# How long does a cat feed her kittens for?



## Riobelle (Jun 3, 2010)

I know the answers will probably be how long is a piece of string, lol, and it all depends on the individual cat but how long does the queen usually feed her kittens for? Emunah has five kittens and she only has to sit down to be mobbed. They are nearly ten weeks old and will often feed every hour. Mum is very content to let them do this and is still very heavy with milk and is in great condition. It is lovely to see Emunah purring away purred under a mound of kittens all equally purring as loud! I just wondered if there is an age that this will decrease or will they still be feeding this much when they go to their new homes at 14 weeks? One kitten may be staying with me and I'm beginning to think she will still be feeding the kitten when it is an adult, lol!
Thanks in advance for any experiences you can share with me xxx


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## alisondalziel (Oct 8, 2008)

Hiya,

May i ask if they are eating solids? If so are they eating much, and what are you feeding them?

I find that once they are eating solids, they suckle less and less from mum. 

By 12 weeks they are maybe only having one or two feeds a day from mum, and they are short as mum gets fed up.


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## Riobelle (Jun 3, 2010)

Thanks for your reply. Yes they are getting solids and all weigh between 1-1.2kg. They have Orijin dry food out all the time (sometimes with RC 34 babycat or JW kitten) plus a mixture of chicken, mince, fish, tins of applaws and pouches 3 to 4 times a day, as much as they can eat in a sitting. They are definitely not hungry lol and I don't think it is from a nutritional need, rather a comfort thing as they love to fall asleep feeding on Emunah. She only has three teats with milk and the five kittens don't fight over them ever so I'm guessing its not something they need, just a nice comforting extra? xxx


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## Aurelia (Apr 29, 2010)

The two girls that left home when they were 13 weeks from my litter last year ... fed right up until and on the day if I remember correctly. But as Alison says it got less and less towards the end, and sometimes just when I thought they had had their last feed they waited 2 days and then had one :lol:

So long as your queen is in tip top condition still there's no reason to be alarmed or to stop it. But I would suggest that you stagger the leaving days of the litter, so her supply becomes less and less over a week or so.

EDIT: I just found this  it was one of the last feeds they all had together :001_wub:


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## alisondalziel (Oct 8, 2008)

AWWWWWWWW!!!

AAAAAAAA i LOVE them Aurelia!! :001_wub: :001_wub:

What a treat, proper cheered me up 

All the best colours, beautiful!!


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## francescah (Feb 6, 2011)

Awwww, that picture is gorgeous! Love their little paws! Too cute :001_wub:


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## catzz (Apr 8, 2010)

Kiera - now a little over a year - has never been away from her mum. She was feeding from her until she was just about 6 months! Gypsy was getting fed up with it in the end though and put a stop to it


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## Taylorbaby (Jan 10, 2009)

Riobelle said:


> I know the answers will probably be how long is a piece of string, lol, and it all depends on the individual cat but how long does the queen usually feed her kittens for? Emunah has five kittens and she only has to sit down to be mobbed. They are nearly ten weeks old and will often feed every hour. Mum is very content to let them do this and is still very heavy with milk and is in great condition. It is lovely to see Emunah purring away purred under a mound of kittens all equally purring as loud! I just wondered if there is an age that this will decrease or will they still be feeding this much when they go to their new homes at 14 weeks? One kitten may be staying with me and I'm beginning to think she will still be feeding the kitten when it is an adult, lol!
> Thanks in advance for any experiences you can share with me xxx


it depends on mum, they 'normally' start to lesson the feeds and give the kittens a kick or a bit of a headlock around 9/10/12weeks of age, it just gets less and less really, like mum knows its time for them to leave home!

I kept 2 kittens back for a extra 4 (or 5) weeks last year and mum happily gave them the odd milk treat, but other than that they wernt that bothered, however Meg refuses past 12weeks of age, thats it no top ups no little feeds thats it! a smack and a hiss from her!!



Aurelia said:


> The two girls that left home when they were 13 weeks from my litter last ye
> [.com/albums/y45/jojo24/lastfeed2024.jpg[/IMG]


awww lol, that is EXACTLY what my 2 are doing now one is always flopped over the top lol! :001_smile:


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## Riobelle (Jun 3, 2010)

Thanks for the replies. I was thinking Emunah would start pushing the kittens off but she still seems very happy to feed them and will often call them for milk time. That's a great tip about staggering the leaving days for her milk supply. I had planned to do that anyway but I hadn't really thought about her milk supply slowing decreasing too. Thanks guys :001_smile:
Aurelia- I love that picture. Here's a picture of Emunah with two of her kittens xxx


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## alisondalziel (Oct 8, 2008)

Awwww she's gorgeous and looks very happy with the little ones 

I don't know much about siamese, is she an apricot by any chance?


