Expert: Ali - 4/14/2009

Question
Over the past 3 years I've had feral cats living in my backyard. The first year a mom cat had 4 kitties , 3 of which were trapped (by a cat rescue agency to be fixed and adopted).  There was 1 cat (she was the most timid, unable to be caught)left in my yard, Spooky, who I work with over a long period of time to let me touch her. She is now super loving and friendly.
Last summer Spooky had 2 babies, Pinky and Betty. She was a good mom to them and I supplemented her hunting with some cat food. Then winter came and I felt bad that they were living in my garage where it was so cold so I started to let them in at night to eat their food and hang out for a bit. Gradually that changed into me letting them all night to eat and sleep inside then sending them outside during the day. Pinky is a wonderful cat who will make someone a good pet. Betty- not so much!! She is very jumpy, scared and timid.
About 2 months ago I let them out in the morning, took a look out the window a few minutes later and saw Pinky "gettin' busy" with a neighbourhood cat. I decided at that time that I wouldn't let them out anymore 'cause I didn't need anymore cats around.  My pet cat wasn't too happy about these new kitties in her house but there was nothing more than a little hissing.
I noticed that Spooky was getting a little chunky and figured she was pregnant. I decided I had to get Pinky and Betty fixed so I called a Cat Rescue agency that would help me pay to do this. I took Pinky first and all went smoothly. Betty was next and that didn't go as smoothly (she stays so far away from me that I wasn't even sure whether she was a girl or boy). Lets just say I had to get a tetanus shot, antibiotics and the cat is quarantined in my house for 2 weeks to be sure she doesn't have rabies. Argh!
I got a frantic call from the vet while Betty was being spayed to say that she was pregnant and that if I could feed the babies they were viable. Unfortunately Spooky hadn't had her babies yet to be a surrogate and I work full time so would not be able to feed the kittens. They were aborted and I felt terrible.
In the meantime things had progressed with Spooky and I knew she was going to have her kittens very soon (on Friday she had some discharge). I checked on Saturday but no babies.
I checked Sunday morning (April 12th) and noticed 1 new little kitty. I left her alone figuring she would do what she needed to do but she followed me around wanting some lovin'. I left for the afternoon excited to come home and see more babies but there were no more. I know sometimes it could be a whole day before other kittens appear but they never did.
So...here is where I get to my questions:
1. Spooky seemed kinda big to only have 1 kitten. I'm sure size isn't the only indication (or maybe isn't an indication at all) of how many kittens a cat will have, but I'm worried that she should've had more. I wouldn't want her to have dead kittens in her and she get sick.

2. I'm not sure if Spooky has her milk in- her nipples are sticking out and pink but are not engorged with milk. Should they be? Last time she had kittens her "boobs" were big. I want to be sure the kitten is getting enough (or something at all).

3. Spooky, Pinky and Betty have always slept together. Spooky decided to give birth where they sleep and having a little kitty hasn't changed anything with their sleeping arrangement (I have closed the door to that room so my pet cat doesn't harass them- they have food, water, toys and a litter box). I'm worried that they may suffocate or squish the kitten. I tried to move Spooky and the kitten to a safe room but it upset Spooky more than made her comfortable so I put them back. Is it okay to let them all sleep together?

4. It seems to me that Betty has more of an attachment to this kitten than Spooky does. Betty is sitting with, sleeping with and cuddling the kitten all the time. She was spayed only a week before the kitten was born and I'm worried that she thinks it is her baby. I can't get close enough to her to see if she has produced any milk- is that even possible after being spayed? Is it okay for her to co-parent the kitten with Spooky?

I have a loving home waiting for the little kitten once she is old enough and am working on getting Pinky and Betty adopted. Once the kitten is gone I will get Spooky spayed and keep her with me- and NO MORE BABIES!!!

Thank you for your thoughts and advise... I need it!

