How to help mama-raised kittens thrive (how and when to step in!)

Learn how to foster a nursing mama cat and her babies: www.KittenLady.org/mama
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[@WaiferThyme]

My Simba was born literally into the palm of my hand in our backroom. She was the size of my thumb with paws smaller than my baby fingernail. First call was to our vet who didnt hold much hope and told us to keep her warm and not to expect her to survive the night. Survive she did! And grew, albiet far FAR behind her siblings even though our Mamma cat clearly doted on her. Even going so,far as to pushing the other kittens away from one particular nipple she only let Simba nurse from! I supplemented her with kitten formula which helped her grow a bit faster. At 2 weeks old, she developed a nasty URI so we rushed her to our vet. She was so very tiny, she lay in the palm of his hand as he listened to her chest. He had to,weigh her on the gerbil scale! 2 oz. He said he had never in his career treated a kitten that small. He spent 20 minutes just researching antibiotics gentle enough for her and doing the math for her dose! 3 drops , i think it was, twice a day. Later, we found out she had feline dwarfism which explained a whole host of issues. Simba only lived 2 years, but she had fun and found joy in everything!

[@ILuvAyeAye]

I'm so glad Simba had you.

[@ILuvAyeAye]

And her doting cat mama of course! And the patient vet. You surrounded her with so much love.

[@WaiferThyme]

@@ILuvAyeAye she gave love right back ❤

[@carlsoll]

This was such an amazing read! Ty!

[@sunnysidesouffle8348]

The neighbor had a cat that had kittens and she kept putting 1 kitten outside in the bushes. I heard baby crying and it was dehydrated. The daughter came and tried to take it back to the house to give to mama but when she said that the mom kept removing this kitten I swooped in and took her in. Fed her with a dropper and once her strength was up she started growing and getting very active. My male housecat became her mama and did everything mama was supposed to do besides feeding and when she was big enough she went home with 2 new brothers and she's a very healthy happy adult cat now. The mom was a new mother with 4 kittens but apparently could handle more than 3. It was a very rewarding experience for me but not so much my male cat He gets too attached to fosters and gets depressed when they leave

[@erazn9077]

I think you mean “couldn’t handle more than 3” right? You and your cat seem very kind, didn’t know that male cats can act like to this towards a kitten that’s absolutely adorable

[@Kick0a0cat]

​@E Razn look up Grandpa Mason, he was a battle scarred old street cat but warmed up and calmed down when he got kittens to foster.

[@mercury9576]

@@Kick0a0cat grandparents are just like that

[@paolagrando5079]

The "rowing ears" while suckling are the cutest 😻 Happy fostering!

[@mysticfox9718]

I 💯% agree! It’s adorable! 💕

[@lidiananicomauri5920]

You are the sweetest person on youtube!!

[@rubataha2102]

I agree ☝️

[@Jupiters_12thMoon]

Ikr!

[@burntherest9118]

One of the best people on this planet, if u ask me. 🥰

[@user-qr8ki8ue4i]

We're having a "kitten explosion" (as per usual) in our area this spring. It feels like a no-win situation no matter how many TNR's we do and how much education we provide. Thanks, Kitten Lady, you always give me a mental boost.

[@larsonfamilyhouse]

Just think how bad it’d be if you hadn’t done anything! I have a couple that just eat birds when I try to trap (even try catnip and treats and valerian lol) and so there’s always litters every year to trap once they’re old enough and tame. She always hides them until they’re like a month old so I can’t even scoop them up at the beginning and trap her that way. It’s so frustrating. And I wasn’t able to get one of the kittens last year due to extenuating circumstances and now she had kittens and I found one and have spent a week getting her better and now have her sister too:)

[@AnaPie896]

Ive never seen a tortie who’s more orange than black like Babyfat 🥰 she’s such a cutie

[@KittenLady]

She really is unique!

[@Sashazur]

She looks like 90% orange tabby with a little smear of tortie!

[@johnzengerle7576]

Cats often co-parent with each other. Growing up, we had two moms sharing two litters together.

