Expert: Ali - 10/24/2009

Question
Hello, my cat gave birth 4 days ago to just one kitten who resembles nothing like the parents (both egyptian mau) he is just black and was nearly dead the day after birth (hindsight ?? too cold as alone when mummy took a break. This is her 2nd litter (4 kittens 1st time and breastfed no probs) we warmed the kitty up and fed him 0.5ml kitten formula and he ralied. Only the bottom 2 of mums nipples were firm around delivery and same on day 1. Kitten feeding very frequently and then 48hrs after birth mum passed some retained products ? membranes which she ate before I could examine and she bled very slightly (not trickling) following and is otherwise eating, drinking, playing, elliminating well. Her nipples now ALL seem soft despite much stimulation from me and the kitten. I have tried repeatedly to express some milk to no avail. My main worry is a) is there anything else left in the womb that is preventing her from lactating and B) Should I be able to get milk out at day 4 myself. Kitty weighed today 1st time and is 125g. I did give him a little kitty formula every day but prob around 10 mls on day 1 and again on day 2 and 5-10 on day 3 and 4. (I have spoken to vet today who said if mummy is otherwise well then leave her alone and take her to vet next week maybe for checkup. (I am a midwife and lactation consultant to humans and using these skills!!!I am worried about her milk supply mostly.
many thanks if you get time to answer this question. Also just  out of curiosity why would this kiyyen not resemble its parents - the last little was identical to the parents.
sam

Answer
Sam,

Based on the short history you've provided I'm somewhat concerned that there may be problems with the small black kitten that aren't immediately apparent. Mom’s milk supply may not be adequate, but it’s also possible that this kitten’s position in the uterine horns (cats have a Y shaped uterus rather than the pear shape women have) placed him/her at a disadvantage in that s/he had to compete with the other kittens in the litter for nutrients and oxygen which may mean the kitten is simply weaker than his/her littermates. Experience and careful record keeping are very important when it comes to catching problems early with young kittens and/or lactating queens. The earlier you discover a problem with newborn kittens or their mother the better the odds are that your vet will be able to provide treatment that may prevent the loss of mom or her babies.

I'm not entirely sure how much experience you have with breeding cats so I've taken the liberty of providing you with some basic information about what you can expect from normal, healthy kittens in terms of development and weight gain. Hopefully this information will help you to decide what the best course of action is in your specific situation. I am quite concerned that mom may have more kittens (alive or deceased) or placental material in her uterus and I do think that it would be best for her to be examined promptly by a veterinarian to rule that possibility out. It’s not normal for a queen to pass any placentas or kittens so long after the initial delivery of her litter (4 hours is something I’ve seen before, 4 days is an awfully long time). If the vet doesn’t see anything suspicious on x-ray or ultrasound exam then s/he may recommend some form of treatment to increase mom’s milk production so that she’s able to provide adequate nutrition for her babies to grow and develop into strong, healthy kittens that are full of energy and mischief.

In this situation if there are any babies left behind a caesarian is going to be the course of action most vets will recommend - mom's already stressed and she doesn't need to be further stressed by having to stay at the vet's for an undetermined period of time on a hormone drip. As I'm sure you are more than aware the maternal bond between kittens and mom is extremely crucial for their proper development and socialization so to lessen the chances of mom rejecting her kittens when you take her to the veterinarian be sure to bring her babies. Newborn kittens aren't able to sustain their own body temperature so it's not really in their best interests to be transported in a travel cage - I'd suggest tucking them into your shirt so they can snuggle against you, hear your heartbeat and mom doesn't accidentally injure them in her travel kennel. If the vet can't find any physical reason for the issues with mom's scarce milk supply and there aren't any feasible treatments to get mom's milk going (cats won't tolerate some of the stuff that works well in new human moms) then you have two options; you can find a lactating queen to foster these babies OR you can hand rear them using formula and allow mom to do the rest of their care - they will do just fine suckling on mom for comfort only provided that they're getting appropriate nutrition and the persistence of a newborn kitten just might help get mom's milk to come in.