Answer
Jill,

Firstly I would like to say that it's nice to run into another person who has compassion for feral and stray cats and has decided to take the initiative to humanely control the population of feral and stray cats in your area and ultimately take responsibility for their welfare on a daily basis. Living on the streets or in rural areas as wild animals that many people view as nuisance animals that have to be frightened away from their homes or in terrible cases these cats are viewed as pests that must be exterminated. Despite many people's romantic view of the idyllic life that stray/feral cats must have living in the wild the reality is that cats are treated as unwanted animals and they're forced to difficult daily life where survival is not guaranteed by any means. Most people have been taught never to feed stray/feral cats or make any effort to make them feel welcome for fear that they'll be forced to become responsible for the care of these formerly domestic pets. What many people who are busy making the lives of these unwanted cats uncomfortable fail to think about is the fact that strays cat colonies are usually made up of loving house pets that were thoughtlessly abandoned and the feral cats are simply the descendants of pet cats born into a harsh existence and these unfortunate cats usually lack the early socialization with human beings that their parents had so they are often wary and/or downright fearful of human beings partially because their experience has taught them to steer clear of people in fact most feral cats will do just about anything to get away from us if we approach, help or try to touch.

It's not common for female cats to give birth to a single kitten although it does happen from time to time. In this situation it's  a good idea to take Spooky to the vet promptly so that she can be examined to make sure that no kittens have been left behind. Sometimes female cats can run into problems with the delivery of their litter if their contractions aren't strong enough for some reason, other possibilities include a large kitten stuck in the birth canal or a kitten that's positioned in such a way that s/he can't be delivered vaginally in spite of mom's best efforts. If there are kittens inside of mom then it's best to have her see the vet sooner rather than later to have the best possible chance of getting these little ones into this world alive and healthy. In most situations like this an emergency caesarian is performed to deliver any remaining kittens, those who show signs of life will be cleaned off and stimulated to get them breathing on their own while deceased kittens will be properly disposed of by the veterinarian. If Spooky needs a caesarian to remove kittens who have been left behind after the delivery of this first little one I would highly recommend that you have her spayed at the same time. If there are kittens who still haven't been born the caesarian has a good chance of helping to improve her milk supply - after all milk production is somewhat an issue of supply and demand, the more demand there is the more milk will be produced. Perhaps Spooky's milk supply will improve to the point that she will be able to raise all of her surviving kittens on her own if there were any little ones left behind.

Obviously time is of the essence in this situation because if there are deceased kittens found inside of Spooky they can cause a serious infection as they decompose which could potentially require intensive treatment to save her life. Having a caesarian won't affect mom's ability to nurse her babies and most veterinarians who perform this surgery are aware that the kittens will be searching for food so the stitches are kept buried and tissue glue is sometimes used to close the skin layer after surgery. There is some possibility that there may have been other kittens which were stillborn, in these situations it's perfectly normal for mom to eat the deceased kittens, this behavior has long been a part of the cat's evolution to protect surviving kittens in the nest by making sure that predators can't smell kittens or the placentas and gestational sacs.

As for checking to see whether or not Spooky has milk there are a couple of easy ways to check that out, you can gently remove the kitten from the teat when s/he's nursing, if there's milk you should see some in the baby's mouth. If you don't see milk in the kitten's mouth you may see some on the nipple if the kitten was nursing vigorously. If you do remove the kitten from mom's nipple to check and see whether she has any milk it's important to do so gently - don't pull the little one off, that can cause some discomfort and increase the potential for accidental injuries to mom's nipples. As a general rule checking to see if there is milk isn't necessary so long as the kitten is nursing well and seems to be growing. At this age the kitten should be fairly content and quiet, s/he should nurse for the majority of the day and sleep peacefully when s/he's not nursing. A crabby, vocal and squirmy kitten may be a sign that s/he isn't getting enough to eat. You should be able to see a chubby full belly after the kitten's finished a meal, if the kitten's tummy looks caved in that's an indicator that s/he may not be getting sufficient milk from his/her mom or aunt.

It's important to minimize the stress on moms who have recently given birth or are nursing. Since Spooky is obviously much more comfortable when she's close to Betty it's best to leave them together. From your description of their sleeping habits I suspect that these girls might be litter mates and in feral cat colonies related female cats often co-parent their offspring. On a positive note, kittens aren't born with the ability to regulate their own body temperatures and they would normally do so by cuddling up to mom and their siblings, it sounds as though this kitten has plenty of warm caregivers to snuggle with and keep warm. Feral cat colonies are structured somewhat like prides of wild lions, several related females and one or two dominant males make up the family group. Normally female cats (and lionesses) will go off on their own to find a safe den site to have their kittens and raise them until they're old enough to defend themselves, only bringing the kittens back to the family group when they're old enough and strong enough to defend themselves. You did mention that you keep the door to the kitty nursery closed so that your resident cats don't bug the new mom, that's important for a couple of other reasons. Kittens aren't born with much resistance to viral or bacterial infections, viruses or infections that might not affect healthy adult cats could prove fatal to newborn kittens.

