Honey gave birth to 7 Kittens yesterday!

Hi All..

I wrote a frightened thread 2 days ago regarding my pregnant cat

well.. yesterday she gave birth for 7 Kittens!

I came back from work in my lunch break, I went up to their home to give them some food when I saw only her daughter (8months) only, I called Honey to come out from the small room & I heard a tiiiny meow!

I then opened the small door in their room & took the box (thanks god she gave brith there!)

there were 2 kittens by then, 1 was clearly born before few minutes.. time was around 2:00pm

I took the box down stairs and placed it in the store room, I started petting her then she gave birth to the 3rd baby

she  gave birth for all the 7 by 4:00 oclock, I was really shocked to see 7! I knew her stomach was very big but I thought there will be maximum of 4 or 5

all the 7 are almost the same size, she cleaned them and licked them all, they all look healthy to me.. moving and meowing

I'm following a raw food diet for my cats.. do I need to give her anything special to gain energy?

She is still tired.. her meow is kinda weak but all other things are fineshe started acting normal from the evening: she ate a full bowl of food, drinked a lot of water & finally had the energy to clean herself

I don't know if this is normal, but my cat doesn't stay with her babies all the time (the first time she did the same too)

she stays with them while nursing, then she will leave them in the box and will go to walk around the houes, lay on sofas with us or on beds, when they start crying she will go for them again.

She remains friendly even after giving birth, specially with me she follows me everywhere and she dont mind me touching the babies..

I will take her with the babies withing 2 days to the vet to make sure everything is Ok

now I am concerned.. does my cat has enough milk for all 7?

she is less than 3 years old, and had given birth for only 1 kitten in the first time!

do I need to feed them by my self? what milk shall I get??

Congrats!   Her behavior is although not ideal mom, but still normal, and it should go OK, as she always goes back to them when they need.  Be sure the nest is warm (but not too warm), as she isnt warming them.

If she has fullworthy food as much as she wants, it "should" be enough. But good you are prepared to give extra, both to kittens and mom.

If you can get hold on goat milk, do so. Useful for them both (and humans in the family).

Otherwise some kmr.  Do you know what sorts you can get at your place??

Extra foods useful for moms.  Goat milk, as said.  Otherwise plain youghurt, full fat, no diet fat variation.

Cheese if she likes it.  All these good calcium sources.

If salomonella in eggs is no problem at your place, raw egg yolk blended with this goat milk or kmr, or minced meat, is splendid.

Do also weight them every day!   Use a scale measuring in grammes. Easiest electronical. Buy a cheap one, or borrow.

Get also hold on dextrose sugar (=glucose sugar). Useful in many emergencies.  Other sugar sources works too, but dextrose quickest and best.

Good luck!