She does not want to spend time with the kitten. Is this normal? What should we do. If we leave her in the room alone and get out of sight she will claw at the door and meow like crazy. If we are in the room she lays down on the floor and wants to be petted. She only stays in the box with the kitten for less than a minute at a time. We called the vet but they said they will call us back.
2006-07-11 11:08:28 · 10 answers · asked by B 7 in Pets ➔ Cats
okay, you don't have much time here as a newborn kitten needs to nurse or will dehydrate quickly and die. see if your son can sit with mama kitty and get her to nurse the kitten while your son pets her and keeps her calm. if not someone MUST go out to your local pet store or a chain store like petsmart or petco and buy infant kitten nurser bottle(s) and premixed kitten formula.
you need to go before it gets too late nd the stores close. the bottle nipple will not have a hole in it and you will need to take a sewing needle and heat the end of it in the gas flame of the stove until it glows orange and pierce the top of the nipple. you want the formula to drip out between a slow to medium flow not fast as the kitten could aspirate the formula in to its lungs. make sure you wash the nipple and bottle well and if you have time you can boil some water and sterilize the bottle and nipple, but atleast make sure it is clean. depending on your sons age he may want to be the one to feed the baby or maybe you? lay kitten on floor or lap and gently tip head back a little and put nipple in its mouth he may or may not start to suck right away. it will be new to him so it make take a minute or two. gently apply constant pressure to the sides of the bottle(gently, you don't want to squirt formula in to his mouth or throat as it will go in to his lungs and that is a death sentence) you can go to the vet and have them show you or see if they know of someone who already has a nursing queen that will foster the baby or maybe one of the vet techs or front office people will raise it until it is old enough to be adopted if you decide not to keep it. kitten will need to be fed every 4 hours and through the night. you will need to get some cotton balls and dip them is warm water and apply gentle pressure to the genitals to encourage peeing and poop(poop may not start right away).
this stimulation process is vital and must be done after each feeding. i know it sounds like alot of work, but it is very rewarding.
little kitty mama maybe young and inexperienced and doesn't really know what to do with the baby. if you have any questions or
concerns you can email me at
www.kaylamay64@yahoo.com
it isn't unusual for a young maybe first time mama to have only one kitten. try feeling her stomach to see if you feel any other babies. she may need to go to the vet. she wants to be around you all because she is confused and nervous about this pain and new little wriggly thing that keeps poking at her tummy.
ps. i forgot, keep baby warm. use hot water bottle or a sports drink bottle with hot water in it(tight cap) and put it under a towel
and place kitten on it or next to it. you can use a heating blanket too.
just because she only had one kitten doesn't mean there is anything wrong with mama or baby. if you are not sure whether there are other babies still inside then mama must go to the vet.
if she is no longer straining or looking uncomfortable then there is probably only one kitten. cats will have 3-4-5-6 or more kittens because there is usually more than one father. maybe your little mama only had one boyfriend and they only had time for a quicky making only one baby.(i'm not kidding)
2006-07-11 11:38:08 · answer #1 · answered by kaylamay64 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Cats recognize their young by smell. If your son has handled the kitten too much, it has lost its scent and the mother won't recognize it. Take a blanket the mother sleeps on (or another item) and rub it on the kitten. It may pick up the mother's smell and remind her that it's hers. Encourage her to lick it.
The other possibility, and it's a sad one, is that the cat will not care for the kitten. Often, if a kitten is sick or not fully developed, the mother will abandon it or worse - eat it. Why did she only have one kitten? Did the rest die? There may be something wrong with the one that was born. Keep a close eye on them both. Also, the kitten should be quite warm. If it feels cooler than the mother, it is probably sick and won't make it.
When my cat had a litter, there was one kitten that she ignored, and it died after less than 24 hours. Very sad, but that's the way it works sometimes.
2006-07-11 18:17:03 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
She may not know what to do. Remember, kittens need to eat like every three hours, so if they aren't, they will probably die. Call the vet's office again and give them an update. They should be able to make the time for you.
Please, have your cat spayed as soon as possible to prevent more litters.
Wait, I just noticed this - why did she only have one kitten? Was she only pregnant with one kitten? How did this happen? This is not normal and makes me wonder if something is going on with the mother. . .Again, call your vet or bring them both to an emergency clinic.
2006-07-11 18:15:56 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's not really normal to only have one kitten. I'm guessing maybe she isn't finished yet, so she's uncomfortable -- and apparently wants her humans WITH her through this process. Some kitties are like that.
If this is her first litter, she may just be really freaked out and not even yet realize that's her baby. Get her to lie down, pet her and calm her, then put the baby on her belly to suckle. If she's not going to "mother" it or "them" if that be the case, you're going to have to get to a pet store and get kitten formula and tiny bottles to hand-feed the baby/babies. Stay with her as much as possible, keep calling the vet, and good luck!!!
2006-07-11 18:22:13 · answer #4 · answered by Shadycat 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The kitten may not be well. See if you can get it to a vet. Mother cats will ignore a kitten that isn't likely to survive. I'm sorry for the bad news, but I am a cat person, and have seen this many times.
I hope for your sake that I am wrong.
Good luck, my thoughts are with you. â¥
2006-07-11 18:15:06 · answer #5 · answered by PariahMaterial 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I once had a cat that did the same thing, unfortunately the mother completely ignored the kitten and I ended up hand raising it. Good luck and I hope the vet can help you too!!
2006-07-11 18:12:53 · answer #6 · answered by Tortured Soul 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not all animals are born with the perfect motherly bond. She probably doesn't know what to do. What you do is lock her in a room with the kitten. You can also stay in the room and put the kitten on her nipple to nurse. You may need to teach her.
2006-07-11 18:21:07 · answer #7 · answered by Serinity4u2find 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's how my cat was with her kittens, and I waited too long and the poor kittens passed away, maybe you could try bottle feeding the kitten? It may work
2006-07-11 18:12:57 · answer #8 · answered by ohLALA 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
WAIT FOR THE CALL OR CALL BACK THE KITTEN IS IN NEED OF CARE
2006-07-11 18:13:36 · answer #9 · answered by Penney S 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you should be happy you got a pet that loves you. so
2006-07-11 18:44:05 · answer #10 · answered by caleb h 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