sore nipples

Question
hi there, my cat gave birth three days ago and the kittens have been suckling but when i check her nipples the end of the teat looks very red, i wiped it with a bit of tissue and it isent bleeding but the end of the teat looks quite sore after feeding, is there anything i can give her to soothe it as it does look quite painfull, also not all of her teats are swollen like they should be, only the bottom four seem to be good ones, is this because the kittens havent suckled on them? also the mother seems to have what feels like another kitten inside her but it doesnt move, the last 2 litters she had the same thing happend but it wasent quite as big, i was wondering if this could be her stomach because she is eating quite abit or is it her womb swollen due to the pressure of the kittens? she was due to be spayed on the 1st of febuary but because she showed no signs of coming into heat got pregnant in january. thanks. paigen

Answer
Paigen,

I am not a vet, but I would not worry about the teats.  As long as the kittens are getting milk and there is no real discoloration, all is OK. If the teats begin to darken and turn black, then you may have a nasty mastitis, but it would seem that is not what is going on here.  The kittens choose their teats and each tends to stick to one teat. The other teats that are not being used tend to begin to shrink back to normal.

After birth, it takes a few days for the uterus to shrink down to normal.  Also, during this time the queen is a bit constipated, and, until she has a good poop, it often seems that she is still with kitten.

I would keep an eye on things and if you suspect a problem, you can always check with your vet.

Congratulations on you new litter.  I wouyld get her spayed as soon as the kittens are weaned and she has reabsorbed her milk.

Best regards... Norm.