Please help

Is it possible to make her an indoor cat all of the time? The neighbors don't sound very pleasant...

sarahrose28 said:

They all seem to latch on and nurse fine but they can disturb each other if their not all latched on at the same time so I usually go back a few times, especially when there's meowing and make sure their latching on fine, sometimes lightly holding their heads there

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That is quite common.   If necessary, you can make two shifts of them. Have a couple of the strongest most bullying on one turn, when they are satisfied and asleep you take them to their own little cozy bed (heating pad if necessary - a rice socket  warmed up in micorwave,or common warm water bottle)

And have the rest having THEIR quality time with momma.    And so you change them  turnwise.

If ONE is visible weaker, you put it to momma when the others are asleeep.

The disturbing is fine, kittens are kittens and they fight over nipples. It's normal. The crying however isnt, specially as it's only one.

Please check the palate of the crying kitten if you can (inside of the mouth). I'm suspecting either an open palate (if this is the case you should get it to the vet) or it's not strong enough to get mom's milk. You can try latching the crying one on yourself every 2 hours, specially if the bigger kittens are sleeping. It will get some milk that way if it's strong enough to suckle. If not, you will need to feed. And if that's the case, tomorrow might be too late. Please don't wait too long, it sounds like it might be starving. Mom's milk is better than any KMR, but if it's not working, you will need to step in asap.

All the palettes appear to be fine and they all seem to have put on weight, the two smallest ones which were the last 2 born are notic ably bigger and it is one of those 2 meowing and they are the ones I mostly help to latch on especially when the older 2 are asleep as they seem to go off and cuddle together leaving mum free we have a little heat pad which I will put in with them today. I have tried to make her an inside cat but she gets restless and sneaks out while the dogs are let out. The last few months she hasn't left the backyard and she mostly just lays near to where my dad is working and then follows him back inside.

heres the two younger ones (can tell by how much fur they have) nursing as well as the 2 older ones asleep near mums feet, which is what usually happens

Good it's important to gain weight. Try getting a scale and weight them every day on the same time. In this case i would even weight them twice daily until the crying stops. Please let us know the weightgain when you did so we can try to see if things look good or not

Will do

Also, do you think mom is helping them poop and pee correctly? Try feeling the bellies occasionally as well. It shouldnt be rock hard and/or bloated like a balloon. This could be the problem as well.

Yeah she's helping them use the toilet, I notice when they are being cleaned or she's helping them go potty because they meow quite loudly, there bellys are round and warm but there not hard.

Good! Maybe that one kitten is just very loud, it happens sometimes ^^ hoping for the best, keep us posted!

Will do thank you to everyone that's helped me

Hi everyone just thought I'd do a quick little update, all 4 baby's as well as mum are doing well. The babies are beginning to walk and are developing nicely. The mothers struggling a little as we are currently experiencing a heat wave and she does not like the heat very much but she has constant access to clean fresh water as well as a fan in the room that is facing away from the babies. She is also in a room with tiled floors so she lays on them if she gets hot and occasionally the babies follow. She also has access to the garage which she roams around in or lays in the shade when it gets to hot. Babies are also becoming more playful and adventurous and we are slowly introducing them to the dogs when the mothers around so she can monitor and make sure the babies aren't in danger. So far all is going well.

This is fantastic to hear! [emoji]128522[/emoji]

