Should I Let My Cat's Sister Nurse Her Babies?

[Kayla70711]

Hello again! I have a question. A little update before my question. All of our cats are spayed, and neautered, and strictly indoor cats now. So my question is I just got a new cat. It's a male who isn't neautered yet, but I have the appointment set up to do it. He is CONSTANTLY trying to get outside. Weather it's running for the door when we open it, or trying to break out of a broken window we have. The window has a board over it right now until we fix it, but he's always trying to push the board off, and slip out the window, and I don't want him getting hurt on the sharp glass. Is this something only unneautered male cats do, or will he do it even after we get him neautered? Is there a way to get him to stop? Cuz's definitely hard trying to keep him in exspecially at night, cuz the window is right above our bed. He's 8 months old now. Thank you in advance!

 

[Sarthur2]

His hormones are likely driving him to get out. It still takes a few weeks for males to calm down after being neutered while the testosterone leaves the body.

Where did you get him and when is his neuter appointment?

 

[Kayla70711]

Oh ok. We got him a couple week's ago, and his neauter appointment is in two weeks. It takes awhile right now to get in for them, cuz they have a promotion going on where it's only $20 to spay, and neauter cats this month, and next month. It's so cheap I've been taking in strays, and farals from time to time to get them done.

 

[Sarthur2]

Was he a stray?

Make sure to play with him with a string toy for a good 15-30 minutes, then give him a good meal before bedtime. This should help to calm him some at night for a few hours.

 

[Kayla70711]

Kind of. Someone moved out of their house down the road from me, and never came back, but left 4 cats behind so my friend, and me took them in to be spayed, and neautered, and found them good home. I kept him though. He's definitely a tame, loving cat. He loves loving on me, and getting loves haha.

 

[Kayla70711]

Ok I have another question. So my neighbor has cats. Alot of them. Well I guess she found out one of her indoor only cats was pregnant so she threw her outside. She's been coming up to my house, and I've been feeding her. When I asked her she said she didn't want to take care of kittens, or have the money to. I told her she could have called Animal Control, and they would have taken her in probably, but she said it usually costs money to surrender animals, cuz our humane society is way over crowded. So I asked her if I could have her, and she said yes. So now I have a new female cat that's definitely pregnant. She looks almost 2 months along. I read online that male cats will sometimes try to kill newborn babies that they don't think they fathered. I have 2 male cats. Is this true? If it is what should I do? Make sure they are separated at all times?

 

[ashade1]

I have never heard that, but I would definitely recommend putting her in a room by herself. Her hormones will make her a little testy/anxious around all of your cats, male and female.

 

[Kayla70711]

Ok thank you. I read it on some site I looked up about male cats.

 

[Kayla70711]

Oh I also forgot an update I received the other day! So I go to see all of the kittens I adopted out last year about once a month, or when I have time. They are all still with their original owners, and so loved, and we'll cared for. They have all been spayed/neautered too. One kitten I had rehomed to a lady, and her teenage daughter. Apparently her daughter has severe depression, and anxiety. Ever since she got the kitten her depression, and anxiety have went down alot. She also had it registered as a companion animal for her daughter so she can take her to college! I am such a proud, and happy cat mom!! It's unbelievable that a little kitten I helped raise can do so much good to someone!

 

[Kayla70711]

Ok so I had to leave Tuesday, and stay the night with family for a meeting early Wednesday morning. We got back home last night, and saw the Mama cat we took in had her babies. She was due. She had 3. I couldn't tell if she had had them earlier yesterday, or Tuesday. So I checked them, and everything was ok. I put her, and the babies in a nesting box, and she was ok for an hour then tried moving them. She was still panting off, and on so I thought maybe she was going to have another one, but didn't. I finally gave in, and stuck them back under the futon where she had them, and keep checking them. Well this morning my Husband goes in, and checks, and finds a 4th kitten under there not moving. So I scoop it up, and started breathing on it, and stimulating it, but no breaths, or movement. So I'm not sure if she had it, and rejected it for some reason, or maybe she waited too long to give birth after we disturbed her, and it was stillborn.

I've mostly been giving her space with them. Trying to let her calm down before I try putting them in the nesting box again. Our youngest male cat keeps bugging her, and always by her. She seems ok with it, but growls occasionally if he doesn't get away when she wants so we are going to separate them all from her. Other then that Mama cat is doing good. I came home, and fed her, and she's been eating, drinking, and using the litter box fine. She came in last night to our room for loves off, and on. I was worried one of them might have the FCK like my other cats litter did, but they all feel fine thank God!

 

[Sarthur2]

Yes, do keep them separated for now and the next few weeks. Let her be where she feels comfortable for now also.

 

[Kayla70711]

Ok yah that's why I put her back under the futon. I can get under there quick if anything happens, and keep an eye on them. So I'll wait on moving her. Thanks.

 

[Kayla70711]

So I have a question. My male cat I rescued has tapeworms. I've found them on him. So I made a vet appointment to go in, and have him checked out, and get medicine. So my other female cat that was pregnant that I rescued had her babies. They are a month, and 2 days old today. Do I need to be worried about the worms getting into the mom, and kittens? If so what should I do until the vet appointment to make sure they don't get passed to them?

 

[Sarthur2]

Tapeworms come from cats ingesting fleas. When your male cat is treated, ask the vet for worm pills for mom too. Tapeworms are easily gotten rid of. It’s a pill and then another pill about 10 days later.

You need flea meds like Advantage II to put on the back of mom’s neck and the male’s neck to kill fleas.

The kittens may get fleas, but will not have tapeworms yet, and cannot just catch them without ingesting a flea.

 

[talkingpeanut]

Is the male neutered?

 

[Kayla70711]

So the Mama cat I rescued has been doing really good with her kittens until she came into heat this last week. Now she will feed them, and tend to them only for a couple minutes then jump up, and move to the door. All she does is cry around, and try to get out 24/7. I can't get her spayed for a couple more weeks so is there any advice you can give me to help her care, or is this fine since they're 2 months old yesterday?

 

[Sarthur2]

As long as they are eating food, nursing for short periods is fine.

Heat cycles last about a week, and can occur every couple of weeks or monthly. All cats are different. It’s no fun though!

Make extra sure she does not get outside!

 

[Kayla70711]

Oh yah they all use the litter box, eat, and drink fine. We have the house sealed off with baby gates right now that way she can't just slip right out she has to jump over two gates, and by that time the doors closed haha.

 

[Kayla70711]

I need some more help. My cats are peeing on all of our clothes, pooping, and peeing under our sink, and in the hallway on boxes. It's so frustrating. They have clean fresh litter boxes daily, and they still do it. They're all fixed, and neautered. 2 male cats, and 2 female cats not including the Mama I rescued, and her 3 babies. I'm not sure which one is doing it. Is there any advice you guys can give me to help the situation?

 

[rubysmama]

It may just be that there's too many cats in your household right now. If I've done my math right, including the kittens there's 8 cats, right. With that number of cats, you should have 9 litter boxes spread out throughout the house. That's 1 per cat, plus one.

Since it's all of them, it's probably a behavioural/territorial thing. Here are some TCS articles that might have some tips for you.

How To Solve Litterbox Problems In Cats: The Ultimate Guide

Inappropriate Peeing, Spraying, Toy Obsession And Leg And Hand Nipping
Spraying: When Your Cat Uses Urine To Mark Territory