Nursing mother cat suddenly lethargic, won’t stay with her kittens for more than 10 minutes

[6kittensTN]

Not necessarily, but still sounds like she needs antibiotics for a respiratory infection.

I got some help from a friend, and I’m going to get them in tomorrow for some antibiotics. Praying this helps them be happy and healthy

 

[6kittensTN]

I took them to the vet today to get them antibiotics, I got them clavamox! The vet said that the little one with the labored breathing didn’t look like she had a URI and that the cause of her breathing may he an unknown birth defect since she is the runt.

The big brother has been having trouble today, he isn’t really nursing as well. He did for a while, and his 24 gains are at least 11+grams but he hasn’t gained anything in about 12 hours despite nursing some. I gave them both antibiotics, and noticed just now that he was nursing for a bit but latched off and there was a lot of milk all over the fur around the nipple. Almost like he spat some up or something. Would the antibiotics cause him to lose appetite or throw up?

As for mom, she is suddenly for the first time since giving birth, meowing at the door and scratching to get out of the apartment. Of course I won’t let her do that, but she seems restless now and I’m concerned as to why she wants out. I was wondering if she might be going into heat, but that wouldn’t happen this soon would it? the kittens are only about 2 weeks old now.

 

[6kittensTN]

re: clavamox, I was wondering… the vet prescribed the same amount for both (.1mls) even though one weighs much less than the other because she’s the runt. I was watching the Kitten Lady’s video about syringe feeding meds and her doses were based on weight. Could this be cause for concern? I may call the vet to see if that’s correct for them.

I usually put the kittens right onto mother’s teat after I give them the meds, but was wondering if that could sour the taste of the milk and put them off to it, maybe I should start doing a chaser of KMR after each dose instead?

 

[6kittensTN]

Oh, and here are some pics of the babies, I realize I never posted any!

 

[Sarthur2]

Clavamox is not bitter at all. The .1mL sounds right. It is absolutely possible for mom to go into heat already.

It’s okay if the kittens gain more some days than others. They’ll spurt, plateau, spurt, plateau, etc. It’s normal.

They are precious!

 

[6kittensTN]

Clavamox is not bitter at all. The .1mL sounds right. It is absolutely possible for mom to go into heat already.

It’s okay if the kittens gain more some days than others. They’ll spurt, plateau, spurt, plateau, etc. It’s normal.

They are precious!

That’s good to know. I actually tasted a little bit just to make sure lol. They’ve been taking it well so far, I think. I can’t help but be paranoid about them aspirating. I’m feeding the meds to them on their belly, paws down, head up, through the side of their mouth (and kind of position the syringe toward the tip of their tongue instead of their throat). I accidentally squirted a bunch on the side of ones mouth today, and just kind of scooped it into the side of his mouth and that worked well.
One of them did a little cough or sneeze just once a few seconds after I gave it to them, I’m over here paranoid about it. She seemed fine otherwise, they’re both nursing on mom now. However I did notice that same one stopped to do a little cough/sneeze again while nursing. However, she’s been doing that for a while since before I gave the meds, I figured it was because of a URI. The vet listened to her before when I took them in to get meds and said she didn’t sound like there was fluid in her lungs.

I guess, is there any sure sign that they’ve aspirated after I give them a dose? Will I know for sure by their actions or is it something silent that I notice over time?

Thanks for all your help so far, it’s helped me a lot having never done any of this before.

 

[6kittensTN]

Here’s some more pics of them, this is big brother:

And little sis, the runt:

 

[6kittensTN]

Kittens have been doing well, steadily gaining at least 10g a day, sometimes 15! I’ve been giving them their .1ml clavamox daily, they seem to be taking it well.

Only thing worrying me now is a hearing a single click noise from them maybe twice in a five minute span, definitely not every time they breathe but I have read here may mean they aspirated. I put my ear against them and didn’t hear anything unusual like wheezing or rattling or even clicking, it seemed like a one off thing.
I accidentally shot the whole.1ml into the little ones mouth today, it freaked me out but she seemed to swallow it okay and wasn’t hacking or spitting up or anything and just went about her business afterwards. I did turn them slightly downward and tap their lungs/back afterward just to make myself feel better more than anything. It worries me so much to think about them aspirating!! If they had, is it good they are already on the clavamox? would it affect anything?

 

[6kittensTN]

Kittens have been doing well, steadily gaining at least 10g a day, sometimes 15! I’ve been giving them their .1ml clavamox daily, they seem to be taking it well.

