Why is my new mama cat nursing older kittens? Will her own get milk?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Be sure that Liona is actually producing milk before putting the kittens with her. If she isn't making milk then you need to bottle feed the kittens every 2-3 hours with kitten milk replacer. Once she gives birth you can try to put the kittens on her. Just be sure they aren't pushing her kittens off. Track the weights of her kittens to be sure they are getting enough. I wish you the best!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Pregnancy can be a very stressful time for animals, and it may be hard for your cat to be separate from her previous offspring. However, my recommendation would be to separate him from her so that he cannot suckle/breastfeed from her before her kittens are born. The milk produced at the beginning of lactation is very antibody-rich and important for the brand new kittens to ingest. There is also the possibility that the previous offspring could out-compete the brand new kittens for nipples if they are left together. The new kittens will need the most care and nutrition from the very beginning, and if he is allowed to suckle from the mom, the newest kittens may not get all of the nutrition they need. I hope this is helpful!

Hi there. I would recommend keeping the 12 week old kitten separate from the nursing mama. We don't want the kittens to fail to thrive due to too little nutrition. If you want them to spend some time together make sure you supervise and don't allow her to nurse. Good luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Fiona may be having a hormonal imbalance triggered by the kitten coming in to the house called a false pregnancy . I would check her mammary glands by trying to express them to see if milk comes out. There may not be any milk there but the kitten may nurse on them anyway. If there is milk Fiona and the kitten need to be separated until the milk is gone and the kitten needs to be prevented from nursing off her. If there is no milk in her glands I see no harm in it. I wish you the best!

I would put Mamma in her own room with the kittens and give them as much space as possible. Make sure she has food, water, and a litter box. Check on them only once a day to make sure things are going well with her and her kittens. It sounds like you may be a bit of a distraction for her, so leaving her alone with the kittens and having them be her only focus may help with this situation. I hope this helps!

Try putting Blacky in her own room with the newborn kittens, and keeping her completely separated from the older kittens. Make sure she has a litter box, food, and water in that room. Hopefully that will allow her to focus only on the newborn kittens. Best of luck.

Yes, Bella should be able to produce plenty of milk for everyone, but it is very abnormal for a 5 month old kitten to want to keep nursing. I would recommend removing the older kitten and keeping them separate. Occasionally, older kittens will continue to try to nurse, and if there is no milk present, the nursing can lead to mastitis (an infection in the mammary gland). I would also recommend getting Bella and the kittens spayed to prevent further pregnancies. Cats will mate with any male present, including their own kittens.