New Foster Kneading Constantly

[Bratcat31]

Hello!

My old foster momma and her kittens all went to their forever homes this weekend. I picked up a new pregnant momma cat today. She does something I haven't seen before. She kneads CONSTANTLY. Like noticeably constantly. She kneads just standing there. She kneads laying down. She stops midwalk and kneads. Tile, blanket, towel, foot, lap. Doesn't matter. I put her in the tub (made up with LOTS of soft blankets) she immediately starts kneading.

It's really odd. LOL. Any idea what causes a kitty to knead so much?

 

[Abigailfosters]

I think they do it for comfort as well as being happy. How pregnant is she? The pregnant cats I have tend to knead when kittens are feeding as it's uncomfortable. She may either be uncomfortable or super happy about being safe, fed and comfy!

 

[Bratcat31]

Interesting! Hadn't heard of them doing it for comfort. I knew purring could be either, but hadn't heard kneading! I haven't seen any cats knead quite like this before (so weird when she stops walking to knead) the poor girl is probably both happy and freaked. The shelter I foster for only got her on Friday. So that's a lot of change in 2 days.

No clue on how far along she is. She's SUPER tiny overall. Not as skinny as I thought at first but just really really tiny. Her belly is definitely pregnant though. If I had to guess I'd say a couple weeks. But my momma cat 2 fosters ago was tiny too and she went about a week before I thought she would. My last foster was on birth watch every day for like 3 weeks before she actually gave birth. LOL!

 

[Sarthur2]

I agree that it’s likely for comfort and to relieve stress, but I live with 7 cats and have had them for years, and they all knead all the time. Four of them were born here and have known me all their lives (4 years). We’re just a “kneady” family - LOL.

 

[Bratcat31]

We’re just a “kneady” family - LOL.[/QUOTE]

ROFL! My old cat used to knead a lot, but this is the first time I've had one that stops mid-walk to knead. Poor girl. Fortunately I have a nanny cam this go round so I can keep an eye on her without disturbing her too much.

 

[fionasmom]

One of my cats who has lived indoors only for the last 9 years is a huge kneader. She especially likes freshly laundered fleecy type blankets and will take one piece in her mouth and hold it and knead like crazy. She was rescued as a very small kitten, probably just on the cusp of still needing to be with her mom and I always ascribed her behavior to that.

 

[Bratcat31]

Need some advice. Momma is not eating. Like, basically anything at all. Here is what I have tried (all tried both warm and room temperature)
Dry food - won3t touch
Chicken pate cat food - had a few nibbles
Chicken shreds cat food - had a few nibbles
Flaked tuna cat food - wouldn't touch
Turkey pate - wouldnt touch
Human tuna - wouldnt touch
Human chicken - had a few nibbles
Chicken baby food - wouldn't touch.

She is drinking and pooping so she's getting something in her. But I feel like she's losing weight versus gaining it. Poop is normal consistency but bright yellow inside it (outside is normal brown] and seems to also be drippy at beginning or end (the stuff in the box was fine but there were drips on the side of the box and floor)

She seems super uncomfortable. Like super uncomfortable (though she has a pointy face that kinda makes her look mad so maybe she's not) and she mostly just lays around, although I have seen her cleaning herself a bit off and on. I would think she's close but she doesnt look that far along and she's been like this for 3 days.

She doesnt seem stressed out but I added two new beds/hidies for her just in case. She uses them both but also is still happy to lay in her box that isnt covered.

Any ideas on what to try to get her to eat? I'm mostly worried about that as she's got growing babies in there. I even felt them last night as she was napping in my lap.

 

[ArchyCat]

Have you tried KMR (Kitten Milk Repellent)? And other kitten food, dry and wet?

The one pregnant stray I rescued was ravenous. And not skinny! A saucer of KMR was available most of the time, and she would drink that. Plus it is good to give a mom cat as long as she is nursing her kittens. It provides her with the extra calcium, fat and proteins she needs for her milk!

Was she a stray or a feral?

Good luck!

 

[Abigailfosters]

Have you tried KMR (Kitten Milk Repellent)?

Kitten milk replacement not repellent, auto correct? Haha

 

[Bratcat31]

We are up to trying 5 different cat/kitten foods at this point, plus 2 human foods and one baby food. I've pulled out all the stops I can think of.

I do have some KMR though and she is drinking water well so I'll make her up a bowl of it and see if that'll get her going!

Not feral. She's too sweet for that. Stray I assume or dumped. I foster for a local shelter so I rarely know much about them excpet that they need somewhere to call home for awhile.

 

[Bratcat31]

ROFL!!! I didn't even catch that. Too funny.

 

[Abigailfosters]

Has she been vet checked?
I'd assume if she was well in herself she may be ready to give birth but if you haven't had her vet checked or felt kitten movement I would be concerned about pyometra.
Can you check her temperature?
Keep cat biscuits down 24/7 hopefully she'll graze on that. If anything changes or she doesn't show signs of labour I would call the vet for advice before the weekend to avoid emergency vets!

 

[Sarthur2]

I’m concerned that she may have coccidia. That’s what yellow poop and drippy poop indicates. Ponazuril or a round of Albon is the cure - both from the vet. Can you take her to the vet, or take a poop sample in to be tested?

