My cat had a litter of kittens about 72 hrs ago. She has not pooped or peed even though she has been eating and drinking. Is this normal?
My honest sense would be no. I’ve been around a few cats after they’ve given birth, and they do usually use the litter box in a somewhat normal manner… I can think of a few things that could be going on here:#1: Your cat could be peeing or pooping somewhere that isn’t the litter box. giving birth (especially for the first time) is extremely stressful for cats, and with her hormones at a high level, your cat may have decided that the litter box is just not something she wants to deal with right now. I’d take a quick look around the nest to make sure she hasn’t peed on your floors or behind a chair — cats can be very sneaky creatures. This leads into option #2…#2: You could have your litter box in a location where she can’t reach it. Nursing queens will want to be near the new kittens at all times, so if your litter box is difficult for her to reach, she may not be able to use it. Make sure the litter box is near to momma cat’s nest — though it needs to be at least a couple feet away from the food bowls to prevent messes. (Also, as a side note, try to use non-clumping cat litter for at least the first few weeks. Kittens will try to eat the liter, and ingesting clumping cat litter can cause serious digestive issues.)#3: Your cat could have a urinary tract infection, complication from the pregnancy, or other medical issue which is preventing her from using the litter box properly. I would watch her behavior closely — is she nursing the kittens and actively engaging with them? Does she seem active? Does she seem to be in any sort of pain? Does she have a particularly heavy vaginal discharge, or one which is bright red or foul smelling (a dark brown or black discharge is normal for the first week or two)? These are things I would definitely be watching for.Honestly, my personal opinion would be that you should talk to your veterinarian about your concerns. Cats really should be seen by a vet within a day or two of having the kittens anyways, to ensure there have been no complications with the birth and that everyone’s healthy. There are many things that can go wrong over the first few weeks after a birth, and I would be in consultation with your vet to keep everything as safe and comfortable as possible for momma and the kittens. These articles might also help: Postpartum Care For Cats - How To Care For The New Queen and Caring For Your Postpartum Queen Cat both have some really helpful information about things to watch for.Good luck, and congratulations!
What causes feral cats to abandon their kittens?
See my feral foster kittens below. Feral feline mothers will only abandon their litter out of pure fear. I wouldn’t even say abandon because their maternal instincts are strong, so they will be close by, but you wouldn’t know because they’re hiding from you. The kittens also must feed frequently and to keep up her milk supply for her nursing babies, she must find food often but momma isn’t gone long.A feral cat is wild just like a raccoon or a rabbit, you can’t get near them.Every single kitten season here in New Jersey from March till about October hundreds of feral kittens from newborn to about 4 weeks old, (by this point in age they will run and hide making them harder to catch), come into our Shelter.What these kind hearted people do not realize is that when they stumble on a litter of tiny helpless kittens under a wood pile or inside an old shed they aren’t abandoned. Their mother must frequently feed herself to keep up her milk supply and or also she fled because you are there.The silver lining is that these kittens will become adoptable pets and will also be spayed or neutered. Last year I had 3 litters of “abandoned” kittens. I had gotten 2 separate litters that were about 2 weeks old and also had a momma give birth at the Shelter and took her home when her babies were 3hrs old. All successful endings!2 days old1 week oldReady for adoptionThis entire litter was adopted along with their momma!This is the 2nd litter 2.5 week old bottle babies successfully weaned and All four adopted!3rd litter successfully weaned and all three adopted!Being a surrogate mother for these helpless babies is what I feel I’ve been put on this earth to do, and I will do it every single year, every time the phone rings. The feeding schedule is like that of a newborn baby. Very tedious but 100% rewarding.
My cat just had her 1st litter of kittens but did not deliver the placenta with the last kitten should I worry?
My cat is about 2 years old, this was her first litter. She did really good, but had to have help pulling the placenta out on the last 3 kittens (she had 5 healthy babies and 1 that was not fully developed). There was no screaming, crying, nothing. She seems ok now, just a little tired. I am just wanting to make sure it is ok she didn't pass the last placenta (when I pulled on it the cord ripped). I don't want to take her away from her babies to take her to the vet because she is doing such a good job with them and she seems fine but I was wondering if anyone out there has any suggestions!?!?! No need for the spay your cat comments, I plan on having her spayed as soon as the litter is about 2 weeks old. She was a stray that I rescued. I am not a irresponsible pet owner. I have adopted all my animals from the animal shelter with the exception of her.
My cat had her first litter of kittens but she only had two?
yes, it is completely normal ... cats can have anywhere from 1 to 10+ kittens in one litter .... although those numbers are rare and the ones in the middle are much more likely, rare doesn't mean impossible.. and also it doesn't matter how much "attending" she got just like it wouldn't matter with humans either ... actually, you might be glad she just had two if you are planning on keeping them, because pets can get expensive, you know? anyway... hope this helps
Can my cats raise kittens that aren’t their own?
