wy_kid_wrangler04 Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 Ok, we have a cat, she is an outdoor cat but OUR cat. She had kittens 2 1/2 weeks ago. After the kittens were born we brought them inside to let her take care of them and would let her out a couple times a day for about 30 mins at a time. Well when they were right about a week old we let mamma out and when we went to find her we couldn't. It was over 24 hours later (we bought kitten formula about an hour before we found her) When we found her she was on our garage floor and looked dead. She was stiff, shaking. I honestly thought she was near death. We brought her to the vet and they gave her IV antibiotics and fluids and we just got her home today. This was 10 days ago. Now she does not want the kittens near her. The vet said she still had some milk left and was cleared to nurse the kittens. They would still need supplements from us to be fed enough but she could still nurse with what she has. Do you think she will eventually start nurturing her kittens again? Do you think she is just scared from being in a vets kennel (metal) for 10 days straight and VERY little people contact? Do you think she will not accept her kittens back? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wy_kid_wrangler04 Posted August 12, 2011 Author Share Posted August 12, 2011 Anybody?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kht2006 Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 :grouphug:noidea about the mama cat and her kittens, though. Maybe someone else will chime in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingnlearning Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 Did she have eclampsia or an infection? Sounds like milk fever almost. If you can get any of her milk through the kittens she will probably start to nurture them again but that would be pretty difficult. I'm not sure if it's scientifically documented anywhere but I believe that mama animals identify their young through the poo that is made from their milk. Always when grafting lambs and calves as soon as mother's milk made it through the system the pair was stable. So operating on that concept, *I* would rub the kittens on her as much as possible if mama cat will tolerate it. If she won't let them near her I would maybe put a similar smell on the mama and the kittens-dip everyone's nose in some smelly tuna oil, make everyone smell the same. I'd keep them together 24/7 if you can do it safely-if you're not sure of safety I would keep them side by side where mama can see/smell them but not eat them if she decided. If mama is a lovey cat I would do lots of loving time with kittens, lots of contact. IMO she's mostly forgotten them. But she could still have a trace of instinct in there but you need to bring it back out of her. She was very ill and then very isolated-cats want to be left very much alone when they're scared and sick so her brain has been in isolation mode. To make her feel trusting, open and motherly again she needs to feel safe and be touched, have that contact, first from you and then by the kittens or all at once if she's tolerant. Rub her belly-lots of stimulation on her teats to get her mama hormones going again... You might ask the vet about a shot of oxy to drop the milk and see if you can get the kittens to suck-if you can get them all going through the motions she will come back. Will the kittens still nurse on her? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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