Separating a mother cat from her kittens while she is still nursing can cause milk engorgement and mastitis—a painful condition that can be fatal for the mother.
Sadly, this happens far too often. Kittens are found and rescued, but the mother is forgotten. The common excuse is: “She’s nowhere to be seen.”
Please remember: the mum is likely desperate, sad, and terrified after losing her litter. She is still hanging around searching for them, even if she cannot be seen. Not bringing her in might result in milk engorgement and mastitis are extremely painful and can kill her if left untreated. Besides the kittens needs their mum.
Kitten's mum almost died because of mastitis after milk engorgement
Following story is about a domestic cat mum, but the story is just as valid for ferals and stray cats too
The mother cat was separated from her kittens when they where at around six weeks old. The owner wanted to wean them early, and sell the whole family separately for maximum profit. A woman agreed to buy the mother cat practically sight unseen—a decision that ultimately saved the mum's life. When the cat arrived at her new home, the new owner realized how sick she was and rushed her to a veterinary. The vet said she would have died without antibiotics.
Last time you rescued kittens, did you REALLY tried to find the mother?
If she is feral or stray, she may be hard to spot, but she will likely stay nearby for a while, desperately searching for her kittens.Here’s what I do:
- If possible, I set a trap the same day and use the kittens as "bait". I place them in a carrier with a grid front, position the carrier behind the trap with the grid facing the trap, and cover both with a blanket.
- If the mother hesitates to enter, I only cover the rear of the trap and the carrier—some cats fear the blanket or the long funnel leading to the kittens.
- If I can’t trap her the same day, I set up a feeding station to keep her in the area and install a trail camera to monitor who shows up. Then I do the trap routine above
How mastitis can become deadly
- Infection spreads: An untreated bacterial infection can spread from the mammary gland into the cat's bloodstream, a condition called septicemia.
- Sepsis and shock: This blood infection can lead to sepsis, a life-threatening condition where the body's response to the infection damages its own tissues and organs. In severe cases, it can lead to septic shock.
- Tissue necrosis: The infection can become severe enough to cause gangrene, where the tissue of the mammary gland dies off.
- Other complications: Severe mastitis can lead to abscesses and open, ulcerated wounds, which increase the risk of systemic infection.
Please don’t jeopardize the mother cat’s health by giving up on catching her.
Her kittens still need her care, nurturing, and comfort.
For more information on mastitis in cats, see this resource:
https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/mastitis-in-cats