Why are my nursing cat's nipples swollen and kittens seem small?

It looks like KuKKu may have mastitis (an infection in the mammary glands). I suggest you have her checked by a vet. She will need treatment that you can't provide at home. Here is a link to an article about this issue in cats: ( https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/mastitis-in-cats ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

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.

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.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Yes, swelling or enlargement of the mammary glands is commonly observed when they are in heat so this is likely normal in Sarabi. No need to be concerned. Good luck and have a good night!

It could be that Bonnie has mastitis, which can happen with nursing cats. Mastitis is an infection of the mammary glands, and it can fatal without treatment. I would take Bonnie and her kittens into the vet today to get this checked out. Best of luck.

You are correct about the reasons for your observations. The skin color around the nipples and other places on the body can vary. Areas of dark fur often have darker, more pigmented skin. The kittens may have tried to nurse her making the nipples larger and pinker. Since she’s not spayed being around the kittens may have brought her into heat and the change in hormones can effect the size of the nipples too. I’m not overly concerned about this, I think what you are describing sounds fairly normal. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Daisy.

Hello, mammary chain development does not occur until very late in pregnancy. As she is nearing labor, she will begin to produce milk and her mammary glands will become enlarged. Her nipples will get big with the nursing. You should not be concerned at the moment. Make sure she has access to adequate amounts of water at all times. Hope this helps and best of luck.