Questions About A New-Born Litter!

Alright, so a few months back I rescued a white, long-haired tom-cat who wondered into my house. He'd obviously been abused and neglected (he had mange and fleas and a TERRIBLE case of scabies) but, without the help of a vet (they're VERY scarce over here), I managed to get him up onto his feet again!

However, he didn't get on very well with my other two toms, Button and Indie, so we decided to give him to my cousin! My cousin then got a female cat and fast forward two months, she just had her kittens last night!

So far, she's had four. Though one was born stillborn, and I'm wondering if this is normal? I'm not there to monitor her and my cousin isn't very experienced with all of this. He lives 2 hours away so I'm only prepared to head over if the mother abandons the babies. Hopefully she won't, though, as she seems to be licking and feeding them well!

There's three of them now, one brown, and two white! I'm just wondering what I can do if the mother DOES abandon the babies? We don't get KMR over here (I live in Pakistan) so I was wondering if Nestle Lactogen Stage 1 will work for them? Also how often do they need to be fed? How do I stimulate them to poop and eat? Is feeding them the same as feeding an adult cat (putting the dropper into the corner of their cheek and slowly squirting until they swallow)???

Also where they are atm is basically an abandoned factory (the machines aren't working or anything don't worry!) that my cousin uses for his work. It's fairly quiet and there isn't much disturbance or anything, either. Will the mother be able to keep them warm enough with her body heat or will we need to give her some blankets, as well? We've given her some just in case so!

Another thing, she was very restless during the labour and was pacing around a lot and howling. Is this normal behaviour? Also she had one of the kittens in a completely different place from the other two! We moved the kitten over to the others, though, and she didn't seem to mind! Another question I've got is how long should it take for her to calm down? How long does labour normally last in cats?

I don't have the full details of how many total kittens she's had so far, though my cousin thinks she could be expecting more as she was still rather restless before his phone went dead! I'll know more in a few hours, fingers crossed they're all okay!

Stillborn kittens in litters are common.

You can get full fats goat milk and use a syringe without the needle put one drop in the kitten's mouths if you need to supplement/take over and allow him/her to breathe. You nurse them as they would nurse from mom, tummy down head up. If possible, I would keep mom and babies in the house as they need warmth to survive I wouldn't rely on a garage/shed to keep them warm and they need to be monitored and weighed daily with a gram food scale. Good luck!

It's very important that the male cat isn't allowed near the mother or the kittens for the time being. Intact males are often hostile to kittens and he could injure them. Also, the mother can get pregnant again within the week even without going into heat.

My concern about the factory would just be that it's not to cold and drafty. Also that the kittens don't have too much room to roam. They need to be confined and safe.

Im sending my links, both for pregnancy,  AND kitten care if they got abandoned or similiar.

As said above, goat milk is a very good help for orphaned kittens, and a good supplement for adult cats too, if they should need.   I suppose you can get goat milk?  This may be difficult in Sweden.  

So goat milk is our recommendation.  Sheep milk may also be OK, I think, but I dont have experience.  But another advisor did mentioned the word once.

This Nestlé product I dont know it at all - but I suppose its better than cow milk.

IF you MUST use cow milk - raw unpasteurized is less bad than processed pasteurized.   In fact, one of my neigbours did once saved an orphan on raw unpasterurized.  We live in the country, so they knew people whom had cows.

Re your intact toms. I know you dont have many vets there. But for cats its really best to be neutered - toms, or spayed - females...

A tom whom is friend with momma, is seldom a danger for the kittens. He may perhaps wve want to help with the care.  But there is no 100%  safety, so let your cosin supervise the first meetings.  Also, look if momma does mind, or if she is OK...  But, as above said - momma can get pregnant anew already a week after.  So dont let her out!  and preferably keep this white tom from her too.

The factory as such could be OK, wiht some blankets, and perhaps some big cardboard box as the nest.  Although in home milieu is best, if its not too lively in the home.

