Six new kittens

[morganalefae]

I thought I would post a update (see my other thread here) and let me start off by saying I feel bad for my girl cat. in mid to late oct she came into heat and my husband was suppose to put her in our bed room with he fav toys, food and believe it or not movie. Well to make a long story short he did not and we soon found out she was pregnant!  This past sunday afternoon to about 10ish pm she delivered 6 healthy kittens 2 boys and 4 girls. Now I must say Biancavd you were right with the solid blue colour est as one did come out a solid blue like her mommy. Now with that said I do think my girl carries the chocolate gene as one little boy appears to be a lilac. I do have 4 siamese as well and can't wait to see their colour. With all that said all the cats will be getting fixed and all but 1 or maybe 2 will be put up for adpotion. I'm keeping the one solid boy for sure lol. But yes they will all be fixed as I'm not letting my cats or myself go through it again if I can help it (which I will by getting them fixed lol). But mum and babies are all fine but I did get some royal canine kitten milk replacer and bottles just in case as I have 2 runts in the litter...is this normal? curious as I normally only see and hear of 1 runt in a litter.

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• morganalefae
• Jan 26, 2016

 

[biancavd]

Also, congratulations with the kittens!

 

[Willowy]

You should have the father cat neutered ASAP, and keep him away from her, because females can get pregnant again very soon after giving birth. He may retain sperm in the tubes for a while after neutering, too, so be careful about when you let him be around her again. 2 weeks should be long enough but there have been rare cases of pregnancy occurring after that.

Also, cats don't need to be in heat to get pregnant---if the male takes them by force, they'll still get pregnant because the act of mating induces ovulation. They aren't like dogs where you can just separate the girls and boys when the girls are in heat---you have to keep them separate at all times after sexual maturity.

And female kittens can go into heat as young as 4 months. The males are rarely fertile at that age, so if the daddy cat is neutered that shouldn't be a huge problem, just be sure to have them all spayed/neutered before 6 months.

It's easy for people to get in trouble very quickly with unaltered cats! It doesn't take long before there are 30 of them running around and then you have problems .

 

[morganalefae]

At the moment I don't have anyway to weight them. The runt boy is doing way better then the runt girl who I'm now doing milk replacer feeding as she does not seem to be latching on overly well on to mums nipple plus the biggers push her out of the way. I did contact a vet when my normal was shut and was told do drop by drop feeding of as much as possible every 2 to 2.5 hours and or try to help he latch onto mum when the others are done eating until I see my vet this saturday. Tomorrow if she shows little to no improvement I will be taking her to a after hours vet if I can't  get in at my normal vet.

I do plan on having all my cats fixed ASAP. I am worried about them being put under tho as you hear the horror stories of cats dying from it. even tho the chances are low it still what if my cat is the x % that do die from it.

 

[talkingpeanut]

Taking her to the vet will not be too terribly helpful as all she needs is to be fed. If you need help, people on this site can give you tips. Taking them to the vet also exposes all of the vulnerable kittens to germs.

Getting cats spayed and neutered is a very simple procedure, especially for males. It's a very fast procedure, so they aren't under as deeply or for as long. As others have suggested, it is not safe to have them together until he has been fixed, and even for a few weeks after.

 

[StefanZ]

 
At the moment I don't have anyway to weight them. The runt boy is doing way better then the runt girl who I'm now doing milk replacer feeding as she does not seem to be latching on overly well on to mums nipple plus the biggers push her out of the way. I did contact a vet when my normal was shut and was told do drop by drop feeding of as much as possible every 2 to 2.5 hours and or try to help he latch onto mum when the others are done eating until I see my vet this saturday. Tomorrow if she shows little to no improvement I will be taking her to a after hours vet if I can't  get in at my normal vet.

I do plan on having all my cats fixed ASAP. I am worried about them being put under tho as you hear the horror stories of cats dying from it. even tho the chances are low it still what if my cat is the x % that do die from it.

Can you borrow a scale from some neigbour?  Daily monitoring the exact gains or lack of gain is essential, especielly in complicated situation.   In situation with everybody just fine and visibly thriwing that isnt THAT important, but its always important  in the balancing cases with yellow alert on,.

I agree, talking to the vet helps perhaps if the vet is very experienced with small kittens - and can give good advices... But at this moment its the daily good care they need most, not a vet.

