New Momma Kitty Has Big Problem

BACK STORY - We had a stray befriend us about a year ago. Since then he only goes out on a harness with enough rope to go around the yard. We put Soft Paws on his claws so he can't defend himself as well and we don't want him fighting anyway. There was one cat that kept coming here trying to fight with him, so I built a nice trap and a cage to transfer caught cats into to get them to our shelter. It's a county shelter who WILL NOT KILL animals. I have trapped 19 cats so far. The 9th one was so friendly we kept him to keep our cat company. I built a nice sized area under a work bench in our garage for nice cats I trap while I try to find them homes. I give them about a week and then take them to the shelter.

NOW - About two weeks ago I trapped a very pregnant cat. She wasn't real mean, but not friendly either. She had six kittens but one died the day after it was born. Just because I had a cat in the apartment, (That's what we call the area I built) there was no reason to stop trapping. There are always males looking to expand their territory. The day I put the trap out, I trapped another very pregnant cat. This one was very young and extremely friendly. Because the first one wasn't all that nice I took her to the shelter Monday around 3pm. Around 5pm, the new kitty had her kittens. I bought a nice sized tote about 6" deep for her to give birth in. She had a very very hard time with her first kitten. She was screaming and while I was petting her she tried to bite me, so I put my anti-bite gloves on and let her bite away. Surprisingly I think that helped because the kitty came out shortly afterwards. She had five kittens. When she was done I thought she was still going to have at least one more because she was still pretty fat, but that was it...just five.

PROBLEM - Since having her kittens she's been leaking diarrhea. She has licked that area, including that part of her tail, raw. I take her kittens and dirty towel out, clean any feces off the wood if any got on it, put a clean towel in and replace the kittens. I was out there a little bit ago petting her and actually watched a little ooze out. I took a paper towel, folded it a bit and lightly dabbed it. It hurt her. She uses the litter box and her poop is normal. I had thought she was having diarrhea and rather than use the litter box, she just pooped and licked it because she didn't want to leave her kittens. I'm pretty sure this is her first litter because she's pretty young. But since she uses the litter box and her poop is normal, what would cause her to be having this diarrhea ooze out for no reason? She needs a bath and I have no problem doing that, but until this is stopped, it would be a waste of time. Has anyone else ever had this type of situation? We really can't afford to take her to the vet and although our shelter is a no-kill shelter, I've heard they will not take any animals to the vet so if they get sick, they just let them die. I don't know if that's true, but I don't want to find out. I just need to know if anyone has any ideas on what to do. Thanks for taking the time to read this novel!

Is there a smell to it? I don’t think she is leaking poop. This is coming from her uterus and it’s not normal.

She probably has retained a placenta, or has a deceased kitten left in her uterus. It is decomposing, and this is what is oozing out. She is probably not feeling well either.

So, unfortunately, she needs to see a vet. She needs an antibiotic in case she has an infection inside, which is highly likely, and she needs spaying to remove her uterus and whatever is left inside. This needs seeing about right away - like tomorrow.

You can apply for a Care Credit Card, or ask to set up a payment plan with a vet.

CareCredit Application | Healthcare Financing

For tonight, please clean her with a warm, damp cloth, then apply olive or coconut oil to her raw, sore areas. It will soothe things.

Is she still eating well and nursing the kittens?

What’s your city and state? I can look for a low-cost spay clinic for you.

P Papatuzz

Aww poor thing, I agree is sounds like something is still left inside and she needs a vet asap

It does sound like an infection of her uterus... I hope you are able to get her in to the vet ASAP!

Yes, I agree, this is a real vet errand. No diarrhea as you yourself say, but surely some sort of infection inside her vomb. With lotsa luck she may survive it, but taking out the vomb, and giving lotsa of antibiotica, is the only safe and decent to do. This isnt that difficult for a good vet, but must be done.

Also, prepare for taking care of the kittens, and prepare to handraise them yourself.
She may soon go downhill really fast, any time really.
And of course, if she gets the operation, she may not be able to take care of them several days. A common emergency cesarean spaying, the mom can often proceed to nurse the kittens the same evening. But this here operation is more touchy, we dont know how much is rotten inside.


What to do for now while you are finding cheap vet and or the money?

