4 nipple cat

Question
I found a stray cat who is very pregnant. We took her in our home to give her and babies a good place to birth. She has been here for a couple of weeks and is getting huge. I noticed yesterday that her bottom 4 nipples aren't there. I know that sounds crazy, but there isn't a nub or raise anything. She has the circle where there isn't any hair but completly flat like scar tissue. Can this cat mother a litter of kittens ever if there are 6 of em? Please help me. I want to help her but am concerened and might take her to the SPCA for assistance.

Answer
Hi Michelle,

Well, there are all kinds of birth defects that happen and she may have just been born without those nipples.  If she has more than four kittens you may need to help her out by hand nursing some of the kittens.  You can get some kitten milk replacement (KMR or Just Born) and a nursing kit from your local pet store.  You'll probably just need to supplement and trade off letting the kittens nurse on mom.  If you see one is not growing as fast as the others pay special attention to that one and make sure he gets plenty of the milk replacement.  You don't want to use regular cows milk as this will give the kittens diarrhea and that can be deadly to a newborn.  In a pinch you can use goat's milk or lactose free milk, but the milk replacements are specially formulated for a kittens needs.  Hopefully she'll have four or less kittens (four is an average litter, she may look like she's going to have ten or more but they get that big even when there's only four in there) and you won't have to do anything.