Expert: Jessica - 3/24/2010

Question
Hi,
My cat Goblin had four beautiful kittens two days ago,it was her first litter.Yesterday they were killed by a neighbor's small dog that came in the house with one of our children's friends. Goblin was not in the closet, I think she may have been eating.She keeps going into the closet where they were at, and looking at me and giving a small squeak, her milk has come in and she looks very uncomfortable.I feel so bad, is there anything we can do to help her? She eats if we stand next to her dish with her.How long will she grieve for her lost kittens? Any help is appreciated.  Thank  you.

Answer
Hello Sunshine.  How sad!  Unfortunately, there is really nothing you can do for poor Goblin.  Try to encourage her to interact with the family as much as you can, and keep her routine going as regularly as possible.  Feed her on her regular schedule in her usual spot, try not to make any additional changes in her life, and most certainly, try to keep visitors out of the house for now.  Goblin needs some peace and quiet with as little stress as possible to recover.  She will probably need some extra coddling to help her get over the grief.  Try to be patient about her clinginess, tempt her to eat with special treats of chicken baby food, and perhaps allow her to sleep with you if this is a special privilege.  How long she searches for her babies will depend entirely on her as an individual.  Most cats continue to call their kittens for about two weeks, but there are those who seem to get over the loss in just a few days, and those who slip into a deep depression for several weeks.  If she can't seem to get past it after a month or if she stops eating, you should get her to a vet.  Some cats need treatment with an antidepressant.

As for her engorgement, you can try applying a cool compress to her mammary area.  This can help reduce pain and swelling, but most cats aren't willing to tolerate the discomfort of the compress.  The body will begin to resorb the milk in about 7-10 days.  At this time, you can have her spayed.

If you notice any dark redness or purple in the mammary area, if there is any crusty discharge, the area becomes hot to the touch or there is any red vein-like pattern leading away from the teats, you should consult a vet.  These are signs of mastitis, an infection of the mammary glands that sometimes occurs when kittens stop nursing suddenly.  It should be treated with antibiotics.

I imagine the children have been warned that no neighbors' dogs should be allowed in the house any longer, but if not, have this talk right away.  Many small dogs, especially of the terrier family, are innate hunters, and they are dangers not only to newborns, but to adult cats as well.  I learned this the hard way (and so did my poor cat)!  Even if dogs are "cat friendly", animal visitors to your home are very stressful to your kitty, and a blanket no-dogs policy would be a good idea.

Best of luck!

Jessica