Nursing
Best of both worlds
Love tiny kittens but can't commit to the feeding schedule orphans require? How about fostering a mom? Moms usually take care of the most of work, and fosters only need to be able to supplement twice a day if kittens need it.
Moms do need to be kept separate from all other fosters and resident pets the entire time they are in foster since they can sometimes be a little protective of their kittens.
Newborn to 4 weeks
It's all about nursing and more nursing at this age! Kittens don't do much else. They stay in their nest, close to the heating pad and/or mom, and mom takes care of their bathroom needs. If kittens need supplementing at this age, they are bottle or syringe fed formula, just like bottle babies.
4 to 7 weeks
Just like orphans, kittens start to become much more mobile at around 4 weeks. They can explore beyond the nest at this point and will start going to the bathroom on their own. They'll start eating on their own too! If kittens need supplementing at this age, they are syringe fed gruel, just like syringe gruelie orphans.
7+ weeks
Mom's job is almost done! Kittens can be made available at this age if they are eating on their own and weigh at least 1.5 lb/680 g and you've submitted at least one profile photo. Be sure to submit mom's marketing materials at the same time since she'll be ready for adoption too!
Supplementing nursing kittens
Mom's milk is best, but sometimes kittens need a little boost. Kittens are more likely to need supplementing if they are having trouble getting the hang of nursing, are sick, are much smaller than their siblings, or have a lot of siblings. Kittens should gain weight every 24 hours. If you notice that one of your nursing kittens has lost weight over 24 hours or has seen several days of minimal weight gains, contact the mentors at bbfostermentor@austinpetsalive.org to discuss whether you should start supplementing. See our Supplementing Protocol on the left for detailed information on why and how we supplement nursing kittens at APA!.
Supplementing Nursing Kittens Guide.mp4How to supplement a nursing kitten
See how it's done: Watch a foster supplement cute little kitten Rawr.
Time to retire
Once mom has finished raising her kittens, it's time for her to retire! Mom needs to be separated from her kittens for two weeks before she can be spayed so her milk can dry up before surgery. Kittens must be at least 8 weeks old and eating on their own before they are separated. There are a few different options for separating moms from their kittens:
You keep the family together until the kittens (or mom!) get adopted
You can put mom in a separate room from her kittens
You can request a new foster for your mom. Once the kittens are eight weeks old, you can send a photo and a line or two about her personality to cat-foster-coordinator@austinpetsalive.org. During peak kitten season, it can take some time to find a new foster, so be sure to submit mom's marketing materials to ensure that she has the best chance possible at finding her home. Moms do often get adopted around the same time as their kittens, or even before, if they have good website profiles!
Once you have a firm separation date, request a spay appointment at least two weeks from that date.
Want to foster a nursing mom cat?
Watch this short video covering all the basics of fostering nursing mom cats
Fostering Basics - Nursing Cats.mp4