What is the her being nervous?  You ask how long the delivery may be.  Active delivery labor with cats is shorter than with humans.  So, an active fruitless labor of more than say 30min- 1 hour is alarming,   But they can have pauses inbetween different kittens. Hours, even days.  If the mom is OK, no troubles, calm with the kittens etc, its just to observe but wait.

If she is visibly excited between deliveries - in troubles, its worse of of course.    Contact with a vet is advised.   I hope you DO have some vet you can phone too?  A phone vet doesnt even need to be in Pakistan.

But, re her being excited, she is perhaps not comfortable at this place? Perhaps too many looking on?  Dogs barking nearby?  Is such a case, she will be nervous of course.

@indie-n-button

 Birth, Delivery and Newborns

How to Tell if My Cat is Pregnant?

Cat Pregnancy

How Do I Know When My Cat Will Give Birth?

Pregnant Cat? What to Prepare For the Birth

Help! My Cat is Having Kittens!

Premature Kittens

Post-Birth Complications in Cats

And also:

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/kitten-development-stages-illustrated-guide

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/pregnancy-and-delivery-in-cats

http://www.icatcare.org/advice/my-cat-having-kittens     ( This is a link to a group of articles on cat pregnancy, birth and kittens.   Read the ones on normal cat birth and on " when to wait and when to worry"  )  

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/hand-rearing-kittens

http://www.kitten-rescue.com/
http://www.kittenrescue.org/index.php/cat-care/kitten-care-handbook/
http://www.hdw-inc.com/glop.htm

Goats milk is useful instead of kmr. Raw goat milk is best – fresh or frozen,  but bottled /cartooned or  powdered full fat is OK too.

Observe, if an orphan is much bloated, gas-filled, bloated, have colic, simethicone (google on it) may help.  1-2 drop in the bottle.

Fleece or flannel good to use in the bedding for kittens.

Thankyou for the responses and links, I'll read up on them now!

Also, my cousin just phoned and told me that Ghilli (the female cat, haha!) has had five healthy kittens! The one that we thought was dead last night apparently wasn't! We've got four pure white babies and one little tabby-and-white odd-ball! Ghilli is feeding them well and looking after them and my cousins but them in a box with some blankets and towels to keep them warm! Also, Ghilla (the male cat) seems to have taken a liking to them and is licking them and sitting a little distance away from them whenever mum's around. Is this normal behaviour? He's not being vicious at all towards them, and it's like he realises they're his kids!

indie-n-button said:

 
Thankyou for the responses and links, I'll read up on them now!

Also, my cousin just phoned and told me that Ghilli (the female cat, haha!) has had five healthy kittens! The one that we thought was dead last night apparently wasn't! We've got four pure white babies and one little tabby-and-white odd-ball! Ghilli is feeding them well and looking after them and my cousins but them in a box with some blankets and towels to keep them warm! Also, Ghilla (the male cat) seems to have taken a liking to them and is licking them and sitting a little distance away from them whenever mum's around. Is this normal behaviour? He's not being vicious at all towards them, and it's like he realises they're his kids!

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Yes, toms whom are friends with the momma are often very helpful with the kittens. They dont even need to be biological children of that tom. But visiting toms who arent pals with mom, may be a real danger, yes.

Nay, the real problem here is, she may get pregnant anew quite early.

Im happy its all well now.  Im not sure the stillborne was alive after all (yes, sometimes they can be revived with energetic working with them, warming up, giving them massage).   I suspect she delivered more kittens, its why she was a little excited and not her herself.   She knew there was more to come.

So my guess is the stillborne was dead, but more did come, and your cousin didnt tell all the details via phone.

Is momma a tabby?  Both tabby and white are strong genes, so both should show on the kittens.  White is even so strong, it can sometimes cover other colors and patterns, and an all white kitten may have tabby under all the white. 

Aaaa alright! He seems to really like them a lot, anyway! He's making little chirping noises around them and nuzzling into them a lot, as well as grooming Mum, as well!

