A few questions about kittens..?

Question

my cat just had kittens..
my first question is:

why are the kittens opening there mouths and making a weird breathingish almost like a gagging noise..

and also
the mum cat stretches out her claws and then shrinks them back in and stretches them out again constantly while th kittens are feeding..

and should they all have opened there eyes by now..its been a week and a half..and 2 have both there eyes open, 1 has 1 eye open and the other one is only lil tiny but open .. it makes it look like it has down syndrome or something similar..is that normal? and the last one hasnt opened its eyes yet at all and there is yellow crusty stuff over the slits of its unopened eyes..

is it ok to help the open there eyes ?

Answer 1

Your kittens may be hungry or they are not getting enough air. Try and pick one up and maybe take to outside so that it can breathe some fresh air. The mum maybe laying on them too hard and they can't breathe.
The mum is fine when she stretches out. What she is doing is called making bread. Cats do that when they are relaxed and happy.
Oh, that's fine. Some kittens open their eyes in two months, some even three. A week doesn't measure up to a month. And about the yellow crust... you know when you wake up and and wash your face how there is yellow crust in the corner of your eye? That is dried salt water tears. The kittens can't lick themselves yet, so the crust stays on them and glues their eyes shut. The runt will probably be the last to open up his/her eyes. It depends how much the mum licks them. About helping them open their eyes, I think that it wouldn't hurt them, but it would be wiser to let them come lose by themselves. Hope that this works out for you!!

Answer 2

DO NOT OPEN THEIR EYES!!! you could cause serious and permanent damage to their eyes for life, they are not fully developed and need time to develop before they open on their own, it is normal that some have one eye open the other clsed etc when they are ready the eyes will open all the way on their own. As for the mother kneading her claws is a sign of contentment all cats do it while they are nursing, just like they do when they are happy and sitting on your lap. For the kitten with the crusty eyes first dont listen to the person above who said to use SALT.. salt BURNS horribly when you get it in a cut or wound or in your eyes, use a clean cloth with plain lukewarm water and wipe kittys eyes every day, encourage the momma to do it as well by holding the kitty under her nose while you wipe she should be prompted to lick him then. Also I dont mean to be rude but please there really are too many cats being euthanised in shelters daily, if you can please get your cat spayed or keep her inside at all times, she will be safer, happier and have a longer life. Cats can get sexually transmitted diseases, injuries from mating behaviour and have litter after litter until their bodies are worn out!! If you love your cat keep her from having babies please.

Answer 3

hi the kittens are just fine as far the one one with the yellow crust under the eye lid all you have to do is wash it off with warm water and a soft rag or cloth and then gently open the eye it is perfectly safe the eyes take a while to open because their is so many layers in a cats eye. the layers have to finish the developing process before the eye is ready to open . my kittens had the same problems and I did exactly what I told you and they are all fine and healthy. they only thing you have to do is continually watch the eye of the kitten that had the yellow crust on it. if it crusts over again then repeat. also I recommend taking it to the vet and get eye drops they really help trust me. as far as the sound the kittens make they cant meow right away SO its just the way they communicate with there mother before their voice get stronger.

Answer 4

NO!!!! UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU OPEN THEIR EYES!!!! They will open in time, let mother nature take her course.

The mother is needing, it's a sense of comfort. You see the little babies do it. It's a habit cats keep into adulthood.

If you are concerned about the kittens breathing and yellow crusty stuff, take them to the vet. That's the best bet. We can give you suggestions here, but we may not have the whole story, and a vet will tell you exactly what to do.

Answer 5

the whole opening mouth and noise thing is normal. when our cat had kittens, they were doing the same thing.
the claws thing is normal as well. it is a sign that she is happy, so dont worry about that.
eyes can sometimes be a bit slow opening. the yellow crusty stuff is a concern though. i would put a little salt in some warm water and bath its eyes with cotton wool to try to soften and remove the gunk. keep doing this until it clears up. if it doesnt clear up in a couple of days, best take it to the vet. it may need some eye drops.

Answer 6

DO NOT try to open their eyes, you could do some serious damage.

take them to a vet

were they inbred? (eg is the father related to the mother?)

yellow crusty stuff - could be these kittens are sick and need a vet.

the moms behavior is normal.

if your cat IS NOT purebred, registered cat of show quality you should have her spayed. with 2 MILLION kittens euthanized every year your cat is contributing to the problem. IF your kittens find homes it means somebody elses did not so - Spay your cat.

Answer 7

i exploit Purina for all my fosters. i don't be responsive to ways it compares fee clever, even nevertheless it fairly is marvelous for the cats (and that they have variations for cats, kittens, indoor, elderly, ect). What you decide on for to do is blend the nutrition. at first use a great sort of thier present day nutrition to a splash of the recent nutrition and slowly opposite the proportions. As for one in each and every of those nutrition, shop this in thoughts: Kitten nutrition is plenty greater in nutrition that "turning out to be" cats choose. in the experience that your older cat isn't too heavy it fairly is fantastic for him/her to consume if. the guideline of thumb that I even have heard and persist with is that kittens could desire to have kitten nutrition up til they are approximately 9 months old (it rather is while they are no longer seen a kitten). From 9-twelve months I generally blend kitten and grownup nutrition. good success and enjoy your new toddlers!

Answer 8

kittens will do weird things, the mom is just trying to handle pain of her babies sucking every drop out of her nipples, because i dont know if you've ever been pregnant or breastfed a baby before but ****around that hurts! and the kittens will open there eyes on there own time i would ask a animal doctor before helping them though, and you can wipe there eyes very gently with a luke warm soft washcloth other wise the mom will clean them

Answer 9

All of this is normal except for the eyes,dont try to open them and take them to a vet.

Answer 10

The eyes may be late.. But I suggest you take them all to the vet. You cant put a price on love!