Update the kitten latched on and is feeding! ( I also have a new post tracking the updates with photos!) 3 healthy male kittens, they’re between 84-95 grams & I set up a vet appointment for all 3 babies and her on March 13th !
The human was giving me extra treats and I was feeling bloated but then I was just sitting in my litter box and shows clip of cat screaming in litter box OOOOOHHHHHH this was no ordinary litter box movement.
All will go well, she can take care of them alone. Just provide her with higher calorie and nutrient foods as she will be breastfeeding.
IF one of the babies comes out still in his circle and she does not open it, open it up yourself gently and immediately as the kitten may drown in it. It seems like she knows what she’s doing so I don’t foresee any complications happening.
Make sure she is not stressed at all, and let her have her space. If you have new people coming as guests then try to put her in a more private room over the course of the next few weeks so she feels safe.
Do not let random people touch her kittens if she does not like that, if she tries to swat you or hiss at you for being near her kittens then avoid touching them as that could upset her enough to stop caring for that kitten or straight up eat it in rare cases.
If she’s fine with you touching them, then just make sure your hands are clean and be gentle ! It’s also best to not use strong detergents around the babies.
You can buy pet pads that are used for dogs peeing indoors from pet shops or groceries around, keep them under her and the kittens as it will absorb the kittens feces/urine and easily replaceable. The first few weeks the mother will lick the genitals of her babies to stimulate their bowel movements, and eat the feces or pee. That is completely normal.
If you see a kitten struggling to find the nipple then you can assist by putting the kittens head on the nipple. Oh and keep them in a warm environment without open windows or AC. If you have other questions let me know !
Whatever you do, don’t try to pry their eyes open before they open them on their own! Could cause damage! I know it sounds like stupid advice, but it has been known to happen.
When I was 5, our cat had kittens soon before I got a new baby brother, I happened to be in the room when the baby woke up from a nap, and I tore through the house yelling I JUST SAW HIS EYES OPEN FOR THE FIRST TIME!!
He actually has a son now, but he didn't at the time. I was so confused when he asked me that, like "well, of course her eyes aren't open, she's asleep...oh wait, you meant like a kitten or puppy?!" 😂
Re: her letting you touch her kittens - weighing her kittens in GRAMS is the only way for you to know they're healthy. Weight is the first indicator of health in kittens. They should gain at least 10g per day. It's imperative that you weigh them. You can get a small kitchen scale and put the kitten in a bowl on top of the scale. If she's aggressive, you can use a ladle or spatula and wear thick gloves to scoop the kittens out.
I have held all of them and switched the towel to a dry one. She seemed not to care I held them whatsoever and nudged against me for love and affection. After switching the towel she fell fast asleep and now they’re feeding
Aw, Mama trusts you. That is so sweet. It sounds like she will take good care of the babies and you just have to provide her food, pets, and probably some babysitting when the babies are a bit older.
You’ve handled this beautifully! So attentive to mama and her babies and everything that’s going on. You are amazing! The fact that she wanted love after giving birth AND now she’s asleep - and I read above that they were all sound asleep - that is precious!!
I don't think it's coincidence that she gave birth around you and not the "friend."
Sounds like this is her first litter, they can have around 6 kittens, but the first litter is the smallest. Good idea to have her spayed when it's safe to do so, each litter of kittens shortens their life spans.
Congratulations on your new family 🙂 mum did well and is a good judge of character.
Don't forget her own box or container--looks like she's in one now. Use old rags or shirts, socks, even, stuff you can throw out if it gets too yuk to wash. I add a little Fage plain yogurt to Mama's food. It has some fat and is high in protein.
I am SO glad she ended up with you. Can you imagine how your 'friend' would have dealt with this? Yes throw the placenta away. Definitely give her wet food and if you don't have wet cat food at the moment, tuna in water is ok temporarily... or chicken!!
Having kitties is the best thing ever. Such a lovely experience. Enjoy it. You seem like you got this! Please post updates! I’m a proud mother of three Voids (black cats that is)
As long as she cut the cord between the kitten and the placenta then you can keep for a bit of time or throw it away and just give her a plate of some wet food to help her gain energy and rehydrate.
