newborn kitten questions....?

Question

my neighbor moved away & left her 6-7 year old cat behind, who happened to be pregnant....... she had 5 babies on Valentine's Day, which is unusual for her, she usually has only 2 or 3...... i have a few questions about the kittens.........

1.) do kittens usually pant? they're not hot, I checked them, & they are nursing frequently, & the mother has plenty of milk, I checked that also...... any insight would be helpful

2.) how do I tell if the mother is "pooping" them, they look bloated sometimes, but I think it may be from eating alot..... I tried to "poop" them with a warm baby wipe, but only pee..... I may be just paranoid, but I know it can kill them if the don't poop, especially the first "plug" after birth, but they are not always bloated.... please give advice

3.) is there anything I can give mommy kitty to eat that may make her milk more nutritious & maybe give her a boost (I am only feeding her cat food right now, just regular, no special diet or anything)

thanks

yeah, they just left their cats (momma & 2 grown boys) luckily another neighbor found homes for the boys, but yeah, she should have been spayed long ago, her age is what had me so concerned, I know she is at least 6 or 7, but maybe more, but yeah, I have witnessed 3 litters, & only 2 or 3 babies each time, so I was shocked to see 5, but yeah, I thought they would have died if she had not made them poop, but the seem pretty active for a week old, as far as i can tell, they move around & mew, & they nurse often, but thankfully we have a friend who volunteers at a no kill shelter, she is gonna help us get them spayed/neutered when the babies are old enough & I am gonna find good homes for them...... my husband & I just couldn't let momma kitty have her babies outside in the cold & let them die, so we took her in...... thanks for any & all advice everybody!

Answer 1

They have more taste buds than a human and sometimes are tasting the air around them. That is what I was always told any way and I was told that the main time I had to worry was when their noses were hot and dry

Sounds like they are doing fine and she sounds like a good mama. Some times they can eat so much they look like they will pop. Just keep an eye on Momma. They usually potty after they nurse and she will clean them immediately after that. (Our Momma cat still tries to clean the boys she had and they are almost 18 months.)

We always gave the mom kitten food because it has extra vitamins and minerals and it will of course be passed on to the babies. Just be sure and always have plenty of water available to her.

Answer 2

since you cannot take them to the shelter you can get them a foster mother cat or you can: keep them warm , Keep kittens warmMake a nest of clean rags, old rugs or old towels. It is very important that newborn kittens keep warm. If a kitten is too cold it will die. Put the rags and towels in a closed-in box and make sure there are enough that the kittens can burrow under the folds for warmth. You can also put a heating pad under the towels or box, but make sure it is set on low. Another way that will help warm a chilled kitten is to place it next to your skin under your clothing. Do not feed a kitten that is not warm. Doing so will kill it. The temperature for a kitten should be between 95 and 96 degrees F. Bottle-feeding a newborn kittenFeed your newborns often. Like human babies, they eat often. There are many homemade versions of kitten replacement milk, but they are not always safe due to misused ingredients. Remember to never feed a newborn kitten the kind of milk found in a grocery store. Their stomachs do not tolerate it well. Instead you can buy goat milk in some grocery stores and a special kitten milk replacement found in pet stores and pet aisles. Both of these will be safe for your kittens. To feed them, fill an eyedropper with the milk and squeeze drops into the mouth slowly. Make sure the head is not all the way back or they could choke. You could also use a small pet syringe or pet baby bottle sold alongside the milk replacement. Kittens will generally need to be fed in this way until they're between 3 and 6 weeks old. Move your kitten's bowels and bladder by wiping the areas with a wet rag while applying very slight pressure. Also do this to the abdomen. Kittens have no control over the muscles to make a bowel or bladder movement yet. That is why you will see the mother licking the back of them after feeding. Since you are the surrogate mom, you will need to do it. Neglecting this part of their care can cause them to be very sick and die. In time they will be able to do it on their own. Nurturing a newbornHold your newborns often. Don't allow overhandling by everyone in the house, but as their surrogate they will need held by you. This bonding and nurturing is essential to a kitten's growth. Each kitten needs about three hours a day of holding and nurturing. The mother cat massages and cleans with her tongue. You can use a rag to accomplish this also by stroking the kitten all over its body gently. By doing this cleaning, massaging, holding and nurturing you can increase your newborn kitten's chance of survival greatly. .

Answer 3

Newborn kittens hissing is often mistaken for panting. They are quite similar. They are probably hissing because they are afraid. Handle them often to make them more social. The bloating you are talking about, I assume, is the pot bellied appearance? That is normal, they are getting well fed. You should be giving the mother kitten food now. It is high in calories, which she will need since she is feeding babies. Keep her on the kitten chow until she weans the babies. I assure you she is "pooping' them, otherwise they would have died by now.

It's nice of you to have taken her in and care for her since her owners are obviously to irresponsible. I'm glad she has you to take care of her. Now, she is middle aged and shouldn't have any more babies. Since you said she usually has three babies, it leads me to believe that she has had several litters. Another sign of the former owners irresponsiblity. She should have been spayed long ago. When she has weaned these babies, please get her spayed. Her poor body must be so tired from having litter after litter. When the babies are old enough, please have them fixed as well so they dont have to go through that as well. There are already too many unwanted animals in the world, spaying and neutering will help lower that. Thanks for caring for her and her babies!!

Answer 4

Kittens shouldn't "pant", but they certainly may open their mouths and make soundless "cries". If they are nursing frequently, and moving around, you probably don't have anything to worry about. That's what the mother cat is for. If you are feeding her a high quality cat food, free choice (food always available), she will get the nutrition she needs. Examples are Eukanube, Iams, Purina One. But, if she is not acting well, you should take her to the vet. Good luck!

Answer 5

I think you are worrying too much. Actually sounds like they are fine. Leave the mom to do the work and let them alone to nurse and bond with mom.

Give the mom a very nutritious, high fat high protein food while she is nursing the kittens. You can suppliment with some canned food for a while, anything to keep her weight and milk production up.

Answer 6

sometimes they look fat cause of the milk there drinking..the vet told me to get some kitten chow for the mama so she has extra vitamins and nutrients to make the milk...if the babys keep panting get them to the vet and get it checked out...[.good luck[ the mama cat will clean and make them pee and poo.it;s in their genes...