Mom is biting her kitten!?

I'm fostering a mom and her 4 week old kitten (I've already lost 2 other kittens from this litter ) so I'm sorry if I'm asking dumb questions - I just want to make sure this is normal behavior.

While I was in with the mom and her kitten yesterday, the kitten kept trying to nurse and the mom would turn over and not let her. When the kitten would walk around and try to feed again, the mom would bite her and kick at her. I know the mom should be trying to discipline her kitten, but as far as I know, the kitten wasn't doing anything wrong at all! She was simply trying to eat.

When should the kitten start eating canned food? I put some out for her yesterday and she wasn't interested at all. I did see her drink some water for the first time, though. It's pretty hot now in NE Ohio so should I try to give the kitten a few cc's of water orally?

Also, since the mom was pushing her away yesterday, should I put out some goat's milk for the kitten?

And lastly, when should I put out a small litterbox for the kitten?

Can you get KMR? If you can make a gruel of canned kitten food and KMR put it on a small plate and set it near the kitten. Stick your finger in the gruel, place a small amount on her paw, then put a tiny bit in her mouth. Watch and see what she does. They don't take to solid food usually until they are about a week older, but it never hurts to try. If mom has turned off the milk bar their might be a reason (healthwise) It would be good to call whoever is sponsoring your foster and suggest a spay.

Generally, you offer a low sided litterbox at about 4 weeks. When kittens start solids, they start pooing on their own.

Please check Momma for mastitis, a painful engorgement of her nipples. Since she lost two kittens, and is sick herself, maybe she has a nipple infection causing it to be painful to nurse. If her nipples seem very full, or warm or red, she should see a vet.

And if she won't nurse the kitten, and the kitten isn't eating solids yet, take over with bottle feeding with KMR. (Kitty on her tummy, not on her back.)

Sometimes when fostering, it is excessively painful. You just wonder, am I helping or hurting this situation?!? But please don't give up. Sometimes you get a Momcat who is so physically depleted, from multiple deliveries, that they just cannot sustain their kittens. Other times, you get lucky, and a scrawny Momcat will raise a full litter of fat and happy babies.

TheCatSite is a great resource, and we are all here with you to help you help your kitties!

I swore off KMR after I tried bottle feeding one of the kittens and she began breathing abnormally about 10 minutes later and then died the next day. I'm sure it's just a coincidence but I'm just very paranoid now.

Is goat's milk inferior to KMR?

I'll try to contact the Humane Society I'm fostering through, but that is a whole rant I won't get into... I'll just say they haven't been helpful or even available when I've needed them.

Sometimes when fostering, it is excessively painful. You just wonder, am I helping or hurting this situation?!? But please don't give up. Sometimes you get a Momcat who is so physically depleted, from multiple deliveries, that they just cannot sustain their kittens. Other times, you get lucky, and a scrawny Momcat will raise a full litter of fat and happy babies.

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Thank you for your encouragement! This is my first fostering experience and I never thought it would be this difficult.

The KMR didn't hurt the other baby, IMO. There is something called fading kitten syndrome, which is almost like SIDS in human babies. They just go, for no real reason. KMR, another kitten formula, or goats milk are all great choices to support the nutritional needs of your baby. I have used about 10 cans of another brand of kitten formula...they don't sell KMR at the farm feed store near me! LOL!

You might want to contact a rescue near you...I foster for a rescue, and while they prefer I use their vet because it is a lot cheaper, if I feel there is any health crisis, I can take the fosters to my vet, and they will pay. I have never been given an antibiotic for a cat that didn't see the vet first.

Well the Humane Society I foster through has a vet on staff and of course, I wouldn't have to pay anything to take the cats to that vet. I have left three messages and not heard a thing back. So when the 2nd kitten seemed ill and my message wasn't returned, I decided to take her to my vet and just pay for the visit out of my pocket. The Humane Society was very clear that they will not reimurse me for that. I don't even expect them to - it just would've been nice if I would've received a return call so I wouldn't have had to spend the money in the first place.

When the mother was sick with her URI, the H.S. gave me antibiotics without seeing the cat. I was shocked by that because my vet won't give me eye drops without seeing my cats first.

The H.S. gave me a packet of info when I first decided to foster, and one of the stats was 20-40% of all puppies and kittens don't live past 12 weeks. I just didn't expect those kittens to die in MY care.