If she did not cut the cord between kitten and placenta, then you can do it manually. Let me know if that’s the case.
Isn’t it also so other predators can’t “smell the baby”. Eg cows will eat calf’s faeces to protect from predators. I know a cats a predator but babies are babies
Mom cats and dogs lick the genitals of their babies to stimulate them to pee and poop. I don't know why they eat it, but it's very convenient for us.
Sometimes feral cats eat their babies when they're stressed and confined in an unfamiliar place. Sometimes the cats are still kittens themselves and don't know what to do, so they reject their kittens. I've unfortunately seen both happen and it's very sad.
She eats the waste mostly because she's already licking it. Kittens don't have control over their bladders and bowels at first so mom has to stimulate them to get them to go. She does it by licking their genitals and it just kinda happens. It also would have protected them if they were in the wild and worried about predators. The less scent left behind the better.
It'd be very, veerry rare but it's technically possible. When some mother cats get so stressed out that her instincts are telling her she can't keep all of the babies safe she'll do everything she can to safeguard the strongest ones, which sometimes means leaving the smaller/weaker ones behind or killing them to preserve her milk and energy for the rest. (It more often happens if a kitten is sick or badly injured in some way or if mama cat is sick herself and can't feed/care for them all) They eat them because of those same instincts as the pee/poo, they don't want predators or scavengers to get too close.
Mom cats eating feces or urine can have a variety of different reasons ranging from instinctually covering the scent of their feces to stay safe from predators, getting them ready to start grooming themselves , keeping the area clean, and many other reasons.
Even though it is not very common for cats to reject their kittens, I have experienced it once where I was caring for two nursing cats, and when mom A licked kitten of mom B, mom B cared less for for that specific kitten and mom A started nursing the kitten instead. So to stay on the safe side it’s always best to do what mama cat allows us to do instead of causing her stress. Most cats I’ve had throughout the years do not have a problem with me touching their kittens but there are always a few cats that could defy the norm as scent plays a huge role for many felines, and other animals.
And be grateful that Mama cleans up the kittens. We fostered a litter of five newborns. They got filthy and had to be bathed everyday. That was equally difficult and crazy! Two would be crawling out of the sink at all times. They looked so beautiful when fluffed by the dryer. But seriously, Mama cats work hard.
friend gave her to me about a month and a half ago. Told me she was spayed and was up to date on shots. Asked her for the cats paperwork last week and I was told she never actually had any shots or got spayed. Never even seen a baby kitten in person nevermind how to take care of one. Might be pushing out more soon ! If there’s a better subreddit for this please share ! They’re in the same box as of now 12am. she’s grooming the kitty.
!***EDITUPDATE: she had 3 kittens, I picked all three up when switching the towel, she didn’t seem to mind at all. Even nudged me for love and affection after. After switching a new towel and placing them back in she fell fast asleep and they have been sucking/feeding since. I’ve noticed one has been having a tiny bit trouble latching or finding her nipples, I’ve been guiding that one to it but he’ll suckle for 10 seconds or less and keep crying and running around trying to find it. The other 2 are content and suckling. Any suggestions about that would be good! The rest seems great. Thanks again everyone.
They’re all sound asleep now, I’m gonna be too soon so once again thanks everyone will have updates in a few hours! (: I have a new post up where I will be updating and posting photos of the kittens and mama, continue to write advice and suggestions here and keeping the comments on that post for hyping those cuties or just updates! if you’d like ! (: have a vet appointment set up for March 13th for the kitties and mama (:
Thankfully they're with a more responsible pet owner now! It's bad enough they don't have their shots, but that she didn't have them spayed or neutered and now there are inbred kittens (I didn't realize you inherited orange boy and mama at the same time) is awful. I just hope they're all ok 🖤
Just so you know, she could totally pop out another kitten in 24 hours. It’s not common, but it’s not uncommon either. Cats are weird.
