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Cats/post partum diarehea

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Expert: - 4/25/2009


Question
my cat had a liter of 5 about a week and a half ago and since she has had VERY lose stool, is it normal for a nursing mother to experience diarehea, and also what can i give her to help get her regular, i was going to give her rice with her food.

Answer
Stacey,

I am not a vet, but, usually, queens tend to have post partum constipation.  I would keep an eye on it and see what happens. If the stool is loose but somewhat formed, I would not worry.  However, if it is liquid, you have to watch for dehydration in the mama given that she is using quite a bit of fluid to nurse kittens.

What you might do is to get some unflavored Pedialyte and make a soup out of some of that and a small amount of strained meat baby food (only ingredients should be strained meat and broth or gravy). If she will drink this, it will keep her from getting dehydrated.

If the diarrhea persists, you may need to see your vet. Anything you give the mama may pass through the milk to the kittens, so you must be very, very careful.

Best regards... Norm.  

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Norman Auspitz

Expertise

I can answer most non-veterinary questions about cats. My particular expertise is pedigree cats, breeding and showing. However, I am versed in feline behavior, cat breeds and their characteristics, general feline husbandry, and the like.

Experience

I judged for the Canadian Cat Association from 1975 until 1982. I am currently an approved allbreed judge for the Cat Fanciers'' Association (the world''s largets cat registry), and have been judging for them since 1991. I have been breeding pedigreed cats since 1971 and have been exhibiting pedigreed cats in shows since 1970. I obtained my first pedigreed cat in 1970 and have never looked back. In 1971, I obtained my first Abyssinian which has become my primary breed. In addition, I have bred Manx and Persians. Currently, besides the Abyssinians, I am also breeding Maine Coons.


Organizations
Cat Fanciers'' Association, inc. (CFA) and the Manx, Maine Coon, and Abyssinian breed councils. I am currently Abyssinian breed council secretary.

Publications
Cat Fancy Magazine, The Abyssinian Chapter in The Cat Fanciers'' Association Complete Cat Book, and Articles for various editions of The Cat Fanciers'' Association Yearbook

Education/Credentials
I received a B.S. from Drexel University in 1968, a M.Math from University of Waterloo, in 1970, a Ph.D. from University of Waterloo in 1975, and a MBA from McMaster University in 1980. I received my approved allbreed judging status in the Cat Fanciers'' Association in 1999.

Awards and Honors
We have produced a number of Cat Fanciers'' Association (CFA) National winning Abyssinian and Maine Coons. We have produced a number of Abyssinian and Maine Coon Distinguished Merit females (an award for a top producing cat), including the first Distinguished Merit Abyssinian in the red (sorrel) color. I am the CFA Abyssinian breed council secretary and belong and/or hold office in a number of cat clubs. I am also a member of the CFA Judges Association.

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