Our cat & her kittens

Question
Hello Michelle,

We have a cat (Mercedes) who is nearly a year old, and recently had her first litter of seven kittens - five of which have survived. They are 11 days old today (May 9th).

Her first two kittens were born outside, so this is why the first born didn't survive. The second born almost didn't make it but thankfully we got him warm in time. The other kitten that didn't survive is because Mercedes kept taking these brand new kittens under the bed where it's so cold. So, this is when I stepped in and now keep them warm in some blankets and a hot water bottle.

Then when it's time to feed, Mercedes comes in and does her mom stuff with them. When she gets up and leaves after feeding; the kittens will often cry for her still. I don't know if it's because they're still hungry. So, my questions is how long is a good amount of time for her to feed? She feeds two - three times a day. We are trying to make sure they all eat but because they've only "activated" four out of eight of her nipples this leaves one always frantically fighting with the others to eat. It's so hard to get them to try and get another nipple going.

I do have a recipe and have tried feeding the one who gets left out, but the kitten doesn't usually take to the bottle for long. Then it's back to being frantic and crying even louder now, which in turn worries Mercedes who will tend to this kitten I'm feeding then all kittens are un-latched from her and crying now too. AAAAA!!!

It almost feels like I'm a new mom again with her. Because I'm making sure they're warm and fed. I also feel very lucky to be allowed to be so close to her kittens. The kittens are so amazing to watch. My daughter and I call them little rascals so three out of five have been named Spanky, Buckwheat, and Darla. The other two are Miley, and Patches. Their eyes are opening now, and they are holding their heads up longer as if to be looking around. I'm guessing that they are listening to where mom is. Anyway, I look forward to hearing back from you Michelle.

Thank you for your time,
Anita

Answer
The feeding amount per day is average for the mother cat, actually.
The babies may be crying because mom is leaving them and they are cold as well.
You can continue with the bottle-feeding attempts until the babies catch, but also make sure the babies are warm. Place some bedding around them, making sure they are not fully covered by it, and also place them in a warmer area of the house as well.
Mom is getting up because the nursing is apparently hurting her. But if she does goes back and nurses then all should be well.
Keep an eye on the kittens,and their gradual weight gain. Watch that mom keeps feeding, and give it a week or two. Kitten feeding does not last all that long normally.
Good luck.