Newborn kittens hind legs bent backwards!

[rose100]

Hey there all! My cat, Meadow, of one month just gave birth to 5 kittens!The previous owner said she was approx. 7-8 months at the time. I was so glad I had just gotten home before she started pushing. She struggled and left her nest when the contractions started. She ended underneath my couch seat (went thru the fabric in the back in the part that wasn't velcroed to couch). Kittens aren't warm in that area. I moved them all into her nest which I placed right in front of where they were so I could replace bedding and in hopes they would stay there. She then picked them up and took them back over to under the couch. I would like to clean under that area as I could only get a pee pad under her for a couple of kittens. Can I move them to another spot? How do I make her want to stay there? If it doesn't work, how can i keep them warm under the couch?

One of the kitten's hind legs are stretched all the way back. Looks like Harry Potter's arms when he lost all of the bones in his arm, the way it moves all the way back. Does anyone know the prognosis? Is the cat otherwise healthy? Will it be able to walk? Can I do anything to help it?

Meadow has not liked any kind of wet food in the month that I've had her. Now that her caloric intake should triple since she's had her kittens, what are some other healthy, but hefty, options you all may have had in this situation?

Also, is she supposed to clean herself? She has yet to and it's been two hours. should I wash her?


Thanks!

 

[rose100]

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• rose100
• May 19, 2015

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• rose100
• May 19, 2015

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• rose100
• May 19, 2015

 

[Sarthur2]

She is likely exhausted and needs to nurse the kittens and rest. She will probably bathe herself when her energy returns. It is most important that she stay with her babies now.

As for her nest, she feels that her kittens are safe under the couch. An alternative might be to put the nest in a corner of a dark closet and crack the door. Cats like dark hiding places for their kittens. You can add warmth by placing a heating pad on low under the blankets, or a sock filled with rice, microwaved for 5 minutes, then wrapped in a towel and placed nearby.

As for food, have you been feeding her kitten chow? It's high in the protein she needs now. Also, if you pick up a can of powdered KMR, she will likely drink a dish or two of that daily. The kittens will lap it when they are older as well. The pregnant stray I took in refused wet food as well, so after she gave birth I have spoiled her by giving her Gerber chicken and turkey. It is good for transitioning the kittens to eating on their own around 4 to 5 weeks of age also. A little pricey, but they seem to love it!

I am not sure about the legs, but some on here have mentioned that it may reverse as the kitten matures and grows stronger, and that very gently exercising the limbs and positioning them properly if the baby doesn't scream may help. I would not act on that immediately as they are just born. Perhaps in a few days' time.

Let's ask StefanZ as he has commented on this before, and can also send links to you on kitten care.

Hope all continues to go well!

 

[StefanZ]

Right, I will write more later on during the day.  I think it was  @kstonya    whom also commented on these backwards legs in the case mentioned, and had knowledge about these.

 

[kstonya]

The kitten with the backward legs. There is a problem with some cats having backward legs but as they are just born they will not be moving around much yet. I would suggest that you observe all the kittens and see how they start walking crawling. I had a couple of kittens that grew up and had no problems and had their hind legs "backwards" at the beginning. keep us informed and let us know any questions you have. Once you find the mommy will allow you to check the babies you can check to see if the back legs are stiff or not. If not then working the joint could start it working but do not cause any pain. Congratulations on the new additions to your family

 

[StefanZ]

Hey there all! My cat, Meadow, of one month just gave birth to 5 kittens!The previous owner said she was approx. 7-8 months at the time. I was so glad I had just gotten home before she started pushing. She struggled and left her nest when the contractions started. She ended underneath my couch seat (went thru the fabric in the back in the part that wasn't velcroed to couch). Kittens aren't warm in that area. I moved them all into her nest which I placed right in front of where they were so I could replace bedding and in hopes they would stay there. She then picked them up and took them back over to under the couch. I would like to clean under that area as I could only get a pee pad under her for a couple of kittens. Can I move them to another spot? How do I make her want to stay there? If it doesn't work, how can i keep them warm under the couch?

One of the kitten's hind legs are stretched all the way back. Looks like Harry Potter's arms when he lost all of the bones in his arm, the way it moves all the way back. Does anyone know the prognosis? Is the cat otherwise healthy? Will it be able to walk? Can I do anything to help it?

Meadow has not liked any kind of wet food in the month that I've had her. Now that her caloric intake should triple since she's had her kittens, what are some other healthy, but hefty, options you all may have had in this situation?