Nono it was definately the 'still-born'. My cousin isn't too experienced with all of these things and he thought that it was dead because it wasn't moving. He didn't take the stillborn away from the mother, either, and when he came back a few hours ago, it was alive! I'm glad that they are all okay, though, I'm really relieved that it all went well!

Nope, both Mum and Dad are solid white cats (with medium-long length hair) Only four of the babies are solid white, with the little odd-ball being tabby and white! Oh? Well that's interesting! I thought that white was one of the 'rarer' colours?

If he's spending that much time with the mom I would really consider neutering him asap. It's not healthy for her to have litter after litter.

It sounds like they're doing really well and are a happy little family! Will your cousin be able to find homes for all?

I'll have a word with our vet about neutering him! Though my cousin may take a little bit of persuasion into neutering the Dad. There are injections over here that prevent the tom-cat from going into heat? So could we give him one of those after talking to the vet about it? (They last for roughly 3-4 months from what I've heard?) I'll try to push to get him neutered ASAP though!!

And we've found TONNES of ppl who want to take them in, we'll be doing home-checks and all that stuff, eventho my Mum's pretty keen on keeping them all ourself haha! I'll be taking the little Odd-ball for myself though, he sounds too cute to resist!

Males don't go into heat, they are ready to go whenever! But yes, an injection could be a good option in the meantime, especially if it can be done quickly.

If you want some info for your cousin about the advantages of neutering let us know. The cats will be healthier and happier.

Oh gosh! I thought they had a season, seeing as my own tom wails continously in the summer months but is somewhat quiet during winter?? Alright I'll talk to the vet as soon as I can contact him! Also, how long after she's given birth can the female get pregnant?

Alright I'll let you guys know how it goes!

Males can get more vocal about getting out if they notice that a female is nearby, which is more likely when it's warm out, but no season.  It can be as soon as within the first week after giving birth,

indie-n-button said:

 
Nope, both Mum and Dad are solid white cats (with medium-long length hair) Only four of the babies are solid white, with the little odd-ball being tabby and white! Oh? Well that's interesting! I thought that white was one of the 'rarer' colours?

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Yes, solid white isnt that common. Rather peculiar, as white is a very strong gene.

So, as one kitten is a tabby, at least one of the parents must have been such tabby covered by the white.  Ie carrying both tabby and the white gene...

indie-n-button said:

 
I'll have a word with our vet about neutering him! Though my cousin may take a little bit of persuasion into neutering the Dad. There are injections over here that prevent the tom-cat from going into heat? So could we give him one of those after talking to the vet about it? (They last for roughly 3-4 months from what I've heard?) I'll try to push to get him neutered ASAP though!!

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Such injections do works and is a way to buying time, but they may also have side-effects.  At least, the injections which they used several years ago, could have. Its not the hormone, but the solution agent which isnt good.  They could typically get a bare spot where the injection was.  But in bad case they could get horrible "balls" raising from the injection place - death case had been reported.

Do you have the Pill in your country?  The pill isnt not answer for everything, but has less of these side-effects, and it works to give it to males too.  If you cant do the neutering immediately, buy time with the pilll.  One a week, roughly.

A female may get pregnat again about one week after delivery.

Observe, the tom may still be fertile at least one week after neutering!  Take three weeks to be sure.  Theoretically it may be even more, but practically - I know examples of kittens made after one week after neutering.

Alright, so one of my cousin's cats recently had kittens (they're about 5 weeks old now) and he showed me some pictures of them and I realised that they all had black crud around their eyes/noses? They're active and chubby though, and always trying to get into things they shouldn't! They're suckling from their Mum alright and only mewling loudly when they're picked up or taken away from Mum! Also, their mouth's seem to be staining a light, pale yellow? Is this just milk staining or should we be worried?

