Mom cat is underweight and has six babies!

kara701

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This cat was abandoned by her owners - I still can't believe they would do that because she is such a sweetheart! Anyways, the people next door found her and took her in. She was pregnant and had six babies. They couldn't keep her or the babies so they gave her to another kind person. This person has to go somewhere so I am watching her and her babies for a little over a week. They were feeding her kitten chow and canned food to get her to gain weight, but she hasn't gained much. She is nursing six 4 week old babies so I am worried. She really needs to gain weight. I can feel her ribs and spine easily. How can I help her?

Look at that face! :)


See her sides?


All of her babies.

 

bellad

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Oh my gosh she looks painfully thin :(
I am no expert so someone will hopefully come along with more helpful advice but are they feeding her as much as she wants? Her appetite will gave more than doubled whilst feeding the kittens. A raw egg mixed in with her food once a day is good for extra calcium, and giving her KMR (kitten formula milk) as that has got lots of extra vitamins and nutrients in it. Looks like those kittens are taking everything out of her, poor girl!
I'ma worryer if she was my cat I think I would be getting my vet to check her over to make sure there was nothing else causing her weight loss
 

Columbine

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Oh my goodness. That poor momma cat! 

Raw eggs are a really bad idea for cats - they prevent them from absorbing certain vital nutrients. Coked eggs are fine though, and lightly scrambled is the most palatable form.

KMR is a great idea, as is full fat goats milk - raw if possible. Give her kitten food too - as much as she will eat. Make sure the wet food is kitten food too. I really think at least talking to a vet is a good idea - there are prescription foods out there that are really high energy and are designed for cases like this.

I suspect her low weight is a result of being abandoned while pregnant - the cat's body will always divert nutrition to the kittens first, so a momma cat without adequate nutrition can loose weight alarmingly rapidly. Thank goodness she has you and your neighbours to look after her.

I would also keep a really close eye on her babies - there's a good chance that she isn't able to produce enough milk for them all to thrive, so bottle feeding may be needed - both so that the kittens can thrive and mom cat can gain weight. Be sure you know how to do this though - if milk is inhaled during bottle feeding it can lead to pneumonia and even death.

I really hope they all continue to grow and thrive 
 

bellad

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Oh my bad about the eggs :/ It was info I had seen given on this site a number of times so thought it was ok, sorry about that!
 
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kara701

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Oh my gosh she looks painfully thin :(
I am no expert so someone will hopefully come along with more helpful advice but are they feeding her as much as she wants? Her appetite will gave more than doubled whilst feeding the kittens. A raw egg mixed in with her food once a day is good for extra calcium, and giving her KMR (kitten formula milk) as that has got lots of extra vitamins and nutrients in it. Looks like those kittens are taking everything out of her, poor girl!
I'ma worryer if she was my cat I think I would be getting my vet to check her over to make sure there was nothing else causing her weight loss

Oh my goodness. That poor momma cat! 

Raw eggs are a really bad idea for cats - they prevent them from absorbing certain vital nutrients. Coked eggs are fine though, and lightly scrambled is the most palatable form.

KMR is a great idea, as is full fat goats milk - raw if possible. Give her kitten food too - as much as she will eat. Make sure the wet food is kitten food too. I really think at least talking to a vet is a good idea - there are prescription foods out there that are really high energy and are designed for cases like this.

I suspect her low weight is a result of being abandoned while pregnant - the cat's body will always divert nutrition to the kittens first, so a momma cat without adequate nutrition can loose weight alarmingly rapidly. Thank goodness she has you and your neighbours to look after her.

I would also keep a really close eye on her babies - there's a good chance that she isn't able to produce enough milk for them all to thrive, so bottle feeding may be needed - both so that the kittens can thrive and mom cat can gain weight. Be sure you know how to do this though - if milk is inhaled during bottle feeding it can lead to pneumonia and even death.

I really hope they all continue to grow and thrive :vibes:
Thank you two for the advice! I just weighed her and she's only 4.8 pounds. I am going to give her scrambled eggs right now. I will buy kitten canned food and KMR tonight. I only have them for a week so I'll tell the other person about the prescription food if she does not gain weight. I will definitely keep an eye on the kittens, but I think they'll be fine! Hopefully a diet of kitten canned food, kitten food, KMR, and some scrambled eggs will help her! :)
 

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The key really is going to be letting her eat as much as she wants to. Do keep a very close eye on the kittens too. Ideally, they should be weighed every day and should be gaining at each weigh in (6-10g is usual, I think). Do be prepared to step in and bottle feed if necessary - I have serious doubts that momma cat can support them all in her current state.
 

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Oh my goodness. That poor momma cat! 

