be perfectly healthy.

Originally Posted by Kumbulu

Don't feel awful. Our foster babies have often had a really rough start, so is it any wonder they're tiny.

Just for the record:

Kitten Weight

By the end of the 8th week, kittens should weigh approximately 2.2 pounds.

Of course, all these weights are approximate. You may have a kitten that is slightly under or over these weights and still be perfectly healthy.

Click to expand...

My babies are almost 8 weeks and only 1 lbs. So they are half the size they shoud be.

This is Skye's litter? As I said, Skye may not have had enough nutrition during her pregnancy, causing the kittens to be small. As long as they are healthy and active, they should be OK. Are they eating wet kitten food or lapping kitten formula from a bowl?

i got little piggies.....lol

Mine are 1 week old and weigh 8oz.
I guess i dont need to worry if they are getting enough from momma.

Im sure if your babies were hungry you would know about it by now. They are so noisy when they want to feed.

I tend to weigh my babies every 2 to 3 days. That way i dont totally overreact if one of them hasnt gained as much as another. Usually giving a couple of days between they all tend to even out again.

Emma x x

Originally Posted by Kumbulu

This is Skye's litter? As I said, Skye may not have had enough nutrition during her pregnancy, causing the kittens to be small. As long as they are healthy and active, they should be OK. Are they eating wet kitten food or lapping kitten formula from a bowl?

Click to expand...

Yes its Skyes litter. They are eating wet and dry kitten food. They like the crunchy stuff. LOL They wilol only eat the wet if its mixed in with the dry. Picky babies. Skye lets 2 kittens nurse about once or twice a day. But whoever wasnt greedy enough doesnt get any milk from her. If more then 2 come up she runs away from them. I bought KMR today but they wont eat it. Skye licked a little up though.