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## dougal22 (Jun 18, 2010)

Riobelle said:


> I know the answers will probably be how long is a piece of string, lol, and it all depends on the individual cat but how long does the queen usually feed her kittens for? Emunah has five kittens and she only has to sit down to be mobbed. They are nearly ten weeks old and will often feed every hour. Mum is very content to let them do this and is still very heavy with milk and is in great condition. It is lovely to see Emunah purring away purred under a mound of kittens all equally purring as loud! I just wondered if there is an age that this will decrease or will they still be feeding this much when they go to their new homes at 14 weeks? One kitten may be staying with me and I'm beginning to think she will still be feeding the kitten when it is an adult, lol!
> Thanks in advance for any experiences you can share with me xxx


Quick question - please forgive my ignorance about breeding, but I thought that your queen's breeder would mentor you? Not just 'your' queen, but anyone who has a queen from a breeder. Is this not common practice?


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## Riobelle (Jun 3, 2010)

Yes I have a mentor and because I have a mentor does this mean i can't ask peoples' experiences on an open forum? I love talking cats and I have loved hearing about other people's litters. Thanks for your responses. She is a red point siamese and doing super as a mum xxx


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## Taylorbaby (Jan 10, 2009)

dougal22 said:


> Quick question - please forgive my ignorance about breeding, but I thought that your queen's breeder would mentor you? Not just 'your' queen, but anyone who has a queen from a breeder. Is this not common practice?


Not really depends on the breeder, some wont even talk to you are and tell you to deal with it, but most are helpful, personally I did it all myself and made friends with breeders and asked them for advice, so I didnt have a mentor!


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## lymorelynn (Oct 4, 2008)

Mai Tai's breeder just suggested I got a book on the subject and didn't really mentor me  Fortunately I am not entirely ignorant of the process of breeding animals or delivering young (I delivered my grand-daughter almost 5 years ago  - not quite the same as a kitten but a very exciting experience)
Riobelle - my girl will feed her kittens up to the day they leave at around 13 weeks and she doesn't seem unduly bothered. She walks away when she's had enough but will lie down and call them to be fed too.


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## Riobelle (Jun 3, 2010)

Thanks for your replies. Its interesting how individual cats are different. Another breeder I know's cat stopped at 10 weeks when she'd had enough so I'd been expecting Emunah to be similar but she seems to really enjoy being a mum and feeding them. she is certainly very tolerant when they are noisily slurping away!
My mentor is actually the breeder of one of my other queens but I am in regular contact with the breeder of Emunah and she's given me lots of advice about her line as she had Emunah's mum and grandma. I think it depends on the breeder as some will want to keep in touch and others are much less interested. I can't imagine not wanting to know how my kittens are and I'm so glad that my new kitten families want me to continue to be a part of their lives and have invited me over to visit once the kittens go to their new home. I get lots of information from my mentor but I love nothing better than chatting to other breeders and reading up on things, same as you Taylorbaby and Lynn.
Lynn- what an amazing experience delivering your own grandchild :001_smile: xxx


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## Marley boy (Sep 6, 2010)

omg those pictures made me well up lol sooooooo lovely to see them with their mummy for so long having cuddles and milk insted of being rehomed at 8 weeks or less


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## Riobelle (Jun 3, 2010)

Thanks Marley Boy  They are 10 weeks now but still such babies. I'm going to find it hard them leaving their mum and brothers and sisters at 13-14 weeks let alone 8 weeks They spend hours chaing each other around the living room and when they are feeling brave, pouncing on mum. I can't imagine how many social and 'cat' skills they are learning now. This time is so special for them  xxx


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## dougal22 (Jun 18, 2010)

dougal22 said:


> Quick question - please forgive my ignorance about breeding, but I thought that your queen's breeder would mentor you? Not just 'your' queen, but anyone who has a queen from a breeder. Is this not common practice?





Riobelle said:


> *Yes I have a mentor and because I have a mentor does this mean i can't ask peoples' experiences on an open forum*? I love talking cats and I have loved hearing about other people's litters. Thanks for your responses. She is a red point siamese and doing super as a mum xxx


I asked a simple question and also said 'forgive my ignorance', so I cannot understand your response, which I feel is unwarranted. I never once said it wasn't acceptable to ask questions on the forum  But it appears my question has been taken in the wrong context.


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## dougal22 (Jun 18, 2010)

Taylorbaby said:


> Not really depends on the breeder, some wont even talk to you are and tell you to deal with it, but most are helpful, personally I did it all myself and made friends with breeders and asked them for advice, so I didnt have a mentor!


Thank you TB for answering my innocuous question that wasn't meant to provoke the reaction it did. If I have any breeding questions, perhaps I can come directly to you and not ask them on the forum. Thank you


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## Riobelle (Jun 3, 2010)

Dougla-I'm sorry for misconstruing the point of your question. 
I took from your post that you were implying that I wasn't being mentored?  This was by the way you said 'I thought your queen's breeder would mentor you' and 'Is this not common practice?'.

I appreciate you taking the time to read my post but would rather it kept on topic  I would be pleased to answer any questions you have about breeding in a new thread however and am always happy to talk cats xxx


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## Riobelle (Jun 3, 2010)

Totally sorry I miscontrued your post Dougal xxx


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