Put some coldpressed cocoanut oil on this poor tail. Coldpressed olive or rapeseed may work too. Be sure she has lotsa to drink.
Be sure she is warm and comfortable. The sick ones are always freezing, no?

Give her pedialyte to drink. And have more in reserve.

Clear unflavored pedialyete for babies, or homemade.
Homemade recipe:
1 coffe cup of water. 1 small spoon of honey, some salt - preferably minerale salt.... Using minerale water is good, contains lotsa of different salts.

This pedialyte you can also use especially, if she or a baby goes lethargic or weak.
Or if anyone gets strong diarrhea.

Mom will probably be just fine with a spay and follow-up antibiotics. You’ll need to feed the babies while she is away from her kittens. Most moms can return to nursing right away.

Here’s a helpful link:

Syringe Feeding

Please update!

Thanks for all your responses. It does smell like poop. That's what I didn't understand since when she uses the litter box her poop is normal. I called the vet and will be taking her in shortly. Thanks again.

I’m glad you are taking her in. Let us know what the vet says.

UPDATE! I brought one kitten with us to the vet so she wouldn't be without all of them. She didn't like the vet. While there, she started to leak. The vet saw the whole thing. She said it's diarrhea. It's definitely coming from her butt. She watched "Little Missy", all of a sudden just freeze and then lift her leg and bend towards it, just at it started to come out, and then licked it. She grabbed a litter box and I put her in and she pooped. It was diarrhea. I explained about how when she used the box at home it was normal. She said to keep watching that. She thinks she has a lot of worms, which she treated with some spot treatment and I'm using Diatomaceous Earth daily since. The vet guessed at her age about 8 to 9 months and said it's probably her first litter, like I thought. I showed her the video I took of the first kitten being born. She was screaming like a human and it took around 10 minutes to deliver it. The vet asked how many times she used the litter box since the kittens were born and I honestly couldn't remember, but I said it wasn't hardly at all. I remember thinking she was constipated, other than the leaking. The vet said it would clear up. She thinks it's a combination of worms, and extreme stress. It is pretty unusual but then so is a young kitty being caught in a trap and giving birth shortly afterwards. The vet says, the kitty was lucky to have me be the one who she ended up with. Made me feel good. Hehe. Besides the spot worm stuff, she gave me some antibiotics in case her rear end or tail became infected. She said if Little Missy didn't seem to be improving to bring her back in, but to give her a week or so. Her butt and tail area is much much better.

We have a partially finished basement and the laundry room was going to be an eat in kitchen, so it's pretty big. I moved her and her kittens into there from the garage. I did that on Tuesday the 10th. I covered the tote we used for her birthing box with cardboard and cut a door for her to come and go through. I put a clean towel in that day. NOT ONE "LEAK" SINCE THEN! She uses the litter box every time. Unfortunately...it's still mostly diarrhea. She eats 4 5.5 ounce cans of food each day and a small bowl of treats and about a third of a small bowl of kitten chow, and she's not gaining any weight. I'm hoping the worm stuff will start helping. It took a while for it to start working on my cat Buddy. I'm thinking she's still stressed out a bit which isn't helping. I'll go in the room and feed her. She'll eat and then come by me to be loved on. If she's eating, or if I'm petting her and her kittens start to cry, she runs over to the little door to look in on them. A few days ago, she would run over and climb in, so she's learning. She lets me pick them up without barely a glance my way. But I RARELY pick them up. I reach in and pet them once in a while.

I want to thank those of you who responded to my original post. I'm thinking everything is going to be fine. I just need to get the worms gone. Thanks again.

Your cat probably has worms AND parasites if she’s still having diarrhea, and so she needs internal worm meds, not just spot treatment. She also needs metronidazole for the parasites. Please call your vet and ask for both.

What antibiotic did the vet already give you for her?

Metronidazole is for bowel issues, and to treat giardia and some topicals like Revolution treat for round and hookworms, which is what the cat probably has. If they did a fecal and use Revolution to treat that could be enough.

Worms and parasites are treated differently. They are not the same thing.

What topical was given and for what?

Metronidazole will treat parasites, as well as internal bacterial infection. It does not treat worms.

What antibiotic were you given?