I do not know what to do, i am at a loss, and i need help asap!

ajbkm

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First of all i am not a cat person, i dont 'hate' cats, i just prefer dogs. Plus im allergic. out of the goodness of my heart i took in a few strays. the females were already pregnant. Please dont bash anything i have to say, im just asking for help. Ive never been thru this before!

"Princess" a female with 3 kittens 5 weeks old.

"Lisa" a female with 6 kittens 1 week old.

Princess's milk has dried up & try as she might, she still attempts to nurse. She knows she can no longer care & feed her babies so she is constantly taking her kittens back to Lisa so they can get some milk which is a bad idea since her kittens are 4 weeks under & would take all the milk from her 6 tiny babies.

Today i started supplementing their milk but i dont think Princess understands that i am feeding her babies. They only eat a small amount. Gibby only eats 1.5tsp, Uncle Max (my son named her, yes her) 1.75tsp, and Runt drinks only 1tsp. They should be getting 2tbs, much more milk! They are drinking well beyond under half of what they should be!

Im also afraid im going to go thru this issue again, Lisa is roughly the same age & if Princess cant keep milk with only 3 kittens, how can Lisa with 6?

I dont know what to do at this point, i feel so helpless. I dont want to do more harm by keeping them knowing i really have NO idea what i am doing! I was planning on giving all 3 adults a forever home with me (& fixed!!!) because i know the basics of cat care, just not baby kitten care. i missed Princess's delievery but i was there the 2 and a half hours it took to deliever the 6 babies, i had to help her a lot. I think these are both mom's 1st litter. the vet things the females arent quite a year yet.

Any advice for a novice?

Also, does anybody know how to tell if Lisa's milk is drying up in kittens as young as a week old because if it wasnt for Princess's male kitten eating kitty litter when i put him in the box & the constant chewing on my fingers, i would have thought Princess was still doing a good job with milk production. She nursed regularly, i watched her! There was just nothing there. Now she's showing signs of desperation now to get them to Lisa, its obsessive. I dont want to lose kittens because i didnt notice Lisa had dried up because her kittens arent old enough to eat & chew on fingers.

Please. Im scared!
 

Willowy

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At 5 weeks it's time to start them on solids. It's natural for them to begin to wean at this time. Get some canned cat food (Fancy Feast makes a canned kitten food that's smooth and mixes well) and mix it with the kitten formula until it's soupy. You may have to smear some into their mouths to get them started (it will be messy!). Hopefully they'll get the idea quickly. Feed them as much of the soup as they'll eat 4 times a day, and keep a bowl of kitten kibble available at all times. Slowly cut back on the amount of milk you add, so that by 10 weeks they're just getting canned food with no milk in it.

Keep them with their mother until they're 10 weeks old, even if they aren't nursing--she'll teach them a lot of valuable cat lessons.

Start offering Lisa's kittens solids as soon as their little teeth pop through (about 3 weeks)--because it's such a big litter she'll need the help.

Get a postal scale or kitchen scale (anything that weighs in grams) and weigh the kittens every day. If they lose weight you'll know they aren't getting enough. It's really the only way to know for sure.

Have you had the male cat neutered yet? Keep him away from the females---they can get pregnant again right away and I'm sure you don't want to do this again! Even after he's neutered he'll still have some sperm retained in the tubes, so keep him away from the ladies until they're spayed. If you keep any of the kittens have them spayed/neutered by 4 months to prevent teenage pregnancies.
 
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catmom5

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Bless your heart for taking these cats in. I can't imagine anyone could bash what you have done.

Are you giving the moms extra food and water? When I had a pregnant stray (and 5 kittens) I made sure that she got lots of wet food, kitten kibble down all the time and lots of water available. She ate a lot when the kittens were nursing.

If the newest mom doesn't have any milk coming in at all, could you contact your vet and see if there's anything s/he might suggest?

Thank you for caring for them.
 
 

missymotus

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Im also afraid im going to go thru this issue again, Lisa is roughly the same age & if Princess cant keep milk with only 3 kittens, how can Lisa with 6?
Milk is basically supply and demand, also sometimes things just happen. they are different cats just because one thing happens doesn't mean it will with the other. There are tablets from the vet that may help.

You  need to keep the litters apart, there is too much of an age difference for them to live together. 5 week olds should be eating raw or tinned food on their own, along with you supplementing formula either fed or in a dish.

Weigh all the kittens at least once a day to ensure they are putting on weight properly. 
 

StefanZ

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You had already got excellent advices, so for me it is essentially left to welcome you to TCS site and our forums!

If you really want for them to have extra milk even if they are old enough for eating real food,  goat milk is OK, while cow milk is verry unsafe - dont give.

There is also kmr (kitten milk replacements) milks, but for the older kittens it is to overdo it.

For the small yes, if their mom dries up.

Tx for caring!

Good luck!    *vibes*
 
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ajbkm

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I have started food, i talked to a vet tech friend who said to get kitten wet food. its been a slow going process! The runt will only eat if i use my finger to bring it to her and her bites HURT but as long as shes eating i can deal with that.

