mastitis

Question
my 1 year old cat had kittens & after 1 1/2 wks she no longer wants to feed. i think she may have mastitis. how much will this cost to have it fixed?

Answer
Christy,

I can't say for sure what the cost will be for treatment. Your vet would be the best person to provide you with an estimate. If your cat does have mastitis she's probably quite sore and the kittens really shouldn't be nursing from her infected teats. This is an issue that should be addressed promptly, I suspect that the vet will need to confirm a diagnosis of mastitis and prescribe appropriate antibiotics to treat the infection. Your vet will also be able to tell you more about feeding your cat's young family, it's quite possible that s/he will advise against allowing mom to feed her kittens so that they don't become ill by ingesting the contaminated milk. In all likelihood you'll probably have to hand rear the kittens using syringes and a kitten milk replacer at least until mom's infection clears up. I can provide you with information about how to feed and care for these kittens if you need it.