As many of you may know now, Ruby got spayed Monday. She was still occassionally nursing the one kitten (Shannon) that we are keeping. Now it is Friday and her two lowest nipples are horribly engorged. (Shannon has not been allowed to be around her w/o supervision and has not nursed.) I breast-fed my own children until they were one year old and I am very familiar with how uncomfortable engorgement after weaning can be.
Here are my questions:
1) I have been gently massaging Ruby nipples when she is relaxing, because I know it worked for me...will it work for cats as far as stimulating the body to asborb the milk?
2) Does this lead to a greater risk of mastitis? I had a minor case of human mastitis while weaning my oldest daughter cold turkey. Ruby's nipples are not warm and I don't feel any hard knots within the already hard engorged milk sac (as sure indicator in humans of a clogged duct or mastitis).
I know she has to be uncomfortable, so I wanted to make sure I had all the information I could have. Perhaps someone should start a LaLeche League for cats.
Here are my questions:
1) I have been gently massaging Ruby nipples when she is relaxing, because I know it worked for me...will it work for cats as far as stimulating the body to asborb the milk?
2) Does this lead to a greater risk of mastitis? I had a minor case of human mastitis while weaning my oldest daughter cold turkey. Ruby's nipples are not warm and I don't feel any hard knots within the already hard engorged milk sac (as sure indicator in humans of a clogged duct or mastitis).
I know she has to be uncomfortable, so I wanted to make sure I had all the information I could have. Perhaps someone should start a LaLeche League for cats.
