6 Day Old Kitten Suckling But Not Gaining Weight

[Cyanholly]

A week ago we took in a pregnant stray. She had been hanging around for a while, but that day she looked ready to pop and not very well cared for, so we decided to give her somewhere safe to give birth. By the next morning, she had given birth to six beautiful kittens. Unfortunately, one was either stillborn or died shortly after birth. They all seemed fine, but then at 3 days old two of the kittens died. We were devastated. We rushed mum and the remaining kittens to the vets, and she said there were no physical problems she could see. One of the kittens was smaller than the others and quite lethargic, so she gave us some KMR and advised us to supplement with that. After less than a day of two hourly feedings, the little one was going from strength to strength and feeding from mum, so we stopped supplementing and he has been fine since. Now, one of the other kittens seems to be having problems. I have been weighing them obsessively, and he hasn't gained weight for two days. He's still lively, and he seems constantly hungry. He suckles more than the other two, but when he does it's really loud, as if maybe he isn't creating a proper seal and is getting more air than anything. I've tried him with KMR, but he fights me constantly, and I worry I'm doing more harm than good as it stresses both him and mum out. The kittens are 6 days old now, and the two biggest are gaining weight really well (214g and 190g), but the little one is only 140g and has stayed that weight for two days now. It's my first time with newborn kittens and I just don't know what's the right thing to do. Do I intervene and keep trying with KMR? Or do I let mum keep doing the great job she's doing? We have fallen in love with these little guys and can't bear the thought of having to bury another. Any advice from people who have done this before would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Kieka]

Check Mom's nipples and make sure there is milk coming from each of them. She may have a nipple or two that just isn't producing as much or any milk for the babies. Try moving the little one to a different nipple and see if it helps.

 

[ArchyCat]

Try putting out a saucer or two per day of KMR (Kitten Milk Replacement) for mom cat, use the powdered form and mix it yourself. This will give her the extra liquid, fat, and protein she needs to make milk for kittens. Keep providing it until she weans the kittens.

Please keep us updated. From what I've read here on TCS, it is not unusual for a kitten's weight gain to flatten for a day or two.

 

[catsknowme]

Welcome to TCS! I recommend asking your vet about supplementation with nutrical paste. And you could try supplement feeding the stronger kittens and give the runt more time with mom - I find goat milk to be more palatable and tolerated than whey based products. I would definitely try to increase mom's milk production. We have a great TCS thread on that. And please keep us updated on how things are going!
How to increase milk production in nursing queens

 

[ArchyCat]

I just discovered that the local Pet Smart has added a refrigerated food section for cats and dogs. Included in the various meat products is goats milk. I also recently noticed that a local large supermarket stocks lactose free cow's milk.

 

[Cyanholly]

Thanks so much for the advice, sorry it's taken a while to update. Later that day I seemed to have a bit of a breakthrough with the little one. I managed to get him to suckle from a bottle, and it seemed as if after that he got the energy to get enough milk from mum, and I've been able to stop handfeeding at all. All three are now growing well and seem happy and healthy, which is such a relief. They are 11 days old now, and all have fully opened their eyes. They're all getting a little bit more mobile too. Mum seems to be doing great, and has put on quite a bit of weight since we found her. She looks to be in better condition, and she's become really affectionate and playful, we think she's probably quite young herself.
These kittens didn't have the best start in life, and after what happened to their siblings I was terrified of anything happening to the others, and especially of doing anything wrong in helping to care for them. Thanks so much for the advice, it helped to calm me down. Fingers crossed it's smooth sailing from here, but as things stand we have three very happy kittens, and a very proud mum.

 

[catsknowme]

Those are such BEAUTIFUL babies!! The ratio of white and orange is spectacular. I am thrilled to read your update Often, a little support gives the tinies that extra boost that they need to muster on. Mama kitty looks so proud & loving in the background. Bless you for taking her in - you were their shield against the spectre of death . I am so looking forward to updates!