My newborn kittens fight for one nipple. Is it safe to move them?

If by fighting you mean they are pushing each other out of the way this is normal behavior. A cat has 8 mammary glands so there should be enough room for everyone but sometimes the mother doesn’t make enough milk. The best way to determine whether or not the kittens are getting enough milk is to weigh them each daily using a gram scale. They should gain about 100 grams per week and should be gaining every day.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Great job Icy!! I wouldn't get concerned, that mammary gland may be preferred due to a higher milk production or other reasons. Just make sure that each kitten is getting enough milk and is growing each and every day. You should be feeding the queen kitten food also to boost her nutrition during this stressful time. As the kittens get a little bigger, they may migrate to other nipples because they will be feeding for longer periods of time to account for growth. Remember also that kittens can be dewormed at 2 weeks of age and every two weeks after that with pyrantel pamoate. And don't forget to deworm the queen also. She is cleaning up the kittens poop and will get infected via a fecal oral route. The kittens will start passing parasite eggs when they are about 2-3 weeks old so deworm the queen then. Normally kittens are dewormed 3-4 times (every 3 weeks) after they have been weaned from the queen. Some parasites are transmitted in utero before the kittens are born and some are passed through the milk of the queen to the kittens. Monitor the queen's mammary glands, watch for heat, redness, pain, and a pus like discharge which would all be indicative of mastitis. Good luck with Icy and the kittens.

If the nipples are not hot or painful and your cat is well in herself (she is not lethargic and is eating and drinking well) there is most likely nothing to worry about. You may try to put the kittens on the bottom nipples and see if they will latch and if the mum would let them feed from these nipples. If you noticed that the nipples became hot and painful you should get your cat checked by your local vet as these may be signs of mastitis.

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 :-)

Hello. There is no immediate danger with this behavior & the male kitten will eventually kick everyone off him as he matures. Because of the self-grooming cats do I do not recommend placing a bitter spray on him. Just anytime you see one of the kittens doing this, just gently remove her & try to distract with a treat. This behavior often gets outgrown. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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.

It is fine to handle the kittens, cats do not generally reject their young if they are handled by an outside source. It may also just look like mama is smothering them when in fact she might just be providing them with heat and/or the ability to nurse. Unless you actually see the babies actually struggling to move or crying out, they are probably not being smothered. The kittens are waking up a lot because they have to nurse. When they are this young, the tend to nurse upwards of every 2-3 hours. If you are not seeing the kittens nursing that often, they might need supplemental care in the form of bottle feeding. You can pick up some kitten milk replacer at a pet store or a big-box store as well as the bottle. Hope this helps!