So my cat who is not even a year old just had her first litter of kittens. She had five but the runt died. I was laying down and my cat Sophia came and payed next to me and started purring and also she has been meowing weird lately but anyways so I started petting her and rubbing her tummy and noticed her nipples are very hard and kind of white. So I to squeezed her nipples gently all of the ones the babies have been sucking on and absolutely nothing comes out and it's not even hard around the nipples, doesn't feel like there's anything in there her kittens are now 3 days old and they seem healthy... Whiny but healthy.... Is she producing milk and I just possibly can't tell?? I don't want to bottle feed them and ruin anything between momma and her babies. Please help me answer this I don't have money right now to take her to vet, not this month or next I just moved and have a 3 year old so I am broke, I feel horrible because she's important and she should go to vet but I just can't right now.
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Is my momma cat producing milk???
- Thread starter cube90
- Start Date
Teh best way to know if they get enough is to weigh them every day at the same time.
They should got 10 g plus every day, normally.
Use a scale kitechen or mail, measuring in grammes, preferably an electronic one. They dont need to by costly, you can surely borrow one.
During the time, get also some good kmr IF. Goat milk is also OK.
Good luck and welcome!
They should got 10 g plus every day, normally.
Use a scale kitechen or mail, measuring in grammes, preferably an electronic one. They dont need to by costly, you can surely borrow one.
During the time, get also some good kmr IF. Goat milk is also OK.
Good luck and welcome!
Have you been weighing the kittens everyday? If not you absolutely need to be. Get a kitchen scale that weighs in grams and weigh them at the same time everyday. Average daily gains should be between 10-15 grams.
But, if you haven't, you need to make an emergency decision on whether to bottle feed or not. Healthy kittens are quiet ones, so if your's are crying a lot then chances are they are hungry. Perhaps you can monitor them for an hour or two and see what happens. If, when they latch on they are quiet and fall asleep after they are probably getting enough to eat. If they are still whiny and restless after then they are likely not and you do need to start bottle-feeding.
Bottle feeding is a science so be sure you watch some videos before you try it yourself. Also, read through these links: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/249018/...regnant-cats-kitten-care-articles-and-threads . By starting bottle-feeding there is a chance Mom is going to totally abandon them. They not only need to eat every two hours around the clock but need to be eliminated by you (again, see the links). It is a huge undertaking but if she isn't lactating is your only option.
Finally, remember that your Queen can get pregnant again at any time so it's imperative that she stay indoors and away from any intact males until after she is spayed. Failure to spay her puts her at a huge increased risk for breast cancer and life threatening pyometra. You will also want to keep a close eye on her nipples to be sure that she doesn't develop mastitis. Any signs of this or any other problems and she has to be seen by a vet ASAP. Many problems that cats develop after delivery are absolutely life threatening and time is of the essence. If you feel you can't afford a vet here are some suggestions: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/155462/cant-afford-a-vet-please-read .
But, if you haven't, you need to make an emergency decision on whether to bottle feed or not. Healthy kittens are quiet ones, so if your's are crying a lot then chances are they are hungry. Perhaps you can monitor them for an hour or two and see what happens. If, when they latch on they are quiet and fall asleep after they are probably getting enough to eat. If they are still whiny and restless after then they are likely not and you do need to start bottle-feeding.
Bottle feeding is a science so be sure you watch some videos before you try it yourself. Also, read through these links: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/249018/...regnant-cats-kitten-care-articles-and-threads . By starting bottle-feeding there is a chance Mom is going to totally abandon them. They not only need to eat every two hours around the clock but need to be eliminated by you (again, see the links). It is a huge undertaking but if she isn't lactating is your only option.
Finally, remember that your Queen can get pregnant again at any time so it's imperative that she stay indoors and away from any intact males until after she is spayed. Failure to spay her puts her at a huge increased risk for breast cancer and life threatening pyometra. You will also want to keep a close eye on her nipples to be sure that she doesn't develop mastitis. Any signs of this or any other problems and she has to be seen by a vet ASAP. Many problems that cats develop after delivery are absolutely life threatening and time is of the essence. If you feel you can't afford a vet here are some suggestions: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/155462/cant-afford-a-vet-please-read .
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #4
Thank you everyone for your help and for the different sites provided. Not only was I able to protect the kittens and learn from you but I also found the site for SNYPS, and through them as soon as she's done breast feeding her babies I am going to get her fixed and its a price I can definitely pay thanks to SNYPS they donated money to help pay for it. So thank you everyone and if ur curious to know about my momma cat she is healthy and so are her babies. Her babies seem to be fine and I was able to get milk out of her. I think I just got scared, I think that the moms (like myself) get more scared and have a harder time than the babies ( which would be not only my 3 year old but also my cat Sophia). Anyways thank you everyone!
I'm so glad that we were able to help you! I do think in a lot of ways it's more stressful on the human than it ever is on the cat! But, you were smart to err on the side of caution and ask for help as opposed to waiting until it turned into a emergency. Better safe than sorry!
I'm so happy to hear you found a program that will help cover the costs of her spay. And, until then remember to keep her inside and away from any intact males. You don't want any more litters!
Best of luck and vibes that Sophia and her babies stay healthy!
I'm so happy to hear you found a program that will help cover the costs of her spay. And, until then remember to keep her inside and away from any intact males. You don't want any more litters!
