Queen has one kitten separated from the rest + other issues

[vardnas]

Hello, this is my first post here.

Our queen had babies 12 days ago. She’s a young cat herself and needed to sort of ease into her maternal role, but she’s an attentive mother and all four kittens seem healthy and are gaining weight.

The kittens live under one of the two twin beds in the room I use when I come visit my mom. When they were first born, my mom and I had to switch off with one another staying in the room, since that’s the only way the queen would stay with her babies at first. Because of that, I’ve continued to sleep in that room, in the bed without the kittens under it.

Tonight, I had my headphones on, but I was still awake, and I start to hear some distressed meows from the queen. As I get up to look under the bed to see what’s going on, the queen comes out and immediately leaves the room. I check under the bed, and three of the kittens are huddled together as usual, but the fourth is by itself, and starts to squirm its way to me as I talk to it, but doesn’t come all the way to me.
I go check on the mom, who’s sitting on the kitchen floor, pick her up, inspect her, but she looks fine, if definitely somewhat sullen. It seems as though something happened, but I have no idea what.

I go back to look at the babies, and the singular one is now further from the rest of its brood. Then I go try and get the momma cat to come back to the room with me, because I’m worried about the separated one.

She finally comes back after a pitstop at the litter box, and, hearing the cries of separated one, and agitated that I’m watching all this, she takes the lone kitten and moves it under the second bed, apart from the rest of the litter, all the while meowing at me to go away. I gathered my things and left, but am worried what if she ends up ignoring that one kitten, or ignore the rest of them. I really want her to put them all back together, and I’m just afraid I messed something up by trying to figure out what went wrong initially.

I don’t want to keep going back in there to check up on her, as I don’t want to upset her, but I’m just so worried. Can anyone provide any insight as to what might have happened or what I should do beyond leave them be? Thanks.

 

[StefanZ]

Reading, will try to write soon. Stand by.

 

[vardnas]

Oh, I wanted to add three things:

Today was the first day since the kittens were born that my mom and I both left the house. We went to visit my brother and his family for a few hours, but we had someone the queen is familiar with come and stay to look after everything.
The queen has had quite the appetite lately but today she’s not eating as much as normal
She is also passing very smelly stools today, like you’d think a large human male lived here or something.
I don’t know if any of that is related, but just a few recent anomalies to her normal routine.

 

[StefanZ]

There are a couple of different possibilites.
The one you must look out for, is, if there is some fault on one kitten, momma will often take it away.

In nature, such kitten of course do perish soon enough, both from lack of care, and from their faulty condition. Cats cared for by humans, can often survive, if the caretaker do handraise such a kitten. Its often difficult; its easier to help a healthy orphan than a weak abandoned kitten... But suprisingly often such a kitten can be saved, if you are vigorous enough.
Use a little syringe or a dropper, goats milk or a good kmr... etc.

The second possibility is, the kittens fought with each other over the nipples. "they are too many". Momma sometimes resolves this by taking aisde one or two of the kittens.... BUT she usually rotates them, and continues to take care of them.. If its always the same kitten she takes away, and visibly dont cares about it - then you know and must step in.

You can try to bring the kitten back.


Yes, it seems momma isnt perfectly fit. A guess is she has worms.
In the best case scenario it may be enough to deworm.
Do you have access to a vet?

 

[vardnas]

Hi, thanks for your reply.

I should emphasize that I don’t think she would have moved the kitten had I not been there. She is very protective of her litter and was definitely distressed by my looking under the bed, shining my phone flashlight, etc. So my hope is that with some privacy, she’ll merge her brood again. I just don’t really want to go continuing to poke my nose down there if it stresses her out.

I may also be stressing out, too, lol.

 

[vardnas]

And yes, there are a couple of vets in the area.

 

[StefanZ]

Here in Europe I would rekommend as dewormers either Drontal, made by Bayer, or Milbemax. both works against both roundworms and tapeworms, and both are safe and mild. Both may be found OTC.

I dont know as well the american brands. Some OTC products arent good, that is why if you dont know, its best to get advice from your vet, OR ask at a good forum, or at very least, to google.

 

[StefanZ]

You may hope everything will calm down and resolve itself, its a legit hope and the best case scenario.

Although Im a little surprised she would be THAT vary of you, her protector and caretaker.
Unless you recently rescued her, a shy semiferale? Even so, most rescued shy semiferales do adapt and copy - its one of the beauties with being a rescuer and fosterer of shy semiferale mommas...

BUT there is a real danger for this kitten. And it may come downhill quick, ESPECIELLY if the cause of mommas fuss is there is some fault on it.

Prepare som glucose sugar / dextrose / white caro syrup... If its becoming visibly weak, you can always have a tiny bit on the gum of it. It will give quick energhy.
Also, you can give it some of these solved in water, so its barely sweet... This doesnt need to be digested, so it works also on kittens whom are too cold for eating, or too weak to digest...