Mom has given birth to a nice, average sized litter although I'm a bit puzzled about the completely black kitten - as far as I'm aware this isn't a color variation that's normal in Egyptian Maus. That having been said I'm wondering if this queen somehow had access to another tom during the tail end of her estrus cycle - in any given litter of kittens it's possible for each kitten to have a different father so if mom's managed to escape for a short time outside or she's been left unattended outside it's quite possible that this baby has a different father from the rest of the litter. Failing an accidental breeding I don’t really have an explanation for the black kitten in the litter - if you plan to register this litter of kittens with your local cat fancier’s association then it’s probably a good idea to have a DNA test would confirm or refute whether your stud is the father, if so it’s quite possible that you’ll have to place the kitten as a pet quality kitten since I strongly suspect you won’t be able to show or breed him according to breed standards.

As I'm sure that you're aware it's extremely important to keep your queen and her newborns segregated in a room of their own complete with a birthing/nursery box, food, water and toys for mom and a minimum of two litter boxes for mom.

- Mom and her newborns should be kept in a room that’s free of drafts and comfortably heated. I‘ve found that nursing queens tend to prefer a dimly lit environment because it most closely resembles the type of environment they‘d choose to give birth in and care for their kittens on a purely instinctive level. It‘s crucial that you provide a quiet, private environment for mom to bond with her kittens and care for them. It‘s still quite early in the game so I would advise minimal handling of the kittens, but they do need early handling as part of their socialization to ensure that they become happy, loving pets comfortable in a home environment with their human family members.

- Newborn kittens should be treated much the same way as human infants. Keeping kittens clean and warm while providing plenty of affection and attention is crucial. Hand is extremely important as newborn kittens are vulnerable to viral and bacterial infections since their immune system is very immature at birth. In normal situations they do receive colostrum from their mother over the first couple of days of life outside the womb which creates passive immunity. As kittens grow they continue to receive passive immunities from their mother, but that doesn’t mean it’s safe for them to be exposed to viruses or bacteria from other cats OR from human hands while basic care is being given.

- It’s very important to ensure that kittens are kept warm, they are not capable of maintaining their own body temperature so careful attention must be paid to ensure that they don’t get cold, a cold kitten can die quite rapidly without proper care. You can make use of a heating pad, a microwaveable heat disc intended for pets (these often come with a stuffed animal or a soft cover) or a heating lamp, but do be careful - a kitten that becomes too hot is in as much danger as one that’s too cold. If you use a heating pad be sure that you wrap it in a thick towel then cover it with a thinner towel and a blanket (I use receiving blankets). A heating pad should NEVER cover the entire nest, I generally suggest that ¼-½ of the nest is plenty as this allows the kittens to move away from the heat source if they become too hot. A heating lamp isn’t something that I suggest making use of unless you’re very experienced with them, it’s too easy to make a nursery box too hot quite quickly and there’s no escape for the helpless babies unless their mother moves them from the nest. In many pet supply stores you can purchase small plastic microwaveable discs filled with a special gel. Follow the manufacturer’s directions precisely and in addition to the cover that comes with the warming discs I strongly suggest that you fold a receiving blanket in four and place it over top of the disc. Placement in the box should allow the kittens to move away from the heat source easily so that if they’re too warm they don’t become overheated.

