My 9 month old cat recently had a litter of 9 kittens. One was stillborn, one she fell asleep on, and one died this morning so I'm down to 6. They are two weeks old. I'm unsure the cause of death of the one this morning but she had brought it to me first thing this morning and I could tell it was weak but it was dead by the time I got home from church.
It sounds like she needs more attention than she is getting. I know its hard but try and find time everyday to pet all the kittens and mama and tell them how wonderful they are and what a good mother she is being. Remember to feed mama LOTs of food. The queen(mama) just like any other Mother needs to be encouraged that she is doing a good job, and is appreciated and loved. Just hang in untill 8 weeks and then they can take care of themselves/can be adopted. Best wishes to you and your new family.
It's probably because she loves you & trusts you & when she's with you she feels most secure that she brings her kittens to you... Like sweet little gifts... Almost reminds me of when a cat brings you their mice as a special prize.
Please start feeding them with a doll's bottle with a nipple they can suck on or at least a bowl of milk by them. You could possibly coax them to drink by holding them up to the bowl of milk. Please! They need immediate attention as the mother does not have enough milk at her age. Thank you.
You need to get this poor kitty spayed before she gets pregnant again! It's imperative to do this, for her health.
She's only 9 months old, and having kittens could compromise her health and even stunt her growth. Her immature body could be one reason so many kittens are dying; their mother is still a kitten herself, poor thing.
Also, whenever you adopt those kittens out, please encourage the new owners to spay/neuter them. It will be best for their health in the long run, too. :-)
I agree with the last two posters, that the mother is too young to remain healthy through this. When we humans are pregnant, our teeth, fingernails, hair, skin, and so on often suffer during the pregnancy. If we are getting enough healthy food, both mom and baby do fine; when we don't eat enough healthy food, the baby gets first and we get second. That's the way our bodies work during pregnancy, and that's also the way they work when we are nursing. I strongly suspect that this may be what is happening to your cat. She's on the young side to be going through pregnancy and nursing, so it is possible that it is taking its toll on her body.
She's tired from being a kitten herself and going through pregnancy; her body is probably not making enough milk or it's not nutrient-rich enough to feed that many kittens and still keep her own body going. One of the posters suggested a baby bottle (or a doll's bottle, I can't quite remember). Another suggestion would be to use an eye dropper. I'm not sure if milk is a good idea, though. I have heard that cats and kittens, although they very much love milk, often get diarrhea from it.
The dehydration that milk may cause at a time when their health is already compromised, may be the wrong thing. I am wondering if baby formula might be a better option. I'd call a local shelter for advice since I'm sure they have had to feed young kittens who've lost their mothers before the kittens were weaned. They should be able to guide you through this. After this is all over and things settle down for you, please consider spaying/neutering this cat and her kittens.
Go to your local feed store or vet and get mothers milk and feed this to your kittens. It is for kittens and puppies.
Hi, If the kittens are making you cat weak, you can buy a tube of protein paste for the cat. I can not remember the name of it, but look at a pet store. I had a young cat that had kittens and the vet said that because the mother cat was small, the kittens were too much for her and it made her weak.
I think the cat is asking you for help. Try supplimental feeding for both the cat and the kittens. If you can't afford the cat milk at your vet's office or Wal*Mart, try diluting evaporated milk. I think I started out 2 parts warm water to 1 part milk. Add a bit of egg yolk too.
Feed the cat a "juicy" meal... moist canned cat food mixed with beaten egg and warm water. Just make it soupy. She's way too young to make it on her own.
I've loved on that cat until I've ran out of loving to give tonight...I actually had to close her in the closet tonight with food and her litter box...she wouldn't leave me or the kids alone for bed.
My Wal-Mart carries the canned mother's milk and the bottles Good luck with your new family, I hope the rest make it.
my mom recently found 2 abandoned kittens. She bought some kitten formula at a pet store and has to bottle feed them. since they are getting some milk from they're mother, you would probably only need to feed them once a day, probably in the evening when she carry's them to you.
