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Kittens won't stop nursing

post #1 of 8
6/15/11 at 9:50am
Thread Starter 
My cat had 5 kittens 8 1/2 weeks ago. We have given 2 of the kittens away already and will probably keep the other 3. My problem is I can't get them to stop nursing. I've been keeping them separated as much as possible but mom starts nursing every chance she gets. I feel awful doing it, but we really need to get mom spayed and we have to wait until her milk dries up. Mom keeps trying to get out of the house every time she can and I really don't want her pregnant again. The only way we can keep her inside is by keeping her confined to one small room which she hates but with our 3 little kids and 2 dogs, it's very easy for her to slip out. The kittens all are eating solid food and eating very well so that is not an issue and they've been eating for several weeks now along with nursing. Is our only option to keep them separated? If I give them kitten milk in a bowl, will that help curb the urges? I kind of thought most cats wean their kittens by 8 weeks but apparently I was wrong! She prefers to be outside with our other cat, but I can't let her out until she's spayed. Any tips or suggestions??
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post #2 of 8
6/15/11 at 12:08pm
Have you explained the situation to your vet? Cats are often spayed during nursing to stop them becoming pregnant again, and often they go back to nursing after the op. 8 weeks is quite a long time to be nursing but as long as mom is ok and the kittens are taking other food too as she will not have enough milk to feed them without them having solid food by now, I would think all is oK. They often nurse for reassurance as much as nourishment if they are left with mom. And 8 weeks is a bit early to leave her anyway - most experts recommend 10 or even 12 weeks.
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post #3 of 8
6/15/11 at 2:01pm
Not sure where you're getting your information from - but, who told you that her milk had to dry up first?

I'm for long-term nursing.

Our feral-born kittens nursed until they were almost 4 months old - Mommy was spayed when they were about 2 months old.

So, get her spayed and let the babies nurse.
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post #4 of 8
6/15/11 at 3:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by jennyranson View Post
And 8 weeks is a bit early to leave her anyway - most experts recommend 10 or even 12 weeks.
Breeders have the recommendations 12-16 weeks which is what cats do in wild. All but one of my cats have been nursing until I've gotten them, the one who wasn't was weaned by the mom when the kittens were 13 weeks old. (And in this country it would be a case of animal cruelty to give away the kittens before they're atleast 8 weeks old).

You can get the mom spayed already.
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post #5 of 8
6/15/11 at 4:59pm
At the spay/neuter clinic we used for Ginger and her babies, they required her milk be dried up before spaying. Her last kitten was adopted at 10 weeks, and we waited 2 weeks to spay.

Leslie
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post #6 of 8
6/15/11 at 5:07pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the info. Both the spay and neuter clinic as well as our regular vet told us we had to wait until her milk dried up. Neither will spay her until then. I also called around to a few other vets in our area after reading the posts and none of them will spay her while she's nursing either. So I guess we'll just wait and see how it goes!
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post #7 of 8
6/15/11 at 5:09pm
Same info from three vets here in clarksville TN -- they all want the mom to be dry before spaying.

I think it is in large part to make sure you're not spaying a mom with kittens too young to be weaned, but also because of a risk of infection in the mammary glands, as well as a mess issue. I know that if you get a cat spayed during heat, you can be charged more for the extra mess associated with it (and yes, it has happened to me)

I would certainly ask the vet WHY they are saying she has to be dried up first. And if it is just to make sure the babies are old enough, I would offer to bring a kitten as proof for the vet when I brought mom to get snipped.

Fingers crossed that you get her spayed before she gets outside. I know how much of a hassle it can be.
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post #8 of 8
6/15/11 at 7:03pm
Waiting for the milk to dry up? That's insane!

Our Clinic here does Free spay and neuter. They sure took my feral born nursing mother without question!

I Googled and found some information - the last quote from www.sacanimal.org does say the surgery is "slightly more difficult" with a nursing queen.

At any rate, the longer you wait, the more chance you have of her getting pregnant again.

Like I said, our vets in this area will spay a nursing queen. Maybe they're a little more capable of this "slightly more difficult" surgery. Ha, just kidding.

http://www.feralcatproject.org/faq.aspx

Quote:
Is it safe to spay a lactating (nursing) cat?

Yes. The surgery will not affect her milk production. Nursing moms should be released back to their environment the day following surgery.
http://www.sacanimal.org/cat_reproduction_FAQ.pdf

Quote:
Can cats be spayed if they are nursing kittens?

Yes. A cat who is spayed while she is nursing will continue to produce adequate milk for her kittens. Some veterinarians prefer to wait until a cat has weaned her kittens before doing the surgery because the mammary gland (breast) development present during nursing can make the surgery slightly more difficult.

If the cat can be kept indoors away from any possible exposure to intact male cats, it is okay to wait until the kittens are weaned before spaying the mother (in fact, the whole family could be spayed or neutered at this time). If the cat cannot be kept away from intact male cats while nursing, she should be spayed as soon as possible. Return her to her kittens as quickly as possible after surgery.

If the nursing cat is feral and must be trapped, it is recommended that you also catch the kittens (if possible), or wait until the kittens are at least six weeks old, to avoid leaving young kittens without their mother for too long.
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