***Please note*** if mom and kittens are together in a warm, draft free room and any kitten feels cool or cold to the touch that can be an indication that they’re not receiving adequate nutrition or they may have a medical problem serious enough to send them into shock which can be rapidly fatal. Although it’s tempting in this situation to simply place a cold kitten onto a heating pad that’s actually not the best way of caring for a hypothermic kitten. If you warm a cold kitten too quickly s/he may go into shock and die. I strongly suggest placing a cold kitten skin to skin against your chest or even in your armpit (be gentle, tiny kittens can suffocate easily). DO NOT feed a hypothermic kitten, they will not digest the food and the additional stress on their body may prove to be too much. If your kitten is dehydrated and cold you can administer small quantities of an unflavored paediatric oral rehydration solution such as Pedialyte that’s warmed to body temperature via syringe every 30-45 minutes until the kitten’s body temperature has returned to normal. Your body heat will slowly re-warm the kitten and if they are to survive you will have to make some difficult decisions about whether it’s necessary to hand rear the kitten or place him/her back with mom and take the chance that s/he may become hypothermic again and die when you aren’t around to provide lifesaving care.

- As I’m sure you’re aware new mothers require extra calories and nutrients to provide the best quality breast milk to their babies. As far as I’m concerned the vast majority of pet foods available on the market simply do not provide species appropriate nutrition that’s easily available to cats. If you’d like further information about nutrition I’d highly recommend checking out www.catinfo.org, www.catnutrition.org and http://www.halopets.com/pet-education/pet-articles/pet_food_what_you_need_to_kno... ~ these sites provide basic, down to earth nutritional information that will help you to make the best decisions about the nutrition you want to provide for your queens, studs and their babies once they’re old enough to eat solid food.

- While it’s possible for a kitten that’s 4-5 weeks old to survive when placed into an adoptive family it’s not good for their development and socialization. I generally suggest that pet parents allow kittens to stay with their mother until they’re 10-12 weeks old at a bare minimum. The first 12 weeks of a kitten’s life is a time of incredibly rapid growth and development and it’s a time that’s absolutely crucial in terms of providing opportunities to learn how to be a normal cat as well as the basic life and social skills they need to be happy, healthy, well adjusted and sane adult cats. During the first 12 weeks mom should be allowed to teach her kittens basic cat skills including how to groom themselves, use the litter box, use scratch posts/pads to exercise their claws on, eat solid foods, how to read/understand feline body language and respond appropriately and their basic feline manners both with other cats and human caregivers. In general, a happy, healthy and well adjusted queen should be permitted to discipline her kittens as she sees fit (within reason of course, some younger, less experienced moms can take things too far when they become frustrated, stressed or agitated) as lessons taught by mom will tend to be taken more seriously than if we as humans intervene and upset the natural process.

- Of interest, queens tend to start disciplining their kittens practically from birth ~ a fussy, cranky kitten who tries to avoid bath time may be gently held in place with mom’s front paws until s/he stops being excessively vocal and struggling, then the queen will continue bathing her kitten. It’s not unusual for some kittens to resist their mother more than others, remember all kittens are born with their own unique personalities and to some extent selective breeding can offer you an idea of what you’re getting, but you  never know until the kittens start to mature and show their true personalities. More submissive kittens will often defer to dominant littermates, in fact more dominant kittens sometimes reach their developmental milestones sooner than their quieter, shyer littermates. At this stage mom’s discipline really should be pretty gentle ~ restraining a “problem child” gently with her paws should be about the most intense discipline gets. As the kittens mature and develop mom will discipline them accordingly, sometimes more dominant kittens will put on quite the show if mom pins them to the floor and lightly grabs them by the scruff, don’t be fooled, kittens are tougher than they look and for the most part mom will generally keep things pretty tame. If you’d like more information about kittens and how their mother should normally interact with them (including disciplinary techniques) please don’t hesitate to ask, I’d be happy to send them your way.

- Obviously socialization is a crucial part of raising happy, healthy, well balanced, confident kittens that turn into well rounded, happy, sane and temperamentally sound cats. It’s important to try and create a variety of different social and handling experiences for kittens in the first 12 weeks of their lives so that they aren’t overly anxious or fearful as they mature. A fearful animal can be very dangerous as they will often react solely out of fear, sometimes by fleeing and getting themselves into dangerous situations, other times by behaving aggressively and scratching or biting a person which can be a financial and legal liability. In my experience it’s best to socialize the kittens as much as possible once they start getting a bit more mobile and independent by taking the time to ensure that these babies are exposed to people of different genders, ages, and personality types if at all possible. A well socialized cat is generally a happier cat who is less likely to develop issues like fear based aggression or completely shutting down and avoiding unfamiliar people.