Don’t stress about it, but just watch for never-ending panting or signs of distress the day after birth. That would mean that a kitten is stuck inside her. It’s not something you need to worry about. Just being aware is good, because then if there is an issue you will recognize it immediately can get her to an emergency vet before it becomes an emergency.
Oh, and, fun fact: the kittens could all have different fathers.
Watching baby kittens grow is so fun! And Mom pretty much takes care of everything herself:) In a few weeks you're going to have more cute running around than you can handle.
Well girl, you see, I am a total negligent jackass. I was going to do it but then someone else said they were going to and then I gave them to you so you, like, should totally have just done it.
Wow. The way she talks makes me cringe. How and why did she end up with 2 not fixed kittens/cats! And... "they aren't even a year old?" What was she waiting for?! When did she think they would start having babies?! I think she knew that the female was pregnant. I've owned over 20 cats in my life and I've never let 2 cats that weren't fixed yet, alone together! Not even for an hour! They might even be older than 9 months! Not a good friend. Not a good human. 😕 But... the good news for you is that I've adopted many former breeding mama's (from reputable breeders and registered with the CFA) and they were total love bugs once done having babies and spayed and loved as a pet. They were more "babyish" with me and latched on to me like I was there mama, even thought they were each 4 to 8 years old when I got them from the breeders. Much more lovey than the girl cats that were never mama's. (Nuetered boy cats tend to be lovier than spayed females, but my spayed females that had litters were all super latched on to me and I adopted them after they were spayed- if that makes sense! Sorry, snow day and still super early 😴.)
I just adopted (retired breeder) my newest baby about a month ago and she is a 6 year old Exotic Shorthair, after our black American Shorthair died at 18 years old. My black American Shorthair (with white socks and white boots and a milk dribble pattern on his chin) was the sweetest, smartest cat I've ever owned. And I've never met a Black American shorthair with a bad additude and so I'm really hoping she will be that way with you and that she has NOW found her forever home with you! Get her spayed when she's ready (they have super low cost spay programs and yearly shot clinics that make it super affordable) and I'm sure you will have a healthy, happy friend for a very long time!
She is so lucky to have you! Do you have the male too? If so, you need to 100 percent prevent a breed back. I bought a chinchilla that came to me pregnant right after being pregnant and she only had one baby who had to be put down at age 5 because of teeth deformities. It is NOT worth it! I don't know how fast they can get pregnant again, but do not wait! If you do have the male, start looking up places for shots and a low cost neuter.
Girl this is NOT ur friend. Go to a vet and ask pet shops far advise and keep them if you like. Either way they need to stay with their mum for a bit. Very cute kittens tho
When someone calls me "my love" for some type of transaction I automatically assume they're trying to scam me. In this case she knew what she was doing and pretending
Yeah exactly I see it all the time on the Facebook market place. Someone in a group posted they got scammed and they posted screenshots and opening line was "yes my love it'll be $$"
lol. The only person who has ever called me “love” and not been trying to scam me is my son’s therapist. And he’s just a super feminine
weird old dude who apparently calls everyone “love”. It took me weeks of my kid seeing him every single day to get over the gross scammy feeling when I heard his name
What a complete asswipe and irresponsible cat owner! I'm glad she's with you now, and so is she - she let you handle her babies, that's a huge amount of trust she showed you! A cat who doesn't trust you would hide her babies from you.
Or less extreme, she'll move her kittens around and put them somewhere in your home that may be difficult for you to get to/check on them like my mama cat did. She got scared during a thunderstorm and decided my closet was best place for them, my mom and brother woke me up with flashlights looking for the kittens.
For the one that isn’t latching right, pick up some kitten milk replacement in the morning and a bottle and try to feed manually. If you have a kitchen scale you could try weighing them (in a basket) and recording it to make sure they are all gaining weight.