[@PippasPrideofCats]

Such great information! We recently adopted a cat and she turned out to be pregnant! We are helping to raise kittens for the first time. So far they have been gaining weight steadily, but this info is great to know just in case! We are documenting everything as well. 😊

[@iluvanimals4evr]

You are so lucky! It must be so much fun! Nothing is cuter than kittens!

[@jjbee11]

Hope you can get them spayed and neutered soon! 😊

[@thevcountdown9824]

aww the grey kitten is soooo adorable

[@PippasPrideofCats]

@@thevcountdown9824 Soooo adorable! We love that the grey one has white paws, but that just one finger is grey.

[@belmum1689]

​​@@PippasPrideofCatsDo not give those kittens away as most people who get give away kittens don't spend anything on them maybe if the kitten is lucky it might get dry cat food but that is it. You could give them once weaned to an reliable adoption group.

[@cookiepop123]

I've gone from no cats to 1 mama and 5 kittens so thank you so much I've learnt a lot from you and they are now happy and healthy ❤

[@radeenagunawardana2060]

I hope you read this. Because of your videos I was able to save a four days old kitten. He’s 7 months old now 🥰 All thanks to you ❤

[@scrappersdream]

Thank you for all that you and your husband do for these fur babies. Great info ❤

[@cheshiredj]

The kittens are adorable, but the mama cats were cute too! 🥰

[@3DPlagueDR]

Babyfat has such cool markings! I’ve never seen a cat with both orange tabby and torti markings ☺️

[@sinimeg]

The baby kittens melt my insides, I’m a goo of happiness right now :’) Thanks for the info, this is super important

[@dinkydoo4994]

Thank, KL !!!! Have been fortunate that during my 2 times fostering, was fortunate the kittens thrived and grew into fat, rambunctious babies who all found a furrever home. Both mommies are spayed and permanent neighborhood fixtures.

[@marissanicole375]

Thank you! I learned how to bottle feed kittens through your videos! You have saved so many babies ❤

[@KittenLady]

That's awesome! Thanks for following along and learning with me!

[@mr.cooldude6529]

@@KittenLadykittens are so cute and such nice animals

[@suzanneforasiepi3942]

​@@KittenLadyplease contact me please I need help please 🙏😊🙏

[@kathyjohnson2043]

That last picture of the tortoise shell mom and kitten was darling!

[@luciapereyra9804]

You make me tear up you're so sweet. You are truly an angel.

[@jenniferthomas5305]

All kittens know people are the purrrfect cat trees!! 🐾💞👣😸

[@kyrab7914]

One on one mama time is so sweet and such a good idea.

[@randquadrozzi5850]

We took in 3 stray mom's and babies and always got the kittens adopted but got stuck with the mom's who were all very sweet and very happy to be indoors.

[@mariag.8242]

Next time, especially if there’s an odd number of kittens, insist that mom needs to go to the same home as the kitten she’s closest to.

[@randquadrozzi5850]

@@mariag.8242 We really didn't care and usually kept most strays we find.But people do mostly want the kittens.

[@patriciakunz1198]

Kitten Lady you are a dear soul looking after dear souls. 🙏

[@mysticfox9718]

This will be very helpful information for anyone who has a pregnant cat and if one kitten is not thriving. The person will know what to do to help out! The kittens crawling all over her is so adorable! 💕

[@Starfall_Official]

Super cute and informational!!! Thank you! 😺

[@Charaqui62]

Kitty cuteness overload

[@dianetaylor4256]

Ahhh the thought of spending so much time with such precious little sweet peas. ❤ I think I would feel overwhelmed, but man they’re so stinking cute. You do amazing work.

[@1AMN0NA]

Wow I’m early! I really enjoy your videos, I’ve been watching them since I was younger- hopefully I’ll be able to start fostering in a couple months!

[@btetschner]

Thank you for the tips. We have community cats all around and I often don't know what to do when the kittens are kind of just out there.

