Does this look normal for the umbilical cords? & other kitten issues.

[ethand]

My cat just gave birth to 4 beautiful kittens a couple hours ago, but she didn't bite their umbilical cords so I tied and cut them. But now looking at them, 1 kitten's cord knot looks like a balloon! It looks like there's still liquid/ blood inside, whereas another kitten's knot has darkened. Is this normal? How should I treat them? The image isn't very clear since they kept moving.

 

[Sarthur2]

If possible, tie it off again just underneath that bubble. Use dental floss — it’s easier to work with and do not remove the original tie until it’s tied again. In fact, you can let the original fall off on its own eventually.

 

[ethand]

I see, then what should I do about the bubble? Should I just leave it alone until the whole cord comes off on their own?

 

[Sarthur2]

Yes, see my edited last sentence above!

 

[ethand]

thank you!!

 

[Sarthur2]

Just checking in — did this go okay? Hoping all is well for the kittens.

Please do keep us posted.

E ethand

 

[ethand]

hey, thanks for asking. I didn't do anything to it and now the bubble is gone now, all on its own! All the cords have darkened and dried out so hopefully they'll detach on their own in the next few days

 

[ethand]

Out of the 4 kittens, I just noticed one has yellow poop stuck around his butt. I didn't actually see the poop, just the stain like the picture. Doing a quick search on Google tells me it may be due to infection, but the kitten has only fed on mama's milk. Is this something anyone else has encountered before?

 

[Sarthur2]

Yellow poop is normal for newborns on mom’s milk. You are likely seeing this because the kitten pooped on its own before mom stimulated him or her or had a chance to clean it up. Moms usually lick and consume their kittens’ poops early on.

You’ll want to use a warm, damp cloth to clean the kittens’s bottom and surrounding area unless mom has gotten to it.

It’s not unusual to see kitten poop on the bedding in the nest, so change the bedding every couple of days so it is clean.

All should be well — just sounds like mom is having trouble keeping up. Help her out by cleaning bottoms if she doesn’t.

E Ethan

 

[ethand]

I see, thanks a lot