Samantha chose a good spot to shift to. Under the ottoman is a much larger space, so now, all three kittens can nurse at the same time.
This is the first time, in five days, I’ve seen Samantha allowing all three to nurse at the same time.
Maybe it is because she finally has enough milk, or maybe it’s simply because there is ample space to lie down and stretch out.
But a cat will choose her own space. It’s beyond us.
Samantha does not like the towel, but Akira did. Still, Samantha kept moving away from the towel so the kittens have to follow her. I just hope the tiled floor isn’t too cold for the kittens.
Regarding why I intervened, it is because Indra was born very small sized. The vet also advised me to weigh them daily to ensure there is a 10-15g weight gain. If they don’t meet this weight gain, I would have to handfeed. Again, this is the advice of the vet which with I agree.
In 2006, I did our first-ever pound rescue and one of the rescues was a mother-dog, whom I named Selphie, with her 9 newborn pups from the pound. I fostered them at home. It was my very first time fostering a mother and her newborns. I didn’t know what to do but was advised to “let the mother do all the work” and that I didn’t have to do anything except to feed the mother. And that was what I did. What happened was that the youngest became very weak and I did not know. When I noticed it, I rushed her to the vet’s but we couldn’t save her. The vet said she probably did not get enough milk. They can go down very, very fast. The puppy died. I did not monitor their weights too. I didn’t know any better. From then on, I swore I would learn and do better if ever there was a next time.
After that, all was well with the rest of the orphaned newborns I fostered.
Then came Babykit, a newborn sent to the vet’s. The vet told me he stood a chance and asked if I could foster him. I agreed. A rescuer came to know about it and offered his mother-cat who was nursing her own kittens. I was told a mother-cat would still be better than being handfed by a human. At least it’s genuine cat milk and there’s real body warmth rather than the hot water bottle. This was the first time that I sent a newborn to a foster mother-cat. The rescuer said he would be monitoring. I kept in touch by phone with the rescuer who assured me all was well. But after two days, we went to visit and things didn’t look right. I took back Babykit and cared for him myself but it was already too late. Hours can make a difference to a newborn, so what more two whole days. Babykit did not make it too. So, no more sending to foster mother-animals, not more simply trusting rescuers who say they will monitor when they don’t.
We learn as we go on. Of all the newborns I’ve fostered, I’ve lost three – Selphie’s 9th pup, Babykit and Jelly. Jelly’s was a case of severe diarrhoea which couldn’t be resolved. His siblings survived. Jelly was the youngest and smallest. The rest of the newborns I fostered survived; more than 20.
So, this is why I intervened with Samantha’s kittens. I’m not going to let a kitten die on my watch, not if there’s something I can do about it. We do our very best, based on reliable advice from the vet. We cannot control everything, but at least we’ve done our best with the best of intentions. That’s all that matters.
Now, back to Samantha.
I think she did not have enough milk on Days 2-3. It happens in humans too. I know of mothers whose milk does not come until after a whole week. It’s not their fault. It is just how it is. Different people, different bodies.
Also, Akira and Kai were monopolising the full nipples while Indra was always going for the top one. That top nipple was not full. I think it did not have enough milk. So poor Indra was sucking on a nipple with insufficient milk. I tried putting him to the fuller nipples but he himself kept going for the top one. But Indra has now caught up. Hopefully he is no longer weak.
Even at this tender age, it’s a battleground for the kittens – fighting for the nipples with milk. That’s how they survive in Nature.
It’s the survival of the fittest.
It’s a tough world, whether it’s in the jungle or under the ottoman. It’s a tough world.