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Expert: - 5/10/2009


Question
Hi, please help! My cat had her kittens 4 days ago! She had three and it's her first (and only) litter. Day one was beautiful and all was well. Day two, much the same. However, by day three she had attacked one in the middle of the floor (away from her nest under the bed). All the kittens are feeding and pooping and are a healthy weight. Since day three, she has only tried moving the kittens. She is however only moving the one and either leaving it alone or going with it to feed it alone. She's getting very stressed as, as soon as she leaves the kitten, it starts to cry and she doesn't attend to the other two. I put the kitten back as she's made no attempt to move the others along with it and she's ok for a while, but then the same thing happens again. I'm confused and I'm afraid some will die from the cold if left alone! I can't be in the house 24/7 so I don't know what I should be doing!

Thanks,

Laura

Answer
Laura,

Often, a mama moves the one kitten like that because she feels that there is something wrong with it.  Unfortunately, more often than not, mama is correct.

At this stage it is important to keep the kitten warm.  You can supplement the kitten with a formula (you can find a good kitten milk replacer at the local pet supermarket).  At this age, the kitten may nurse off a bottle (pet nurser), but it may do better if you tube feed the kitten.  Your vet can show you how to do this.

A good feeding schedule for newborns is midnight, 7:00 AM, 1:00 PM, and 7:00 PM.  They should get about 2-3 mL of formula for every 4 oz (100 mg) of body weight.  We use a digital postal scale to weigh kittens.

If you have any more questions, please follow up.

BTW, we have had little success pulling these "rejected" kittens through.

Good luck and 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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