kittens having kittens

I first wanted to respond to a previous thread for kittens difficulty breathing.  Our kitten had three kittens over summer.  Beautiful, healthy and truly a family unit.  Our "adolescent" kitten went out and got preggers again, before we could get her fixed.  Nov. 18th she had five more.  The runt was having breathing problems.  We thought nothing of it.  He is the runt.  Within days they all began getting sick over Thanksgiving.  As of Dec 1st they were bad enough that we were afraid for them.  Each vet we spoke to said there was nothing to be done.  They were/are too young to really do anything for and most were not equipped with breathing/oxygen units ( similar to an infants incubator).  At midnight I noticed one of the healthiest of the five practically gasping for air.  To me he was suffocating.  I called our local vet at 12:10 am and insisted for someone to hear our plea for these little guys.  Someone picked up and agreed to meet me the next day.  I went to pick up a Vaporizer   that morning and by the time I got home the one was...nevermind.. bad.  I struggled to save his life but lost.  His contribution though was huge.  I had sucked out an ungodly amount of mucus in trying to save him which proved bacterial infection.  I wrapped him in a towel and he and I went to the vet and I showed him.  I insisted on antibiotics even with no guarentees .  I have been giving them mere drops as they are barely 1/2 pound.  I also bought kitty milk specifically with TAURINE.  It is something kittens can NOT produce on their own and if they are nursing and sick they are not getting enough of their mamas milk as the congestion makes it difficult to breathe let alone nurse.  Whiskas makes this and it is affordable.  All our kitties drink it now.  It is two days later and they have made progress.  We are still in the weeds and up all night with them but they are family.  We have an appointment on Jan. 10th 2015 fix the mommy kit and the three older kittens.  If the four new ones survive we are keeping the runt who we named Mr. Snuffles.  So connecting the topic to "pregnant cats and kitten care" as pet owners we need to be responsible.  I feel at a loss because had we fixed Nipnip before she got pregnant again we could have spared them the suffering they are enduring now.  This was a truly awful experience but we learned a lot and are better pet owners for it. 

So sorry to hear of the troubles you've had .

One thing I need to point out is that Whiskas cat milk is not a balanced baby formula. It's just for a treat. I think your kittens would have better chances if you used a true kitten milk replacer formula. Hartz isn't a good brand but any of the other brands ought to be OK (KMR is the main brand but there are others. Check a pet supply store or your vet's office).

I hope everything works out well! Make sure not to let any of the females out before they're spayed, this kind of cycle can be hard to stop :/.

I agree about the milk. And yes, that is sad to hear. I hope they pull through. I always make a point to tell people who have kittens to get all males fixed as soon as they are old enough, then do the females next because they tend to be higher in cost. This is only good advice if they stay indoors though. If the females get out, they can become pregnant so fast, it is insane. 

Willowy said:

So sorry to hear of the troubles you've had

.

One thing I need to point out is that Whiskas cat milk is not a balanced baby formula. It's just for a treat. I think your kittens would have better chances if you used a true kitten milk replacer formula. Hartz isn't a good brand but any of the other brands ought to be OK (KMR is the main brand but there are others. Check a pet supply store or your vet's office).

I hope everything works out well!

Make sure not to let any of the females out before they're spayed, this kind of cycle can be hard to stop :/.

Click to expand...

True remarks.  Another alternative is goat milk.  Some people manage to find this easier than a decent kmr brand.  Fresh goat milk is really good, but also bottled is OK.  Use a full fat version if you can choose.

Walmart and the like are reported to carry usually goat milk, typically in the   diary (spelling!?)  section.