Appetite drop in second week of lactating

Has anyone else experienced this?

My Tonkinese queen Indigo has had a few days of low appetite now, and the kittens had little weight gain in the past 24 hours as a result. She does have seven of them, so there's a little competition! The same thing happened with her last litter- 6 kittens. It seems to co-incide with the kittens becoming much more active and their calorific needs presumably going up, she doesn't seem to be able to keep up, becomes exhausted, can't eat and then the whole thing becomes a bit self perpetuating. Kits are 12 days old now, and are getting really active.

Last time I ended up supplementing the kittens and feeding Indigo lots (well, more than I would usually give, not 'lots') of high calorie cat treat type foods, and lots of boiled chicken and turkey. I know that's a bit blah, nutritionally, but it was better than nothing, and she won't eat raw meat. She hates Nutri-plus gel with a passion, I have been trying to hide it in her food but she isn't fooled. Yeah, she's a bit of a fusspot, my girl

Thing is, I think I made the problem worse last year by supplementing the kittens too much. They didn't ever seem hungry, they just weren't putting on much weight, and I suspect if I had interfered less her milk supply would have been stimulated sooner, but there, I was a novice and we all have to learn these things. I have supplemented two kittens today as they have had three days now of rubbish weight gain, but they are bright and alert and all that, they are vocalising as they should, so not dull and listless or screaming with hunger. I feel that getting food into Mama would be much more effective.

Are there any other tricks I could try this year to get my girl eating lots again? It's only been a few days, and I understand it's a pattern she has and that it will pass but last time I worried for weeks- and this years kittens are smaller as a group anyway- more girl heavy. Incidentally the kittens last time ended up huge so it didn't seem to impact on their later development, but I am rather inclined to worry *grin*

HI and Welcome to TCS!!! You came to the right place for suggestions and support for your Indigo girl. Here is an article about feeding/nutrition for nursing cat's. I will try to see what else I can find for you too.

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/nutrition-for-the-mother-cat

Hi and welcome to the TCS site and our Forums!

You do have a big litter. Planning on giving extra food comes always into consideration in these cases.

Extra food for mama and possibly supplementary for kittens.

For mama also some extra calcium is very good.  Lactacing for 7 does takes a heavy toll on her calcium reserves. So here Im defintely recommending a supplement.

Here in your situation - I think you should give also them kittens something extra.

Here in Sweden I would without hesitation recommend raw egg-yolk, ie the yellow of the eggs. But we dont have any problems with salomonella on eggs in Sweden.

This yolk you can mix into, say  goat milk.  Our forumist and advisor JennyRansom has it as a favorite for tired, exhausted reconvalenscents and moms with big litters...

How is it, do you have access to 100% sure salomonella free eggs?

If yes, go ahead.

If no, there are ways to lessen the risk greatly. But I wouldnt promise it is entirely safe. I do understand you dont want risks with a breeding queen.

Anyway.    The trick is:

You do have as clean as possible eggs. Raw.

    Lay it in the sink.  Pour hot boiling water on it for awile. The water may with some soap in it.

Not so much water to boil the contents, but enough to wash off all bacterias on the shell. And kill the rest.

You do open the egg without  letting the yolk come into contact with the eggshell.

Train an the first one or two, so you are sure on it...

Observe raw egg white is not good. So either boiled white, or no egg white.

Yolk, the yellow, is best as raw, but I suppose cooked yolk is better than nothing.

I presume another way may be, to wash of the outside of the egg with cotton drained in medical handwash alcohol. 70-80%.   As the medics and biological laboratories do to kill off bacterias.

Sorrowfully, this method isnt 100 firesafe.  The salomonella bacteria are usually on the outside, they are seldom in the inside.  But they CAN be on the inside in rare cases. So you arent 100% safe.

Calculated risk, as they say...

If you dont dare, I would recommend goat milk,  or some youghurt, preferably with as much fat as possible.  Try to have some cooked yellow in it.

Im not sure if it is scientifically, but surely good practical try.  

