Nursing Mom Won't Go Potty

[tewing84]

We are foster parents and just got a momma cat with 4 kittens last night. She is a really sweet cat, was a stray but not feral at all. We were able to crawl in some bushes and pick her and all of her kittens up no problem. We got home and set up a small bathrom for her with lots of blankets, and everytime we go in she runs up to us purring.

She is eating and drinking very well, actually a lot. But our only concern is she hasnt gone to the bathroom and its been 20 hours since we picked her up. We've had a few fosters go 24 hours, and one almost 36 hours, on the first night with us. But they were terrified, and she isn't.

Could she still just not be comfortable here? Kittens are 6 to 8 ounces.

 

[mazie]

You did not mention whether you have a litter box, food and water set up for her in the bathroom as well. Oops, looking back over your thread, you mentioned that she is eating and drinking fine, so I assume there is a litter box available for her too??

 

[Sarthur2]

T tewing84

It's so kind of you to rescue her and her kittens!

It's possible that she has been dehydrated from being stray and nursing without regular food and water, so her body may be catching up.

My guess is that she will use the litter box very soon!

 

[tewing84]

You did not mention whether you have a litter box, food and water set up for her in the bathroom as well. Oops, looking back over your thread, you mentioned that she is eating and drinking fine, so I assume there is a litter box available for her too??

Yeah we have a litter box in there for her

 

[tewing84]

It's so kind of you to rescue her and her kittens!

It's possible that she has been dehydrated from being stray and nursing without regular food and water, so her body may be catching up.

My guess is that she will use the litter box very soon!

I was wondering if it may have had something to do with that. When we got home last night I fed her immediately, and she liked the bowl clean. So I gave her another can of food. She has had probably 5, 3oz cans, of food AND some dry food.

This is the youngest we have fostered, usually its about 6 to 8 week old kittens or older. So this is all new for us. We love it though

 

[Sarthur2]

It's probably from dehydration. She'll go soon. It must be such a relief to mom to feel safe and fed.

She will make better quality milk with the good food. You might want to give her a dish of KMR a day to help her calcium levels.

The kittens sound about 10-14 days old.

Can you post a picture of them when you get a chance? Are their eyes open?

You will really enjoy this!

 

[tewing84]

It's probably from dehydration. She'll go soon. It must be such a relief to mom to feel safe and fed.

She will make better quality milk with the good food. You might want to give her a dish of KMR a day to help her calcium levels.

The kittens sound about 10-14 days old.

Can you post a picture of them when you get a chance? Are their eyes open?

You will really enjoy this!

Yeah she purrs everytime we go in there she is such a sweetheart. There eyes are still shut, so we were thinking a week or two at the most. How much kmr can I give momma?

 

[Sarthur2]

If their eyes are not open, they are probably only 7-10 days at most, as eyes open between 7-14 days.

They look very healthy! So sweet!

Mom can have about 1/3 cup of KMR a day in a dish.

 

[tewing84]

If their eyes are not open, they are probably only 7-10 days at most, as eyes open between 7-14 days.

They look very healthy! So sweet!

Mom can have about 1/3 cup of KMR a day in a dish.

We were so worried when we got the call on them. There was no mother and only 3 kittens, and it had been 5 hours since the mother was seen. We rushed there to get some milk in them, but luckily right before we got there the mother came around with the 4th kitten. She mad a home inside some bushes in front of a daycare.

 

[Sarthur2]

Oh, wow! She must have been moving them. It's such a hard life for strays. Poor thing! I wonder where she was getting food?

 

[tewing84]

Oh, wow! She must have been moving them. It's such a hard life for strays. Poor thing! I wonder where she was getting food?

Thats what I was wondering. The people who worked at the daycare knew of and pet her, they may have give her some food.