advice needed

My female cat has just had kittens (her first litter)and is behaving very weirdly with them. at different points of the day she seems to get very nervous and agitated and moves the kittens from where they are to somewhere else and seems very panicked when doing so. Is this normal behavior? also i returned home from a trip out to find a kitten left alone in the front room and i am concerned she may not be feeding it correctly what is the best milk to feed them cats milk from a supermarket or do i need to get a product from the vets??

all suggestions and help will be greatly appreciated
regards Jon

The behaviour of moving kittens isnt that unusual. Althugh I have I feeling she does overdo it a little.
Are you sure she is comfortable and unstressed? The mom with kittens must be unstressed. No kids running, no dogs barking. If cats, your other residents visiting - only her verry good friends whom she allows to be near, etc.

You may try to get a Feliway diffuser if you wish. Should give her more sense of calm. Play soft, calming music can also help.

Kitten substitute milk - NOT any usual milk, must be a kittens substitute, a so called kmr milk. The brand KMR is best, Royal canins for kittens is good. There are others. Supermarket does probably have perhaps Hartz. Not so good, but better than nothing.
Substitute milk for dog-puppies is not good.
If you do have contact with vet - you surely can buy at the vet. Bigger animal shops should also have kitten substitute milk. Perhaps even pharmacist / apothece.
Goat milk works OK as substitute milk - in many countries goat milk is easier to get than substitute milk.


Good luck!


(If you have more question - better forum is in the Pregnancies and Kitten forum - I shall ask a mod to move this thread)


Ps. Welcome to the Forums!

Thanks for the reply stefanz. its been helpfull she seems relaxed as she is now asleep with all the kittens next to me on the sofa. Iam close to a large pet store so i will try there for the milk thanks again
Jon

Unfortunately, I am not familiar with the brands of kitten milk replacers in England. Here in California, the most reliable one is KMR powder (same makers of Puppy Esbilac) which can be mixed with spring water. Here is where I strongly recommend against Hartz Kitten Milk Powder -- that one went odd a few years ago and was speckled with blue dots, altho it wasn't toxic.

I can only suggest that you devote a lot of time to the kittens and mama cat, placing the kittens on the milkbar every 3 hours. I would even sleep on a mat with the mama cats and their babies to make sure they fed. If any of them will not milk from her, they may have tummy trouble.

I had one kitten that didn't milk as often as the others and was always behind one meal a day. I have him to this day and he sleeps on my bed in the same curled-shrimp position he did as a newborn when he slept while the others ate. He eats terrificly now altho remains the runt of the males.

All kittens should be round in the tummies at all times and have bright mews. Of course, some kittens won't speak much. If there is any question about their health, take the kitten to a vet that is good with baby kittens.

Also, try to get the mama cat to settle into a cozy, secure environment, such as under a desk, in a tight corner, or in a bathroom or closet that has just enough room for the kittens to live for 5 weeks. It's a good idea to put a little light over the kittens and mama cat at all time - I use christmas lights or a low-wattage desk lamp.

If the mama cat is too anxious, you might need to look into calming supplements . . . or calming herbs, such as a small stuffed toy you could add Passionflower or Lavender buds to.

All kittens burst out of their nests at 5 weeks. Good Luck with the kits!



I L ve Kittens!

First Time, while this site was developed for people rescuing kitties without a mum, it is filled with great information. You may find it very helpful through this! http://www.kitten-rescue.com

Are you planning to have mom spayed once the kittens are weaned?

Hi and welcome to TCS!!! If mom cat is moving kits around then she is a bit stressed and looking for a safe place to keep her babies. Just make sure her nest is secluded and private away from household noise, traffic and other pets. Then she should settle down and feel more at ease and be able to concentrate on just caring for them and nursing them. I would supplement the kittens with the KMR kitten replacer (you can find this at any pet store) if she is not nursing the kittens efficiently. I would consider getting mom cat spayed after she is done weaning her kittens. Most rescue organizations will take the kittens for you and make sure they go to approved homes and the kittens will spayed and neutered which is a requirement before adoption. Kittens always get adopted quickly so you don't have to worry about that. If you just give the kittens away you take the risk of that new home not getting the kitten fixed, a rescue will offer you assistance in finding wonderful homes for the kits. Hope all is going well today with mom cat and the new babies

Thanks for all the advice everyone its been very very helpful. i shall recommend this site to anyone with queries on cats as you are all very helpful and knowledgeable

Thanks again
Jon