Only thing worrying me now is a hearing a single click noise from them maybe twice in a five minute span, definitely not every time they breathe but I have read here may mean they aspirated. I put my ear against them and didn’t hear anything unusual like wheezing or rattling or even clicking, it seemed like a one off thing.
I accidentally shot the whole.1ml into the little ones mouth today, it freaked me out but she seemed to swallow it okay and wasn’t hacking or spitting up or anything and just went about her business afterwards. I did turn them slightly downward and tap their lungs/back afterward just to make myself feel better more than anything. It worries me so much to think about them aspirating!! If they had, is it good they are already on the clavamox? would it affect anything?

I will add it sounds the clicks came from the nose area, like a stuffy nose

 

[Sarthur2]

If one or more has aspirated, which can lead to pneumonia, the cure is clavamox, unless they’ve aspirated the clavamox. Then it’s more fluid in the lungs.

Slowly release the .1mL into the side of each kitten’s mouth while they are tummy down with head up. And try not to worry - hopefully all will be well.

 

[6kittensTN]

If one or more has aspirated, which can lead to pneumonia, the cure is clavamox, unless they’ve aspirated the clavamox. Then it’s more fluid in the lungs.

Slowly release the .1mL into the side of each kitten’s mouth while they are tummy down with head up. And try not to worry - hopefully all will be well.

Thank you. Her breathing definitely seems more fast and labored, I heard a little bit of wheezing while she was nursing a moment ago and a few more of the popping sounds. I put my ear to her chest again but didn’t hear anything out of the ordinary other than her breathing being fast.
But afterwards, she began playing vigorously with her brother and went back to feeding vigorously. I did the coupage again a couple times and even did the swing trick, I don’t know if it would help this long after she would have aspirated it or not though.
I will buy a new syringe and be much, much more careful when giving it to her. Would a nebulizer treatment with saline help her now?

I’m trying not to worry too much, I fear I’ve gotten too attached to her. Ever since I saw she was the runt, I’ve been giving her special attention. She’s so fiesty and scrappy already, I know she’s a fighter. I already know I would be devastated to lose her, after trying so hard to remain emotionally detached because anything can happen. I might be overreacting but if anyone has prayers I would appreciate one for this little one.

 

[6kittensTN]

Just wanted to update, both kittens are doing well! They just finished their antibiotics and are doing great, eating, playing, everything as they should. Mom is doing great too! I’m feeling much better now that they’re turning into little cats! Going to begin litter training them soon and introducing them to wet food. Thanks everyone for the advice

 

[dahlia]

I am glad they are doing better. The pictures are adorable.

 

[6kittensTN]

An update on the kittens, they are doing well! I need to get them wormed soon, they haven’t started eating wet food or going to the litter box (i have one out but they only play in it), still nursing, etc. Going to really start trying to get them to eat soon. They’re almost 4 and 1/2 weeks old now!

Some issues I’m having:
I’m having trouble figuring out how to keep them contained. I just had them in a box before but they’re starting to really explore and run around in my living room and I worry about them hurting themselves as it’s not super kitten proofed. I need some advice on how to contain them where mom can still get to them. If they’re contained in the same area, is it fine to have both moms litter box and kittens litter box in the same area? I have a pretty small apartment space and no extra room to put them in or anything.

-The little one seems literally obsessed with moms litter box. She runs to it at any chance and seems to chew on the litter granules and the mat surrounding the box. I sweep them up frequently but there is some stuck in the mat I have that mom wipes her paws on. I suppose I will get rid of that first. She hasn’t tried to get in the actual litter box itself, I think it’s too high for her right now. Mom uses Pretty Litter(non clumping), which is supposedly non toxic and isn’t much of a hazard if small amounts ingested but I definitely don’t want her her eating it. Should I go ahead and switch mom over to the paper pellet litter that I have in the kittens box?

-Also, is it fine to leave out moms dry food to where they can access it? I don’t think they’ve tried eating it but I’m afraid of them choking. Should I move it further away. One drank out of her water bowl a couple of times, actually.

They’re becoming little stinkers and a handful but it’s worth it, they’re so adorable. I can’t believe the vet almost convinced me they needed to be euthanized, they’re becoming healthy and happy little cats now!

