New mom cat belly sag

snowleopard1

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Hello I'm new to cat site!

Our cat snowball is one year old and just had 5 kittens which are about 5 days old.

Anyways, snowball is acting different. She doesn't like to be pet at all which she used to love, she also doesn't purr since having kittens.

On top of that her tummy sags. The last two nipples and the skin there sag down and I've read it may be mastitis?

She feeds her kittens all the time, is still really friendly just doesn't like to be touched, and I never see her crying in pain etc. Could it just be extra skin from being pregnant?

Thx for helping!
 

Norachan

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That looks normal to me @snowLeopard1  Are the kittens able to suckle normally? If a cat has any infection in her nipples the area usually feels hot to touch compared to the rest of her belly. Does it feel any warmer than usual to you? 

Squeeze her nipples gently and see if milk comes out. No milk at all is a sign that the duct is blocked. Clear or lumpy discharge is the sign of an infection. If her milk comes out easily and looks normal I'd say what you are seeing is just a bit of sag from having milk for her kittens.
 
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snowleopard1

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Okay thanks I'll try that tomorrow.

The first two days the kittens drank milk perfectly but I moved them into my closet for privacy so it's hard to tell but I'm sure they re doing fine because the kittens are getting fatter lol
 

Norachan

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That's great.

If you have some kitchen scales it's a good idea to weigh the kittens at the same time every day to make sure they are gaining weight. If their weight gain slows down it's the first sign that something is wrong with Mom or the babies. It's a good way to keep an eye on things.

 
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snowleopard1

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I weighed them and they all weigh half a pound at a week old. They look like 2 to 3 times bigger than at birth so I think all is going well!

One just opened his eyes today so I'm very excited!
 
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snowleopard1

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So our cat has 5 kittens about a week old.

When they are 3 or 4 months old and can be rehomed I plan on keeping one so our mom cat isn't lonely

My question is will mom cat get along with her kitten when it grows up and will it be better to keep a boy or a girl?
 

talkingpeanut

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Also it's probably best to keep two kittens as they will have the same energy level and keep themselves entertained.

Are you planning to have them all fixed?
 

Norachan

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So our cat has 5 kittens about a week old.

When they are 3 or 4 months old and can be rehomed I plan on keeping one so our mom cat isn't lonely

My question is will mom cat get along with her kitten when it grows up and will it be better to keep a boy or a girl?
It really depends on the cat. My 5 year old Susy and her 4 year old daughter, Mia, don't like each other that much and usually avoid each other. My avatar cat, I don't know how old he is, and his two 2 year old son and daughter love each other and spend most of their time together. If you get the kittens fixed before they reach sexual maturity they have a better chance of getting along. The best time to do it is when the kittens are 4 to 5 months old.
 
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