This is no remedy, nor proper food, but it will buy you some time.

So, get home gears for handraising, and read on, while you wait and hope for the best.

 

[vardnas]

I will go check in to see what’s happening, as it’s been a couple of hours since the incident.
We have kitten formula here since we weren’t sure when they were first born if she’d care for them properly, so I’m equipped to bottle feed if need be.
And yes, my mom took her in as a stray a few months ago, so while she’s mostly domestic, I think there are some slightly feral tendencies. My mom meant to get her spayed but wait times have been longer due to covid.

 

[vardnas]

Update: when I came into the room, the queen was sitting next to the bed, but she had moved the errant one back under the original bed (good sign), but it was again separate from the rest of the kitten pile, so I managed to reach it from the far side of the bed and put it back with the others. Their cries got the momma to go back under there with them. I am now back in the room and will periodically check to make sure the one who was on its own stays with the litter. If not, we’ll make accommodations.

 

[Lilpeanut]

Are you seeing if the separated kitten is feeding? If it is not feeding at a minimum of every 3 hours from mum, you need to step in! Also, they can't regulate their own heat, so being away from the warmth of mum and /or it's siblings could have this furbaby go down hill quite quickly!!

 

[Lilpeanut]

I have learned a lot in the last 5 weeks caring for this little one,(it's bedtime in Australia ) and one of the main things my vet rammed into me "make sure the kitten stays warm, they dont regulate their own heat until about 8weeks and the cold will kill a kitten faster than anything else"

 

[vardnas]

So another update:
The part I mentioned above about the cat not eating much and having very smelly bowel movements—we think she’s sick and not nursing.

I called the 24-hour vet here, and she said to bottle feed as much as they’ll take, and for us to bring the whole lot in tomorrow morning. She also said that they’d be okay probably until morning if they had plenty to eat during the day.

Counting the hours now. I think mama last nursed around 3- to 5- hours ago, but not 100% sure. When I handled them, they were all warm. Mama cat is sleeping in the room near the bed, but not with the kittens. She hasn’t eaten in about 7 hours.

Will you all know what the vet says in four hours.

 

[Lilpeanut]

Try and bottle feed them all 1 at a time, they need to be drinking 2-3mls every 2 hours.
If they haven't nursed in 5 hours they need to be feed NOW!
If mum has gone off her food and not nursing, there could be multiple reasons. Did she pass all the placenta's? Were you counting? 1 for each kitten?
How old is she.... if she is young and inexperienced that could also be an issue..... mine took 4-5 days to get into the "mummy rhythm" .... in turn leaving me to raise her bub.
Remember after each feed, to toilet and burp the kitten. Get a damp tissues and rub in a circular motion over the genital area to motivate pooping and weeing then gently rub their backs up n down to burp

 

[Lilpeanut]

Also if mum isn't in with them.... it would be worth investing in a hot water bottle for warmth

 

[Sarthur2]

Mom definitely sounds as though she has either worms or a bacterial infection upsetting her system. Probiotic powder mixed into her wet food might help, but seeing the vet is best. If she is not feeding the kittens then you’ll want to supplement them for sure until she is better. Do let us know what the vet says!

 

[StefanZ]

If the kittens are reluctant to the bottle allthough they are warm, try with a dropper, even if its more difficult. Slowly, in the side of the mouth, they belly down raised a little up..
Its common kittens used to momma refuse bottle.

V vardnas

 

[cataholic07]

It's possible mom can have an infection, how are her nipples? any that look like it could be infected? You will have to feed the kittens every 2 hours until they are feeding from mom again, so it's going to be a long night for you. I would also recommend weighing the kittens, and having maple syrup on hand just in case the kittens need an extra sugar boost.

 

[vardnas]

Hi, sorry for the long delayed update. Sunday morning mama was asking for food and laying to nurse, so we held off on taking them to the vet, but we took her in this morning because she developed a fever overnight and didn’t eat. Mama’s got mastitis and home now with antibiotics and medication.
The kittens haven’t taken too well to the bottle at first, but we’re syringe feeding and doing so every couple of hours. We’ve got mama separated from them for now. She’s at a point where she is strong enough to get upset if she sees us interfering w her babies, but not well enough to care for them, and we need to be able to care for them, feed/weigh them, etc, and not having to go under the bed each time to do that.
I’ve bought a large canvas dog crate from petco for them, have a couple of blankets, hot water bottles, and a stuffy for company. Kittens are in there now and we’ll introduce mama soon.
Thanks again for all the replies!

 

[Sarthur2]

Good you got her to the vet for meds, and she needs the rest. I find that antibiotics kick in and cats turn the corner around the third day on them, so hopefully mom will be back to nursing in the next day or two. You’ll need to feed through the night as well for now, however tiring that is.