 

[6kittensTN]

An update on the kittens, they are doing well! I need to get them wormed soon, they haven’t started eating wet food or going to the litter box (i have one out but they only play in it), still nursing, etc. Going to really start trying to get them to eat soon. They’re almost 4 and 1/2 weeks old now!

Some issues I’m having:
I’m having trouble figuring out how to keep them contained. I just had them in a box before but they’re starting to really explore and run around in my living room and I worry about them hurting themselves as it’s not super kitten proofed. I need some advice on how to contain them where mom can still get to them. If they’re contained in the same area, is it fine to have both moms litter box and kittens litter box in the same area?

-The little one seems literally obsessed with moms litter box. She runs to it at any chance and seems to chew on the litter (or maybe just the mat I have next to the litter box). I have no idea why she does this. Mom uses Pretty Litter, which is supposedly non toxic and isn’t much of a hazard if small amounts ingested but I definitely hate the thought of her eating it. Should I go ahead and switch mom over to the paper pellet litter that I have in the kittens box?

They’re becoming little stinkers and a handful but it’s worth it, they’re so adorable.

Woops, didn’t mean to post the nature pic, edited it

 

[gilmargl]

Just a quick answer - sorry not much time and apologies for not reading all previous replies. This may be redundant!
The kittens are adorable - well done. Have you got enough space for a pop-up enclosure? You'll leave the top partly open so that Mum can jump in and out. Put one or both litter boxes inside and it will stop cat litter getting everywhere. You'll find that the kittens will soon prefer Mum's litter and her food. So let them eat together and they'll learn quickly.
A pop-up enclosure may be an expensive investment (it will only be usable for a short time as the kittens will soon be climbing up the netting - perhaps you can find an alternative high-walled open box (electrical-appliance stores may give you a cardboard refrigerator or washing machine box free-of-charge which you can cut down to size. Unfortunately, it won't be waterproof for spills and accidents but it may keep the kittens enclosed for a few more - days rather than weeks.
Kittens will chew on cat-litter - so long as it is non-clumping they will not be harmed. Paper litter was never a favourite with any of my kittens (and I've fostered a lot) so I don't bother with it any more.
Good luck!

 

[HeyKat]

Can you put up a barrier or a play pen for the kittens that mom can jump in and out of? Or kitten proof one room and stick a barrier over the bottom of the door, about 1 metre high. Just make sure it's something smooth the kittens can't climb.

Regarding the food, can you replace mom's dry food with kitten kibble? The pieces are smaller so the babies can eat it too, and if they see mom eating, they should get curious to try it themselves.

5 weeks old is when they get their premolars, which they use to chew food, so it's a good age to start weaning, but I wouldn't worry too much about that. Mom should mostly handle the weaning.

They should start using the litterbox once they start eating solid foods. You can put a little bit of poo in their box so they understand what it's for, but it's totally normal for little kittens to play in the litterbox and try tasting the litter. As long as it's non-clumping, it should be fine. They'll figure out it's not food pretty quickly.

 

[6kittensTN]

Thanks so much for the suggestions! I will definitely see about getting a refrigerator box or something similar.

This morning, I went in to check on everyone and mom is seeming lethargic. She wasn’t eating the fancy feast I offered her. I noticed a small amount of yellow discharge from her eye. The kittens have this tiny amount of discharge as well. Big one is playing and energetic as usual, the little one seems a bit more tired. I wiped both their eyes with a warm wet cloth. I weighed them and big one has gained over 10g since last night, but little one has only gained 1 (maybe none). Should I be worried? They finished their antibiotics at the beginning of last week (clavamox). Could this be the URI popping back up again? Will another round of antibiotics be needed if so? Thanks!!

Here are pics of the eye discharge they have (may have to zoom in on mama):

 

[Sarthur2]

Pick up a tube of Terramycin antibiotic eye ointment from your vet. It will clear the eye infections, or order from Chewy. Some Tractor Supply stores carry it.

 

[catsknowme]

Bravo for doing a great job with your rescued family! I am so glad that you found our site & got the Clavamox; I have used Biomox and Clavamox for neonates (my vet is a country vet, raised on a ranch & used to dealing with ferals). Are you giving Mama Kitty any L-lysine? Any updates on the other kittens? If it's possible, you might consider reuniting the other kittens for extra socialization from Mama Kitty; if not, that's okay but it seems to me that bottle babies can be brattier than kittens who have a cat to help socialize them (I have had neutered adult males act as step-dads,too). Thank you for the updates!