Hello, I am new to this site but have been reading the threads frequently since I discovered my cat was pregnant. She was a stray kitten that I found last year. She is probably about a year old now. Found another stray and before I saved up the money to fix him he got her pregnant. I do understand that it is ideal to get all cats fixed, but I am a poor college student with a waitressing job and it takes me some time to save up. Both kittens were found outside wet in cold rains, so I tried to do what was right with the means I have. I do plan on getting her fixed as soon as it is safe. She had her kittens on August 8. I have never had a pregnant animal, so I read as much as I could to prepare myself for the birth,and possible complications. She is quite a petite cat, but delivered her litter of 5 beautifully, and everything seemed to be going well until maybe 3 or 4 days later. I found a flea, then another. As they were not even a week old, I have been too scared to give them a bath, but I do change bedding (which I wash on hot and with mild detergent) at least three times a day, and have also been combing them twice a day. I have a dog and I think he brought the fleas into the house because all of my cats are inside cats. Mom and kittens are isolated in my bedroom. I know that fleas are very dangerous to newborn kittens, but you cannot do much but bathe and comb them until they are more mature. There are not countless fleas, I find maybe 10 per day between mom, babies, and the bedding. Mom has seemed fine and continues to nurse, and the kittens continue to gain weight, but I have seen a good decrease in her appetite. At first I was giving her Fancy Feast wet food which she ate tons of, but then developed (what I believe to be, after research) a rodent ulcer. So I changed her food, and now she barely touches it. I have offered her several different brands and flavors; I have even cooked salmon for her, which she ate some of, but not a lot. This happened probably about 4 days ago, around a week after the kittens were born. This morning she woke me up by throwing up, but no food. I could tell her belly was empty. She ate some wet food about an hour afterwards, but soon threw that up also. She has been mostly eating small portions of dry food. It is worth mentioning that she had been on antibiotics up until a few days ago. Her behavior is normal otherwise, but I am obviously still concerned.
This is all very new to me, and the members of this site seem knowledgeable and helpful. Here are my questions:
1) Can anyone provide tips on bathing mom and kittens for fleas? I have heard Dawn dish soap, but am struggling to find any detailed guide.
2) Is it normal for mom's appetite to decrease a week after giving birth?
3) Is there anything I could buy or make for her to help increase her appetite/ ease her upset stomach?
4) Here is the kittens' weight logs.
Number two (b) gained 1.2 oz one day, and lost .2 the next. Since .25 - .50 oz per day is healthy, should I be concerned?
5) When should I make the choice to start feeding mom or kittens KMR?
I am sorry this is so long, and thank you so much for your time and advice.
This is all very new to me, and the members of this site seem knowledgeable and helpful. Here are my questions:
1) Can anyone provide tips on bathing mom and kittens for fleas? I have heard Dawn dish soap, but am struggling to find any detailed guide.
2) Is it normal for mom's appetite to decrease a week after giving birth?
3) Is there anything I could buy or make for her to help increase her appetite/ ease her upset stomach?
4) Here is the kittens' weight logs.
5) When should I make the choice to start feeding mom or kittens KMR?
I am sorry this is so long, and thank you so much for your time and advice.