Need help with new mamma "Molly Micro-soft"

[hackman22]

Hi,
I don't have a ton of experience with cats. I have a Siamese cat named "Molly Micro-soft". My daughter found it in the back of a pickup truck full of junk at someones house who had a lot of cats. It had an upper respiratory infection and eye infection which we treated successfully.
Now, at around one year old she had kittens. She had three but only two were alive. Within 24 hours another one died.(I think she may have laid on it and smothered it.)
She doesn't seem to have a clue how to handle this whole situation and is acting strangely. She is being much more motherly with just the one kitten so I am hopeful....
There are two issues I'm looking for advice on from someone more knowledgeable than myself.
First, She gets up with the baby suckling and walks off. The baby drops off away from the nest but she doesn't pick it up and return it. Not like she is rejecting it,more like she doesn't know how to pick it up or maybe what she should do. I'll pick it up by the back of the neck so she can see and put it back. This has only happened a few times since the birth on the 16th.

Second issue,which is of much more urgency , is "meowing". She stares at me and meows constantly!
It's not a trust issue. Since I got her she has followed me everywhere I go....always.
Is she wondering where the other two are?? Or is there something she needs and I'm just not getting it?
Thanks in advance for your help
Rob H.

[Mollycat]

Welcome to the forum, fellow Molly person!

I don't have any advice as the only newborns we ever had were when I was a child and sadly it did not end well. Ours was also a year old or so and one by one we lost all 5 kittens, we believe she killed at least some. But she would do the same, coming to us and miaowing in some maybe not distress but definitely upset. I was 6 years old, I don't know what my parents should or could have done to help her.

There are plenty of people here with kitten experience though and I'm sure some good advice will be along soon for you.

[fjm]

It sounds to me as if she is utterly confused by the whole situation, and possibly, given the loss of two kittens already, as if perhaps the whole litter has issues. It is possible, given the eye and respiratory infection you mention, that Molly has had feline herpes, and as a carrier may have passed it to the kittens. Has she ever been tested for it?

I had a Siamese as a child who had several litters, but never really enjoyed kittens, although she did become rather more maternal with time. It was a huge relief to her and to us when she was spayed and could leave the whole business behind! She used to leave kittens all over the house, and we got used to finding them in beds or half way up the stairs. I would suggest confining Molly to a small space when you are not there to watch her, so that she does not lose the kitten somewhere out of the nest. Provide a heat source (a well wrapped hot water bottle or similar) for the kitten - young kits are unable to regulate their body temperature and can quickly get chilled without the warmth of their mother.

The miaowing may simply be asking for reassurance - be comforting and matter of fact, and keep everything as calm and routine as you can. It sounds as if she is very attached to you, and used to looking to you to solve problems for her. Now she has this new baby, and not much idea of what to do, and may well be asking for help - a sign of very considerable trust.

Cats can come into season and get pregnant again within a few weeks of giving birth. This may be a difficult time to find a vet or charity prepared to do a spay, but it might be a good idea to start asking around.

[hackman22]

Thanks Mollycat & fjm for your replies.
Molly went "out" shortly after I wrote this. She was gone an hour or so and came back feeling much beter. She said Hi then went over,cleaned the kitten,fed it and then they both curled up and went to sleep.
fjm, I believe your right on target on her behavior.
I read 80-90% have herpes virus so,yeah probably. lol
All the lady's cats had eye infections as it is passed easily.
I gave her Amoxicillin and both infections cleared up in about a week.(I gave it to her for 2 weeks)
She has appeared healthy for nearly a year since, and the kittens looked healthy too. The I'd say the huge one that didn't make it probably suffocated as it took her quite awhile to get it out and the other I think she laid on. She seemed to feel bad and is taking extremely good care of the last one. She keeps it out from under her which she hadn't been to concerned about before.
Like you said "utterly confused". I certainly agree. She looked totally shocked when the first one arrived!
Big change in her daily routine. She seems to be coming to grips with it though.
I decided I'd let her have one litter before spaying. I think I'll give her one more try.
I'm going to hike to the top of a nearby mountain and give them away. Won't people be surprised to see kittens at the top. lol
Plus I'd say people that go for hike's would make good "parents"

[Ruth B]

Sounds like your Molly is really starting to understand what she has to do.

However, not wanting to down your idea, but think whether out on the mountain is really the place to give the kitten away. You don't want someone to fall in love with it, adopt it and then realise that their life isn't really suited to looking after a kitten, decisions made in the spur of the moment may not always be good ones. They also may not have what they need to look after the kitten or even to get it home safely. You would do far better to ask around friends and family, or even to advertise it locally and then you can make sure it goes to a good home.

I will also add that she will gain no benefit really from you letting her have another litter, and you are putting her health at risk the longer you delay spaying her. You mention that one kitten was large and she had problems giving birth to it, if it had been any bigger it might be that the delay would have not only killed that kitten, but any others waiting to get out, worse case it could have meant either a vet visit to have them delivered by Cesarean or even the the death of the mother cat. Please consider ensuring she has a long and happy life by getting her spayed as soon as you can.

I'm glad her and the last kitten are doing well