Is it normal for mumma cat to keep moving her babies? The last day and a half she is insistent on taking them into the lounge room during the day but wants them in my room to sleep. I've been trying to just let her do her thing an avoid touching them as much as possible but everyone keeps picking up the babies in the loungeroom which also stresses her out as well as we are going through a heat wave and it is virtually a sauna in there. She moved them just before and I left them for about 10 minutes but brought them back much to her displeasure as one got stuck under the couch and the dogs would not leave the kittens alone, that's how one got stuck under the couch and two of them were hissing and shaking and even swiped at the dog while the mother just layed back and watch but my parents will not let me remove the dogs from the room so there not really in a safe environment so I'm a little bit stuck on what to do as it seems that mother cat wants to take them with her to say hello to everyone because they seem to be neglecting her now that the kittens are here which I've asked them not to do and she feels left out but she brings them all back when she wants to come back and sleep. Is to much moving bad for them? Especially since they are quite heavy and she keeps dropping them on their heads then dragging them by their legs or ear, not roughly though. She doesn't seem mad at me as she keeps coming up and nuzzling me as well as laying with me she just seems to want to take the little ones backwards and forwards all the time. They are walking around now so I let them go for a walk and they usually get halfway down my hallway before there spent and don't move anymore so they're brought back and sleep. Any advice? And what should I do about parents who don't seem to care whats happening as they feel they are experts due to them knowing someone who's cat had a lot of litters my cats mother actually who is left outside 24/7 by a negligent owner who won't get her spayed and has had 3 litters in less than 2 years. But they just keep saying I overreact because I'm trying to do what's best for both mum and babies.
Sorry for such a long post

I think you're right to be concerned. The mother cat wants to be social, which is great. I don't think you need to be concerned about touching the kittens; they are of an appropriate age to be socialized with the people around them. However, they are way too small to be in a room that isn't kitten-proofed and the dogs are not safe at all. They could be seriously injured or even killed. A poster recently had a kitten die under a rocking chair, and that was with being careful.

Keep the kittens in a room that is safe. Maybe you can add a baby gate so mom can come and go, but not the kittens. Everything she needs should be in that room, but she can still leave to see her people. In addition, you should spend a lot of time with the kittens and their mom.

Try to talk to your parents calmly. What they have seen done before isn't uncommon, but that doesn't make it the right choice.

Thank you, I ended up giving in and letting her bring them out into the loungeroom where she's fed them and is now walking around as I'm letting my room get the breeze from the front door to cool it down a little but now I've got to try and persuade my parents to let me take them back into my room as they want to leave them on the tiled floor all night. We have another few warm days so I'm just going to let her follow her instincts and do my best to help her out. She has never liked the heat and I understand she is probably uncomfortable already from the heat as well as overwhelmed with having four little bodies climb all over her.

I think my parents are just mad because I am quite a hands on owner, she was always locked in by 6pm and wasn't allowed out until at least 7am, later if I could help it. Where as they've never really bothered with what their dogs were doing and everyone they know just lets their cats roam and don't get them into a routine. It was the same fight with my sister and her cats.

This could be OK as long as you are supervising. It is absolutely not safe for them to be around the dogs or under the couch, around wires, etc. They will start getting into everything.

You're trying to do the best for your cat and that's something to be proud of! Continue trying to educate them, and to get her spayed when it's time.

Thanks, I've brought them back into my room and it is a lot cooler but mumma cat still ain't happy and is still trying to take them back. She's pushing them through the things I have in front of my door. I may have found a solution. I moved some of the blankets away and there is now just a corner of floor that she can lay on but the babies can still crawl into the blankets, she doesn't seem to mind it but also wants to still get it she's just a little happier to leave the babies there.

She may not like that she was locked in my room for a few hours today while I was out, I had many fans on to cool the room down but it was still quite warm. She doesn't seem to mind this corner floor plan and is happily eating, so hopefully she accepts this. I've noticed she's been moving the blankets herself the past few days especially if she's got so she was laying on the floor but she may feel better with the babies there. She's sitting with them now and bathing them and doesn't seem stressed. Fingers crossed this works.

Can you get a play pen or make something out of cardboard boxes to put the kittens in when they visit the lounge.  That way they would be safe and mom can visit with everyone.

I've tried a basket as well as a container I have, unfortunately I don't have any boxes and can't find any around, even tried my local supermarket but they had none available.

She has slept on and off in the corner I made for her for a little over an hour at a time before she is up and crying continuously again for up to half an hour or until she's stopped so I don't really know what to do at this stage. I've been trying to get an box since they were born but I can't seem to get access to one and my family aren't any help