Is it normal for my nursing cat's milk supply to decrease at night?

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.

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.

Yes please continue to feed Icy a good quality dry cat food and you may add some all meat wet food twice daily. There is no specific protein requirement as all quality dry foods have enough, and adding canned food will increase her protein intake also. I like to leave the dry food out all the time so she can free feed. She will need extra calories to have enough milk for the kittens. Once the kittens are three weeks old I start offering them kitten canned food, teaching them to eat by putting a little on your finger and having them lick it off. You also can soak kitten dry food until soft and try them on that. The sooner they start eating on their own the less it will strain Icy to feed them. Enjoy her babies, kittens are fun to see grow up. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you get answers to your veterinary questions.

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. As long as the mom will let them nurse she will make milk. I would not call it abnormal but it is not really good for them to nurse after 8 weeks of age. They actually become lactose intolerant after that time and even though they seem OK it could cause them issues in the long run. The mother usually stops the kittens from nursing around 8 weeks of age because they will get teeth and start biting the nipples making her uncomfortable. They must not be doing that since she is still allowing them to do it. The mom continuing to make milk also puts a strain on her body nutritionally and she may get underweight and unthrifty. It is best to separate the mom from the kittens until the milk dries up and then have mom spayed. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

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 :-)

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Yes, changes in appetite and behavior can be observed in cats and dogs in heat. However, it could of course be due to many other possibilities. If she is otherwise fine, just continue to monitor her. This should only be transient if it is only due to her heat. If this continues past a few days, have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment. Good luck!

Hello. Yes, if the bond is strong. If you are not sure Lily is producing enough milk ( the kittens will be restless, crying, producing less urine & feces ), you may need to supplement them with a kitten milk replacer. But if the kittens seem to be latching on & fall asleep after nursing, then she may be producing enough milk for them. If you are not sure, you can purchase a postal scale & weigh them every day. If there are tiny gains, they are nursing well. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.