(Mother Cat - Checkers in pictures with kittens)
Hello,
Gonna start out saying sorry because I’ve only posted I think twice before.
Anyway, I’m Animal Care Taker in my local animal shelter, we have no veterinary in our community due to lack of support, and our animal shelter is very small, only able to support maybe 20 animals at a time.
I’m the only full time worker at the shelter and I have some experience with healthcare of animals as when we did have a vet I volunteered for them for a few months and got to watch and help the vet with simple things.
I’m only writing this so people have an idea with what I’m working with to support this mother cat.
Right now we have a mother cat with 5 kittens at around 10 days old.
She came in about 6 days ago found under a trailer with her kittens.
I’m guessing her age at maybe a year and a half.
She over the weekend stopped eating, I’ve been watching her for 3 days and checking to see if she’d eat anything. She is a very attentive mother and very sweet cat, she lets me handle her baby’s every morning to quickly weigh them and check for any problems they may have.
I do this fast so she doesn’t stress out about me handling them and she usually just sits beside me and tries to sit in my lap as I do so.
I’ve given her every kind of food we have, wet food, dry food, wet kitten food, dry kitten food, wet and dry food mixed together, wet food mixed with water and so on.
I’ve also tried different flavours and even different textures, so far all she’s eating is some treats that don’t give her the nutrients she needs, and a very small amount of canned tuna.
I’m going to keep feeding her the tuna and treats because at least she’s eating something, I’ve also notified my bosses (plural because I have like 3 who make sure the place has funding) and they’re contacting other shelters to hopefully find her placement somewhere that has a vet on staff and can get her care 24/7, but until this can happen I need to keep her eating as much as possible and make sure her kittens are gaining or at least maintaining weight.
She was eating her first 3 days with us and only recently stopped, I have her in a room by herself with her kittens in a safe dark space that she can easily access that’s close to her food, water, and litter box.
It can get pretty noisy in the shelter due to the dogs being just a door down but I can’t move her or them because it’s the only space that allows her to be alone.
I’ve been trying to see if I can find a foster(s) who might be able to care for them but even with the amount of people willing to help not many of them have the space, time, or experience to care for what could become hand raised kittens.
And if I can help it I’m trying not to separate mother from any of her kittens.
Her kittens are at a good weight and I watch her feed them regularly, but I’m worried she’ll start having issues producing milk if she doesn’t start eating soon.
Does anyone have any advice on ways to help her appetite improve?
I know how and am going to start feeding the kittens by bottle if I need too, if they start losing weight due to lack of milk production from mother cat, I’m just hoping it doesn’t come to that because it means time I don’t have being pulled from the other animals that need care.
It feels like I’m failing this mother and her babies.
Please don’t comment on me being the only full time worker, it’s unfortunately the reality of having an organization that doesn’t have as much support as it needs, we are working to be able to afford another full time employee.
*Update*
It’s the next day and I figure out her favourite!
She really likes tuna! I asked a volunteer to drop some off as I used the last one we had on her last night and she’s eating it!
I feel very relieved but I know that if it’s something physical that she may stop again so I’m keeping a close eye on her still.
Just wanted the people in the comments to know that she’s doing a bit better, and to thank them!
So thank you!
*Update 2*
She’s eating cat food now! It’s been a crazy week with her but I found she really likes the tuna favoured cat food!
I feel silly not trying that sooner when she liked the canned tuna, but she’s eating it and prefers it over canned tuna!
I’m also mixing the food with some dry kitten food and a small amount of milk replacer so she gets the calcium and other nutrients she needs well nursing.
I’ve figured out that she’s a very picky eater, so I’ll be sharing that with the shelter that’s gonna take her and kittens next week!