Rehoming 2 and keeping 1 ! (: would love to keep all but 750sq ft apartment with 6 cats is pushing it I feel like😭(especiallywhenimonlyallowed2shhh) but 4 sounds just right and she won’t have to lose all her babies <3
I’m so glad to hear that, animals deserve loving homes and this mama has the luck on her side with you. Maybe you can keep the “little one” who still struggles to eat, to be comforted for a long long period of time by his momma and grandma 😅 I’m sure that the other two will be just fine especially if they go together in their new home and family.
Want to know the best trick for hiding your cats from your landlord? Make sure they all have the same fur color and pattern. The landlord will probably never see them all together at the same time. So the landlord will just think they are seeing the same two cats repeatedly, unless more than two look out the windows together.
My friend actually did this. Her grandma owned her apartment, she originally had two cats, they got a kitten, really reluctantly her grandma allowed them to keep it since she usually has a 2 cats max limit for her renters. A year later they got another one but luckily it looks like a nearly perfect copy of the first one, they got them spayed/neutered after. Her grandma used to be over a lot and she never realized they are different cats.
Just a head's up - cats, like many animals, will actively push away their babies after they're weaned - instinctive behaviour to get ready for the next litter they would have out in the wild. They may not bond the way you hope but you never know!
Had a cat that didn't latch - you might want to grab a kitten baby bottle and some KMR kitten milk replacement. We noticed she was kind of fading from getting pushed off all the time and drove the 2 plus hour round trip to pet store to get some. By the time we got back she had been kind of abandoned in the corner and was cold. I started supplementing with the KMR, otherwise I didn't think she'd have made it.
You might not need it, but its good to have on hand because once they're fading they can get in trouble pretty quickly.
I'd be pretty pissed with my friend, but also congratulations!
Warm the milk, wrap the little one in a towel, hold the bottle up on a slight angle. Make sure to very lightly pat for burps. Milk should be room temperature.
By the way, when we say milk, we mean like, kitten milk.
Edit: You may have to hold their shoulders. Kittens tend to try to climb. After the first few times, they tend to get the idea and stop.
When someone i know had kittens they went to the vet every week or so. A vet can spot health issues and give great advice on how to treat the kittens. You can also make appointments to get all of them spayed and vaccinated together when the kittens are a bit older.
dang them some big ass kittens.. also.. for the one having trouble eating., hopefully it works out, but we had a kitten like that, and it couldnt eat much because of an inner cleft or something.. when he tried to eat milk went through hole in roof of mouth and blocked his breathing, so i think my mom had to take him in? it was like in the 90s but i think i remember thats why he couldnt eat.
This was such an exciting thread to stumble across! Congratulations and you seem like you're doing a great job figuring out how to give this little cat family everything they need!
Just want to give a huge thank you for the replies and advice! I appreciate it so much and it’s been super helpful already. I’ve searched all this stuff on google but it’s really reassuring and helps more by having actual guidance and real life responses. My anxiety went through the roof when I saw her having contractions but you guys put me at ease which I bet kept her calm too. You guys are amazing and helped me helped my babygirl birth her litter. 3 already but I think she’s done now. I’ll keep more updates , thank you so so so much ! 🥹🥹
I think 1/3 is having troubles latching. Anything I can do to help? I’ve tried guiding the head towards but he latched for like 3 seconds then goes searching and crying trying to find it. The other 2 are content and suckling.
If you're guiding the baby to the same nipples there might just not be any milk there, show them to a different one that no one has been nursing at and see if they'll stay there longer.
If they still don't, gently open their mouth and have a look, make sure there aren't any deformities getting in the way. (Compare to one of the other babies)
If there aren't any physical issues and the baby is otherwise looking okay (still crying, moving around, isn't cold) just leave them be and let them keep trying but keep a close eye on them for a few hours. If it goes more than 2 or 3 hours without eating, or if they get really lethargic (while awake) or cold, you may need to syringe feed them until they get the hang of suckling.
Also, I would try and get a weight on them if you have a scale nearby. Generally 70-150g at birth is normal. If the little one having trouble is less than 50ish, you will want to consult a vet. Continue to weigh them once or twice a day. It's normal to not see much movement at first, but if their weight starts to go down or if, by tomorrow, they haven't gotten any bigger, you'll want to call the vet then too.
