Pregnant cat barely eating / the birth and kittens

mx4878

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I dont know when my cat got pregnant but i assume its been over a month. She stopped eating today and had about 10 ml of kitten formula and at most a third of a can of wet food. I dont know if she is nesting or not because she has always had pregnant cat behavior. I tried to get her to eat by offering different foods / treats and even her favourite toppers. Is it normal for her to stop eating? Should i be expecting her to go into labour?
 

StefanZ

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I dont know when my cat got pregnant but i assume its been over a month. She stopped eating today and had about 10 ml of kitten formula and at most a third of a can of wet food. I dont know if she is nesting or not because she has always had pregnant cat behavior. I tried to get her to eat by offering different foods / treats and even her favourite toppers. Is it normal for her to stop eating? Should i be expecting her to go into labour?
If you honestly think she is very near; yes its common they eat less the last day before delivery.

Cats have pregnancy of about 65 days,
did you noticed when her teats reddened?
Do you feel or felt kittens move?
Did she dropped, ie suddenly seems less obviously preg? - this happens one or two days before delivery.

IF she is midways, about a month pregnancy, and suddenly loses appetite, yes, its potentially alarming. They CAN get sick for real although preg....
 
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mx4878

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If you honestly think she is very near; yes its common they eat less the last day before delivery.

Cats have pregnancy of about 65 days,
did you noticed when her teats reddened?
Do you feel or felt kittens move?
Did she dropped, ie suddenly seems less obviously preg? - this happens one or two days before delivery.

IF she is midways, about a month pregnancy, and suddenly loses appetite, yes, its potentially alarming. They CAN get sick for real although preg....
Her nipples seem the same, kittens can be felt moving for a week now, my mum says she looks smaller but i havent noticed a difference. I took her to the vet, the one i usually consult isnt there and another vet took over, he discarded what i had to say, gave her antibiotics and told me to feed her boiled chicken breast :/ He shaved her belly and said he cant help with estimating when she would go into labour without an ultrasound.
 

StefanZ

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Feeling the kittens move you usually do about 2 weeks before delivery. But it depends in much, of how often you touch her, and how used you are. Some used may even feel 3 weeks before...
So, anyways, she is much longer than a month, about 2 months really.
If its one week left or just hours - its difficult to decide.

Its not easy for a vet without ultrasound (and I suppose he meant you should pay extra). But an experienced vet can at least make a try... He perhaps wasnt that experienced with palpitations...
 
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mx4878

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Feeling the kittens move you usually do about 2 weeks before delivery. But it depends in much, of how often you touch her, and how used you are. Some used may even feel 3 weeks before...
So, anyways, she is much longer than a month, about 2 months really.
If its one week left or just hours - its difficult to decide.

Its not easy for a vet without ultrasound (and I suppose he meant you should pay extra). But an experienced vet can at least make a try... He perhaps wasnt that experienced with palpitations...
Thank you so much, thankfully she ate more. (around half of her daily intake + a lot of healthy treats) I set up a place for her and shes been asleep in it for a while so i think shes content with it.
 
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mx4878

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Does anyone know the beavis kitten formula? The KMR brand was sold out, and although many vets recommend it, it wasnt easy on my kittens stomach and caused diarrhea. I also wanted to ask about which nipple to use?
 

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Before I try to answer,
can you get hold of raw goats milk? Or any full fat goats milk? Even pulvered goats milk is OK, for example this made by Meyenberg is useful. I know forumites whom use this for hers fosters).
 

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This beavis seems to be for a later stage. So not optimal for an infant.
Which KMR did you tried with? This ready made is known to be a little uneven. KMR in powder is more reliable. Even if occasionally, it doesnt work out; and goats milk is a common alternative.

Human baby milk can be used in a pinch. Just dilute it less.

Re nipples, the so called Miracle nipples works best for many. Or Mini-miracle nipples.
 

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Of these you have, try with this longish nr 2, although all can work.
 
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mx4878

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it says 0-3 months, i tried the KMR powder. In general the foster queen has enough breast milk for most of the kittens. (4 nipples with milk - 5 kittens) they are all growing fine so far though
 
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mx4878

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Update: she no longer wants to sit in the area i set up for her and seems to want to give birth in the cupboard. I removed everything inside it and put three layers (cardboard, and two absorbent sheets). Can she comfortably go into labour here? Its about double her size but she cant stand up in it without lowering her head.
 

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Update: she no longer wants to sit in the area i set up for her and seems to want to give birth in the cupboard. I removed everything inside it and put three layers (cardboard, and two absorbent sheets). Can she comfortably go into labour here? Its about double her size but she cant stand up in it without lowering her head.
Its almost perfect. they often wants to have tight quarters, feels more safe.
 