Also, is she supposed to clean herself? She has yet to and it's been two hours. should I wash her?


Thanks!

You had got good advices so far!

RE the kitten: its no great danger with this kitten, and with any luck, it may even revert itself.  Compare with the similiar problem with "twisted legs"  it looks horrible, but it usually corrects itself before they are adult.

Still, you can surely try and massage and give her gimnastics, soflty and cautiously, at least twice a day.  Stroke and warm up the legs, and cautioussly exercise them forwards, in small steps.  If the kittens its not protesting much, you know it doesnt hurt... Perhaps somewhat uncomfortable, but doesnt hurt.

I belive its wise to begin such gimnastics early, before the tissues have been set.

It seems the mom allows you to handle them, as you are taking these photos...  So it shouldnt be impossible re the mom.

Re food for mom... Goat milk is always useful (goat milk is useful as emergency milk for kittens too, if you cant get hold on a good kmr).  If salomonella in eggs isnt a problem at your place, raw egg yolk with this goat milk / kmr / minced meat, is excellent...

Royal Canin  baby and mother dry food  (I dont remember the exact name) is renown to be useful, both for mom and as first dry food for kittens.

If itsnt very cold in the room, the moms body gives them OK warmth.  but if you can trix them into some nice, comfy nest where she feels secure, its of course better.

Otherwise some sort of heat pad, as mentioned in the tread earlier, may be of use.

Please continue with reports, and further questions.

 

[Sarthur2]

How are things today? Did mama allow you to move them into a closet perhaps? Please update when you get a chance.

 

[rose100]

Thank you all for responding! I tried moving them again this morning so I could change their bedding. I moved the kittens into the nest while Meadow was eating. Once she was done, she started picking them up and placing them back under the couch. Would it be okay for me to confine them somewhere comfy, in a closet, dark corner, etc., while I clean underneath the couch to ensure no bacteria growth? Will this agitate the mother? She allowed me to be right next to her during the entire birth; I had to separate every placenta. But she's been very affectionate and been eating out of my hand while she's nursing. She seems to have no aversion to me being near her and the kittens. She has not yet fully cleaned herself. Maybe halfway so far.

She's been fed purina kitten chow for her whole life. I will try to see if she'll eat the egg yolk and go today to get some KMR powder. Hopefully one of those will work!

The kittens leg is still in same condition today. When she was born, it seemed that both were bent backwards. I stretched them soon after and now it appears that only the back left one goes all the way back. I've seen it in correct position but the majority of the time, it's bent back all the way. Especially when she's moving trying to find a teat.

I was so concerned with such a young cat and not knowing she was pregnant when I got her a month ago, that she would not know what to do. I was also only expecting one or two kittens because she's so little and young. But there are five and she's been doing wonderfully, thank goodness!

 

[Sarthur2]

Have you tried putting the kittens in the nesting box in the closet WITH mama and see if she will stay there? If not, unless you think there is bacteria, I would just leave her be for now. Just make sure the room is not cold, but they have mama for warmth.

Sounds like the kitten with the leg problem is doing well. Just try to gently bend it into the proper position if you can. I know that's a feat when they are under the couch.

She sounds like a good, sweet mama! Hope she'll like the formula. I think I did mention Gerber turkey baby food?

 

[kstonya]

The mommy will keep moving the babies if she thinks the place you chose is not safe enough. keep the area warm if you need put a hot pad on low under a towel at one end of the nest box or location where the mommy keeps the kittens. Make sure the kittens can get away from the hot pad if it gets to hot another suggestion is a sock of rice warmed in the microwave for a minute or two again wrapped.

 

[rose100]

Thank you! She's still under the couch. I've added some blankets underneath the pee pad which have kept it much warmer. I also draped a blacket over half of the opening to keep it darker and warmer. The kittens have been warm since I added those, thank goodness! I will keep the rice in mind though. I need to vacuum and want to put them in a place where the mother won't get too stressed. My other cat was fine with her at first but now she's started hissing at her after she got the scent of the kittens. When will that end?

Also, I saw that Meadow has been having vaginal discharge, which I read was normal, but how much is normal? It looks like blood. She's been scooting on the floor to get it off before she licks it. [emoji]128528[/emoji] How long is this supposed to last? Is it supposed to look like blood?