- Contrary to popular belief it’s not necessary for human beings to intervene in the weaning process by starting off with solid food as early as 4 weeks of age. Kittens simply aren’t meant to have their diet changed rapidly from breast milk to solid cat food at such an early age. The term ‘copy cat’ was coined for a reason ~ young kittens learn by imitating their mother and if given a chance the majority of kittens will start slowing introducing themselves to solid food and by increasing their caloric intake with the solid food they’ll naturally nurse less frequently and take less at each feeding. Essentially by providing mom with her meals in a low sided dish or a plate once the kittens become more mobile the kittens will watch, learn and imitate the way that their mother eats.

- Keep mom’s litter pans as far away from her food as possible is a good step to take when it comes to preventing house soiling behavioral issues. Cats are naturally very fastidious and they generally won’t eliminate where they eat. It’s really important to avoid using scented kitty litter or air fresheners in or around the litter boxes as cats have an extremely sensitive sense of smell and they will generally be put off by scents or perfumes, generally good litter box maintenance, providing enough litter pans for the number of cats in your household (1-2 litter boxes per cat, plus one) will be sufficient to avoid unpleasant litter box odor.

- Over the course of the next few weeks it will become necessary to provide kitten sized litter boxes so that the kittens can become potty trained by imitating their mother. If you don’t want the hassle of investing in and storing plastic kitten sized litter boxes you can use disposable aluminium baking pans with low sides to allow the kittens to get into and out of their litter pan to do their business easily. Kitten sized litter boxes aren’t a long term necessity (unless you do quite a bit of breeding/showing which would man you often have kittens). Sometimes a bit of human intervention is necessary to ensure that everyone is learning this all important skill. In those situations it’s not a bad idea to place each kitten in a litter box of their own as this will allow them to become comfortable with the feeling of kitty litter under their feet. You can help them out by gently digging in the litter using their paw. Potty training a kitten is pretty similar to potty training a human toddler ~ babies should be placed into the litter box after they’ve eaten/had something to drink, when they’ve woken up from a nap and at different points during playtime. There isn’t a way to place a kitten into a litter  box too often at this stage, remember they’re somewhat equivalent to human toddlers which means that distractions or infrequent visits to the bathroom can result in accidents that end up outside of the toilet (or litter box in this case).

***It’s extremely important to ensure that the litter boxes you provide for mom and her babies are kept very clean. In mom’s case the solid waste (I use clumping kitty litter for adult cats which means that urine/fecal matter are both scooped as solids) should be scooped a minimum of 1-2 times daily. For potty training young kittens I’d suggest using a clumping kitty litter that’s made from corn, wheat or other food product (no pine or other heavily scented natural product) as some kittens will eat it - just like human babies, feline babies learn about the world by putting things into their mouths and trying to eat them. Clumping kitty litter made from bentonite clay isn’t safe for cats or kittens to ingest, while grain based litters aren’t the best for cats of any age to eat they’re non-toxic which means that if someone eats the litter they won’t become seriously ill.

There are a few reasons that it’s important to keep mom and her newborn offspring separated from the other cats in your household:

- Intact male cats will kill young kittens as a means of ensuring that the queen comes back into season more rapidly than she would if she continued to raise her kittens. This will allow the tom to mate with the queen sooner than he normally would and by killing the kittens he’s trying to ensure that no offspring sired by rival toms survives.

- A stressed out queen is much more likely to kill her kittens as a means of protecting them from harm. Keeping mom as happy and relaxed as possible will help to increase the chances of each kitten surviving their first couple of months of life. As the kittens get older and more mobile your queen will begin spending more time away from the nest to encourage her babies to explore their environment and learn basic hunting, play and defensive behaviors. Most queens are gentle when they play with their babies or teach them survival skills, but do keep an eye on mom if she’s the anxious type, it’s rare but sometimes kittens can suffer serious injury at the paws of an inexperienced, overenthusiastic queen.