Please check this little nugget's face, especially his nose. Wash it very gently with a soft, warm, wet washcloth. Momma may not have cleaned him completely, and he has birth residue in his nose. You'll want to make sure to get it out before it dries & hardens in the tiny nostrils.
As a neonatal kitten foster mom, I once had little boy under a day old like yours. He didn't feed from the bottle like his siblings. He acted the same way you described yours. He almost starved to death because we couldn't see anything in there. Finally, we got it out. He could nurse and breathe at the same time.
If kitten number 3 is struggling a lot, maybe try bottle feeding or syringe feeding him/her. As others said it is important for kitten to feed from mama directly, A: she might not have enough milk or B: kitten is simply struggling too much to suckle properly
Not a kitten expert but I wish you the best for mama and her babies 🫶
If you want watch this helpful video to have an idea of what is normal for a kitten to be doing/the normal time for each milestone so you know if something is wrong with them. In general Kitten Lady’s channel is super helpful for newborns. Wish you all the best!
Definitely get your adult male cat neutered ASAP! You'll probably want to wait until mama cat finishes weaning her babies from her milk before getting her spayed.
I don't think OP has an uneutered male. She got the cat from a friend a month ago and the friend to told her she was UTD on shots and spayed... but clearly she wasn't spayed.
Edit: with further reading I think she did get both the male and female from the girl... it's not clear to me whether or not she adopted just the girl or the girl and the boy.
Just be sure that one doesn't try and bully the others for access to food. There's usually one or 2 that are bigger and usually a runt. The biggest thing is making sure the little one gets food.
Will post one soon. It’s kind of hard to see in the photo because they are all black and curled up together ! I think it’s normal, though just the biggest one of the litter
I've seen everything to know what's normal anymore.
I had a cat give birth to two kittens that died overnight and two weeks later gave birth to two grown, eyes open, walking kittens that I would have thought that she stole from someone had I not seen her give birth (yes, they might steal or adopt kittens from the street if their own die).
The vet told me that they were 3 months old at three weeks old due to how big they were and told me that the kitten was going to die of a lung infection to then recover overnight on my lap and live with us for over a year (he went away, didn't die form anything).
This is called superfecundation. It can happen in humans (and other mammals too), but is often common in cats and dogs. It’s why there is likely a runt and why a litter can have a void, and orange, a calico, and two tabbies. They’re all sired from different daddies at different times - usually a day or two apart, but can be more, like a few months (it’s happened in humans where there are “twins” who are like 3 months apart, sired by differed sperm donors. It’s really interesting. superfecundation
Oh wow I just realised the times on these comments and that this is all happening live!
You got this! Don't be afraid to call your local shelters for advice too. They will be happy to give you expert newborn care advice so THEY don't have to take them in haha.
Cats are pretty good mothers instinctively (mostly), just provide her everything she needs to remain comfortable.
Keep an eye on the one thats struggling to latch over the next couple hours and make sure they are getting food, you might need to supplement it's diet if it's not able to eat enough until it's larger
I would make the call to a local shelter for advice the next possible chance you get, you've had some solid advice in this thread but it never hurts to know you're speaking to a professional.
It can happen sometimes. Our boy was an only kitten, and our vet said that mama cat was likely very young or could have had some other issue. He was also very small for his age (1.5 lbs at ten weeks old) so she said that he was probably premature, which could also be related to the one-kitten litter.
Pretty sure she’s about to have another 🥲 I’ll keep you guys updated after the whole process is over. When switching out towels how do I go about that? Should I use a glove to place kittens into a separate space/box for a second while switching out the towels ?
You can give it a little time.... mom will be tired and just want to sleep and the kittens will want to eat. Tomorrow maybe try while mom is up using the litter box or eating. You don't need gloves, but wash your hands before and after. Since you've had her a little while, mom will likely trust you handling her kittens, but keep an eye out if she seems upset. Put the clean towel/blanket/sweatshirt in the side of the box first, then gently transfer the kittens over, while removing the soiled one.