As for explaining Betty's attachment to this new little kitten there is a possibility that she knew that she was about to deliver her own litter of kittens when she was spayed. Even if Betty didn't know there's a good chance that she's simply acting out of instinct. It's not uncommon for related female cats to share the responsibility of caring for each other's offspring in feral cat colonies. Betty may very well have milk and if Spooky doesn't have any milk at all or there simply isn't enough there's a chance that Betty's milk is meeting the kitten's nutritional needs for the time being. Ultimately mom's milk is healthiest for these newborns and it provides them with antibodies and perfect nutrition. Another explanation for Betty's milk production (if she is producing milk) is that being spayed causes a drop in certain hormones similar to the changes that would occur after giving birth so some queens will actually produce milk after being spayed, especially if the appropriate stimuli are present. I have seen cases where female cats who have been spayed and never given birth will produce milk and adopt the little ones when I foster orphaned kittens, so this is another possible explanation for Betty's attachment to this baby. It's perfectly normal for both of these girls to parent the kitten and it's not harmful in any way to the little one provided of course that Betty doesn't have any communicable viral or bacterial infections.

As I mentioned, the kittens are born with a fairly low resistance to infection so it's a good idea to make sure that anyone handling these babies washes their hands thoroughly with hot, soapy water before touching the mom, her babysitter or the kitten(s). I would also recommend that you change the bedding in the sleeping area frequently and especially if it becomes wet or soiled to prevent the kitten from getting cold or bacteria from forming in the nursery area. I also routinely disinfect litter boxes and food/water dishes with a weak bleach solution, 5 parts water to 1 part regular bleach. Food and water dishes should be disinfected daily while litter boxes can be done every few days if you use non-clumping kitty litter or once a week if you use clumping litter.

It's very important to provide a kitten sized litter box fairly early on because kittens start learning about how to use the box from their mom pretty early in life. Some kittens do need gentle tutorials on litter box use, if this is required you will need to gently place the kitten into the box whenever you see any sniffing/scratching behavior outside of the litter box or the kitten has just eaten, had a drink, woken up from a nap or has been playing for awhile. Potty training a kitten follows similar principles as potty training a small child except that it takes less time and is much less difficult - you simply place the little one into the litter box and gently use one or both front paws to dig a hole in the litter, then you'll need to be gently persistent about keeping the kitten in the box until s/he does the deed.

I have taken the liberty of including some information about training older cats and the new kitten and I've also provided an explanation about what declawing actually is and the potential risks of having this surgery done for your cats. A good addition to this feline family room/nursery would be a few sturdy scratch posts. It's important to make sure that these posts don't tip over easily because if the post tips and frightens them or falls on them it's not likely that the cat will use it again. The earlier that kittens are taught to use scratch posts to exercise their paws the better because most prospective adopters really don't want their furniture shredded. Scratch posts come in a variety of types and are made from different materials. Sisal posts and cardboard scratch pads are the most popular in my household with carpeted posts coming in at a close second. I feel that the issue of declawing is treated a little too casually by some pet parents and all too many veterinarians so I think it's important to help pet parents to fully understand this surgery and I think it's important to help cat caregivers understand that there are effective alternatives to this painful surgery.

Some veterinarians offer declawing as a "routine" part of their kitten wellness packages which often include deworming, vaccinations and spay/neuter surgery. Declawing a kitten is often done when the little one is brought in to be spayed/neutered. Declawing takes roughly 10-15 minutes in addition to the surgery to sterilize the cat and costs pet parents between $50-400. I understand that declawing a cat is sometimes necessary to keep them in their home and/or prevent them from being euthanized due to the damage to furniture if the cat isn't trained to use scratch pads or posts. I really feel that all too many pet parents aren't fully aware of what it actually means to declaw a cat and pet parents are often given a convincing sales pitch that outlines the advantages of this surgery by some veterinarians - this is something that I find disturbing to say the least.

It is my understanding that veterinarians are supposed to be professionals dedicated to the health and welfare of animals and not necessarily as concerned about the potential for profit. These animal doctors take an oath that promises they won't do any harm to the animals that they care for and of course that they will do their best to alleviate an animal's suffering humanely. To my way of thinking promoting declawing as a procedure to be performed as routinely as spay/neuter surgeries directly contradicts this. Declawing is an exceptionally painful surgery for the cat and there are serious surgical risks including bleeding and infection. When the surgery is complete the cat is left with stumps of bone where their first joint used to be - in some cases the pain is unbearable and cats actually change the way that they walk. Cats are designed to walk gracefully and smoothly on their toes and if they haven't been declawed most cats do exactly that. Some declawed cats change the way that they walk and they begin walking on the backs of their feet shortly after surgery in an attempt to alleviate/reduce the pain that they're experiencing as a result of being declawed.

