How much should a nursing cat eat?

[Bratcat31]

One thing that is interesting about this momma is that she cannot tolerate the kittens crying. She growls at them almost like trying to tell them to HUSH. Im guessing its from her having them on the streets and crying bringing predators. But I haven't personally experienced it, so it's really fascinating to watch.

 

[Furballsmom]

Woop woop, you are AWESOME!!

 

[Bratcat31]

Okay, need some help. Momma cat has decided that her kittens MUST be on the floor, right in front of the door. It took me 15 minutes to figure out how to get in there this morning without accidentally hurting anyone.

I pulled every scrap of bedding out of the original "box" (she's set up in my tub), turned on the AC (it was HOT in there as I turned on the heater last night), and put in a second nursing box. Not 3 minutes after I walked out of the room she had them shoved back in front of the door.

I went back in there (food in hand - LOL) got everyone out safely and put the box closer to the door, put the babies IN the box, put momma IN the box and left again. She stayed a bit longer then ot 3 minutes later she's moving them again. <<sigh>>

This time I catch her midmove, move the box to the other side by the door, put her and babies back in the box and leave. So far, everyone seems to have stayed put.

I cannot physically put the box exactly where she wants it, or block it off because the door swings inwards towards the spot she wants to be in and I really can't have her moving them to the spot she likes because I literally have to open the door INTO them to get into the room.

Any idea how to con her into leaving the babies be? I KNOW she's stressed out. The babies are getting 2 oral meds, an injectable med, subq fluids, a wipe down, a potting and being weighed every morning plus an oral med, subq fluids, pottying, wipe down and weighing every night. Momma has to be kicked out for those (she'll hurt me or the babies - or both - if I leave her in there) so it's a fairly long time 2x a day that they and she are separated and screaming for each other.

I would love to move her into a room that is bigger but I can't until the babies are better or I'll infect another room. I have a kitty calming diffuser that I could try but I've never used one before so not sure if that would be OK in a small bathroom with babies.

Any thoughts/ideas/suggestions are very welcome!

 

[Sarthur2]

Do try the calming diffuser!

 

[Furballsmom]

I wonder if she did that because it was hot and the floor was cooler?
How are things now?

 

[Bratcat31]

She has actually gone to a new foster now. For reasons I genuinely cannot figure out she full out attacked me tonight when I stepped back into the room to grab a towel I had forgotten. I hadn't even fully left after feeding her and had ZERO problems when I was feeding her. I've played it over a few times but cannot come up with a single reason why she freaked out.

I had on jeans and thick socks so the damage was minimal (5 puncture wounds, some bruising, a few scratches) but I am not set up for that level of aggression and she needed to go into bite quarantine so she is now at a more experienced fosters house.

 

[Furballsmom]

I'm thinking she didn't understand your intention/movements when you stepped back in and reached, (even though just a few moments before this things were good).

 

[Bratcat31]

I'm thinking she didn't understand your intention/movements when you stepped back in and reached, (even though just a few moments before this things were good).

Maybe. I hadn't actually reached for anything at that point. Her or the towel. Legit had just stepped back in the room. But, I obviously did something so who knows. Maybe.

 

[Furballsmom]

Legit had just stepped back in the room.

She was/is extremely tightly wired, from your descriptions of her. I'm just glad she didn't get you any worse!

 

[Bratcat31]

She was/is extremely tightly wired, from your descriptions of her. I'm just glad she didn't get you any worse!

She's definitely tightly wired. A street cat for sure. And we likely would have had more success if I could have moved her into my foster room where there is far more space to navigate. That bathroom is just too small for that kind of thing. Everything I do is basically "in her space/face" specifically because the bathroom is shot gun style and with a litter box and an extra nursing box and a few toys there just isn't enough SPACE to navigate well. Plus, she was already super agitated today for some reason.

I just find it so bizarre that I can pick her up and cuddle her, I twice had to pull her kittens away from her through small cracks in the door (so I could open it), I've spent days pulling her out and putting her in a kennel so I can medicate her kittens, and I've been in and out of there 6x a day for almost a week and doing nothing (in my head, obviously I did something in her head) is what caused her to flip. I could easily pick 100 times that it wouldn't have surprised me at all. This wouldn't have been one of them.

Oh well, you live and learn I guess. If I ever take another pregnant or nursing mom I'll have one more piece of knowledge in my head at least.

 

[Furballsmom]

If I ever take another pregnant or nursing mom I'll have one more piece of knowl

I think you are completely awesome!! Merry Christmas to you!!