Raw eggs are a really bad idea for cats - they prevent them from absorbing certain vital nutrients. Coked eggs are fine though, and lightly scrambled is the most palatable form.
Oh my bad about the eggs :/ It was info I had seen given on this site a number of times so thought it was ok, sorry about that!
Raw yolk (the yellow) is excellent, and easily digestible.  Boiled is the same nourishment, but not as easily digestible - as all recipes mentions raw yolk.

That is, if you dont have problems with salomonella in eggs in your place.  Some countries has.

Its raw egg white which destroys some b-vitamines, so it should be avoided yes.  But boiled egg white is fine, much proteins.

Some advices a whole raw egg is OK, the good egg yolk neutralising the bad egg white, but why complicate things`?   Give raw egg yolk and boiled egg white, and everyone is happy and healthy.... :)
 

StefanZ

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This cat was abandoned by her owners - I still can't believe they would do that because she is such a sweetheart! Anyways, the people next door found her and took her in. She was pregnant and had six babies. They couldn't keep her or the babies so they gave her to another kind person. This person has to go somewhere so I am watching her and her babies for a little over a week. They were feeding her kitten chow and canned food to get her to gain weight, but she hasn't gained much. She is nursing six 4 week old babies so I am worried. She really needs to gain weight. I can feel her ribs and spine easily. How can I help her?

Look at that face! :)

See her sides?

All of her babies.
Some advices.

Her kittens are big enough to begin and eat real food.  So begin with it, and the toll on her will begin to diminish.

Minced meat,  some children food, paté style canned cat food,  Royal canin baby kitten food - etc...   This useful both for kittes and the mom.

Goat milk is always useful, especielly raw goat milk.   Both for mom and the kittens.

She will probably need more calcium - goat milk, cheese, plain full fat youghurt,   kmr as mentioned earlier.   It depends in part on exactly what she fancies.

Raw egg yolk as mentioned earlier.

Boiled shells of eggs contains lotsa of calcium. Peel off the inner membrane, and crush into a fine powder.   Sprinkle just a little over her food, alike salt.

Be sure she has lotsa to drink.  
 

Columbine

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Raw yolk (the yellow) is excellent, and easily digestible.  Boiled is the same nourishment, but not as easily digestible - as all recipes mentions raw yolk.

That is, if you dont have problems with salomonella in eggs in your place.  Some countries has.

Its raw egg white which destroys some b-vitamines, so it should be avoided yes.  But boiled egg white is fine, much proteins.

Some advices a whole raw egg is OK, the good egg yolk neutralising the bad egg white, but why complicate things`?   Give raw egg yolk and boiled egg white, and everyone is happy and healthy.... :)
Thanks for the clarification - nutrition can get so confusing sometimes!
 

Sarthur2

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How is the cat today? Did she like the scrambled eggs?

Have you tried to introduce the kittens to mush yet? They should begin the transition to solids now. This will ease the burden on mom so she can get healthier. If you leave dry kitten chow down at all times she will munch that between meals. I'd leave her a can of wet to eat through the night as well.

Let us know how things are going! :)
 

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All great advice above.  One thing nobody has mentioned is that people who would just abandon a cat probably never gave her good care to begin with.  She has probably never been wormed or vaccinated, so she may be sharing her nutrition with round worms and a tapeworm.  Both mama and babies should be wormed, not with over the counter wormers but with wormer you can get from a vet.  You are not the owner, of course, but you should mention this to the new owners as soon as they get home.  Another thing of note is that she is wearing a collar, and if that is a flea collar, you should remove it immediately unless it's a special one that comes from a vet, or a natural one that contains only herbs, as the ingredients of over the counter flea collars can be harmful to both momma and babies.  Fleas are bad, but those collars are worse.
 
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kara701

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The key really is going to be letting her eat as much as she wants to. Do keep a very close eye on the kittens too. Ideally, they should be weighed every day and should be gaining at each weigh in (6-10g is usual, I think). Do be prepared to step in and bottle feed if necessary - I have serious doubts that momma cat can support them all in her current state.
Raw yolk (the yellow) is excellent, and easily digestible.  Boiled is the same nourishment, but not as easily digestible - as all recipes mentions raw yolk.
That is, if you dont have problems with salomonella in eggs in your place.  Some countries has.

Its raw egg white which destroys some b-vitamines, so it should be avoided yes.  But boiled egg white is fine, much proteins.

Some advices a whole raw egg is OK, the good egg yolk neutralising the bad egg white, but why complicate things`?   Give raw egg yolk and boiled egg white, and everyone is happy and healthy.... :)
Some advices.