 

[Willowy]

You can get a little postal or kitchen scale at Walmart (or similar big-box store). The postal scales are with shipping supplies and the kitchen scales are usually in the kitchen utensil aisle. About $20 usually. Get a digital one that weighs in grams, because it's a lot easier to see weight gain in grams rather than trying to figure out fractions of ounces.

Pregnancy and birth is a lot more dangerous than spaying for females. Even being in heat without getting pregnant can cause cancer so spaying is still safer. For males, I suppose there aren't as many health benefits to neutering, if he doesn't go outside (for outside cats, the reduced wandering and fighting definitely improves lifespan!). Unless you count the benefit of the cat not getting thrown out of the house for spraying .

Anesthetic risk for a healthy cat is super low---I know total anesthetic mortality for surgery in general is 1 in 400, but that includes sick cats getting emergency surgery. I don't think they've done studies on just healthy cats. But it must be much lower. Be sure to pick a good vet/clinic, that helps too. At any rate, it'll be a lot better for everybody involved, better than being up to your ears in kittens! :lol3:

 

[morganalefae]

Well looks like my husband was just as worried as me and did buy a digi kitchen scale now just have to figure out how to set it up. With that said contacted another out of hours vet and was told to try a tiny drop of honey inside the kittens mouth if she looked weak and wobbly and not latching on to a tit. well tried it gave fae (thats what I'm calling runt girl) a little bit of milk replacer and then put her on a tit. she latched on and at one point was being quit rough with it but she stayed on for maybe 15 mins. was told to still feed her replacement milk when I thought she has not eating i.e no full looking belly. Will try to weigh her tonight hopefully she can last til we go to our vet (whom is good with cats & kittens).

I will also be finding out how much it's gonna be to have my male fixed..thankfully he dont spray but he does attack if you dont fuss over him lol

 

[Willowy]

There may be a low-cost spay/neuter clinic in your area, if finances are a problem. Call the shelters/animal welfare groups in the area to ask.

One way to help a runt kitten is to make sure he/she gets to nurse without the bigger kittens pushing them away. So after the big kittens have eaten (if they're still hungry they might squall, which would make the mama cat anxious), put them in a nice warm bed away from the mother, and let the little one have free access to nursing. If he/she can latch on properly and has a strong enough feeding response, you may not have to supplement. Just take out the competition .

 

[morganalefae]

Willowy: I have done what u said 2 times today because another vet said the same thing lol.. I fingured out how to use the scale thankfully it weighs in grams and oz's. little fae only weighs 1.7 oz, the next runt is called grunt he weighs in at 2.9 oz but he don't have to fight the others he nurses from the "bottom" tits while the others fight for the top ones. Baste the little blue soild girl weighs in at 3.3 oz. Thor the "lilac" solid weighs in at 3.6 oz. and the last 2 girls diva and silent weigh in at 3.6 oz like Thor.

I will be doing milk replacer and trying to get her on a tit as often as possible.Just hope she hangs in there til saturday when we go to the vet he is very good with cats.

 

[talkingpeanut]

Does he have experience with very newborn kittens? Like we said, they need food and warmth, which you can provide! You are capable!

 

[morganalefae]

From what I have been told yes he does work with newborns. and like I have been "saying"  talkingpeanut I am giving her food and warmth the other kittens are having a much easier time as they are way bigger.

I have had runts in other cats litter over the years when I did have cats but fae is the smallest runt I have ever had in a litter.

 

[StefanZ]

 
Willowy: I have done what u said 2 times today because another vet said the same thing lol.. I fingured out how to use the scale thankfully it weighs in grams and oz's. little fae only weighs 1.7 oz, the next runt is called grunt he weighs in at 2.9 oz but he don't have to fight the others he nurses from the "bottom" tits while the others fight for the top ones. Baste the little blue soild girl weighs in at 3.3 oz. Thor the "lilac" solid weighs in at 3.6 oz. and the last 2 girls diva and silent weigh in at 3.6 oz like Thor.

I will be doing milk replacer and trying to get her on a tit as often as possible.Just hope she hangs in there til saturday when we go to the vet he is very good with cats.

Ouch, so its red alert on Fae, about 50g...  Its very near the absolute record.   You must fight on vigorously if you want to have any chance...

Chances arent very good, but its fully possible to fight.

Our forum record is 47 or 48g - that orphan was saved by a gallant fight by the owner tightly cooperating with us.

