No Milk For You!

October 29, 2024

Nancy Kerr

The long-awaited litter has finally arrived and all the kittens appear to have settled in with their mom. It looks like everyone is nursing, however when you check them later on, they are unsettled, crying, and no one is getting a rounded kitten belly from getting fed. You start to wonder if they are getting any food, or maybe the mother cat is having issues nursing her kittens. Maybe she is not able to produce enough milk for her kittens or she has mastitis and is not be able to fully nurse. Dehydration and malnourishment may also cause issues with milk supply. This is a critical time for newborn kittens. “Within a few hours of birth, it is important that kittens receive colostrum, or the first milk, from their mother. Colostrum is rich in antibodies and helps protect the newborns from infection.”¹

Weighing In

It is important to track the weight of kittens during the first two to four weeks to ensure that they are getting enough to eat. The best way to track this is to weigh each of them at birth and record the starting amounts, then keep records of each subsequent time the kittens are weighed. Try to weigh at the same time each day. “A new kitten will weigh between 80-170g each and gain about 10-15g every day afterwards. By two weeks old, their weight should be doubled.”²

Sign of Problems

Newborn kittens need to nurse frequently. Verify every couple of hours that they are getting enough to eat. Their mother should also be checked to ensure that she is producing enough normal-looking milk.

During the first two weeks of a kitten’s life, 90% of the time should be spent eating or sleeping. “If they cry during or after eating, it may indicate that they are ill, not getting adequate milk, or the milk has become infected (mastitis).”¹ If the milk has become infected, “the entire litter could die within 24 to 48 hours.”¹ If there is excessive crying, take the mother and all the kittens to a veterinarian as soon as possible to rule out any medical issues.

What Is Mastitis?

Mastitis is a bacterial infection in the milk ducts of a female cat. This is more common in older cats. It is normally limited to one or two teats (nipples) and is extremely painful. If not taken care of, the infection can spread, and the mother can become seriously ill. “Mastitis causes the mammary gland to become blocked, thus milk cannot be released. The teat swells and becomes red and painful to the touch. Sometimes pus or discolored milk may be released. It becomes increasingly difficult for mama cat to nurse her kittens because of the pain, so the whole litter suffers.”³

Contact your veterinarian immediately if you think the mother cat has this. Treatment will depend on the severity of the infection and the needs of mom and her kittens. Vets will often prescribe antibiotics to treat the infection. In the meantime, warm compresses applied to the infected areas will help them to open and drain. If the kittens can’t nurse due to the mother’s discomfort, replacement feeding will be required

What To Do if There Is Not Enough Milk

Sometimes the mother cat may not produce enough milk to meet the demands of her hungry kittens. The first thing to do is check her nipples, to rule out any infection/mastitis. If another female has given birth recently, try placing the struggling kittens with her.

Breeder Kate Preston has done the following:

“If the mom cat has ANY working nipples, I get the kittens that have the strongest nursing reflex on them to try to keep them flowing, and supplement the other kittens as needed. That is contrary to how I generally handle kittens when a mom cat has milk but the kittens are not thriving in equal measure. In that case, I put the weakest on the best nipples and supplement any of the stronger kittens if needed, in fact separating the stronger kittens for short periods of time so the weaker one(s) get the chance to nurse without having to fight for a nipple.”⁴

Herbal supplements are an option to try for females who are not lactating or producing enough milk. Fenugreek and Chaste tree fruit are herbal products that reliably boost milk production. Breeder’s Edge® Oxy Momma™ found on the Revival web site is a “postnatal vitamin herb chew that contains Motherwort, Chaste tree fruit, and Fenugreek for dogs and cats in a form that quickly brings moms into milk.”⁵ According to the website, you can expect increased production within 72 hours.

Breeder Kathi Hoos suggests “Subcutaneous fluids, marshmallow root and a veterinary prescription for Reglan®.”⁶ Such fluid introduction can help in cases where the mother cat is dehydrated. Marshmallow root can also help with diarrhea, constipation and IBS in cats. Metoclopramide (brand names Reglan® and Maxolon®) is used in cats to “induce milk let-down and to promote milk production.”⁷ Sub-Q fluids and Reglan® may require a visit to the veterinarian for your cats before getting a prescription for either option.

Replacement Feeding

If you choose replacement feeding, let kittens that you are hand-raising or supplementing have as much milk replacer as they will take in a feeding. “Kittens less than two weeks old require feedings every two to four hours. Kittens two to four weeks of age need feedings every four to six hours.”¹ Kittens should be observed for their rate of growth; they should double their birth weight in about one week. Weigh them routinely at the same time, to ensure they are growing normally. Not all kittens will grow at the same rate; however, failure to gain weight may indicate a problem and the need for veterinary care. “At two weeks of age, kittens should be alert and trying to stand. Weaning should begin at three to four weeks of age. At three weeks, they generally try to climb out of their box. At four weeks, all the kittens should be able to walk, run, and play.”¹ An excellent guide to safely feeding newborns and very small kittens is available online by Maddie’s Fund. “The extensive and invaluable research producing this guide came from years of working with newborns and kittens in shelters.”⁹

Preston keeps tube feeding equipment handy but tries to get the kittens on a milk substitute before she tries that, as soon as she notices a problem. “Try to get them to nurse using a squirrel nipple (there are some variations on extra small nipples and they are good), and goat’s milk or KMR® or even glop.”⁴ It is recommended that newborn kittens be fed KMR® first, or a similar product, since that is the closest to their mother’s milk with the colostrum, or the first milk. Miracle NipplesÔ can be purchased from Amazon. There are videos on the internet about tube-feeding, and you can check with local vet techs or cat rescue groups for instructions. Be aware that you are dealing with a very small throat and it is easy to get the tube into the lungs rather than down the esophagus and into the tiny stomach.