B Bratcat31

 

[Bratcat31]

Has she been vet checked?
I'd assume if she was well in herself she may be ready to give birth but if you haven't had her vet checked or felt kitten movement I would be concerned about pyometra.
Can you check her temperature?
Keep cat biscuits down 24/7 hopefully she'll graze on that. If anything changes or she doesn't show signs of labour I would call the vet for advice before the weekend to avoid emergency vets!

She is checked out by the shelter when she comes in and often by the shelter she comes from. (The shelter I foster for is privately owned so they dont take animals directly and instead only pull from government funded shelters) She was wormed, vaccinated and flea treated on Friday.

I felt the babies move last night so I know she has at least one in there! But she's really small so Im struggling to believe she's super close to giving birth.

I have hard food down all day (she hasnt touched it) and I feed fresh wet food 4-5x a day right now. I also have an email in to the shelter seeing if they have any suggestions or advice. If she was the size of my last foster I'd think she was going to pop soon. But she's pretty small and hasnt been eating much for days now.

How much before birth do some cats go off food? My first foster was (also) a crappy eater. My second ate until the minute she popped! My other two came with babies in tow. LOL. Not really sure when they normally stop eating but I thought it was 24-48 hours max.

 

[Bratcat31]

I’m concerned that she may have coccidia. That’s what yellow poop and drippy poop indicates. Ponazuril or a round of Albon is the cure - both from the vet. Can you take her to the vet, or take a poop sample in to be tested?

B Bratcat31

I can if they approve it! Although her poop is solid, not watery or mucousy oe bloody. She does have some drips for sure but the poop isnt pancake like I'm used to seeing with parasites. It's a bit odd. She was wormed on intake but it wouldnt have been the right meds for coccidia so I can ask them about a round of Albon.

 

[Abigailfosters]

She is checked out by the shelter when she comes in and often by the shelter she comes from. (The shelter I foster for is privately owned so they dont take animals directly and instead only pull from government funded shelters) She was wormed, vaccinated and flea treated on Friday.

I felt the babies move last night so I know she has at least one in there! But she's really small so Im struggling to believe she's super close to giving birth.

I have hard food down all day (she hasnt touched it) and I feed fresh wet food 4-5x a day right now. I also have an email in to the shelter seeing if they have any suggestions or advice. If she was the size of my last foster I'd think she was going to pop soon. But she's pretty small and hasnt been eating much for days now.

How much before birth do some cats go off food? My first foster was (also) a crappy eater. My second ate until the minute she popped! My other two came with babies in tow. LOL. Not really sure when they normally stop eating but I thought it was 24-48 hours max.

If you felt movement she likely less than 2 weeks to birth!
Maybe she is only carrying a couple or is hiding them well! Do you have any pictures?
Honestly I've never had a cat go off their food before birth, I have read it can happen but most foster mums I have had, they eat up until birth and sometimes during!!
Do contact your rescue and chat to a vet. There is actually a Facebook group called pet vet corner. Vets offer advice on there which is super useful!

 

[Bratcat31]

If you felt movement she likely less than 2 weeks to birth!
Maybe she is only carrying a couple or is hiding them well! Do you have any pictures?
Honestly I've never had a cat go off their food before birth, I have read it can happen but most foster mums I have had, they eat up until birth and sometimes during!!
Do contact your rescue and chat to a vet. There is actually a Facebook group called pet vet corner. Vets offer advice on there which is super useful!

Interestingly I think I may have found the trick. I think she may not like any wet food in general and also hates my dry food. I just pulled out some "trash" kitten kibble and she ate it with a gusto I haven't seen from her before. CATS. ARE. WEIRD.

She's carrying super far forward. Looks a bit odd actually but it's definitely at least one baby. And she's really really small but weighs close to 8 lbs so she may have a couple in there. I'd be happy with just 2 though! My last litter was half preemie and kept me hopping and my litter before that was a litter of 7. A nice, simple, 2 kitten litter would be fabulous! LOL!!!

 

[Bratcat31]

Saw the vet today. She said my little cat has lost quite a bit of weight but there is nothing medically wrong with her that they can find. No parasites, no URI, no fever, eyes/ears/nose look good. She isn't acting stressed or upset and seems mostly relaxed. She just isn't eating. Vet says with some first time moms they go W.T.F. and basically just shut down towards the end cause they don't really get what's going on and they are super uncomfortable and freaked by it.

So, she got a B12 injection ans fluids and an appetite stimulant and something to settle her tummy if it's upset. I also went and bought 6 more different types of food to try with her. So far not a ton of luck but Ill make some scrambled eggs tonight and give that and a little bit of cheese a shot.

Fingers crossed. This girl has got to get some weight back her.

 

[Sarthur2]

If she will eat the “trash” cat food, then give it to her. Better for her to eat that than nothing. Keep us posted!

 

[Bratcat31]

If she will eat the “trash” cat food, then give it to her. Better for her to eat that than nothing. Keep us posted!

So far, not much of anything being eaten still. Tried 5 trash foods and 2 decent brands tonight plus a bit of cheese and a scrambled egg. Almost nada. Maybe 10 pieces of kibble. <<sigh>>

I'll try a few more things tomorrow and may try syringe feeding her a bit too. Fortunately the vet says the babies are doing well. Plenty of fluid and sitting well in the horn. She said she can feel 3 distinct babies for sure. No milk yet though so still a bit of time left. I hope they are scheduled to come before too long. I'm beginning to think she's not eating much until then.