[@crystalbrame7886]

Thank You For All You Do For The Kittens/Momma Cats And Sharing On KZbin!! It's Very Educational 💞🤗💞

[@cherylf.4616]

Very informative for foster parents! Thank You Hannah! ❤️

[@LydiaBresky]

Thank you, Hannah, for sharing this with us! This information is very helpful!

[@leslieleslie6590]

Excellent advice video. I have fostered several Momma cats and kittens, and have not had any fail to thrive. But there is always a first time.

[@haleybunker1339]

They are all beautiful gorgeous amazing animals.

[@AlittleHamsterKM]

They are so adorable 😍😍

[@boboberdua99]

Sweet and cute kitten glad I saw it and thanks for the information and tutorial

[@awoods1039]

This is such a helpful video. Thank you!

[@gloriabacus7506]

Thankyou for this info.cute cats& kittens.

[@sak_fury6569]

Love your cat videos 🎉

[@ciscasaclang3378]

yaaaay new video. i've been binge watching your past vids 🐱🐈

[@jerrylepoppin]

My last litter had a very odd case of a kitten being a bit too active. Instead of suckling with his siblings, he'd be sitting nearby just looking around, and could not be convinced that milk was more interesting than the cool human in the room. Every day I'd weight him and despite spending plenty of time with his mum, his weight would stagnate at best. Luckily it was all fixed by some supplemented feeding and a slightly earlier weaning (the kitten's choice, he was very keen) I was very cautious about making that kitten thrive as I'd already lost one of his littermates. That one had been all bones when I got her and I didn't learn until later that she was an orphan that had been placed in this litter. Despite the best efforts of their mother, who was very attentive, and a lot of around the clock supplemental feeding, it turned out the kitten had cat flu and didn't recover. Still, all the remaining kittens did fine in the end despite a rather stressful foster period!

[@mariag.8242]

That must have been very difficult for you - congratulations on saving the little guy

[@ShannonRochon]

What an unusual Tortie Babyphat is!

[@kimchi8022]

Hi Hannah! I was wondering where you got your clear pen? I had ordered one from Amazon that wasn’t even near the quality of yours! Thank you for helping fosters like me take better care of cats and kittens ❤

[@rhondamitchell5892]

I found a very pregnant cat had her a week she had 6 babies I was lucky a foster had room for them . 5 females and 1 male .they were so cute .

[@AISHAMCQUEEEN2]

Thank you for the help

[@janalatham8840]

I have a feral that’s becoming for food. About 3 days ago, I saw her go back into the place she sleeps and low and behold, she had a baby standing there. She’s allowed me to approach the den with a a few hisses. I softly talked to her and her babies and she walked forward started eat the kitten food I went and got. The babies looked me over and ate the food. The next night, I received a few hisses and then she brought her kittens to eat. Last night I got one hiss and she brought her kittens to eat. I feel honored that momma who is feral and only been eating with me a few months that she s allowing me help her with her babies. They were very hungry little cuties. I would say about a month old or so. The single hiss is a warning to be good and then after that she settles in and eats. I have an organization that’s going to trap her and the kittens soon and take her and them for spay and neuter and they are going to rehab and adopt out these kittens.

[@ayaagamin2401]

Cute!

[@theartofnina]

That's such an interesting tortie pattern on that kitten! Never seen anything like it

[@cumulonimbusderie]

I love kitties

[@Hex04]

Your engagement for animals is giantic,so awesome!I hope you can carry it on many years!The little bugs need you!❤ I love them all🥰Greetings from 🇩🇪

[@rebeccacamacho-sobczak4282]

You are exceptional!

[@Jupiters_12thMoon]

I love your videos!

[@ladez12]

I love the ear wiggles 🥰

[@PinkFlowers365]

thanks

[@carlbyronrodgers]

Amazing,interesting and informative.

