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  • 1.  Getting Queen to take in her kittens?

    Posted 06-24-2021 09:45 PM
    I have a young mother that was trapped with 4 day old kittens. Two were brought in  2 days prior and she had 2 with her when she was brought in. She wont come out of the crate she is in to take care of her babies. I have her in a quite room and I put the kittens on a blanket in front of the crate hoping she would come out when they cried.  She didn't.   She just let them cry.  I put the kittens in the crate with her and I'm waiting to see what she will do.  She is not hissing, and she let me put a blanket in with her.  What do you suggest we do to get her to take care of them again?

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    Tammie Bucholz
    Santa Paula animal rescue Center
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  • 2.  RE: Getting Queen to take in her kittens?

    Posted 07-28-2021 09:29 AM

    What to Do if a Mother Cat Won't Nurse Her Kittens

    https://www.thesprucepets.com/cat-wont-feed-newborn-kittens-554851

    Your first step should be to take the mother and kittens to the veterinarian as soon as possible. If you can discover the reason why a mother cat won't feed her kittens, you may have a better chance of getting her to start nursing them. Or, you may need to step in and care for the kittens yourself. 


    Potential reasons for rejection:

    • Illness in the Mother Cat
    • Sick or Deformed Kittens
    • Large Litter of Kittens
    • Immature Mother Cat
    In the meantime, you must find a way to feed the kittens since they need to eat every few hours with the exact frequency depending on their age. This is usually done by bottle-feeding kitten formula. It is also essential to provide motherly care to newborn kittens. Keep them warm and help them urinate and defecate. 



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    xo,
    Amber

    Amber Freiwald
    Maddie's Fund
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  • 3.  RE: Getting Queen to take in her kittens?
    Best Answer

    Posted 07-28-2021 11:18 AM
    Expert Recommendation from User @Kristi Brooks (She/Her)

    I would try rubbing smelly wet food on the kittens' heads. Just a little dab. Try one and see if she licks the food off the kitten. Sometimes when moms do that, they start cleaning the rest of the kitten, and will then care for it. Since she is young, she may not go for this trick, but it is worth trying it.  Has someone checked out mom to make sure she isn't in pain, or have anything else going on with her? If not, I would recommend that she sees someone to rule out anything medical. If she is medically cleared, and it is only a behavior concern, then try the food, and see how that goes.

    Fingers crossed, the food on the head trick works!
    Kristi

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    xo,
    Amber

    Amber Freiwald
    Maddie's Fund
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