- First and foremost kittens are born with a very immature immune system, therefore they can become seriously ill or even die as a result of contracting viral or bacterial infections that would be a minor issue in an older, vaccinated cat. Keeping the environment as sanitary as possible is a crucial way to decrease the mortality rate in kittens during the neonatal period. Bedding should be changed in the nursery box after mom gives birth then daily until the kittens are vet checked and given their first series of vaccinations. It’s extremely important to wash your hands prior to handling mom or any of her kittens, I generally use an alcohol based hand sanitizer between handling a queen and each of her kittens as an extra precaution. Be sure to keep an eye on each kitten’s umbilical cord, a little vigilance can prevent heartbreaking, preventable deaths in kittens that occur as a direct result of infection entering their system through the dried stump of their umbilical cord. As a midwife I’m sure you’ve seen plenty of umbilical cords so I would assume that you are aware of basic care of the stump and what it should look like until the dried stump falls off.

Basic information about healthy kittens and recognizing abnormalities or problems before they cause death.

- Typically a kitten weighs between 90-110 grams at birth, although this can be slightly different depending on the breed and number of kittens in a litter (the smaller the litter, the higher the birth weights).

- Kittens should be weighed at birth, 12 hours after birth and daily for at least the first 14 days of life (common problems in the neonatal period can often be seen early in the form of restricted growth, weight loss, etc. Each kitten should be individually identified and a detailed log should be kept for the kittens containing information about developmental milestones, weight, growth, etc.

- Healthy kittens should gain 50-100 grams per week at the rate of roughly 10-15 grams per day. Normally a kitten should double his/her birth weight by the time s/he’s two weeks old.

- Well fed,  healthy kittens should have a plump belly and seem content. If your kittens are hungry or sick they will cry frequently, seem restless and have lean bellies or even appear like an exaggerated version of an hourglass with their bellies caved in somewhat. A queen may neglect sick kittens or those that fail to thrive, sometimes this goes as far as removing the kitten from the nest and positioning him/her as far away as possible from the other kittens in the litter. A queen who neglects her kittens may not always be reacting to the presence of a sick or failing kitten - it can be a sign that mom has an infection, is in pain or is just generally ill.

Inadequate nutrition can claim the lives of kittens very quickly. Kittens should nurse relatively soon after birth. Colostrum can only be absorbed into the kitten’s system during the first 18 hours or so of life and this is crucial in helping to create passive immunity for the kittens and lessen the chances of each kitten succumbing to viral or bacterial infections. If kittens aren’t nursing there can be a variety of explanations ranging from a traumatic entry into the world causing them to be too weak to nurse. In some cases there are weaker kittens in a litter that may require specialized care until they’re old enough to receive vaccines if they survive without contracting any infection.

- Some queens have difficulty producing an adequate supply of milk to nourish their kittens. Sometimes this can happen with moms who have given birth to large litters - in this case supplemental feedings of goat’s milk or kitten formula warmed to body temperature should be given in small amounts to each kitten throughout the day (every 3 hours or so). First time moms or older moms will sometimes have issues with milk production and in these cases supplemental feedings are a good idea to ensure the survival of the kittens, in older moms insufficient milk production is a good indication that mom is too old for breeding and she should be spayed once her litter is weaned, but you will have to intervene to provide the care the kittens need in order to survive, just remember to try and allow mom to do what she is able to in order to care for her kittens - insufficient milk production in and of itself shouldn’t mean that kittens are removed from their mother’s care. Mastitis can cause issues with milk production, kittens will cry frequently and seem fussy and generally unhappy, mastitis requires treatment and the kittens may require formula feedings until the infection has cleared as they will become sick if they ingest infected milk. If the litters this mom is producing are small and fairly weak mom may not produce enough milk, in this case it’s important to seek veterinary advice to help improve your breeding program to avoid future issues associated with your queen producing insufficient quantities of milk to properly nourish her babies.

