# Brenna rejecting kittens?



## Brooky_66 (Aug 25, 2010)

this morning around 4:00 a.m. i heard the kittens crying, so i went to check on them. Well brenna was outside her box while they were crawling around and crying in the box. I noticed she was low on water and filled it for her. came back a little later and she was laying with them letting them nurse. It seems if she is low on food or water she wont take care of them.(she always has food and water just if she drinks or eats it all when i go to work or i am sleeping.) They are crying alot when they eat but after a while all settle down and sleep. she isnt pushing anyone away. Im just wandring if i should be worried or supplement. I dont want to supplement just because i work all day =/ if i have to i will of course but i had such a bad experience last time


Any advice helps!


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## catloverami (Jul 5, 2010)

I don't think you need to worry that she is rejecting her kittens or that you need to supplement them. Momacats do like to take a break and don't like to be in the box all the time with their kitties. She's being a very good mom. She's not rejecting them, she is feeding them well as they're gaining weight steadily, but it's obvious she doesn't like it when her water bowl gets down. It's a natural reaction to slack off nursing if water bowl was empty. She needs water to produce milk. Just make sure she has lots of fresh water to drink, even if you have to put out several bowls. This is good insurance in case one gets tipped over. Let her have as much food as possible. Always leave food for her to eat when you're at work. She's not rejecting her kitties, but cats may if they don't get enough to eat or drink, and occasionally there are queens who do reject for some reason or other---often a kitten that is sick or something wrong with it, but it's the _rare_ queen that will reject a whole litter and refuse to nurse her kitties.


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## Brooky_66 (Aug 25, 2010)

ok thank you so much! is it possible she is getting to tired having six? they are getting so big already. she just doesnt seem so concerned about them anymore.


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## paperbacknovel (Jun 9, 2010)

I 2nd Ami's comment--leave out SEVERAL BOWLS of food and water, so that she NEVER runs low. As a nursing queen, she'll eat and drink more than you'd normally expect her to, so put out a ridiculous amount of food and water for her. Better to have more out and her not to need it than have her run low.

She's allowed to take breaks.


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## Brooky_66 (Aug 25, 2010)

im just starting to wonder if i should bottle feed a few to take the load off of her because she is so small and they drain her so much =/


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Brenna's_Mom said:


> im just starting to wonder if i should bottle feed a few to take the load off of her because she is so small and they drain her so much =/


 Certainly wouldn't hurt and it would definitely be a help to her because of her small size and how large her litter is. You wouldn't have to keep a routine of every-couple-hours feedings. You could probably supplement once before work and twice between home-from-work and your bed-time or even just 1-2 additional feedings a day would be beneficial and help take some strain off Brenna.


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## Brooky_66 (Aug 25, 2010)

i have bottle fed before when there was no mother. how do i get the kittens to eat from a bottle when all they want is brenna?

sorry for all the questions =/


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Ugh. It is *hard* to get nursing kitts to accept a bottle. I bottle raised orphans who did not have a choice and I think that made it easier for me to get them to accept the bottle. You could try a bit of gentle force-feeding in small amounts, just to get a bit of food into them. If they refuse and drag their mother's condition down so low that her milk is depleted and not very nutritious, they will become hungry and help fascilitate an easier weaning from milk to small-solid dry foods (baby cat by Royal Canin has *small* pieces that are easy to swallow) and mushed canned food.

In fact, I think that is what happens in nature; the litter drags down the mother's condition and is not as satisfying for them and they become constantly hungry. When the mother begins to introduce prey, those kitts hungry and aggressive enough to demand and take the food for themselves will survive beyond the other kitts who are hesitant and don't compete for nutritionally sustaining resources. When people help, there is enough food provided for all but hunger is the best motivator.


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## Brooky_66 (Aug 25, 2010)

ok thank you i will have to try and force feed a litte


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## catloverami (Jul 5, 2010)

IMO I would _not_ supplement unless it's absolutely necessary. If you supplement now this will decrease her milk supply and if you're working all day, you will not be able to feed all six kittens as much as they need to nurse and neither will she. If Brenna is _drastically_ losing weight, the kittens aren't gaining weight and her milk is insufficient, then they should be supplemented for sure, but I think she should be OK for another 2-3 wks, when you can introduce them to some chicken baby food mixed with KMR. Once they get on to a little food, they will not be such a strain on her and not taking as much milk, but will still want to nurse for several more weeks.


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## mimitabby (Apr 20, 2010)

I agree with catloverami. You haven't described anything that seems like you need to interfere with your cat's excellent care of her kittens. 
As long as she has plenty of food and water, they should be fine. She will ignore them until she is ready to feed them again. That's normal. I have had cats who weighed less than 6 pounds raise litters of 6 with no problem.
Anything you feed those kits will inferior to the milk your cat would give them and PLEASE read what catloverami says again...


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