I had planned on keeping the kittens around till 12 weeks to get them fixed before sending them to new homes. I just dont want to go thru this again & there are too many unwanted animals in this world. Ive had kids and i know i could get pregnant asap after delievery so i should have figured it would be the same for cats. Im a total idiot! I know theres a chance i could end up with a 2nd set of litters from them & that freaks me out.

No the male isnt neutered, he's the newest of my rescues & has a neutering appointment on the 25th (soonest i could get). I always thought the females couldnt get pregnant till after they were done nursing which is stupid of me to think that because ive done research after he's started to try to make babies with Lisa the day after her delievery but to be honest he was trying to make babies with her WHILE she was pregnant.

I dont know what to do, im having bad anxiety over it all!
At 5 weeks it's time to start them on solids. It's natural for them to begin to wean at this time. Get some canned cat food (Fancy Feast makes a canned kitten food that's smooth and mixes well) and mix it with the kitten formula until it's soupy. You may have to smear some into their mouths to get them started (it will be messy!). Hopefully they'll get the idea quickly. Feed them as much of the soup as they'll eat 4 times a day, and keep a bowl of kitten kibble available at all times. Slowly cut back on the amount of milk you add, so that by 10 weeks they're just getting canned food with no milk in it.
Keep them with their mother until they're 10 weeks old, even if they aren't nursing--she'll teach them a lot of valuable cat lessons.
Start offering Lisa's kittens solids as soon as their little teeth pop through (about 3 weeks)--because it's such a big litter she'll need the help.
Get a postal scale or kitchen scale (anything that weighs in grams) and weigh the kittens every day. If they lose weight you'll know they aren't getting enough. It's really the only way to know for sure.
Have you had the male cat neutered yet? Keep him away from the females---they can get pregnant again right away and I'm sure you don't want to do this again! Even after he's neutered he'll still have some sperm retained in the tubes, so keep him away from the ladies until they're spayed. If you keep any of the kittens have them spayed/neutered by 4 months to prevent teenage pregnancies.
 
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ajbkm

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Because im doing everything wrong & i took pregnancy cats in knowing i knew nothing of kittens which to me, in my book, was pretty darn stupid but i thought i could handle it.

The cats have food out 24-7 and ive had them on kitten food (vet tech recominded it for the mama's). she said it wouldnt hurt my male that i brought in to eat it because these cats act like they never get food when you bring out the kittens wet food. I have to protect their food while they eat. Last night Mama pushed her kittens out of the way just to get to the wetfood & she had already eaten a can!

She has milk & seems to be doing fine, i was just worried "what if".
Bless your heart for taking these cats in. I can't imagine anyone could bash what you have done.

Are you giving the moms extra food and water? When I had a pregnant stray (and 5 kittens) I made sure that she got lots of wet food, kitten kibble down all the time and lots of water available. She ate a lot when the kittens were nursing.

If the newest mom doesn't have any milk coming in at all, could you contact your vet and see if there's anything s/he might suggest?

Thank you for caring for them.
 
 
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ajbkm

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I tend to worry about things that dont need to be worried about, hince why i was freaking out about a situation that hasnt even occured yet!

I have tried to keep them apart but its been hard!!! I finally let mom bring her kittens to the closet where the other mom is located at because i had spent 8 hours trying to keep her out of there but shes OBSESSIVE about moving her kittens. Once shes decided they're getting moved, thats it! BUT the only reason i gave up was because she put them in another spot where the kittens, try as they might, will never be able to get to Lisa or her litter.
Milk is basically supply and demand, also sometimes things just happen. they are different cats just because one thing happens doesn't mean it will with the other. There are tablets from the vet that may help.

You  need to keep the litters apart, there is too much of an age difference for them to live together. 5 week olds should be eating raw or tinned food on their own, along with you supplementing formula either fed or in a dish.

Weigh all the kittens at least once a day to ensure they are putting on weight properly. 
 

StefanZ

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Because im doing everything wrong & i took pregnancy cats in knowing i knew nothing of kittens which to me, in my book, was pretty darn stupid but i thought i could handle it.
Nay, nay, it is perhaps stupid ONLY if there was some other, experienced rescuer willing and wanting to take them.

I suspect there was none, so you didnt do any stupidity, you in all probability saved their lives.

It IS inconvenient for you, but you did what you could.

*what doenst crushes you, it strenghes you*

Tx a lot!

*vibes*
 
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ajbkm

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the local shelter is a kill shelter, i didnt want to take them there. Up until now ive done great with them. I even had to help Lisa deliever & i knew plenty about birthing babies, even if its another species. she didnt do well on her own & wanted to deliever in my lap. she'd nurse between delieveries but roll over on her newborns because she wanted to deliever while on her back. she screamed during the last kitten because it was breach & stuck, i had to help pull during contractions. we thought we were going to lose him but he's doing fine. i decided im keeping him since i had to really get hands on to help deliever him.
Nay, nay, it is perhaps stupid ONLY if there was some other, experienced rescuer willing and wanting to take them.

I suspect there was none, so you didnt do any stupidity, you in all probability saved their lives.

It IS inconvenient for you, but you did what you could.

*what doenst crushes you, it strenghes you*

Tx a lot!