[@JennFaeAge]

Babyfat and her mumma are both gorgeous

[@EclipticKitten]

CUTE LITTLE BABIES:)

[@cheryl-lynnmehring8606]

I loved this video! Super informative👌💘🐈😻

[@tacobell1299]

Kittens are so cute! Their so small

[@maryam-ki1nf]

Love you kitten lady

[@leothelemonboy1495]

One of my kittens haven't been gaining any weight unlike their brothers and this video eas very helpful

[@cIoudie_qz]

A mama cat in my garden kept abandoning her bigger and smaller babies (now my 2 cats) while she kept the other three, and i believed everyone saying the kittens were better with their mom and to never separate them when in this case the three were actually in terrible shape. I should've checked daily and taken care of them, and i did in the end but too this day i regret not doing it sooner . I'm glad I know now but at 17yo even with all the informations ive gathered i was told to absolutely leave them alone :/

[@amenandhis7kids724]

Thank you

[@meese9140]

Aww look at all the lil nuggets 👏🏻😭

[@RoyalStitcher]

Hi. I'm learning so much from you, thankyou for sharing. Can kittens still feed off mum if she on pain meds? X

[@jjbee11]

Double check with your vet

[@hannahlamagna]

Aww

[@lexichallner8841]

Hi

[@Banshee_Null]

Thats how we raised our cat

[@dothedo3667]

Oh that baby is so cute. I don't see torties that are mostly orange with very little black often at all. They always look like they're dirty, haha.

[@teresagibbs4013]

❤

[@jonathanhall1825]

I was lucky my two female cats had kittens at the same time and would take care of each other's kitten nursing washing one had two kittens and the other had four

[@jjbee11]

I hope they’re all spayed and neutered now ❤

[@jonathanhall1825]

@@jjbee11 yes they were

[@rachaelgosser5659]

One of my rescues had a litter of 3 on May 9th. One, sadly had passed before we found him. One of the others is only half the size of the others. However he has boundless energy for crawling and meowing. He is only still and quiet when he is latched on or sleeping. But it's like he has ADHD. He's crawling so vigorously that it makes it more difficult for him to find and latch onto a nipple. The most shocking thing to me is that yesterday, at 3 days old, he fully opened his eyes. I've helped with hundreds of kittens in my 55 years but never seen one open their eyes so early. Have any of you encountered behavior like this in a newborn kitten? BTW, his brother, Garfunkel, is fat and calm and quiet and growing like a weed but little Simon seems to use his calories for exploring rather than growing. He isn't skinny, no bones showing, just small and lean and extremely loud.

[@huskiebabes]

Newborn found in grass after a rain storm. Barely surviving I did maneuvers it brought him back. Now to get food into him.

[@FuriousAquarian]

Hi, I weigh twice a day and all my kittens who are with mom and they seem to be mostly gaining weight as normal, but sometimes the gains are a bit all over the place or in the morning they have lost a gram and then the next time gained it back and more. I don't think anyone has stagnated or been losing for more than 24 hours total-- but it makes me want to know sort of when I need to actually worry vs what is normal with eating and pooping and degree of error. The most I've had lost is 5grams just now-- until then it was a gram or so. They are 11 days old. Funnily enough that kitten is not the one I am normally keeping a close eye on-- I have one that gains about 6.6 grams on average and definately gains the least overall. This kitten has actually never lost weight before. They all look very healthy-- everyone is moving a lot, full little bellies, very alert, eyes all openned. I just want to know the rule of thumb here. Because it can't be supplement everytime the kitten loses a gram right? Because within 24 hours it usually evens out? Sometimes there's a kitten that gains like 18 grams then loses a gram the next weighing. Seems like that is fine to me since over 24 hours they have gained 17 grams. Especially if the kitten is trending upwards in gains one weighing seems like it could be a fluke-- maybe she just hasn't eaten yet for example. Maybe she has a full blader when I weighed her last. Because mom is taking care of them I'm not controlling how much or when they eat so I can't really take that into consideration with when I've weighed them. Or a kitten that gained 4 grams, lost a gram, then gained 18 grams. In the one day (4, -1) that kitten did not gain over 7 grams. So 24 hours without a gain= panic? or 24 hours without 7 grams of gain= panic? or 12 hours with no gains? or 48 hours?They should always be gaining but I don't know what that means concretely in terms of when to take action and try to teach them to take a bottle. Which I know mom won't like, so it's sort of a drastic action. She is semi friendly, nearly to full friendly but not quite there. I usually bribe her with treats when I weigh the kittens but she starts getting a little pissy if I take too long or they start making a lot of noise. So that is sort of why I don't want to jump the gun. What is your protocol on this? I know every case is different and the other details of each case matter-- but just putting that aside what is your personal rule of thumb on how much loss is acceptable and what time period without gains you officially get out the formula.