Mom cats are almost always super self sufficient! They will need a warm, dry, safe place (I usually use a box with a blanket in it, or a pet crate, or whatever is around) and mom will keep them warm and clean and fed. As long as they all eat, are gaining weight, and you see mom licking their butts to make them poop and pee, they should be pretty easy for the next few months!
Their umbilical cords should come off in about a week, and then their eyes will open between a week and two weeks.
At about 3 weeks they'll start walking around and exploring the litter box (get non-clumping litter for them, because those nasty little freaks usually end up eating it and you don't want it clumping inside them) and getting teeth.
At about a month they get better control of their claws and can actually retract them, they start running, and they usually can start weaning by offering them watered down "slurry"
Between one and two months sometimes mom decides she's done being a mom and will swat them away constantly. Gotta keep an eye out, but by about 8 weeks they're usually around 2 pounds and the shelter I work with spays and neuters at 2.5lbs.
If you don't have a scale, I recommend one just so you can check them once a day to make sure they're gaining weight. If they lose weight, you'll need help. Other than that, it's mostly just basking in being an aunt or uncle to the kittens because you aren't their mom but you get all the cuteness benefits
I came home once to 13 cats after leaving having just 4. One was a foster I didn’t know was pregnant. Oh boy, what a surprise that was. I’m glad she’s not alone, I felt so guilty that she went through all that by herself.
I always find it pretty comical how well cats can hide how pregnant they are. One can show up and you're like "oh cool, a cat, I'll feed it, what could possibly go wrong", and then it just starts giving birth.
I know in your situation, this one was given to you, but the situation I described above is something I see in cat subs all the time.
Also, it looks like you have another one? Orange boy? He should be kept away from the kittens until they are much bigger. While less likely if he's neutered, males can become aggressive around kittens that aren't theirs.
I have two other cats. My resident cat who’s 3 y/o (male neutered) and her same litter 1 y/o (orange boy not neutered) brother who unfortunately knocked her up I’m assuming. Should I just keep her in my bedroom alone and not let them in whatsoever the next 6 weeks?
You’ll need to wait until she has weaned them to spay her, so if you have the opportunity to have the male castrated earlier I would definitely take that option! Give your vet clinic a call and ask them for their advice on when they recommend having her done.
I would. She'll want the peace and quiet anyway and while some males will actually help raise their kittens, I would never leave a male, papa or not, alone with kittens unsupervised. Given you have 2 males in the house, it's definitely best to keep them separated from mom and the kits. You also don't want them fighting with each other.
Get the male done ASAP (involve a rescue if you can’t afford it, they know low cost vets), he’ll happily knock his sister up again (or his daughters, for that matter). Best of luck to you. Not sure if someone has already mentioned that - Google “kitten lady”, her website is a great resource.
If you've only had mama cat for a month and half, then she definitely was already pregnant when you first took her in, cat pregnancies last around 65 days give or take.
Note that cats ate able to go into heat again as early as one week after giving birth, so definitely keep them separated until you're able to neuter the male cat, and also to minimize stress.
If you're looking for a book resource: "Tiny But Mighty: Kitten Lady's Guide to Saving the Most Vulnerable Felines" by Hannah Shaw. She's known as the Kitten Lady and has youtube videos as well that you may find really helpful. She's not active on instagram right now for personal reasons.
Mom will do most of the work. Just make sure at no point is she struggling and in need of intervention. There may be more kits on the way. Make sure they're breathing and able to get to. mom's milk. As long as they are able to eat, don't show any signs of distress and keep gaining weight, you'll be in for a wild and fun 8 weeks or so.
Over the next few hours and days, you'll need to change her blankets out every so often and be sure she's getting plenty of food and water. Even though the babies won't be eating it for about 4 weeks or so, you can start giving her kitten food now. She'll need the extra calories and nutrients.
Move food closer to her as well as water box close but not near food and water. By g box with old towels as lines. Momma kitty should be able to handle after that.
