Cat not reacting and ignoring kittens after giving birth yesterday

Hi,

I have a cat in my garden since 3 months or so, she came with her kittens. All the children are big and healthy now. The mother gave birth again last night, she had six kittens. Four of them were dead when they were born(or within 2-3 hours of getting born) and two survived. Those two cats kept weeping until an hour ago since their mother left them. The mother came back half an hour ago, and one of the two kittens was dead  I got the mother some food and water, she ate a VERY  little amount and then lied down, ignoring her last kitten's cries. After that, I got the kitten and put it beside its mother. The mother just smelled the kitten and went back to sleep. The kitten seems to be breathing heavily, and we don't have any vets around( I live in Saudi Arabia). Is the behavior of the mother normal, and how can I help the last kitten?

Regards,

Hisham

Hisham1994 said:

 
Hi,

I have a cat in my garden since 3 months or so, she came with her kittens. All the children are big and healthy now. The mother gave birth again last night, she had six kittens. Four of them were dead when they were born(or within 2-3 hours of getting born) and two survived. Those two cats kept weeping until an hour ago since their mother left them. The mother came back half an hour ago, and one of the two kittens was dead  I got the mother some food and water, she ate a VERY  little amount and then lied down, ignoring her last kitten's cries. After that, I got the kitten and put it beside its mother. The mother just smelled the kitten and went back to sleep. The kitten seems to be breathing heavily, and we don't have any vets around( I live in Saudi Arabia). Is the behavior of the mother normal, and how can I help the last kitten?

Regards,

Hisham

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No the behavior is not normal.  I think the kittens are either premature or sick. Which is why she abandons them. 

OR she herself is sick, and that is why she dont manage to bother about her.  She has enough with own problems so to speak...

Now, to the kitten.

If you want to save it, its apparently a hurry.

HOW is the kitten looking? almost without fur, scrawny like a new hatched bird child?   If so, she is premature, and will die unless you are very skilled.  May die anyway, even if you AFE skilled with helping small weak kittens.

If she is furry, decently round, do fight on, if you can.

1. Keep it warm.  Which means, if it isnt very hot in your place, you must actively varm it up - for example, with a heat pad of some sort.

If it is very hot now, you must instead cool it down some...

2 Get a needleless syringe of about 1 ml, alike they have for dosaging medicine.  A real small syringe without needle is alos OK.  If you dont have it, a dropper is OK, or even a straw.

Put in fluids in the corner of the mouth, dropwise, so she manages to swallow.  Tummy down, head up.  Burp afterwards like a baby...

3.  Food and fluids...

Exactly what you give, depends on what you do have.

Kitten mothermilk replacement - kmr, OR goat milk (raw is best, but bottled / cartooned, of even dry are OK).    These you do need, but if you absolutely cant get it, we will try to advise you for possible alternatives.   Camel milk is possibly OK, although I dont have reliable evdience, just a hearsay once.

Water to begin with.  If you can get some glucose sugar (dextrose) + a trifle salt, making it into a home made pedialyte, its good.

If you dont have glucose sugar proper, so perhaps glucose syrup, white caro syrup, or eve honey??

She is surely dehydrated, so keep suitably warm, and give water...   After it, as soon as you can,  kmr or goat milk...

Get home the gears, and if she is still alive if God so will,    we will instruct you.

Good luck!

Thank you very much for your reply. Seems like the kittens are premature, they had scattered fur around their bodies, and they're all gone now. I am really worried about the mother though, she was very active and playful until she gave birth. Is it possible that she got some kind of disease while delivering the babies? And how should I deal with her, she doesn't mind me petting her or being beside her. She used to meow a lot before but she's completely silent now.

She could have picked up something during mating.  Can you take her to a vet and get her looked at and spayed?

She could have lost the litter due to it being so close to her last.  Her body only has so many reserves and when a cat has kittens her body will give them what they need, leaving her without enough for the next litter.

The mother sounds like she is sick. Can you take her to a vet for treatment? A cat who was previously active and now is not moving or eating is not well. She needs medical help!

How is the mom doing?  @Hisham1994   ?   This is surely a vet errand, but if you dont have access to any vet, nor anybody other knowleable, you must fight on yourself, if you wish to help her.

The advices are essentially the same as for that kitten.

Ie you must probably forcefeed her, if she doesnt eat or drink on her own.   The only real difference is you use a bigger syringe, perhaps 5-10 ml.

Goat milk is excellent, if you can get it.   Plain full fat youghurt is OK. Some cheese...  Raw egg yolk  with that...

Some home made pedialyte

I reuse an older post about home made pedialytes.   This is useful both for cats and for humans:

She needs more foods and care, but this is a nice base to give to get her going....Please report  what you are doing!

PEDIALYTE

Pedialyte, continuation.  Exactly which you give, depends on what you do have at hand.    Ask your neigbours for help, if the shops are closed!!!

If bought, the best is some unflavored baby version.   But if flavored are the only one at hand, you can use them to begin with.

Of homemade,  do you have mineral salt and glucose sugar = dextrose.  These salt respective sugar source are the best

If  you havent,  common kitchen sugar, and white caro syrup, or even honey, are OK.    Even common white sugar works, but much slower.

One basic receipt, is

1 litre water.   1,5 tea spoons salt  1,5-2 soup spoons  sugar source...  A little baking soda= bikarbonat, if you have.   Boil up, let it be room temp again. Use.   Dont spare too long.

Another is,   take some rice,  boil it too long, more than in a food recipe.

Use the water, add some salt.

My favorite at this moment, is you take a bottle of a good minerale water.  They contain lotsa of different, good salts and electrolytes.

You let the gas out, and add some sugar source, about half soup spoon  in a 33 ml bottle.   Be sure the sugar gets  diluted in there as it shall.

And voilá, you do have an excellent home made pedialyte...

Make sure the pedialyte you give, is body warm.

Basic home made pedialyte is the main weapon against the great manslaughter  Cholera,  so dont underestimate this...

Thank you very much, @Stefanz. I have good news now, the mother is looking much better today, it's like she's back to life. She is also more responsive. She started eating more, and she drinks a lot of water as well.

Good news again, the cat is meowing more today. She finally started grooming herself as well

Good to hear, shame about the kittens though.

Yes, it is sad about her kittens, but I am glad mom is improving. Will you have her spayed now? It will spare this happening again and she will enjoy better health!

sarthur2 said:

Yes, it is sad about her kittens, but I am glad mom is improving. Will you have her spayed now? It will spare this happening again and she will enjoy better health!

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I'm not sure about having her spayed, I don't think that I can do that myself. The mother is in a really good condition now, I really appreciate everyone's help

Something unusual is happening now, all the old kittens(4-5 months old) are breast feeding from their mother, is this normal? They still eat as usual but whenever they see their mother lying down they do it :O

Yep, it's perfectly normal. They will nurse as long as she lets them.

Why are you unable to spay the mom? She will be pregnant again soon. So will any female kittens soon. You will have more and more cats breeding!