URGENT, PLEASE HELP! -Breastfeeding queen with diarrhoea!

Can someone please help me!

Mamma kitty has diarrhoea, her kittens are just 5 weeks old and have started eating kitten food within the last couple of days but are still breastfeeding also. I do not know whether or not to keep her with them or away from them (which would make her very sad but maybe for the best?)?

I can't take her to the vets until Tuesday because of Easter weekend and everywhere's closed! The only change for her recently is that she's been eating kitten food (Royal Canin kitten mousse). I don't know if this has caused the upset tummy or not.

Any help would be very much appreciated!

What was she eating before the RC mousse, and has the diarrhoea coincided with the food change?

Is she well in herself, or are there other symptoms too? Also, how bad is the diarrhoea, and is she making it to the box or not?

Sorry for so many questions.

I honestly can't help you much, as I gave no experience in this area, but the answers to these questions should help others advise you better

Don't worry! Kitten food is not always suitable for adult cats - even Mammas. You could try feeding her in the same room as the kittens (her usual food) but at a higher level so that the kittens can't try to eat it. Once she's fed she shouldn't need to eat their food. If things don't improve by Tuesday then you should call the vet. Please don't separate her from her babies or you will have more serious problems. 

But I also had one mother cat who was always eating the kitten food and making herself ill and leaving nothing for her offspring. We all survived but she's still a devil for taking my other cats' food.

Any response is a good response! She's been eating the mousse for about a week (until then was on royal canin wet food), and had bad smelling stools the last couple of days but only just had it so bad she's gone outside of the box. When I pick her up, I can feel her stomach rumbling, but no other symptoms. My concern is for the little babies, I don;t know if it's better to be cautious in case they catch something or leave her with them as they are still suckling.

You can try giving mom canned pumpkin with her food.  Make sure it is plain pumpkin without any spices.  I think you put 1 tablespoon in her food.  It should help.  You can also try giving her some unflavored pedialyte to replace fluids lost.

I'm not sure I've ever seen tinned pumpkin before?! Where would I buy it? I think most small shops will be closed until Tuesday :-s Thanks for the advise though!

I have actually been deliberately been feeding her kitten food for the weaning process but I'll try switching her back! Thank you for your advice

It sounds as though it's the food change. Can you put her back on her regular food that she was eating before?

Hera said:

 
I'm not sure I've ever seen tinned pumpkin before?! Where would I buy it? I think most small shops will be closed until Tuesday :-s Thanks for the advise though!

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Canned pumpkin is available in any grocery store. It might not be too readily available in the UK, though. Maybe @Columbine knows? Only use 100% pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling that contains spices and other things.

I found this info about where to find canned pumpkin in London:

If you are visiting London then you can also buy canned pumpkin at Panzer's in St John's Wood and Partridge's in Sloane Square or Gloucester Road (and also their website below).

You can also make your own pumpkin puree by steaming cubes of peeled pumpkin (seeds removed) until tender (this is about 20 minutes for roughly 1 1/2-inch cubes but start checking after 10 minutes, the pumpkin should yield easily to the tip of a table knife). Puree and measure out to use in your recipe.

https://www.nigella.com/ask/canned-pumpkin-in-the-uk

You can also find it on Amazon UK:


And here: http://www.americansoda.co.uk/libbys-pumpkin-pie-filling-29oz/

My local Tesco has plain canned pumpkin in the American foods section. I'd definitely try there first. If not, Amazon is probably your best option.

I've read that sweet potato puree is a good substitute for pumpkin, and is probably easier/quicker to make - I'd simply microwave a sweet potato til soft,then scoop out and mash/puree the flesh.

Your best bet will be in the baby food section of Boots or your local supermarket. There pumpkin is unsalted, unsweetened and excellent for cats.  I keep a jar (pumpkin and potato) in my cat food store.although adult cats usually refuse to eat it. Kittens don't seem to care - I dot small portions around the kitten food and they often eat it first.

However your Mamma will need more energy than provided by pumpkin so I would try boiled chicken breast cut up finely. It usually helps quite quickly (don't add anything: no salt). Royal Canin Diet Gastro-intestinal is better still but in Germany I can only get it from the vet where it's expensive. I now buy it on the Internet (Medicanimal) and keep a pack in reserve..

I once had a little stray who had kittens in my cellar. I kept them in the kitchen while I was at work. They all got diarrhoea and I had to take them all to the vet. He said it was stress - the mother was so small and 5 normal, healthy kittens were too much for her. It all ended well. 

Good luck.

Thank you all so much for your help! She had a little butternut squash and it seems to have helped! Babies are fine :-)