- Kittens should open their eyes around 10 days of age, but normal is considered anywhere between 2-16 days of age. Fun fact: kittens recognize mom by sight at 4 weeks old or so. It’s normal for the kittens to have blue or blue grey eyes until they’re 4-6 weeks old.

- Kittens can’t hear at birth, their ear canal is blocked, but they begin to hear when they’ve reached 9 days or so of age on average, but normal is anywhere from 6-16 days old.

- Kittens should start to crawl well at 1-2 weeks old. They can use the toilet on their own by roughly 3 weeks old, some will do so sooner, others later. During this time period mom will teach the kittens about the litter boxes if she’s raising them. It’s perfectly normal for mom to lick the ano-genital regions of each kitten (during their regular baths) to stimulate urination and defecation until they’re old enough to eliminate on their own. If you do end up having to provide full care (food, grooming, toileting, etc in the event mom rejects one or more kittens or they fail to thrive under her care) for one or more kittens then you’ll need to stimulate urine/feces using a piece of rough terry facecloth lightly moistened with warm water using the cloth in much the same way that mom uses her tongue. Getting a young kitten to pass urine with stimulation is fairly simple, sometimes stimulating a kitten to have a bowel movement can be more difficult so it‘s important to be patient. Remember not all kittens will have daily bowel movements, so be sure not to overdo the stimulation as you don‘t want to create irritation of the genitals or rectum. Sometimes a queen will refuse to care for a kitten if you provide supplementary food via bottle or syringe, but overall I’d strongly suggest keeping kittens with their mother as much as possible since she’s able to provide the constant care newborn kittens need, we as human beings are a poor substitute when it comes to mothering newborn kittens.

- Healthy kittens should be fairly plump, warm to the touch and have clean shiny coats. Newborn kittens should also be responsive meaning if you pick them up and handle them you should hear them call to their mom. Kittens spend much of their time feeding, if they’re not eating they should be sleeping during the first 2 weeks of life or so. A kitten’s gums should be dark pink or red and their tongue should be moist and warm. If a kitten has , pale, grey or blue gums there’s a problem and they should be seen by a vet to determine the best course of treatment. Pale gums and dry gums often indicate that the kitten is dehydrated and requires immediate veterinary care to be re-hydrated so that they can continue growing up to be healthy, normal kittens.

****If you need to take mom or any kitten in the litter to the veterinarian it’s important to bring the whole family so that you don’t risk severing the maternal bond and ending up with an entire litter of kittens that you’ll need to provide 24 hour feedings and care for.

- When your kittens are old enough to be more mobile and they’re learning how to use the litter box it’s possible that you’ll see some potty accidents. Toilet training young kittens can be somewhat like potty training a human toddler, however a young kitten will repeat mistakes if s/he can smell urine or feces in specific places. I recommend cleaning up any accidents with an enzymatic cleaner as this is the best way to reduce the likelihood of kitten potty training accidents in the future. In the majority of cases cleaning the area thoroughly with an enzymatic cleaner (as per the manufacturer's directions, don't cut corners and try to save money by diluting these cleaners since most are meant to be applied full strength) and allowing it to dry completely will permanently remove the components of urine/feces that cause odors and stains. Generally if a cat/kitten can't smell urine/feces then they're less likely to repeat their mistakes. Many household cleaners on the market contain ammonia or similar chemicals which can make the smell of urine/feces stronger which you really want to avoid and other household cleaners are strongly scented which can encourage cats to mark their territory in order to cover up a smell that's overpowering and offensive to them. Enzymatic cleaners are significantly different from other household cleaning products in that they work to permanently remove odors and stains caused by urine, feces and vomit. The product that I use regularly is called Petzyme, there are a few reasons that I like this product - it's not heavily scented,

