Mom cat doesn’t seem to know how to nurse

laylafd31

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My cat gave birth to kitten on February 28th. The mom cat herself was born may 2019 so she’s fairly young.
For the most part she’s doing pretty good being a momma. She has been helping the kitten with pooping and peeing, she’s keep being it warm (for the most part), she’s been cleaning it, and she just started moving it around more
My concern is that I think she has attachment issues with me, it seems like she wants to come to me for advice to help her with the kitten because many times when the kitten starts meowing she will start meowing at me.
I have had to position the mom on her side the majority of the time that it was feeding time for the kitten and position the kitten near her belly to search for her nipples.
And when she’s feeding the kitten, she wants me by her side for the majority of it. If I leave, she wants to leave with me.
Also if she is distracted while she is nursing, she will straight up just get up and leave the kitten who was eating.
I have been having to help her every 2 hours which is obviously exhausting since I am not getting proper sleep but still have to work remotely
What should I do about this?
 

Sarthur2

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There is little you can do, but the good news is that this is not unusual and the behavior should stop in the next couple of days. It’s caused by her hormones being in high gear, which is normal after labor and delivery. It takes about 3 days for new moms and their hormones to settle down. Even human new moms are in a high hormonal state after giving birth. When your cat’s milk is fully in (Colostrum first 24 hours) and the kitten is nursing strongly she should be calmer and need you less. Also, give mom extra calcium in the form of full fat goats milk, cheese, or even a dish of half and half (never cows milk - cats are lactose intolerant of cows milk) should help.

If need be while you work, you can close her in a room with her kitten with food, water, and litter nearby.

Also, has your male cat been neutered yet?
 
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laylafd31

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The male has not been neutered but we plan on having him neutered in the next week or so. He is separate from the mom and kitten for now.
 
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laylafd31

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Thank you for the information.
so her getting up while the kitten is eating and meowing at me when the kitten is meowing and waiting for me to do something is normal? She also leaves the kitten alone in the nesting area i made for the kitten and the mom goes in this cave type bed thing while the baby is right outside of it. Here are some pictures:
image.jpg
image.jpg

I also just checked the kittens temperature through it’s ear and it was 90.4° is that normal?
 

Sarthur2

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No, it is not “normal” for mom to get up while the kitten is in the middle of actual suckling, but it is not unusual in the first days, and especially with a single kitten. As I explained before, the mom should settle down more soon.

The kitten’s temperature should be 97-100 at this age, but I’ve never taken it in the ear. Try an under arm temp check and add 2 degrees. If it turns out the kitten is cold, you’ll need to add a heat source such as a heating pad set on low and placed under a blanket, or a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel and placed next to the kitten. It’s very important that newborns have a constant heat source as they are unable to regulate their own body temperature the first 3 weeks.

It is normal for mom to take a break and leave the kitten for short periods, but the kitten must still remain warm.
 

Sarthur2

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You’ll also want to weigh the kitten daily to make sure it is gaining 6-10 grams or more each day. Did you get a birth weight? Use a digital kitchen scale that weighs in grams. If the kitten is not gaining enough you’ll need to supplement with kitten formula using a syringe.
 
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laylafd31

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I think it’s a boy but I want to be sure.
C6764213-102E-4BA9-B3F5-A4A44669AB45.jpeg
 
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