Kittens got new home, worried about mother cat.

Question
Hello, my cat just had her first litter of kittens eight weeks ago.  We found new homes for them very quickly.  I had no problem saying good bye to the 6 little guys but I feel extremely guilty because the mother cat is obviously depressed about losing them.  She called them for 24 hours straight and insistently used the litter box (which she hasn't used in months).  Before the kittens we would never see her in the house, she's always loved the outdoors, but since we've gotten rid of the kittens she insists on being inside and sleeps with one eye open.  Like I said, I feel extremely guilty and I know she'll get over it but is there any way to help her through it?  Also, it looks like she's building up milk but has no one to drink it.  Will that go away also?

Answer
Renee:

Your cat has separation anxiety. She is missing her kittens and the comfort and companionship they provided. Naturally a cure would be to get one of the kittens back. Cats need cat companionship especially to cuddle with.  In some cases, anti-anxiety medication may be needed for a short time. These medications may include Buspar, Prozac, and Clomicalm. These are not labeled specifically for use in cats, and their use must be prescribed and monitored by your veterinarian.

She also can get a shot to dry up her milk or you can manually express the milk plus use warm compresses several times a day to promote draining. If she continues to have unexpressed milk she will get mastitis. That is a very painful condition. It is an infection in her mammary glands which can lead to abscesses and a very sick cat.

I would give your vet a call tomorrow and discuss ways to deal with her physical and emotional condition.

Thanks for writing. I hope everything turns out OK.

Carol