Poor baby, nine kittens(or even 6) are a lot to look after, especially if mama is just a kitten herself. My sister just had a similar happy event with her kitten having kittens (just 4 thankfully). I'm going to agree with other posts that she probably needs extra food or at least some vitamins, and perhaps a break from the kittens for a bit once a day or so. Good luck for the next eight weeks
Your poor kitty knows there is a problem with her kittens and doesnt want them to die. No wonder she is coming to you for help. You can make an egg nog mixture to feed the kittens. I'd try giving some to the mother as well. She needs help in feeding them.
This is a time for you to show your children how to have compassion for God's creatures who are unable to care for themselves. These are life lessons they can take into their later years. It is not time wasted.
Best wishes always,
All of the kittens are getting big now...I think the one that died was just too weak from the get go. You have to remember one was stillborn and the other she slept on because she was in a box and the litter was just too big. It had nothing to do with health. I think she genuinely just wanted loving. She eats like a pig and I do feed her wet canned cat food and raw eggs and fresh ice water multiple times a day.
I have had numerous cats and when young had lots of kittens around. Now I believe in spaying and neutering. I think your mom cat just wants to share with you, and great that you set her a place of her own. Some of the posters harp on she is too young but how can you control that now? Maybe have her fixed after this litter. Good luck.
Poor cat, she is still a baby herself. You wouldn't want a 13 year girl to have kids. Please take care of her and get her spayed. If she is your cat you need to do that for her. It is setting a very bad example about animal ownership to your children, better explain your mistake to them and "fix" it.
I agree with leoul53. After raising many cats, the answer is simple. Your cat is proud of her kittens. She wants to share them with you. She wants you to love them as much as she does. Whether she has one kitten or nine, mother cats will bring them to you. And whether a cat is a good mother or mot, and most are, many kittens don't make it . It's a part of nature. Enjoy these precious kittens and don't let anyone make you feel guilty. You did nothing wrong. Just remember spay and neuter!
honey mommy cat just loves you she is happy to have you. Hey my dog was two and a half when she started to have her period (got fixed just in time ) I have a cat and a dog before cat hardly bottered me expect to pet and run faucet to drink. Now dog and cat fight over me. Dog during the day Cat at night. Yes they both get attention they are just my other 2 babies my daughter is first hubby is second and dog and cat are next in line.
Kittens that are handled by humans from day 1 grow up to be very friendly cats. Make sure they go to good homes where they will be appreciated!
Get your cat spayed! Read all the stories about humane societies and shelters that are overrun with cats and kittens. Please have her spayed!
I have 3 cats. two males who are fixed and my female who I had not yet taken to be fixed. She never goes outside so I was planning on getting around to it but have no excuse for not having done so yet because all it took was one time of her getting outside and now she has a litter of 4 kittens. She is a 2 year old cat and will be fixed as soon as she is finished nursing her litter. She is a good mother and luckily I have found families to take her babies once I have them fixed along with her. She also brings me her kittens. She will bring them to me while I sleep in the bed and pile up along with me keeping the kittens warm between us. I worry sometimes about not knowing she has done this while I sleep so I have taken steps to make sure I can't accidently roll over onto them while I sleep when she brings them to bed. She will also bring them to me when I am watching TV on the couch. She will drop them off on my chest one at a time and then come lay on my chest as well as she nurses them. I worried about her doing this until I realized she was rubbing her forehead on mine as she did this. I believe she is sharing with me how proud she is of her kittens and knows that I will help her take good care of them just like I have always protected her and taken care of her. I wish I had not procrastinated and had her fixed as soon as I brought her home as a stray kitten. Lesson learned, so please no lectures. Yes, I do know better and have no excuse for it. However I am pleased that this skittish little stray has grown to trust me as much as she has with her precious babies. All four were born fat and healthy without any problems. She appears to be very proud of what she has accomplished and her babies with all go to good homes and will be well cared for.
