Summary
Problems may occur with the queen or kittens after birthing occurs. These include the queen not caring for the kittens, the kittens not gaining weight, the queen developing health issues and more. This article discusses these problems and how to address them to provide the best care possible to the family.
Problems to Watch for in Queens Post-Delivery
There are problems to be aware of and watch out for in queens after they deliver their kittens.
The Queen Ignores a Kitten
The queen removes a kitten from the nest and does not feed or care for a kitten. If this happens, look for obvious signs of a congenital defect, injury or illness in the kitten. Also check the queen for signs of illness, including discharge from the vulva and mastitis in the mammary glands (see below). If there are no obvious signs of illness or injury, and to ensure that the kitten did not just get “lost”, reintroduce the kitten to the queen and monitor closely to see if the kitten is truly rejected.
If so, begin caring for the kitten yourself as described in Problems to Watch for When Caring for Bottle Kittens. If the kitten does not gain weight or begin to thrive, or there are signs of illness or injury, take the kitten to a veterinary professional.
A Kitten Is Not Gaining Weight
Even if it appears that the kittens are all nursing, they may not be getting any or enough milk from the queen. This will become evident as you weigh the kittens every day. Make sure the queen is getting enough food and water to produce milk. Ensure that each kitten can access a nipple and latches on. If there are more kittens than nipples available or one kitten is very small and unable to push others out of the way to get milk, you may need to supplement some or all of the kittens with a bottle depending on their weight gains or arrange some alone time for that kitten with the queen so each kitten has a chance to suckle adequately. If a kitten is not nursing, immediately step in to bottle or syringe-feed the kitten.
Check for any medical reason a kitten may not be gaining weight, e.g. a cleft palate or an illness. Some illnesses may not be obvious, so kittens who are not gaining weight daily after a day or two will need to see a veterinarian. The younger they are, the sooner they need intervention.
The Queen Won’t Let You Handle Her Kittens
Several possible strategies may enable you to touch the kittens to weigh them daily or evaluate their general health:
- Wait for a time the queen is away from the nest. Diverting her attention with food may help.
- Use a long-handled, wide spoon or ladle to remove and return each kitten to the nest and the queen.
- If the queen and kittens are housed in a confined area like a cage, use a piece of cardboard, plexiglass or rigid material to separate her from the kittens while you remove and return them. Ensure that whatever you use fits the confined area well so the queen cannot jump over or around it.
When weighing kittens and evaluating their general health, do so as quickly as possible to reduce stress for the queen.
The Queen Has a Health Issue
There are several possibilities post-birth that could cause health issues or possibly life-threatening danger for the queen. Seek veterinary assistance immediately for each. The potential problems include:
- A retained placenta or kitten. Placentae that have been retained within the queen will begin to decompose, allowing bacteria to multiply and causing serious infection. The queen may have a fever, vomit, have green or black discharge from the vulva area, exhibit decreased appetite, or neglect the kittens.
- Mastitis. Mastitis is inflammation that can occur in one or more of the queen’s mammary glands. It is caused by infection (septic mastitis) or milk duct blockage (non-septic mastitis). If the cause of the inflammation is an infection, the milk can be harmful to the kittens and they must, therefore, be bottle-fed. See Problems to Watch for When Caring for Bottle Kittens. Lack of weight gain in kittens may be the first noticeable sign that the queen may have mastitis. At least two times a week, when you are weighing the queen, check for mastitis by feeling the areas around the nipples. In the early stages of mastitis, the nipples may feel warmer than normal or be red or mildly swollen. As mastitis progresses, the area around the nipples may become even warmer, harder and painful. The queen’s mammary glands may feel like cottage cheese and milk from the nipples may contain blood or pus. At more advanced stages, the queen will become visibly more ill with lethargy, inappetence, fever, vomiting, purple discoloration around the nipples and possibly open sores or scabs. Queens with mastitis typically recover quickly and have a good prognosis if evaluated by a veterinarian and appropriate treatment starts early in the disease process.
- Eclampsia (Milk Fever). Eclampsia is a life-threatening condition associated with a sudden drop in blood calcium levels. It can occur after birth when nursing, especially large litters or at kitten weaning time. It can also occur during pregnancy as calcium is used in the kittens’ developing skeletons. Early signs may be subtle: fever (102.5° F or above), inappetence, lethargy, restlessness, panting, involuntary muscle twitches or stiffness of gait. It can progress to disorientation and seizures if not caught early. If you notice any of these symptoms, remove the kittens from the queen, and seek immediate veterinary attention for her. The kittens will likely need to be bottle-fed from this point onward. See Problems to Watch for When Caring for Bottle Kittens. The risk of eclampsia also increases if a queen is given additional kittens to care for after her own litter weans or is adopted.
- Infections of the Uterus (Metritis). A variety of causes can trigger an infection in the queen’s uterus. Symptoms include lethargy, inappetence, vomiting, dehydration, fever, colored discharge from the vulva, and/or a foul odor from the vulva. Seek veterinary care immediately.
Death
Anyone involved in caring for kittens should know that death is a possibility. Even if you have done everything that you know to do correctly, sometimes, sadly, kittens or queens may die. There may have been congenital defects or other medical circumstances you were unaware of that were the reason for a death. Try to learn from the experience in case there is something you can do differently next time. Take a break if necessary and then help the next kitten or mother cat who needs care.
