queening

Question
Hi again,

Continuing on from previous queries.  My persian has gone on to have two more kittens, total of four so far.  I have removed two still born and left the two small ones in there with her.  The queen wants to leave the room with me, she won't feed the kittens and wants to be by me, she seems desperate to leave the room and follow me.  I tried picking up the kittens (in a cloth) and putting them on her but she just gets up and tries to follow me.    She doesn't seem interested in feeding them at all.  When I pick them up she growls but rubs herself all over me.

She normally is a very affectionate cat with me, when i sit down she's on my knee.
I think i will be getting her fixed after this litter as this is the second litter that have been stillborn or premature. Why does this keep happening?  Do you have any ideas.

Answer
Tanya,

I'm wondering if there is any possibility that the repeated issues with pregnancy and premature labor are related to toxoplasmosis which is a microscopic parasite found in cat feces. There is very little risk of this parasite causing problems provided that litter boxes are kept very clean. In order to prevent problems with toxoplasmosis it's important to scoop the litter box at least once daily and promptly discard the waste properly. At minimum litter boxes should be completely emptied, washed thoroughly with dish soap, rinsed well and disinfected with a mild bleach solution then allowed to air dry. I normally use a bleach solution that's 5 parts water to 1 part bleach and it works well. Toxoplasmosis can be associated with premature labor in people so your vet may be able to tell you if this is a likely issue in your kitty's case. Normally cats have very little problems with premature labor and delivery, that's why we have so many issues with overpopulation and pets being born that are unwanted.

I'm concerned that mom may be rejecting her kittens or that she may not have the maternal instinct. It's tough to decide what to do in this case, however I suspect that if you leave things alone and do nothing there's a good chance that the kittens could die, especially if mom's refusing to nurse them unless you are right there with her. I'm thinking that it's a good idea to have the kittens and mom assessed by a vet as soon as possible to determine what condition everyone's in. Mom's anxiety could point to more kittens being left behind and a stalled labor. There may also be an issue with infection of the womb or mammary glands as this can sometimes happen in intact female cats. If it's at all possible to have the kittens and their mother assessed immediately (within the next 8 hours or so) you could just wait and see what mom does if she's left in a warm, dimly lit room by herself with the usual kitty amenities and her babies. I would recommend that you ensure that the queen's bedding is changed so that her bed is lined with clean, dry towels, this will help to keep the kittens warm and may help mom to settle down and begin bonding with her new babies. Cats tend to be kind of solitary during labor, delivery and the immediate period of time after delivery. It's sometimes a question of allowing mom to get her bearings and learn what needs to be done.

I'm not entirely sure what's happening at this point or how long it's been since the kittens were born. I would recommend that you assess the kittens by checking to see if they are dehydrated. You can do this by gently pinching the extra skin at the scruff of their necks, if the skin stays put or doesn't return back to the normal position quickly the kittens are dehydrated. If the kittens seem cold or they are aggitated (crying a lot, not latching on well to nurse) it may be a sign that mom isn't able to feed her babies. If this is the case you may have to intervene by providing supplemental feedings of kitten milk replacer (KMR, Mammalac, Just Born). I normally feed orphaned/rejected kittens by using a brand new oral syringe for each kitten, mixing the formula according to the instructions and gently inserting the tip of the syringe into the side of the kitten's mouth. Some kittens will take awhile to get the hint, but they generally catch on quickly, especially if they're hungry. After feeding and gently burping the kittens place them back with mom and she should be willing to clean them up and stimulate them to use the toilet. It's very important that you feed newborn kittens with all four feet facing the floor, they can inhale their formula and drown if fed like a human baby.

If mom refuses to clean the kittens you will have to stimulate them to use the toilet, this is done using a cotton ball moistened with warm water or a natural, unscented baby wipe and gently wiping from genitals to bottom repeatedly. Mother cats will usually begin by bathing the kittens from their face to their back and body then gently turning them over to do under their chin, belly and back end. I find that giving the kittens a full bath before attempting to stimulate them to use the toilet works best. Getting a kitten to use the toilet can take some time and patience, especially if you are new at it. Kittens usually pee quite readily, getting them to poop is a bit trickier and it's every bit as important. Kittens that aren't stimulated to use the toilet will actually pass urine and stool, however it's done on an overflow basis which isn't healthy for them. Kittens don't have much of an immune system when they're born so it's very important to keep their environment extremely clean and dry. Washing and sanitizing hands is also important before and after handling mom and her babies to minimize the risks of viral/bacterial infections for the new family.

Right now your priority is to have mom and babies properly checked by a vet. Keep everyone clean, warm and hydrated and they stand a chance of survival. I would highly recommend that you not breed mom again as it sounds like her genetics are kind of shaky when it comes to troubled pregnancies. If mom requires a caesarian to remove one or more kittens that were left behind I would encourage you to have the vet spay her at the same time, this will prevent further difficulties with pregnancy and rearing her babies. I'm more than willing to offer advice or clarify things if you need me to, after all it can be a bit daunting to take on the responsibility of feeding newborn kittens by hand every 1-3 hours and doing all of the care that their mother normally would. Mother cats are generally quite maternal and conscientious, however there are exceptions to every rule.