Why Won't My Cat Come Out to Feed Her Kittens?

There are a wide range of reasons that a cat may refuse to nurse her kittens. If she is a first time mother, she may simply not know how to nurse her kittens. However, her refusal to nurse could also indicate a health problem with her or the kittens. It is also possible that she is starting to wean them. Speak to your vet for more information about why your cat is not nursing her kittens and what you should do.

  1. Inexperience

    • If your cat has never had kittens before, she may simply not know how to care for or nurse them. If she is hiding, coax her out and spend some time petting her to calm her down. Then, lay her on her side and guide the kittens to her nipples. If the issue is inexperience, this should solve the problem. However, if she has nursed in the past or moves away even after you show her how to nurse the kittens, her reluctance could have another cause.

    Unhealthy Cat

    • When kittens nurse, they scratch at their mother's nipples to stimulate milk production. This can leave the mother cat vulnerable to infection. If infection sets in or a nipple becomes plugged, she may develop a painful condition called mastitis. Mastitis causes the nipples and surrounding area to become inflamed and swollen. The pain can lead the mother to avoid nursing. Fortunately, mastitis is usually quite treatable and normal nursing will resume once the symptoms have subsided. In the meantime, you will have to act as a surrogate to the kittens and feed them appropriate kitten formula. Take your cat to the vet if you suspect mastitis.

    Unhealthy Kittens

    • Cats are keenly aware of the health of their kittens. They can sense disease or defects that are not apparent to human owners. If the kittens are unhealthy, the mother cat may reject them because she does not want to waste energy on them when they probably won't survive. Sometimes, one unhealthy kitten will cause the mother to reject the whole litter if it is not removed. If your cat is rejecting the kittens, she will not nurse, cuddle or groom them. You can act as a surrogate parent, but keep your expectations low as the kittens may not live very long. In some instances, the mother may reject a kitten because it feels cold. Warm it up with a massage and she will probably start to care for it again.

    Weaning

    • Between weeks four and six, the mother can will begin the weaning process. During this time, she will begin refusing her kittens access for nursing. This is normal and not a cause for concern. Simply begin incorporating solid food into the kittens diet, increasing the portion size as the mother decreases her milk production.