*vibes*
 

catmom5

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Just thinking out loud here - maybe you could borrow a large dog cage (or two) to keep the different little families separate - and away from your boy. It seems that it would be easier to do separations now than to deal with yet more babies in a couple of months.

You are doing great AND you likely saved lives.

Thank you for taking this all on. It will get better!
 
 
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ajbkm

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taking needy animals off the streets is something i was used to many of years but i was lucky to never had to have delt with kittens but once & she did a great job. 5 healthy kittens were able to find homes along with mom & she taught them to eat & use the box, i only socialized & played with them.

I dont know if you remember hurricane Charley/Frances/Irene that hit Central Florida? I ended up rescuing 83 cats in our area from 2004 to 2007. I have a soft heart & it gets me into trouble & situations like this. Most of them were healthy, i got them checked out, made sure their temperment was okay and found them new homes (fixed whichever needed to be fixed), and rehabilitate the cats that had gone feral get back to as close to house cats as you can get. i know about cats, i just dont know nothing about kittens. I also have a heartbreaking story but i wont put that on here.

I found a home for my male today that would be willing to take him until after the girls are fixed and we've just shut my bedroom door to keep Princess from trying to put her kittens with Lisa so the queens stay seperate. i thought the best solution was just to get him out of the house because i do not want to go thru this again!
Just thinking out loud here - maybe you could borrow a large dog cage (or two) to keep the different little families separate - and away from your boy. It seems that it would be easier to do separations now than to deal with yet more babies in a couple of months.

You are doing great AND you likely saved lives.

Thank you for taking this all on. It will get better!
 
 

missymotus

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Well done, if removing is the best solution at least no one can get pregnant again and the girls are at peace in their own separate spaces
 

eb24

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taking needy animals off the streets is something i was used to many of years but i was lucky to never had to have delt with kittens but once & she did a great job. 5 healthy kittens were able to find homes along with mom & she taught them to eat & use the box, i only socialized & played with them.

I dont know if you remember hurricane Charley/Frances/Irene that hit Central Florida? I ended up rescuing 83 cats in our area from 2004 to 2007. I have a soft heart & it gets me into trouble & situations like this. Most of them were healthy, i got them checked out, made sure their temperment was okay and found them new homes (fixed whichever needed to be fixed), and rehabilitate the cats that had gone feral get back to as close to house cats as you can get. i know about cats, i just dont know nothing about kittens. I also have a heartbreaking story but i wont put that on here.

I found a home for my male today that would be willing to take him until after the girls are fixed and we've just shut my bedroom door to keep Princess from trying to put her kittens with Lisa so the queens stay seperate. i thought the best solution was just to get him out of the house because i do not want to go thru this again!
It sounds like you have done some amazing work for cats in need. Don't be so hard on yourself with raising these kittens- you can only do what you can do. I have the opposite experience as yours where I only rescue/foster queening cats and kittens and I made more than a few mistakes with my first few litters. Even though you are a mother, It's not necessarily instinctual as to help raise kittens. You threw them a major lifeline by taking them in and are giving them a chance that they wouldn't have on the streets. So, just keep doing the best you can do! I know how hard it is not to worry about the "what if" but you can only deal with the "what is." Keep going day by day and before you know it, they will be healthy and strong and ready for their forever families! As you are their lifeline, use this board as yours, and ask anything and everything you need to- there are many on here more than willing to offer advice and encouragement! 

Thank you for all the work you have done and continue to do for cats in need in your area- I'm sure each and every one is forever grateful. 
 
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ajbkm

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The heartbreaking story i wont get into too much, its just so sad & i still cry, is an unspayed female that was turned out during the storm, i found her a few months later & she had already gone feral, wouldnt come to anybody and put up a fight. Try and try as i might i never could grab her, i even set up humane traps (she was too smart)! I could never get her & after a few years & constantly pregnant & having babies, towards the end they were born dead because she wasnt healthy enough & eventually it killed her. I couldnt save her but i saved her very feral daughter (i caught the daugther when she was 7 or 8 months old) and tho i couldnt save mama, i saved 1 of her daughters who now lives with my mother in law, spoiled rotten, and very happy.

I couldnt watch that happen to Princess & Lisa. I got Freddy because he was skinny & full of fleas. Now he's flea-less & fat. LOL!
It sounds like you have done some amazing work for cats in need. Don't be so hard on yourself with raising these kittens- you can only do what you can do. I have the opposite experience as yours where I only rescue/foster queening cats and kittens and I made more than a few mistakes with my first few litters. Even though you are a mother, It's not necessarily instinctual as to help raise kittens. You threw them a major lifeline by taking them in and are giving them a chance that they wouldn't have on the streets. So, just keep doing the best you can do! I know how hard it is not to worry about the "what if" but you can only deal with the "what is." Keep going day by day and before you know it, they will be healthy and strong and ready for their forever families! As you are their lifeline, use this board as yours, and ask anything and everything you need to- there are many on here more than willing to offer advice and encouragement! 

Thank you for all the work you have done and continue to do for cats in need in your area- I'm sure each and every one is forever grateful. 
 
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