[@jjbee11]

If they’re not gaining a normal amount of weight (for that kitten) weight or they’re losing weight between each 24 hour period, then you’d want to step in. Especially if there’s other symptoms present. Ideally every 24 hour period, they should be gaining 7-14 grams, but if you have a kitten that is steadily gaining say, 6 grams, you would want them to stay at that rate or more.

[@CryBlueofZ]

Babies

[@magietagie]

💖💖💖

[@absolutetwaddle]

This may be a silly question but are tom cats part of the TNR process or is it mostly mom since it’s easier to find the mama cat? Thank you!

[@jjbee11]

They TNR every cat in the area 👍

[@mariag.8242]

The toms must be included because, just as with humans, a single male can impregnate many females, while the females can only bear and raise one litter at a time.

[@karenmacleod6587]

You are just amazing but how many people can do all that you suggest? Not many.

[@KittenLady]

Thank you. Of course we are all different, but I believe it is important to give people best practices and information so that they can do the best within their resources and capabilities!

[@dbarrett6001]

😻

[@youngestkittenlady2728]

💓💓💓💓

[@craigmain248]

😊❤️🐈👍

[@dixiecook2264]

What's the best cheap option for a cat stand for multiply cats. Will hideouts, carpeted. I have 2 full grown cats one is large the other medium sized. My daughter is moving out of the country, so I need to get them something to nap and play on instead of her bed and bedroom.

[@jjbee11]

You could buy one secondhand, or watch websites or stores for sales

[@thegriffin88]

As to that one on one clip: I've actually returned kittens to their mom and have them give me a look that says: What the heck did you do to him? He's covered in poop!

[@ridgehawk1]

I need your help! I watched one of your videos pertaining to to caring for feral cats, (I can't find it again) it mentioned a flea and tick medication that can be put in the food for treatment. I have a female mama kitty that I did TNR but she is very wild, even after feeding and providing a winter shelter for the last 5 years, no way to help her with the flea and tick meds. Thanks!

[@jjbee11]

I would ask your vet if capstar is a good solution for you

[@ridgehawk1]

@@jjbee11 Thanks, I wish I could find that video again, Kitten Lady showed a picture of the box

[@jjbee11]

@@ridgehawk1 most likely her “ten tips for fostering a feral mom and babies” video

[@intoxicode]

stangnant weight doesn't always mean something is wrong, had plenty of fosters that stop for a day or 2 and end up exploding in weight

[@Mymimemei]

Do you have connections in Houston?? We found 3 kittens hiding under a car. I have 2 of 3 but I don’t have resources to car for them.

[@Mymimemei]

@JJ Bee I tried, everyone is full or they require an appointment and it hard to get those

[@onetimearound1275]

My mama cat is very anxious any time I pick up a kitten for any reason- I try to do very little but she still has a lot of anxiety- what do I do- I don’t want her to stop feeding her kittens but two are not thriving- also the kittens squirm a lot when trying to supplement them

[@lunaticfringe6282]

Tiny bub having some steam.💨

[@Cluckkin]

Quick question I really want to rescue and foster a kitten or cat but in the small town I live in there aren’t any stray cats or cats in need just wondering if you know of any place that has cats I need help rescuing?

[@jjbee11]

Your local shelter or rescue would be the best place to reach out to if you’re interested in fostering.

[@urfavoriteswiftiee]

can you use a humidifier?

