If a mother cat has no milk, will she still sit with her kittens?

The best way to determine if your cat is producing milk is by observing the kittens. Newborns spend long hours nursing - up to 8 hours per day - with sessions lasting up to 45 minutes. When the mother's milk is being let down, the kittens will each latch onto a preferred nipple and stay there. If you observe closely you will be able to see their little mouths and tongues moving from the suckling action. Often their ears may move as well. Nursing kittens will knead the mother's abdomen which is an important stimulus to milk let down. After a feeding session, the kittens will have round, full bellies and will fall asleep. Ideally, healthy kittens who are nursing well will gain 7-10 grams every day. They can, and should, be weighed every few days to confirm gains.

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!

Congrats on your kittens! Even though you are squeezing Peky's nipple and no milk is coming out doesn't mean that she isn't producing enough milk for her kittens. Newborn kittens are very fragile and require round the clock feeding. If they weren't getting enough food, they would every weak and crying all the time. Kittens will fight over specific nipples, this is normal behavior. As long as they are feeding, not acting weak or crying all the time, and are gaining weight every day, they are getting enough milk from their mother and you have nothing to worry about :-)

There are no signs of mastitis from those pictures but there is no way to know about milk production from the photo. If the kitten have not eaten in a week they wiukd not have made it this long so they are getting something. At that age you can syringe milk to them or try kitten food to wean them. If she has milk still you would be able to express some

Usually the mom will take care of them. Just make sure they are all nursing and she is grooming them all. I would try to no let her sit on them as she could smother them if she isn't aware she is sitting on them. You are doing a great job. If you find that one is weak or not nursing you may have to supplement with kitten formula and either a syringe or kitten bottle every 2-3 hours. You will also have to stimulate them to pee/poop by rubbing their behind with a warm wash cloth every time they eat. I hope this helps!

By suckling the kittens stimulate the mammary glands and also the production of oxytocin, which lets down the milk. This should be sufficient. If she does not produce enough milk (the kittens will whine and their bellies will not be round and full), then you should take her and the kittens to your vet for an exam. However, looking at your photos, the kittens look happy and mama does, too. You will not need this massage, which is not something that is advisable.

once the kitten will start suckling milk production should start to occur, you should wait at least a couple days, if you do not see any change and it seems like the kitten are not getting milk from her, you will have to buy kitten replacer milk at the pet shop and feed them with a bottle.