Most females in any mammalian species can raise young that aren't their own, particularly if the 'adoptive' mother is of child-bearing age. If a mother cat is lactating, she will easily adopt an orphaned kitten or kittens as her own. It can possibly be straining on her body if it is her first litter, although she will produce more milk when more is demanded. Make sure to give her extra love, treats and nutrients, like in the form of vitamins for cats... while I can't say this will work for sure, I think it doesn't hurt to try as they can be ordered online for a relatively low cost for this one time event. When you introduce the new kittens to her, giver her some good treats (try bonito flakes, they're a favorite treat among most cats) or some of her favorite wet food, so she doesn't feel they will be a threat to her survival or that of her kittens. If she's eating, she knows she will be able to feed them. It's also a good tip to wipe them down to get the other mom's scent off them. Definitely look into what's going on with the mean cat... she could be in pain and not able to be normal... even early arthritis or something. Take her to a vet to get evaluated. Make an appointment for both cats to be spayed so they don't keep having more kittens. Adopt and spay, don't shop or sell cats! Good luck.
Why do mother cats sometimes eat their own kittens?
In addition to eating dead or sick kittens (to keep the living area and other kittens free from disease and infections) mother cats will occasionally (rarely) kill and sometimes eat healthy kittens due to stress.This can occur in young mothers, who are more prone to rejecting their kittens, and in older mothers with hormonal imbalances that cause them to reject their young. Basically, a cat sometimes won't bond with her kittens, and won't recognise them as her own, and in her confused and stressed state she will see them as prey or a threat and attack them.Cats (and dogs) will also kill their young if they feel stressed and unsafe. This sometimes occurs when humans try to move animals who have just given birth to a more convenient and safer place in the home - the animal chose the place they gave birth because that's where they felt safe, so humans moving them to a place they didn't choose (no matter how comfortable or safe that place is) can stress a mother animal out and cause her to kill her young.This can also happen if the mother and babies are disturbed too much. Mother wants babies to be safely 'hidden' from everyone but the people and animals she trusts, so if the owners start allowing lots of visitors to come and see the new kittens (or puppies) then the mother can get very stressed and kill her own offspring if she cannot move them somewhere she feels safer.
How do I know if my cat is done having her babies? My cat started having her first baby at 1:30 today, and she hasn’t had another one since. So how do I know if she’s done being pregnant?
It can take a new Queen more than a few hours or a day to have her kits. Contact the vet immediately if she is laboring hard and pushing and nothing is coming out.Honest to heaven, I’m not shilling for the veterinarian, but he’s the one who went through many years of training and certification and examinations and peer reviews and years of hands on experience. A quick shot could be what she needs. No, I don’t think I’ll say what the shot is because someone would end up getting some, injecting way too much and killing the cat.VET for emergencies.The birthing of kits is lovely - most of the time - I sit with the Queens when they are birthing because sometimes they get very tired after one comes out and the Queen hasn’t the energy to clean the sac off the kitten and that is when I have to do it for her. If she doesn’t immediately remove the afterbirth attached to the cord to the kitten, you can snip it off with nail clippers or sharp kitchen scissors.How You Can Help a Mother Cat During Birth
Cat just had kittens- now has rapid breathing
Hon, don't let the others scare you. I know not as many people have seen as many kitten births as I have but it actually sounds like mom cat and kittens are fine. You mention it took 5 hrs between kitty 2 and 3. This had to have taken a lot out of mom cat. That isn't the most normal. During those 5 hours she was probably in pain and doing her best to push that 3rd kitten out, in return she exerted most of her energy. How long has it been since the 6th kitten's been born? It sounds like she is done with delivery cuz 6 is a pretty large litter. You can try to give your cat fluids, however mom cats main concern right now is the baby's and so her focus is them. She will eat less and drink less for a few days while staying focused on the little ones. Her heavy breathing could also be mom cat trying to delivery yet another kitten. Please email me and tell me how long since last delivered kitten. Mom cat will be so tired that she will only leave kittens to use the potty for a few days. Once she is secure, you will see her spirits pick up and her be more active but with 6 kittens it will still take a lot out of her. Spoil momma cat for several weeks, not the baby's. Also, try not to hold the baby's a whole lot, as momma may get uncomfortable and move them. It's just their instinct. It sounds like your doing fine, momma is just tired, and kittens are fine. To be honest I'm suprised the 3rd kitten made it cause sometimes when a kitten takes that long to b born then it's because it gets caught in the birth canal. We lost one that way. So please email me with anytime. My sources are below. One more thing, please watch momma for excessive bleeding. This could show a sign of a problem. There will be some minimal bleeding though until she is all cleaned up. Make sure you put momma and baby's in large box, etc with clean towels also after momma has them all cleaned up.