Health for Mother Cats

United States
July 18, 2009 9:12pm CST
My cat Lovie has just had 6 healthy and adorable kittens. There is nothing wrong with any of them, but Lovie herself seems to be drained to nothing but skin and bone. I feed her constantly and there is no change. I know that when it is summer cats get skinnier even though they eat the same, but she's inside right now and I worry about her beign so small and skinny. Is there anything out there that can help her put on weight and keep the nutrients she eats in her body or at least some of them?
2 people like this
6 responses
@ElicBxn (63594)
• United States
19 Jul 09
it is pretty normal for a nursing mother cat to lose a lot of weight, I would suggest you talk to a vet or someone at a pet store, but the ideal thing might be to feed her kitten food, these would get her back the stuff she's feeding her babies in her milk. You might even consider supplementing her milk with some kitten milk replacement for her babies so they don't need so much from her - not that they don't need some of the stuff she's giving them in her milk too. When we first got Roxie, she had just weaned her litter of kittens, and was pretty sorry looking, but after a few months, she plumped up and now is a tubby gal.
1 person likes this
• United States
19 Jul 09
She might have to many kittens to take care of, feed her a high calorie diet during nursing and try to bottle feed a couple of the kittens a couple times a day so that they're not draining her of all her own calories and vitamins. Although a vet checkup would also be ideal. With so many kittens it is either the mother who suffers or a kitten or two might end up dieing of starvation, because the mother cannot afford to take care of them all since it would possibly cost her own. Keep dry food for her on the floor at all times close to where she is feeding the kittens along with water and a litter box in the same room at least, that way she wont have to expend to much energy moving so much. Also find a chart that will visibly tell you if she is really underweight or if she maybe is just built that way. I had a cat once who felt light as a feather, that was just how she was built.
@Signal20 (2281)
• United States
19 Jul 09
Make sure you're feeding her a good quality kitten food, not adult cat food. Kitten food has a higher protein and calorie content in it then regular cat food, which she'll need since she's nursing. Also, feed her a few times a day, at least 2 times, maybe even 3 times a day. Also a cat vitamin probably wouldn't hurt once a day as well.
@FlaKNMB (831)
• United States
19 Jul 09
Nursing mothers supply their babies all the calories and nutrients they need, even at their own expense. Just like nursing humans, nursing cats need lots of extra calories. As I see other people have said, switch Lovie from dry adult food to dry kitten food. I would also add canned food. Another thing I have done is to add cottage cheese to the mother's diet. That adds calories and calcium. I've also sprinkled kitten milk replacement powder on the mother's food. Anything you can do to get more calories into her is good. Good luck and enjoy those precious little kittens.
@fifileigh (3615)
• United States
19 Jul 09
it might be the hot weather. my cat just lies around the house, looking miserable and drained during the daytime, and he is male. so he sleeps all day, and at night when it is cooler, he become more active and starts to jump around. so maybe, give your cat a bowl of fresh cold water and their food. maybe some dry food as well. use a fan or a/c to cool the place. my cat is indoor all the time. maybe keep ur cat indoors for the hot summer weather, outdoor summer heat might be too much for them. let ur cat relax on a cool tile area during the daytime.
@mcat19 (1357)
• United States
19 Jul 09
Is there any way you can take your cat to the vet? It sounds like something may be wrong with her. Many diseases that can easily be treated can start with weight loss. I hope you can get her to a vet so that something can be done to help her. Concatulation on the kittens. I hope that when the kittens are weaned you can get your cat spayed. If she is so thin, it is not healthy for her to have any more kittens.