Although that story ended badly...  When he was ok etc, we knew he would live - the owner left for a couple of hours, and the kitten, now lively and curious, got a staple of books on him...  And thus, he died, not because he was little and weak, but because he was now a healthy and big boy...

Such fates happens too...

2,9Oz isnt much, almost 90g,  but if there is any justice in the world, he is healthy and not premature, he should make,  Red alert, but it should go OK with good care and making sure he gets his share of moms milk.

Can you get raw goat milk?  fresh or frozen?   IF you would need to supplemnt this would be my proposal.

Can your vet do feeding by tube into stomach?  With very weaks its sometimes the best option.  Sorrowfully many vets cant do it.

Its not that complicated, but its dangerous for a newbe to try.  In practice you must be showen properly by someone knowleable, and also, have the right gears - right tubes.

 

[morganalefae]

I have thought of tube feeding but like you said it's not the best idea to try it if you have never done it.. it's about 4am and I have noticed that fae seems more lively then she was yesterday. I don't know if we have fresh or frozen goats milk as never heard of using it as a replacer if you will. would that be better in the short /long term then royal canin babycat milk? I'm also wondering if the kitten could have blood sugar problems as a vet I talked to suggest a wee bit of honey put in her mouth may help with the weakness/weak feeding.

 

[talkingpeanut]

It's not so much a blood sugar problem as an energy boost to help her have the strength to feed.  She's weak because she's so small and fighting for her nipple time.  If she continues to gain from supplemental feeding and nursing it should not be a problem any longer.  I'm not familiar with royal canin babycat milk.  Is it kitten milk replacer or a treat?  As far as I know, kmr and full-fat goat milk can be used interchangeably, especially with feeding from mom.

 

[dennis47]

Oh my they are so adorable. And Mama Kitty is such a beauty.

 

[StefanZ]

 
I have thought of tube feeding but like you said it's not the best idea to try it if you have never done it.. it's about 4am and I have noticed that fae seems more lively then she was yesterday. I don't know if we have fresh or frozen goats milk as never heard of using it as a replacer if you will. would that be better in the short /long term then royal canin babycat milk? I'm also wondering if the kitten could have blood sugar problems as a vet I talked to suggest a wee bit of honey put in her mouth may help with the weakness/weak feeding.

Agree with TalingPeanuts comment. Honey or glucose sugar solution, is in much a quick energy booster. Can also be used against low sugar niveu yes. 

Royal canin babycat milk, if its what I think it is, ie their brand of kmr, is good, and should be OK.   Raw goats milk, is not only nutritions good enough, but does contain the antibodies etc from that goat mom.  Even if the antibodies etc are in first hand for goat kids, but still, what is natures defences is natures defences.

Fae gets some milk from momma, so this boost is perhaps no big deal here, and that good kmr you do have access to, is good enough.

Still, if you can get this goat milk, do so.   You can always use it in your coffe, or give it to momma cat, if you dont use it for Fae.

By similiar reason, if you can find real glucose sugar (brand name may be dextrose or dextropur), its even better than honey.  As its in powder, the best is probably to wet it some, or even, give in a water solution.  Smear a couple of drops on the mouth.   Such also with that honey -  make a water solution, and smear the water solution.

An adult healthy cat licks off the hoey without problems, a weak kitten cant lick as energetically. So, smearing a water solution makes it easier for everybody.

Glucose sugar is so effective, it will help anyway. (half of the sugars in honey is glucose sugar, the other half mainly fructose.  Table sugar contains too glucose sugar and fructose sugar, but they are connected into a molecule, and must be digested in the stomach before anything good may happen. While glucose sugar in honey is free, and thus, can work immediately already from the mouth)

 

[morganalefae]

I spent much of yesterday looking for glucose syrup and could not find it a friend said she would ask around in paramacys and such. yes royal canin's babycat milk is like KMR I'm quite use to that stuff as I used it for stray young kittens and even a couple of litters of pups. Have had her on mums tit about 4 times since 4ish this morning and she seems to be strong each time hope it keeps up fingers crossed.

 

[handsome kitty]

I saw glucose yesterday in a store for baking supplies.  Maybe a bakery could give you some.  Light Karo syrup works as well, you may decide to dilute it a little so it isn't as thick.

 

[morganalefae]

I live in the UK now and cant find light karo unless I go online and wait days and paid a small fortune. idk if my local stores sell it in the baking area and we dont really have baking suplly stores