Her kittens are big enough to begin and eat real food.  So begin with it, and the toll on her will begin to diminish.

Minced meat,  some children food, paté style canned cat food,  Royal canin baby kitten food - etc...   This useful both for kittes and the mom.

Goat milk is always useful, especielly raw goat milk.   Both for mom and the kittens.

She will probably need more calcium - goat milk, cheese, plain full fat youghurt,   kmr as mentioned earlier.   It depends in part on exactly what she fancies.
Raw egg yolk as mentioned earlier.
Boiled shells of eggs contains lotsa of calcium. Peel off the inner membrane, and crush into a fine powder.   Sprinkle just a little over her food, alike salt.


Be sure she has lotsa to drink.  
Thanks for the clarification - nutrition can get so confusing sometimes!
How is the cat today? Did she like the scrambled eggs?

Have you tried to introduce the kittens to mush yet? They should begin the transition to solids now. This will ease the burden on mom so she can get healthier. If you leave dry kitten chow down at all times she will munch that between meals. I'd leave her a can of wet to eat through the night as well.

Let us know how things are going! :)
All great advice above.  One thing nobody has mentioned is that people who would just abandon a cat probably never gave her good care to begin with.  She has probably never been wormed or vaccinated, so she may be sharing her nutrition with round worms and a tapeworm.  Both mama and babies should be wormed, not with over the counter wormers but with wormer you can get from a vet.  You are not the owner, of course, but you should mention this to the new owners as soon as they get home.  Another thing of note is that she is wearing a collar, and if that is a flea collar, you should remove it immediately unless it's a special one that comes from a vet, or a natural one that contains only herbs, as the ingredients of over the counter flea collars can be harmful to both momma and babies.  Fleas are bad, but those collars are worse.
She loved the scrambled eggs I gave her yesterday. Today I gave her KMR and she really loved it. She drank almost all of it (8 oz) throughout the day. She had kitten chow this morning and kitten canned food for dinner. I gave her babies some of the KMR because she didn't really nurse them much today. The babies are already eating solid kitten chow so that's good!

I removed the flea color. Thank you Red Top Rescue! I am pretty sure they don't have any fleas, I have been looking them all over and I don't see any, her main foster put it on just to be sure. Oh, and her main foster got the Momma vaccinated! I think she also got them wormed, I will ask her!

Hopefully she will gain some weight before she goes back to her main foster. Her main foster is really nice - I'll tell her everything everyone suggested! I am so glad this Momma and her babies are doing great. She and her babies were going to go to the shelter, thankfully her main foster saved her!

I will follow everyone's advice!! Thank you all so much. :)
 
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Sarthur2

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Yes, I don't know how much longer you have her, but a week of eggs, kitten wet food, KMR, and easy living should give mom a boost.

Have you tried mashing wet kitten food and KMR together to make mush, then offering it to the kittens on a paper plate? Something tells me they would go for it!

You have shown what a concerned and kind heart you have for this cat family! It is heartwarming indeed to hear how a few small changes can make such a difference in a cat's well-being. Thank you :)!

We'd love to see more pictures of mom and the babies if you get the chance!
 

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kara701 kara701

Are you still fostering this cat family, or is your week up?

Just wondering if mama kitty put any weight on and whether the original foster will continue what you've started with the cat and her kittens?
 
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kara701

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I still have them. :)

I will try to post pictures tomorrow.

@sarthur2  I will try the canned food and KMR mixture for the kittens. :) I weighed Momma a few days ago and she was 7 lbs, I think I must've weighed her incorrectly the first time. She still is too skinny, but I feel relieved knowing she's not just 5 lbs. Thank you!
 

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Oh my gosh! Thank you for watching and fussing over this beautiful family. Any chance you can take mama or any kittens? She really is thin. What an awful life it would have been for her if no one had come along to help. Please keep posting pictures!! [emoji]128522[/emoji]
 

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Oh, I don't think you weighed her wrong at all. She looked very thin in the photos. I believe she's put on a couple of pounds under your care :)

Let us know if the kittens like it. They should be ready to begin weaning now, which will give mom a small break too. They'll need a small litter box if they are eating food.

Do the kittens play a lot now?

This is such good news, and exciting when kittens begin to eat mush! :)
 
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kara701

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Sorry for not posting pictures! I don't have them anymore. They are doing very well and the mom doing is great too! They have gotten very big. Their foster is taking great care of them! This is a photo she sent me of the kittens. :) I miss them very much and I wish I could adopt one, but I have 4 cats right now! I am just glad I was able to help them out. :)

 

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They are just gorgeous :love:

It's good to hear that mom and babies are all doing will in their foster home. You did a great job with them all too :clap:
 
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