They've been fine all the weeks he's sent me pictures until just now I hope it's nothing serious... one of their mouths looks a little dirty too, and their mouth's look wet? I don't know, maybe I'm worrying too much

A little bit of additional info: Their mum and dad and both long-haired cats. I didn't have a say in the breeding, really (I'm 15 years old) but the Dad was a rescue (I rescued him when he literally wandered into the house, completely scabbed up to the point where I couldn't see his neck. I had to treat him w/o a vet and the little chub is as good as new now!) and Mum was given to my cousin by a friend. The mum originally gave birth to 6 bbies, but one was a fading kitten and died within the first week, another one was stolen by one of my cousin's workers when they were roughly 3 weeks old They've been pooping, urinating and drinking okay all their life! And they're full of energy and playful! We're also going to be starting them on solids very soon! Pictures are given below! The ginger one on the far right is the biggest of the litter, btw, but he's the one who's mouth is dirty. I'm not sure if it's because he is drinking too much or what :/ All kittens are also nice and chubby! They play w/ their dad frequently, he loves them a lot!

I also thought I'd include some pictures of them when they were younger -- and a lot less gunkier!

This is at week one:




This is week two:



Week 3:







Week 4:



Additional: The yellowing around their mouth can be seen in the bottom pic (the last one I just posted) I'm p sure it's been there since they were born, but I'm not sure if it's just their colour or something I should be worried about?

Aw, they're so cute.  It looks from these photos like they need an antibiotic for a uri.  Is is possible for them to see a vet?

I agree that they need to see a vet for a diagnosis and possible medication.

Alright I'll look into trying to take them to the vet! It's going to be difficult though, seeing as there aren't a lot of vets in the city that they're in -- it's a rather agricultural city, the only vets available are for cows/goats/horses etc :/ I'll look into it though and keep you guys updated on what happens and if there is any improvement.

They seem to be breathing alright though, no wheezing or anything, and no sneezing, either? Should I tell my cousin to clean away the gunk whenever it comes back? Also, do you know what the yellowing around their mouth could be? It isn't exactly yellow it's more like a creamy colour? Thankyou for your feedback!

indie-n-button said:

 
Alright I'll look into trying to take them to the vet! It's going to be difficult though, seeing as there aren't a lot of vets in the city that they're in -- it's a rather agricultural city, the only vets available are for cows/goats/horses etc :/ I'll look into it though and keep you guys updated on what happens and if there is any improvement.

They seem to be breathing alright though, no wheezing or anything, and no sneezing, either? Should I tell my cousin to clean away the gunk whenever it comes back? Also, do you know what the yellowing around their mouth could be? It isn't exactly yellow it's more like a creamy colour? Thankyou for your feedback!

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I want to add, as your relatives arent no breeders for real, it would be proper wise and good to let spay / neuter them.  If money is  a big issue for your relatives, let them begin with spaying of the mom.

And which of these goat vet to choose?  Maybe by phoning and asking if they know what it is.  Or better still, ask cat owners around whom is the relatively best of them.

Spaying is a major operation, but its a standard operation too, they ALL have education in it.  So unless there are complication, most of them should be able to do it.

Re these miscoloring, I agree with you and the others, its surely something to let a vet look into. Perhaps not high emergency alarming, but should be looken and dealt with.

Nice with the daddy playing with them.   A good psyche in the father is as important for the new cats as a good psyche in mom.

Last and least. As you do have goat vets there, you do surely also have goats.   Goats milk is excellent as kitten mothermilk replacement, or as supplement in older cats. In  fact, goat milk seems to be something of an universal replacement milk - many animals including sensitive humans, do manage it.

Hey, its my belief raw goat milk may be used as a mild washer of outside skin problems.  At least,  I managed to get liquid soap with goat milk in.  Works nicely.  Raw goat milk will be even better - it contains some natural antibacterials.

Re telling them to take away the grunk.  Not at this stage.  The risk is big, they do it instead of consulting  the vet.

By the same reason, perhaps dont hint about either about home remedies either...

Later on, when they have got suitable antibiotics, they can also try with home remedies.   But tell them to be careful, not to spread the contagion while wiping out the grunk.   Its so easy done if you arent very careful...    Its for example not sure they all have exactly the same bacteria infesting them..

Errata.   its gunk in english, not grunk.  grunk sounds as swedeenglish...