Good luck!   *vibes*

She's a pest over her eating... she doesn't like yoghurt or egg yolk (although I will try both again, thanks) She did polish off some KMR kitten milk today though. It doesn't say on the label you can't give it to adult cats, so...? What she likes is single-protein kibble and wet food, but only if it is poultry variety. Like i say, a pest! (but a lovely pest...)

We do however have some calcium supplements. I think I will try hiding some bits in a cat treat, she won't take them otherwise even though they are supposed to be 'palatable'- my other cats will, just not Madam! Otherwise she might have to be pilled- sorry Indie!

Oh, yes, kitten milk, KMR, is entirely OK to give to mamas... Quite useful, one of our standard recommendations in fact. 

If you can get in this egg yolk in it will be even better.

So you ARE giving her egg yolk (although she isnt fond in it?). It is not so big deal for you as I suspected?  Tell me, how do you manage this?

wet food is not bad - definitely better than so so dry foods. See to it is is a so nourishing variety as possible.  Preferably labelled "for kittens" or at least "for active cats". These both are more nourishing than say, "for adult cats" or "for indoor cats"

Pity your Dame is so picky.  For a normal, healthy, inside cat her diete would be more than appropriate. For a mom with big litters it is definitely too little... 

Good luck!  *vibes*

I suppose, being a breeder, you do have a regular contact with a vet?

What does she says?

Next:  I think the vet can give he  injections with supplements, above all calcium.   It would be the quickest way to boost up her calcium niveus.

Oh, it's more a general query at the moment to be honest, I'm much more chilled about it this time, last litter I was running about like a mad thing supplementing the babies here there and everywhere and I think in the end I became part of the problem. Babies need to suckle to stimulate milk supply, so over- supplementing with the KMR meant they weren't doing this. They are alert with full bellies, not loooking skiny or 'ribby' as a non thriving kitten might, I'm just eager to pre-empt any issues.

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to give the impression my cat is really sick, she's not, I'm just aware she's got a lot of stress on her body at the moment and I want to help her all I can. 

The vet will be the next step if I can't get her appetite back up. Today it has been better, (she's just had half a sachet of whiskas Turkey kitten and licked the jelly off the other half) so it will be interesting to see how this affects the kittens weights tomorrow at weigh in. I may weigh them tonight as well to be sure all is OK. We have a lovely vet

Not sure what you mean about the egg? I'm giving no egg yolk currently, I have tried all my cats on egg yolk in the past just out of curiosity really as I have heard some cats regard it as a fabulous treat. Not mine, they all sniffed it, looked at me as if I was bonkers and went back to the kibble hehe. One egg down the sink! One of my cats- not Inds- does like cheesy mashed potato though.

Yup, she's currently on James Wellbeloved turkey kitten kibble, various poultry Whiskas kitten sachets, Grau turkey kitten. Plus boiled turkey, boiled chicken, Temptations treats, Catessy stinky cat treat sticks. I'm in the UK so I don't know if these are well known brands but the wet and kibble are complete kitten foods. Shame she won't eat much of them! Last week she was eating four sachets a day plus treats plus a good amount of kibble.

I appreciate all your help

Have you got pet nutri drops over there? Different to the gel and a must have for kitten kits over here

You are right it's a balancing act when sup feeding, enough to help out but not have them refusing mum. My queens are usually little piggies, good luck with your girl 

YES! I do have some nutri-drops now I come to think about it... forgotten about them.

brilliant, thanks!

Took them all to the vet yesterday as I had to take one little guy who had an (uninherited!) leg issue. (He'll be staying with us, I expect) In for a penny, in for a pound, they all came along. All are fat, healthy little sausages so no concerns there. Weight gains were cracking today too so it seems as though they just dropped a little whilst mama was getting her supply up. She's eating better now as well. Mother nature really does know best... this time last year I was running around like a mad thing supplementing all over the place and consequently interfering with mama's natural milk flow.

Couldn't find my nutri drops in the end... have ordered more of course.

Glad to hear things are going well