New mother cat won't eat or nurse kittens. How can I help her?

Question

I'm concerned that our cat just had kittens 3 days not a first timer thats what they told my son when he took her in, but she looks so stressed out and wont eat or drink water. We went out to buy her new bowls and food but yet she wont eat and kittens are constantly crying out for her and she's trying to keep away from them... 4 alive kittens!!! How can we help her to eat and feed her kittens better?

Megan, DVM, CVA · Accepted Answer

She could still have some kittens inside her causing her to be sick. There are also other reason like electrolyte imbalances or a retained placenta that could also cause her to not want to eat or nurse her young. If she is a first time mother, this could also be the cause. I would strongly recommend to have her seen by your vet to ensure she is healthy otherwise. They will be able to do blood work and also x-rays to ensure there aren't any additional kittens left inside. They will also be able to give her an appetite stimulate and other meds if needed. In the meantime, I would buy kitten formula and bottle feed all the kittens every 2-3 hours even overnight until you are able to get the mother to nurse them. You will also need to use a warm damp rag and gently rub all of the kittens bums to help them urinate and defecate after every feeding. I hope this helps and she starts to feel better and begins to nurse her kittens really soon.

New mother cat won't eat or nurse kittens. How can I help her?

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