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Original poster

Mother cat has buggered off for a walk leaving her 3-week-old kittens and I want to go to bed

69 replies

castille · 19/05/2009 22:25

I've called her but she hasn't come, and I can't lock her out - the kittens shouldn't be without their mummy all night, surely? Or can they?

I have to be up early and really need to go to bed

OP posts:
PlumBumMum · 20/05/2009 14:50

Thanks pink tulips

Any news on your mummy cat castille?

Original poster
castille · 20/05/2009 17:09

She FINALLY rolled up at midday, FGS!

Ever since she's been asleep and the kittens have been feeding. 14 hours without mummy milk, the poor things. They seemed to have survived their hunger strike well though.

Bad, bad mummy.

OP posts:
Original poster
castille · 20/05/2009 17:12

Kitten feed recipe:

1/4 litre whole milk
1 egg yolk
4 tbsp sugar

Mix well and put in fridge for 20 mins. Remove from fridge and leave to come to room temp for 20 mins, then feed with a syringe or a bottle teat.

(by the time I'd bought the milk she was home of course, so I haven't tried it out yet. Let's hope I don't have to!)

OP posts:
Thunderduck · 20/05/2009 17:16

Glad she's back Castille.

Can you keep her indoors,with a litter box until they are a bit older?

PinkTulips · 20/05/2009 18:05

oooh, that's a lovely simple one, lets hope i never need it again but could have done with it a few weeks ago when one of our kittens was sick and wouldn't feed from his mother

glad she's back,afaik african wild cats which domestic cats are decended hunt from dusk til dawn while their kittens are left alone so i'm sure the little ones are eqippped to cope for at least that long with no milk... lets hope she doesn't make a habit of it though the naughty thing!

PlumBumMum · 20/05/2009 18:51

Thanks castille, glad your mumy cat is back,
I'm going to get mixing, some of the other ones were abit complicated,
he seems fine has a few meows but seems to like the company dd2 loving him abit too much

TitsalinaBumsquash · 20/05/2009 18:57

I would call Social Services Castille - shocking behavious from a new mother, what a dirty stop out!

Im glad she's has come back, our Cat would move all her kitten every night so we couldn't find them. It was a nightmare.

Stinkermink · 20/05/2009 19:00

We used to have a dog like this, my mum used to breed puppies (not on a huge scale, just to keep her midwife hand in I suspect), we had 3 bitches, and maybe one whelping per year. The oldest bitch was a nightmare mother, totally uninterested in her babies, would only partake in parenting for feedind, the other 2 bitches used to clean and play with them while she laid around on the settee.

In the end, mum kicked her into touch and the pups were given SMA (not recommending that btw - no idea what is a good formula for kittens) and my sister and I would be pressed into feeding them so it was all hands on deck at times. I guess that like humans not all animals take to mothering easily. She was a much better mum once she stopped breastfeeding and they were weaned and could hunt in the garden or play rough games!

Original poster
castille · 20/05/2009 20:00

Your stories are making me

She has a litter tray, Thunderduck, but she's not keen on using it. And now it's warmer we have to open the window in the utility room or they'd all roast, so she can escape whether we want her to or not.

But we are not letting her out in the evening again, no way. Goodness knows what happened to her, she's been flaked out all afternoon and has only moved to wolf down another bowlful of food. The kittens are pleased she's back, they've been sleeping on top of her most of the afternoon, pinning her down perhaps

OP posts:
Stinkermink · 20/05/2009 20:05

Remembering feeding the puppies reminded me of the bottles we used to use. They were curved narrow ones with teats on both ends, shaped like a U bend, you could latch 2 puppies at once and they would be laid together on your lap sucking from the same bottle. Said neglectful mother occasionally used to stroll in during these feeding frenzies and casually lie under a radiator, normally upside down (showing her boobs) and snore loudly while we did all the hard work. She was a total bitch and didn't care what anyone thought about her parenting...maybe this is where your cat is coming from. Perhaps she's a teenage mother and trying to regain some of her youth?

PinkTulips · 20/05/2009 20:40

stinkermink... my mother cat is like that. she feeds them alright and cleans them while she's at it but beyond that she's not very motherly at all, she lets her older kittens mind them if they offer! one of the older ones was such a softie he camped out in the travel cot with them and did all the cleaning and minding... even the bum licking! once they climb out of the cot she doesn't do anything but roll over and let them feed if they ask... no protectivness or concern at all

Stinkermink · 20/05/2009 20:46

Perhaps it's post natal depression ! Not what she thought motherhood was going to be? Father promised he be there...that kind of thing!

PinkTulips · 20/05/2009 20:51

think mines just a lazy cow who knows some other sucker will take over if she can't be arsed

PlumBumMum · 20/05/2009 22:40

Well my little kitten loved that milk mix Castille, thank you, he's curled on a hot water bottle now

and the girl across the road(who works in a vets) came over and the kitten is about 4/5 weeks she thinks because he is getting his teeth and she says he look really healthy, and cute
So Lucky he is, as he survived a bin lorry compacter!

PinkTulips · 20/05/2009 22:49

that's great news on his age plum... he'll be on solids within a week or so in that case and it'll get loads easier minding him.

poor little guy, he's so lucky to have been found.... so, are you keeping him?

PlumBumMum · 20/05/2009 23:22

yeap he is very cute black and white but all his white markings are in the right places iykwim, tips of ears, paws, middle of his nose, chest, I can't believe someone threw him out!

MoominMymbleandMy · 21/05/2009 00:12

He sounds lovely. I'm delighted he's found such a good home.

Original poster
castille · 21/05/2009 08:58

Glad he liked it Plum, he sounds gorgeous, and extremely lucky indeed!

Your kitten sounds like one of ours, except ours is grey and white.

Our mother cat went into a huge sulk last night when we wouldn't let her out (teenagers, huh?) and this morning I heard 11yo DD1 giving our mother cat a long talking to about her maternal responsibilities this morning before she'd let her out, very funny. I wonder how long she'll disappear for this time...

OP posts:
PlumBumMum · 21/05/2009 09:06

Castille you better watch sounds like she being led astray by her Tom

Have a pic on my profile of Lucky, for anyone interested

MoominMymbleandMy · 21/05/2009 12:16

Oh, Lucky is enchanting! He looks like Figaro out of Pinocchio.

And he looks very bright-eyed and healthy too.

PinkTulips · 21/05/2009 14:10

he's lovely plum

Original poster
castille · 21/05/2009 20:17

She's done it again

Been gone since 9am and the poor kittens are starving. I've made up some feed and am just waiting for it to come to room temp.

Gorgeous kitten Plum. Will post a pic of ours if I can work out how

OP posts:
MoominMymbleandMy · 21/05/2009 20:29

She's a holy terror, isn't she!

PlumBumMum · 21/05/2009 21:23

Ahh me thinks abit of PND, poor thing

PinkTulips · 21/05/2009 21:54

bloody hell castille.

me thinks house arrest is in order for the wee hussy. maybe if you brought her down to be spayed things would improve, it is very possible she's in heat again and trying not to lead male cats back to her kittens so spending hours trying to evade them.