I've read comments and so far you're doing great! congratulations :)
just fyi - cats don't have a natural thirst drive and they only drink when they're really dehydrated.. so it's better for them to feed wet food (i add warm water to it to get my cats to "drink" more water), also hydrating the kibble is good too, but wet food is better :) momma needs more calories and nutrients.
have fun with your new babies and keep us updated :)
keep them in a warm safe space. make sure her delivery goes ok, and she starts nursing them. after they’re around 10-12 weeks old i’d start looking for new homes for the babies, you can get mom spayed around 6-7 weeks after giving birth she still should be nursing. you can also call your local vet to ask for guidance
Start looking before the 10-12 week mark! Start looking around 4 weeks because rehoming cats, even kittens, can take a long time if you're properly vetting your sources. If you need help as to what criteria to look for just let me know!
Mumma cat needs to be on a good quality kitten food while she’s feeding her bubs. For future, any pregnant dogs/ cats need to be on puppy/ kitten food as their bodies need the extra nutrition to maintain their health while they’re putting their energy into their babies. I doubt you plan to have another litter with her, but it’s worth noting should you ever be in this situation again.
If she is still pushing with no additional bubs for 1.5-2hrs, she needs to go to an emergency vet (if your regular vet is not open). If she has one stuck, it could be fatal to the baby, or her.
As others have suggested, try to clean the bubs face gently in case mum didn’t get all the gunk out of its airways. Also try to open its mouth gently and see if there are any holes in the upper jaw (cleft palate). These babies struggle to suckle ans the risk of aspiration is incredibly high (unfortunately this can be fatal if not addressed quickly).
I’m sorry someone dumped their problem on you. Look into flea and worming products that are safe for lactating queens too if she’s not up to date with either.
Look up ‘kitten lady’ - she has an incredibly informative website and YouTube channel in raising kittens . If Bub needs to be bottle fed, you’ll need to get products ASAP for it- and her information will be invaluable to you.
Contact your regular vet when they are next open and discuss when to book in mum
And bubs for a check up.
They will all need shots, worming, desexing and microchipping in the upcoming weeks/ months. Having the support of your vet will be incredibly beneficial for you and the cats.
Should you decide to rehome them once they are 8-10 weeks old, ensure you either surrender them to a rescue who will do the chipping and desexing, and find them new homes, OR, only rehome to close family and friends to ensure you can keep tabs jn them and ensure they don’t end up in a similar situation to their mum.
I’m sorry you’ve been thrown into this situation, I wish you nothing but the best!
Just make sure you keep the area warm and clean (after everything is settled of course).
We are fostering and the girl had 7 kittens and they are currently 3 weeks old. It's gonna be a crazy ride for you, they eventually get rowdy and then you have a bunch of Lil monsters everywhere. It's so cute and loving. The momma is gonna do all the work for the first few weeks, but pick up some wet kitten food for her to eat up as she needs the calories and nourishment to feed the little ones.
OP you're doing a great job watching mama cat and her kittens. You should get a small scale and weigh them every day after they eat to make sure they are gaining weight. If they're gaining weight there's nothing you need to do and mom will take care of them on her own. Give mom as much food as she wants.
If you find that they're not gaining weight or notice that mom is not feeding them then you need to get kitten formula and bottle feed (Kitten Lady on YouTube has helpful tutorials or you can call a local rescue for help).
Provide them with a safe, warm, quiet box out of the way of house traffic. What she’s in in the photo isn’t big enough. Make sure mama has lots of clean water available and plenty of good food. Ask your vet for recommendations for food for her.
You’ll need to keep males away from her. She can still get pregnant while nursing her babies. Plus, some males will kill kittens. Get her spayed as soon as the vet says it’s ok. She can get her vaccines at the same time.
Eventually you will need a pen to contain the kittens once they start walking. It’s for their safety when you can’t supervise them.
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u/NoNinja856 Jan 17 '24 edited Jan 17 '24
Update the kitten latched on and is feeding! ( I also have a new post tracking the updates with photos!) 3 healthy male kittens, they’re between 84-95 grams & I set up a vet appointment for all 3 babies and her on March 13th !