 

[kstonya]

Are you sure that she has delivered all the kittens and all the placentas? She should not be having a lot of discharge. Has the vet looked at her since the birthing of the kittens.

 

[kstonya]

I am trying to get @StefanZ and @catwoman707 to comment on this for you

 

[catwoman707]

Hi rose100

This is very common for mom to choose her spot and continue to move them until there is a spot where she approves of.

Or of course, an area where she is closed in with them.

Blankets won't warm the babies, so hopefully mom is with them plenty of time to keep them warmed.

Okay the baby's legs.

Likely due from mom being so young, small, and having so many kittens. It is not considered a genetic deformity, but a developmental one.

However, regardless of why, it must be worked on now, while baby is just days old. Every day they stay the way they are will ensure her muscles and tissue will become locked that way.

At 2 days old, they are extremely workable. Every single time you can, pull her out and set on your lap for a few minutes and massage her legs into the correct position, the more you stretch and work them, the better chance will be she can be fixed.

Rub and work with your fingers as much as possible, convincing her legs to go in the right direction, over and over, keep working them.

You don't want to be too forceful, but put a bit of force in your massaging, just work them and work them, and in the next 3 days or so, you are going to see them trying to turn and correct themselves.

The younger the better chance, so asap

Is there anything else on this baby's back area that doesn't look quite right? Sometimes there is more than one defect is all, but not necessarily either.

Mom's discharge is normal, as long as you aren't seeing her puddle blood she is fine, and it will clear up as days go by.

 

[rose100]

These comments are so very helpful! The discharge has stopped, thank goodness. I've been working the kitten's leg everyday and I can definitely notice that it's been getting straighter. I still see it bent backwards often, but she can pull it back in the correct position. Sometimes she's can't pull it back in the right position; it seems like it's locked that way at that moment.

My other cat did not like the smell of the new kittens and has been staying away from Meadow and hissing at her to let her know. I was out of my house on Saturday night, but only gone for about 14 hours. I had closed the door to separate my other cat from the mother and her kittens. So far, that cats have tolerated each other. But upon returning in the morning, I found that the door hadn't latched. I later saw my other cat, Starlita, come into the den where Meadow has been. Later on, I heard hissing and screeching and cats running fast. I'm not sure what happened but they are not pleased with each other right now and have been getting in fights. I've kept them separated since. Starlita won't even come back inside. What are some ways to end this conflict so they are like they were before the kittens? Will it only happen once the kittens get older and Meadow is less protective?

Also, this morning I heard Meadow moving the kittens underneath another couch seat. I put some blankets and a pee pad in there exactly how the other area was set up. Meadow has not stopped moving them since. She seems okay some of the times underneath but then at other times, carries a kitten with her while trying to find a new spot. She is not picking the kittens up how I thought cats did the majority of the time. She picks them up from whatever she can get ahold of, may it be under the neck, by two legs, by the side of neck,etc. It scares me so much that one may end up dying! The kittens scream and scream and Meadow eventually places them down and tries finding another spot. She has now found a spot about 1' by 1'ft and has taken the kitten with the bad legs over. She's left all the others under the couch. The area where she has taken her is in a corner, behind some boxes. I am so scared and worried that a kitten will die, due to it being cold, left behind when I'm not there to move it back, or the way Meadow has been carrying them. I just don't know what to do to get her to find a spot that is safe and easily accessible for both her and me. In that corner, she had to jump over some boxes with the kittens in her mouth and I am just so worried that their fragile bodies will break! Does any one have any guidance over this?

 

[Sarthur2]

It sounds like at this point your cat is feeling very insecure about her kittens, particularly wanting to hide the one with the bad leg. But they need to all be together for nursing, warmth, and comfort, and ideally where you can see/get to them too. Do you have a spare bedroom where you can relocate the full nest, maybe in a closet even, and where no one else comes in but you? No other pets? I think if you can do this, and put her food, water, and litter in that room, it will allow her to settle down again. I wouldn't even try having your cats socialize with her right now. They are apparently feeling very territorial and upset by the new kitties.

 

[kstonya]

The kittens are not fragile like a human baby. The mother normally will carry by the scuff of the neck but it depends on why the mommy is moving them and how fast she feels she has to move them as to how she carries them. As suggested if you can relocate the whole group to a room where no other cat or people will enter then place the food water and litter box in the room and close the door. You might schedule your interactions with the babies and mommy so the least amount of time she is being disturbed even by you until she calms down.