Preparation and Care Before Birth

The mother cat should be fed a quality diet during this time, as pregnancy and motherhood place high demands on her body. She is providing for her kittens’ growth, both in the womb and for their first weeks of life.

“Lactation is the most energy-demanding stage of a cat’s life. Peak milk production typically occurs at three to four weeks of lactation and peak energy demand should occur concurrently. Kittens begin eating the queen’s food in increasing amounts from three weeks of age until weaning. Since queens that lose weight are prone to lactation failure, a marked increase in total intake is required to meet energy demands. The diet that meets the demands of lactation should include an adequate intake of fluids to make milk. Fresh water, but not milk, should be available at all times.”⁸

This will go a long way to make sure that the kittens are healthy. “Key indicators of optimal reproduction are ease of conception, a low rate of fetal and neonatal death, normal parturition, maximum litter size, adequate lactation and an optimal rate of growth of healthy kittens. Immune function is impaired for life in animals born to nutritionally deficient queens. Poor nutrition may lead to failure to conceive, fetal death, fetal malformations and underweight kittens.”⁸

Underweight mother cats may experience poor lactation performance and inability to maintain body condition.

Preston has the following suggestion: “First, if she comes from a mother who has had little milk, I would try to breed her paired with another proven female. I am also leery of females with unusually small nipples; I  seem to have had more problems with them than queens with normal size nipples.”⁴

During Birth and Immediately After

She continues: “During the course of labor, I syringe cool water into her mouth now and then; most take it eagerly. Again, don’t know if this helps milk specifically, but it seems to me that anything that keeps a female from becoming dehydrated would be of use.” An oral calcium/magnesium supplement given as soon as the queen goes into labor helps with contractions, though I am not sure if it changes the milk issue. I have also heard of using red raspberry extract to help labor but tried it and noticed no difference.  As soon as the mom cat delivers her last kitten, I inject .25 cc Oxytocin subcutaneously to help clean her out if any afterbirth or an anomalous kitten fetus is still in there. This also helps bring down milk. ⁴

Complications

Even if the female cat is successfully feeding her kittens, keep an eye on her during the time when the kittens are between three and five weeks old. She could develop a condition called eclampsia, or milk fever, which is caused by the depletion of calcium in her body due to heavy milk production. This generally occurs just before weaning, and mothers of large litters are more at risk of developing this condition. “Early signs include restlessness, panting, and loss of attention towards their kittens. It can progress to tremors, muscle spasms, and collapse. This condition can be fatal in 30 to 60 minutes, so a veterinarian should be consulted immediately.”¹ Prompt treatment with intravenous calcium will reverse the condition. Kittens whose mother develops this condition should be weaned as soon as possible. If it looks like the female cat is having trouble standing or walking, get her to the vet to be checked out for this immediately.

Going Forward

With proper resources on hand and knowledge, you should be able to determine if any kittens are not feeding adequately and be able to deal with issues in a timely manner. Making sure that the female cat has a good-quality diet and is in good health will go a long way toward making sure that kittens have a good chance of being properly fed by their mom. A happy, healthy, stress-free mom will make for well-fed, healthy kittens.

Source Notes

1. Courtney Barnes, BSc, DVM; Krista Williams, BSc, DVM; Ernest Ward, DVM, Raising Kittens, Accessed June 13, 2024, https://vcacanada.com/know-your-pet/kitten-raising-kittens
2. Chipman Road Animal Clinic, How to Prepare Your Pregnant Cat to Give Birth & Kitten Care, Feb 22, 2022, Accessed Jun 13, 2024, https://www.chipmanroadanimalclinic.com/how-to-prepare-your-pregnant-cat-to-give-birth
3. IDEXX Laboratories, Inc., Mastitis in Cats, 2023 Accessed June 13 2024, https://www.pethealthnetwork.com/cat-health/cat-diseases-conditions-a-z/mastitis-cats#
4. Kate Preston, email, March 3, 2024 at 3:45 PM.
5. Donald Bramlage, DVM, When Cats and Dogs Won’t Milk, August 2, 2016, AccessedJun 13, 2024, https://www.revivalanimal.com/learning-center/when-cats-and-dogs-wont-milk
6. Kathi Hoos, email, March 3, 2024 at 3:45 PM.
7. Rania Gollakner, BS, DVM, MPH, Metoclopramide, Accessed June 13 2024, https://vcacanada.com/know-your-pet/metoclopramide#
8. Cat Pregnancy & Lactation, Accessed June 13, 2024, https://carnivora.ca/carnivora-cats/feeding-pregnant-or-lactating-cats
9. Marnie Russ, Taking the Fear out of Bottle Feeding and Basic Kitten Care, UC Davis, 2023, Accessed June 18 2024, https://university.maddiesfund.org/products/taking-the-fear-out-of-bottle-feeding-and-basic-kitten-care