Fatten up a Tiny Petite Nursing Mommy!

Hi, a cat that I feed had kittens and we are waiting for her to bring them to us! She comes a few times a day to eat and I give her kitten formula, Dry grain free authority chicken (she loves it) & I give her a can of friskies or fancy feast kitten. She is so so tiny & weighs absolutely nothing when I pick her up.
How can I fatten her up? Should I buy a dry kitten food? Did some research and saw that Iams has one with 21% fat. She is a great mom and rushes back to her kittens. They must be around 2-3 weeks old now. I can't weight til she brigs them to the house so we can get her spayed!

OrangePoe said:

Hi, a cat that I feed had kittens and we are waiting for her to bring them to us! She comes a few times a day to eat and I give her kitten formula, Dry grain free authority chicken (she loves it) & I give her a can of friskies or fancy feast kitten. She is so so tiny & weighs absolutely nothing when I pick her up.
How can I fatten her up? Should I buy a dry kitten food? Did some research and saw that Iams has one with 21% fat. She is a great mom and rushes back to her kittens. They must be around 2-3 weeks old now. I can't weight til she brigs them to the house so we can get her spayed!

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I will write some in one hour from now.

OrangePoe said:

Hi, a cat that I feed had kittens and we are waiting for her to bring them to us! She comes a few times a day to eat and I give her kitten formula, Dry grain free authority chicken (she loves it) & I give her a can of friskies or fancy feast kitten. She is so so tiny & weighs absolutely nothing when I pick her up.
How can I fatten her up? Should I buy a dry kitten food? Did some research and saw that Iams has one with 21% fat. She is a great mom and rushes back to her kittens. They must be around 2-3 weeks old now. I can't weight til she brigs them to the house so we can get her spayed!

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Yes, be sure the dry has at least 20% fat, not low fat variations although the brand sounds great.   Orijen is a good example for an excellent all round dry,  there are also others...

High in animal proteins and fat, including at least 20% fat.  

Kitten or active variations -  and as said, some brands dont specifice exactly, but they are excellent all round.

Wet is similiar, but most brands there do naturally contain  very high animal inhold, and a high ratio of fat.   Again, no low fat variation.

If you have access to goat milk, you can give it as drink - goat milk is excellent both as emergency kmr and as nourishing extra for adults.  Raw is best, but bottled OK.

Some mild cheese, or full fat plain mild youghurt are useful too...

If salomonella in eggs is no problem at your place, raw egg yolk blended with something, is excellent nourishment.

If the salomonella IS a problem, you can use boiled egg yolk, its not as easily digestible, but the nutrition contains are essentielly the same.

Boiled egg white is OK to use.

If futher fatting is necessary, you can pour some melted butter.

Or pour some virgin olive oil or coldpressed canola/rapeseed oil...

This for example, if you do have an excellent wet food, but ist low fat...

One last remark.  If she isnt used to good food containing lotsa of fats, change slowly, not everything at once...

I hear you tell you are feeding her good food, but if it is rather low fat - dont increase the fats too steeply.

And also, exactly what you give depends also on how picky she is.  Some cats ARE picky.  So its good to have some alternatives to pick from.

OrangePoe said:

Hi, a cat that I feed had kittens and we are waiting for her to bring them to us! She comes a few times a day to eat and I give her kitten formula, Dry grain free authority chicken (she loves it) & I give her a can of friskies or fancy feast kitten. She is so so tiny & weighs absolutely nothing when I pick her up.
How can I fatten her up? Should I buy a dry kitten food? Did some research and saw that Iams has one with 21% fat. She is a great mom and rushes back to her kittens. They must be around 2-3 weeks old now. I can't weight til she brigs them to the house so we can get her spayed!

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Is it possible to bring the whole family in, if you knew for sure where the litter is?

If so, you can make a try to follow her back to the litter, talking sweetly and reassuring.  With a little luck she will lead you back to them.  The first time she may lead you astray, but soon enough, she may show you the litter...   After all, she recognizes you are her feeder, and her human friend, if anything such can be said about humans.

When you know EXACTLY where the litter is, and the kittens as yet too small to outrun you, you do have two possibilities: the safest is to catch the mom first - in a trap or by taking hold of her, perhaps with a towel (train some first!).   Carry her to ther prepared room in your house (or cage, etc).  And you go collect the kittens, and bring them to momma.

The other variation, somewhat unsafe but works often, is, you go and collect the kittens into a carrier.   If mom is willing to go in there she too, you allow her.  Otherwise you carry them home, with mom hopefully after, into the prepared room, etc...

Thd dangeer is mom is sometimes unwilling to follow...  And you must raise the kittens yourself already now.

Another danger is Mom MAY also go into defensive aggresion frenzy...   And in that situation she will be a formidable enemy.  Scratching your eyes out biting and what not...

so have some sort of protective googles, thick clothes etc...

But I know of several forumites who did manages with exaclty this variation.

Althoug some failed to be entirely honest.

Anyways, may be tried if desperate or you dont have any other solution.