Hi everyone!! I'm new & wanted to introduce myself & ask a question.
I had a momma kitty show up with a belly full of babies! Bella had kittens on APril 22. 6 total, when I found them one was dead. I believe it was born alive & died of hypothermia, or lack of attention from mom. Lost one more yesterday. Was very, very weak when I noticed him & also the runt. I took him in & warmed him, gave him a few drops of formual every 15 min. or so. But he passed within 2 hours. One more is getting weaker, seems like Fading Kitten Syndrome.
I have bottle fed many babies in all age ranges, from newborn, never nursed to 2 weeks old & abandoned. 3 of my current kitties were bottle rescues & one was a newborn, but that's a whole 'nother story!!
I guess my question is: Should I let momma just take care of her babies? She is doing a wonderful job, only gets up to eat & stretch. The babies are fat & healthy, then weak & dehydrated in less than a day. I'm thinking that she can do better than me. I can bottle feed, but mom can do a better job. If it is FKS, basically there's nothing really to help them, other than basic support, right?
What would you do? Vet consult already told me to leave babies with mom & let nature take it's course. I could give extra fluid, but not to get my hopes up.
Bella is scheduled for a spay, but was pregnant already, so date was post-poned.
Hubby is fed up to here with a nursery full of babies in the bathroom!!
I really don't want to aggrivate matters!!
Thanks for any help!!
mamahen
I had a momma kitty show up with a belly full of babies! Bella had kittens on APril 22. 6 total, when I found them one was dead. I believe it was born alive & died of hypothermia, or lack of attention from mom. Lost one more yesterday. Was very, very weak when I noticed him & also the runt. I took him in & warmed him, gave him a few drops of formual every 15 min. or so. But he passed within 2 hours. One more is getting weaker, seems like Fading Kitten Syndrome.
I have bottle fed many babies in all age ranges, from newborn, never nursed to 2 weeks old & abandoned. 3 of my current kitties were bottle rescues & one was a newborn, but that's a whole 'nother story!!
I guess my question is: Should I let momma just take care of her babies? She is doing a wonderful job, only gets up to eat & stretch. The babies are fat & healthy, then weak & dehydrated in less than a day. I'm thinking that she can do better than me. I can bottle feed, but mom can do a better job. If it is FKS, basically there's nothing really to help them, other than basic support, right?
What would you do? Vet consult already told me to leave babies with mom & let nature take it's course. I could give extra fluid, but not to get my hopes up.
Bella is scheduled for a spay, but was pregnant already, so date was post-poned.
Hubby is fed up to here with a nursery full of babies in the bathroom!!
Thanks for any help!!
mamahen