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it says 0-3 months, i tried the KMR powder. In general the foster queen has enough breast milk for most of the kittens. (4 nipples with milk - 5 kittens) they are all growing fine so far though
If necessary, you can rotate the kittens. One or two off, the rest on, swich aften one or two hours. This is commonly done with big litters.
 
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mx4878

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Update: my cat (not the foster) gave birth yesterday night and two died (One was abnormally big, other was normal) Couldnt count the placentas. There is a bloody discharge, its too cold to take the kittens to the vet and they already have low temperatures (most are fine now, but one is 67 grams and a little cold but doing alright, another is very bony, 57 grams, is having difficulties with nursing and I think swallowing. What should I do with the small kitten? Im wrapping him up in blankets when he seems overly cold, tried to bottle feed but had little luck. When I force his mouth onto a nipple (on mama cat not bottle) he has trouble with holding it and holding on, he gets tired quickly and falls off. I've tried supporting him and holding him while he's nursing but cannot do that 24/7. Another thing I wanted to ask about is the difference in size among the kittens, I've never seen such a big difference. Smallest two are 57 and 67 grams then the rest are around 80-100? The dead ones seemed to be around 80 and the big one seemed double his size? Is this normal?
 

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They sound premature, if not by gestation weeks, by birth weights.

First, blankets alone do not provide enough heat. The kittens need a heat source such as a heating pad set on low under a blanket, or a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel or heated rice sock wrapped in a towel and placed nearby.

You need to begin feeding the kittens, especially the tiny one who is struggling, with a tiny 1mL syringe. Apply a bit of honey or Karo syrup or sugar water to its gums for quick energy, and while keeping the kitten warm and tummy down, go drop by drop with warm formula in the side of the mouth, letting the kitten swallow and breathe between drops. A dropper also works.

You need to give 1/2 to 1mL every 30 minutes until the kitten is stronger, then give 1-2mLs every 1-2 hours around the clock. This would continue until the kitten is strong enough to suckle mom.

The weights are very low and they are at risk if they do not stay warm and get nutrition.

Good luck and keep us posted. Saving tiny kittens is very time and labor intensive!

mx4878 mx4878
 

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It’s been a few hours now since you posted and I responded. It does not appear that you’ve checked your thread since. How is the kitten doing? I’m very concerned.

mx4878 mx4878
 
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mx4878

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It’s been a few hours now since you posted and I responded. It does not appear that you’ve checked your thread since. How is the kitten doing? I’m very concerned.

mx4878 mx4878
I had already given him sugar water before i posted here with no luck. he isnt as cold now though. he has very thin fur. I dont have a hot water bottle/ heating pad/ i dont have i microwave to heat the rice in however i do have a heat radiator placed near them (its not too hot dw). He does not swallow the kitten formula, it gathers up in his mouth and he holds it there then falls asleep. He has little energy as soon as he wakes up and manages to move to a nipple then i hold him in place which seems to be working more than the formula. if i notice he is having trouble nursing i add a drop of formula onto the nipple hes holding. What temperature should the formula be at? As of right now im giving it to them slightly above room temp. I measured their weight just now, all of them have increased in size except the smallest. He is right now nursing alone. The weights are: 58 (was 57), 76 (was 67), 82 (was 78), 104 (was 95), 113 (was 99)
 

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I had already given him sugar water before i posted here with no luck. he isnt as cold now though. he has very thin fur. I dont have a hot water bottle/ heating pad/ i dont have i microwave to heat the rice in however i do have a heat radiator placed near them (its not too hot dw). He does not swallow the kitten formula, it gathers up in his mouth and he holds it there then falls asleep. He has little energy as soon as he wakes up and manages to move to a nipple then i hold him in place which seems to be working more than the formula. if i notice he is having trouble nursing i add a drop of formula onto the nipple hes holding. What temperature should the formula be at? As of right now im giving it to them slightly above room temp. I measured their weight just now, all of them have increased in size except the smallest. He is right now nursing alone. The weights are: 58 (was 57), 76 (was 67), 82 (was 78), 104 (was 95), 113 (was 99)
The formula should be body warmth, ie slightly more than you are already giving.

You can always put in a droplet of white caro syrup or honey, or something containing glucose sugar on his gum under his lip. Do so several times a day. It gives some quick energhy. Do so before you set him to nipple, so he has hopefully strengh to suck.
Good you let him suck alone, so he isnt bothered by the biggies.

Observe, some of them add 10+, which is good, but some less than 10...

Sure momma has good and calcium rich food?
 
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