I'm not sure if Petzyme (the brand name of the enzymatic cleaner that I use in our home) is available in the UK, if not then you can generally find these cleaners at your local pet supply store (puppy training section is generally the best place to find them as products marketed exclusively for cats can be more expensive), some vet clinics carry them and failing that you can check out your local janitorial supply store since these cleaners are often used by professional cleaning crews for cleaning offensive odors and stains out of carpeting and living spaces. These special cleaners use beneficial bacteria to digest the components of urine, feces and other organic materials, if they're used according to the directions on the bottle then your kittens won't develop a habit of using the toilet outside of the litter. The key to litter training young kittens (if they haven’t picked up the skill by imitating their mother and littermates) is to be consistent and persistent and place the kittens gently into their litter boxes after they've eaten, when they've woken up from a nap and during playtime.

Here are a few questions regarding your kittens, they’ll be helpful when it comes to determining how well your kittens are faring:

- Are the kittens nursing frequently?

- Do the babies have an hourglass shape or do these kittens seem to have a chubby belly that feels full of milk (not gas)?

- How do the kittens respond when handled? (if you turn them onto their backs you should hear rather indignant kitten cries)

- Do you notice any or all of the kittens crying before, during or after a meal?

- Are the kittens warm to the touch?

- Are the kittens dehydrated? You can easily check this by gently lifting their skin at the scruff of the neck and letting it go - if it sticks up, stays rolled or bunched up that baby is dehydrated and requires special care - you can have the vet give an injection of fluid under the kitten’s skin, you can keep a bottle of unflavored paediatric oral electrolyte solution (I use a brand called Pedialyte) around and feed small amounts every half hour or so until the kitten’s skin bounces back nicely when pulled upwards as though you were planning to lift the baby by the scruff of the neck like mom would.

- What color are the kittens’ mucous membranes? (Red or pink is fairly standard in healthy kittens, brown, yellow, white, grey or purple indicate problems that require immediate veterinary assistance)

Here are a few questions about mom’s overall health since the birth of these kittens:

- Does mom seem to be caring for her kittens normally? At this stage that means staying with them the vast majority of the time, generally moms will leave the nest to eat, drink, use the toilet and walk around for a few minutes once the kittens are fed, toileted, washed and cuddled til they’ve fallen asleep, then most queens will return to their nest to keep their babies warm and protect them from predators.

- Is mom neglecting any of her kittens or separating one or more babies from the litter by moving him/her to another location and leaving?

- How is mom’s appetite (she should be eating as much or more than she was prior to delivering her babies since she‘s got to support her own body‘s needs as well as those of four rapidly growing kittens)?

- Is your queen drinking her usual amount of water (or mores since she needs the extra fluids to produce healthy milk for her offspring)?

- Has mom been urinating and defecating normally since she gave birth? (she’s already had a litter so think back, did things progress similarly to what they’ve been doing this time around)?

- Is mom lethargic?

- Is there anything that leads you to believe that mom might have a fever? (taking kitty temperatures is fairly simple and I can send along step by step instructions if you haven’t done so previously)

-  Is mom showing any signs of eclampsia (stiff gait, anxiety, convulsions, etc)?

- Is mom having any vaginal bleeding or discharge at this point in time?

- Is your queen still grooming herself properly and keeping her coat as she normally does? (there may be some slight decline in the quality of mom’s coat since she’s just been through the stress of giving birth which isn‘t unreasonable)

- Have you tried gently removing a kitten from the queen’s teat as she’s nursing? (you may see milk on the baby’s tongue if you time it right, it‘s quite possible that the babies are simply demanding most of mom‘s milk supply)

Hopefully this information helps to get you started on the path to raising happy, healthy kittens. I wish you the best of luck and please don’t hesitate to contact me again if you have any further questions, concerns or there’s anything in this answer that you’d like me to clarify - I’d be happy to help you out to the best of my ability.