Cat's weight loss...

cap-n-don

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Oct 12, 2005
Messages
3
Purraise
0
Location
Belgium
Greetings all im new here


Well I have a quick question.My Sneakers had 5 little kittens 4 weeks ago.The birth went great.But now she seems to be really thin and tired.She seems to be losing weight quickly every week.She eats a ton and drinks a ton of water.

Im just worried somethings wrong.I would take here to the vet but there deployed to Afganistan.Im in a small military community in belgium.

Any thought's?

Thanks guys

Rick.
 

nebula11

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 16, 2004
Messages
2,905
Purraise
3
Location
Salem Ma. (City of Witches)
I am not sure about a Queen after birth, but weight loss that rapidly in normal cats is BAD......

Cats can not handle rapid weight loss like other animals and humans can...it can cause fat on the liver, and heart disease.......

How much has she lost???...in what period of time???

Unless this is a common thing with childbirth, this weightloss can indicate another health issue and needs to see a vet.....

Hopefully someone more knowlegable on the subject of Queens after birth will be around shortly
good luck
 

booktigger

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jun 11, 2005
Messages
4,520
Purraise
3
Location
UK
Nursing cats do get extremely thin, and with 5 it will be bad. She has to eat enough to make milk for 5 hungry kits and keep herself going, so needs lots of high quality kitten food - the mum cat I fostered last year went through 6 pouches a day, plus what the kittens didn't eat, plus at least 2 bowls of biscuits. She looked like skin and bones till after they went - her fur was also poor as all her nutrients went on the kittens. Unless you are a breeder, please keep her in to prevent her getting pregnant again, as they can get pregnant so quickly after giving birth, and just think of what it could do to her with being so thin.

If you are really worried, is there no other vet contact you have, such as ringing them?
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #4

cap-n-don

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Oct 12, 2005
Messages
3
Purraise
0
Location
Belgium
I would call a local vet but I dont speak french.Her coat is still nice and shiny so thats good I would think.She also seems happy.We keep her inside and plan to spay her when the kittens are weened.I dont know her exact weight but I would say she has lost at least 1-2 pounds a week since giving birth.
 

semiferal

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jul 15, 2005
Messages
1,890
Purraise
9
Location
in my apartment
This is the worst part of nursing since the kittens are quite large now (collectively they probably weigh about as much as she does) but are still too young to get much if any of their nutrition from solid food.

She eats and drinks a ton because after she eats and drinks, she has to turn that food and water into milk for her babies. Nature arranges things so that a mother will make excellent milk even if the mother herself is malnourished. The food she eats will be used to make milk and whatever is left over will be used for her own nourishment.

Start offering canned food in shallow plates to encourage the kittens to start experimenting with solids. Feed Mom as much as she will eat, as often as she will eat. This might mean setting the alarm clock so you can get up in the middle of the night to open another can.

Expect her to slowly start gaining weight beginning in about two weeks.
 

tnr1

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Oct 5, 2003
Messages
7,980
Purraise
13
Location
Northern Virginia
Also...would be a good idea while she is recovering to set up her spay appointment for when the kittens are around 6-8 weeks of age.

Katie
 
Top