I've spoken to a great many people who regret having their cat declawed and later wished that they hadn't consented to the surgery. I've talked with many confused pet parents whose cats underwent drastic personality changes such as becoming persistently depressed or anxious, in some of these cases cats have never been the same after the surgery. I've met so many declawed cats that still react as though they are in a significant amount of pain whenever anyone tries to touch their paws in fact some cats never allow anyone to touch their paws again after this surgery. Some of these changes are more pronounced in older cats that have been declawed, but they also occur quite commonly in younger cats. Some declawed cats can develop serious arthritis in their paws and this isn't something that all vets or caregivers will necessarily notice because cats can tolerate very high levels of pain or be quite sick without their human caregivers being aware of it, in fact by the time that most cats show signs of pain or illness things are often much more serious than they appear.

When a cat is declawed their claws, bones, tendons and ligaments are amputated at the first joint, this isn't just a permanent short nail trim, this is like having our fingers amputated at the first joint. Declawing can cause pretty serious behavioral issues later in a cat's life - cats who have been declawed are more likely to become biters and have litter box avoidance issues. Along with the anesthetic risks other potential problems with declawing include the potential for bleeding and infection. Later in life cats may develop arthritis, tendon or ligament problems because they've adjusted their walking to avoid bearing weight on the bone stumps left behind after being declawed.

Cats are highly trainable, if someone takes the time to teach them to use scratch posts and reward them for doing so even adult cats can be taught to use scratch posts or pads instead of furniture. I routinely place favorite cookies around my house in a treasure hunt to keep my cats occupied and we make sure to place treats near, on and around the scratch posts every time. All three of my resident cats sharpen on scratch posts or the cardboard scratch pads, while leaving the furniture alone the vast majority of the time - our youngest resident cat likes to test her limits occasionally by sitting up on her haunches and placing her paws onto the furniture while looking at us to gauge a response, she stops immediately when she's told "NO!" and she realizes that the rules haven't suddenly changed, once she's tested the limits she abandons the furniture and heads over to use her scratch posts.

Some small toys are always good, especially once the kitten starts being a bit more mobile. Toys should be light and easy to play with, some of my favorite choices for young kittens include feathers, soft foam balls shaped like ping pong balls (these are a quiet toy and they bounce unpredictably which is good for fulfilling the natural instinct of hunting and killing prey), kitty teases and you can of course play with the kitten using a length of old shoelace or ribbon, just be sure that you never leave these toys with the kitten when you aren't there to supervise because these items are commonly swallowed and they end up caught in the digestive tract which requires emergency surgery to remove them. You can have tons of fun using free/cheap toys like empty toilet paper rolls, a ball of aluminum foil, the plastic rings from jugs of juice or milk or you can even cut a new sponge into toy sized pieces and watch the little one play. Regardless of the types of toys you provide it's important to inspect them daily for signs of wear or damage, if the toy is damaged it should be replaced because it's best to avoid having the kitten ingest foreign bodies.

Nutrition is another important factor for nursing moms and young kittens. I am more than willing to provide information for you on this topic if you wish. After all, it sounds as though you have a pretty cat friendly household and nutrition is an important part of keeping everyone as healthy and happy as possible. Some of the information that I have exposes the dirty little secrets behind the pretty pictures that the pet food industry likes to paint for pet parents, other information on this topic includes being able to distinguish lower quality foods from high quality foods. Recent research has shown that cats who are fed high quality foods that provide proper nutrition can live well into their twenties and possibly longer so this is well worth checking into. I also wanted to bring some interesting research about vaccines and our pets to your attention. The short version is that we are administering vaccines to our pets far too frequently and the preliminary research suggests that this may account for certain auto-immune conditions, specific types of cancer and renal failure which are all becoming increasingly common in cats and other companion animals. My vet is a holistic practitioner and at her recommendation we have been cycling our vaccines for a number of years now to try and reduce the risks of some pretty serious health problems later on in the lives of our pets. I can provide more detailed information on this subject if you wish.