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Expert: - 6/9/2009


Question
We have a couple of cats that hang around our house that we feed. One in particular had kittens, and she's not the friendly type of cat, you can get near her, but not very close. Well, we found her kittens, and they're about three-four weeks old, but their eyes aren't open yet, and appear to be matted shut, and one kitten is anemic. It also appears that one kitten was eating most of the food, as the other two are very, very little. We just took them away from the mother today, because they are looking quite sick. We've bought many things to nurse them back to help, but are very concerned about the mother. Will she be alright?

Answer
Amy,

Yes, the mother will be fine.  She may grieve for her kittens for a couple of weeks, but they are getting to the age where she would have begun weaning them.

At 3-4 weeks of age, the kittens can be weaned. We find a good strained meat baby food (only ingredients are strained meat and broth or gravy) is a handy thing to have around to start the weaning process.  You can also make a "soup" from a little strained meat baby food and unflavored Pedialyte to help get their electrolytes back in balance. If they will not lap the "soup" on their own, you can gently syringe it into them of use a pet nurser.

Please let me know how things turn out with the kittens. Also, let me know if you have any questions about the weaning process.

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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