spayed cat fostering question

[krazy kat2]

Can a spayed cat produce milk? I have heard yes and no.
Pepper wants to be a mommy so badly, I think she would make a great foster mommy. If it were possible for a spayed cat to do it, I think she would. I know she will adopt a kitten, she adopted Scooter the minute he came in the house, screaming and pounding at the bathroom door like I was depriving her of her own baby. He was weaned and on solid food, but she cared for him and taught him things a mother would teach her kittens.
The situation has not arisen, thankfully, but I was wondering, with it being kitten season, and everyone I know comes to me with kitten questions and help with finding homes.

 

[5catsandcountin]

I don't have a yes or no answer for you...but I would really think there would be no real way to predict if it WOULD occur.

 

[krazy kat2]

Yeah, I think you are probably right. It would be impossible to say for sure, I just wonder if anyone had ever heard of it happening. I know there have been instances of human mothers lactating after adopting babies, but did not know if anyone had ever heard of an animal that had never given birth doing it.

 

[krazy kat2]

Bump! Anyone?

 

[evnshawn]

I don't know if Pepper could actually lactate, but she might allow a kitten to use her as a sort of pacifier (you'd have to feed the little guy, of course), and, like you mentioned, would probably teach him all kinds of cat secrets.

 

[skkt]

Did anybody come up with an answer to KrazyKat2? My lovely middle-aged boy, Snooky, left us last week (thanks to a maniac driver!) and my 8-month old spayed girl, Kitty-Kat, seemed somewhat lost without him (she wasn't the only one!). I was lucky enough to find a wonderful little boy (already spayed by my vet) who needed a home, so home he came! Surprisingly, KK has adopted him and is doing all the mothering bits and won't leave him for more than 5 minutes. Now all this is very nice and soothing after the upheaval with Snooks, but I have now noticed little Tommi suckling and KK is quite content with this. So, firstly, how can I tell if KK is actually lactating (and therefore needs a change in her diet) and, secondly, can this be harmful to her if she isn't actually lactating? I guess I also need to know if this is likely to continue and, if so, how long does it go on for? Tommi is 8 weeks old. Any help would be appreciated!

 

[beckiboo]

I doubt a cat who has never been a mother would produce milk. I do not think KK allowing Tommi to nurse will harm either, but do not expect him to get nourishment from it. My cat Garfield nurses on a toy horse every night, just for comfort. My guess is that Tommi is doing the same thing.

It is nice to have a cat who with "mother" a kitten. I'm sure Pepper would be very helpful with abandoned kittens, to clean them and stimulate their bowels. We had a foster cat at my agency named Wanda who cleaned up a couple of abandoned kittens. They just sparkled after she got done with them. But then she tired of them after a few days, and quit caring for them, so they were taken away from her. (I guess she preferred babying her toys, they were a lot less work!

)

When I was a new Mom, I read the LaLeche League info saying adoptive Moms should breastfeed. But my understanding was that if they could produce milk, it would be extremely limited, and they would have to supplement with formula. So I would not consider a kitten suckling from a non-lactating queen to be getting fed. If the female was nursing her own litter, or had done so recently, it might be different.

 

[StarkeysStrays]

I have several intact females that have never had a litter that have in fact lactated for kittens. I do believe spayed females will lactate also. There is another rescue in my town who has spayed females they use as foster mom's that do lactate.

 

[marmoset]

I don't believe a spayed female would be able to lactate or at least not enough to support a kitten to a healthy weight but I'd want more information to be be sure- because I'm really not. I'm just making a supposition based of my experience with canines and that doesn't necessarily cross-over.

Your vet or a breeder, or even people who do rescue and utilize surrogates would be better off answering you. I do rescue but have not used surrogates, I've used substitute littermates (after weaning or with bottle babies).

There are other ways that older cats can support kittens though. I have a male that is so good with kittens. He's neutered but an ex-colony cat and he's the greeter with all fosters. He teaches them cat manners etc and helps them bond. He obviously can't nurse them (though some have tried) but he's good in other ways. So even if your female can't be a surrogate momm, she might be a good fit for working with the kittens. Cat colonies usually do share the job of rearing kittens after the kittens are weaning (though there's plenty of litters who nurse off of two lactating females and I have seen this first hand) but as far as play and hunting, manners, all member of the clowder take a role in teaching if they are inclined to.

If I felt that my cat wanted to care for another cat I'd:
1) get another cat or
2) foster a weaned kitten or bottle-baby
or 3) routinely get involved in fostering
going as far as the cat seemed to allow it to go.

And if your cat is good in all those situations I'd look past kitten hood and see if she accepts adult females or males. Because sometimes a shelter will get a two or three year old scaredy cat that isn't comfortable with cats or people but having one resident that is ok with both makes all the difference in the world as far as adoptability of the foster. Your girl could be like my boy, getting them ready for adoption, by showing them they can trust people, and how to get along with cats too.

I don't think cat's really miss out on being a momma like humans do but it certainly sounds like she wants to interact with the newcomer and that could end up working out.

 

[StarkeysStrays]

It is very possible for spayed females to produce milk and enough. It's not the uterus or the hormones caused by the uterus that cause lactate. In fact if stimulated enough a male cat can lactate. It is About stimulation of the mammary glands.