Need help please - Worried about mum and kitties.

Hi,

I was wondering if someone would be able to help please, the kitties are doing well although I have noticed that over the past few days they have been making a lot of noice when mum is not in the nest. They are usually quite content but seem to be squeeling quite a lot now and mum doesn't go into them of her own accord all the time and sometimes we have to literally pick her up and put her back in with them.

I think the problem with Pixie (mum) is food. She is a very small and skinny cat, even more so at the moment, although she is refusing to eat any wet or dry cat food, all I can get her to eat at the moment is tuna, or chicken with a bit of bread or potatoe mixed in. Can anyone suggest anything I can give her to bulk her up a bit - I'm in the UK and have tried just about every brand going! You'd think if she was that hungry she'd eat anything but she just doesn't! It seems that once she has eaten and is full she then goes into the kittens and lets them feed. Obviously I am worried, for the kittens as well as Pixie, if anyone has any sugesstions I'd be grateful to hear. It's a shame because she has been such a great attentive mum up till now.

I weighed the kittens this morning and they don't seem to have put on a great deal of weight since last week, here are the weights;

1 week old 2 weeks old

215g 280g
194g 247g
220g 270g
205g 245g

I maybe worrying over nothing about these weights, I suppose at the least one has put on 40g and at most 65g. Should I be worried about these at all? Should I monitor them daily now esp with mum the way she is? Also how often realistically do they need feeding now? Mum can spend quite a long time away from them - say 2 hours, I hope they aren't getting too hungry.

Hoping someone can help. Thanks x

With mom not eating and in poor condition, sounds like she's run out or is low on milk. Kittens normally don't cry much if they are well fed. You may have to start bottle feeding them.

Can you take mom to the vet and ask them how to proceed?

Thanks for your reply, we will have to take her to the Vets I think, it's just we have very little money, but will book her an appointment for Thursday, which is when we get paid. Pixie has also been sneezing a bit, so thinking she is definately feeling under the weather, can she pass her cold onto the kitties? Is it normal if mum feeling ill to be very disinterested in the kittens? It's just she spends minimal amount of time with them as possible! They are not cying continuously or anything, but obviously when they are left alone for quite a while they're becoming agitated and hungry and thats when the crying starts. I really don't want to lose these babies, and will bottle feed if I need to. Can I squeeze a nipple to see if she has milk coming out? Since about 8.30am this morning (it is now 3.30pm) she has only been in with them once for about half hour to feed them - this doesn't seem much to me. They are 2 weeks old today.