[@jjbee11]

No, a humidifier is different from a nebulizer

[@urfavoriteswiftiee]

@@jjbee11 is there any substitutions. i’m a 15 year old foster mom so i have been using a humidifier.

[@jjbee11]

@@urfavoriteswiftiee unfortunately not really. You could contact a local rescue to see if they have one you could borrow, or see if any local mom groups (for human babies) have one you could borrow

[@micameows]

What if when I weigh my kittens, on some days they gain less than 7 oz? Is that a cause for concern?

[@mariag.8242]

Grams not ounces - if you worry that the puffs aren’t gaining 7 ounces a day you’ll always be worried 😊

[@barbarawilson2014]

How do you take a new Norma temperature?

[@jjbee11]

Huh?

[@eth2636]

Before things become cat..astrophic haha pun intended?

[@ILuvAyeAye]

How do you tell the kittens apart from each other, so you can track their progress? Maybe this is a silly question, but I've never been around kittens, and I am also really bad with human faces. I watch silly videos, like a corgi get together on the beach, videos that are supposed to be adorable but they make me anxious instead - so many didn't have collars, and they all look alike! 😅

[@jjbee11]

Most of the time they have have pretty distinctive features to tell them apart by, but you can use a dot of non-toxic lipstick to tell them apart too.

[@queenofmemes2859]

If they all look alike, like the other person said, a dot of lipstick. If they look different it helps to keep a photo of each one and label it

[@helloitsme5727]

Hi, quick question: oir vet told us to offer our 4 week old kitten water, but he refuses to drink it from a bowl. Should I give it to him via bottle (and how much in ml)?

[@mariag.8242]

A kitten that young is being bottle fed? So he’s getting fluids every meal. If the vet thinks he’s dehydrated, you can try more feedings with less formula in each so the same amount of food in a day but extra water, or you could ask to be taught how to give subcutaneous fluids. If the kitten is ready to be weaned, offer meaty kitten food, which will be moist, and can be diluted with extra water. Just make sure the kitten is getting enough calories and nutrients.

[@helloitsme5727]

@@mariag.8242 hi, he's bottle fed bc we found him in the trash when he was just 4 or 5 days old.

[@helloitsme5727]

@@mariag.8242 he's not dehydrated, he eats great and everything, i was just worried bc he still refuses water from a bowl, but yeah i mix it with wet food

[@helloitsme5727]

@@mariag.8242 btw thank you so much for the info 🖤

[@sloth4235]

My wife and I took in a feral mama who just had 7 kittens, we’ve read that we’re not supposed to touch them before two weeks old but I’ve noticed one is not with the group and has stopped vocalizing and squirming. I don’t know if I should attempt to help it, it’s only 2 days old

[@jjbee11]

Do it, she has videos on caring for feral moms

[@selinamanzanobandias2727]

Hey, can you help me out? I’m fostering six kittens from a very very young cat. They were born Friday, uncomplicated birth. But the last one, already lost weight. He gained the first day, and then lost it. I did not hesitate and took the bottle and gave him one on one time with mom. She’s taking care of him… but it seems like he’s just to lazy to suck. I have a bottle but apparently he doesn’t like it, he’s wiggeling and does not suck on the bottle. I watched your videos and tried all the tricks but nothing is working. Takes me ages to get some milk inside of him… any idea what I can try? I’m worried sick :-/

[@jjbee11]

Try a miracle nipple, or bring him to a vet to make sure there isn’t anything medical going on

[@pinkgoth6]

babyfat

[@kermit_fan5059]

BABY FAT 🥺 NOW THATS HOW YOU NAME A KITTEN

[@anglerfish4161]

Good aspirational name too

[@jjbee11]

@@LadyYoohyun they’re a 2000s Fashion litter 😊

[@thnkfrtheVenom]

My mom is scared of us taking moms with itty-bitties now because we had three moms in a row who were unable to care for their babies 😭 One with mastitis, one who just didn't want to lay down and feed them, and one with URIs and they couldn't nurse.

[@maldonadosoto]

♥️♥️🐾🐾🐈🐈🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