New kitten problem with older cats

[bella123]

Good Moring, Well Bella had her baby Mia about 5-6 weeks ago. Not sure the exact date, since she just showed the baby one day on her favorite spot of the couch. Mia is doing great so is mother Bella.
My guestion is I have 3 other cats, 2 males (6-7 YOA)and one female(9 YOA).
Bella is very protected of baby Mia , so mother Bella is on gaurd everyday and night. The are in a seprate room from the other cats. WEll the cats have seen the baby and hissed. Which I know is normal.
But Bella attacks each cat if they walk by the room.
Help will they ever get along? When does mother stop breast feeding, I would like to get her fixed. Some people have told me the kitten should be at least 12-16 weeks old?
Any help you guys could give me.
Thanks in advance.

[moosmom]

Bella123,

The best thing for the kittens is to start weaning them at about 7 weeks. Get some KMR (milk supplement) and mix it with canned kitten food (IAMS or Science Diet is best). Put the dish down and let the baby go to town. She MAY walk in it, but once she tastes it, she'll start eating more. Do that 3 times a day, if you can.

As far as the other cats are concerned, I'd keep Bella and Mia separated from the them until Mia is weaned. Bella will still be protective because it is her baby.

Bella can be spayed once the Mia is weaned.

Are you going to keep Mia or adopt her out?? If you're going to keep her, you'll need to gradually introduce both of them to the rest of the crew. Rub both cats down with a towel and let the other cats sniff their scent. Do the same thing with the other cats and let Bella and Mia sniff their scents.

If anyone has any other advice about introducing both mama and baby to the rest of the crew, PLEASE post it here. I've never had to do that with Mattie Grace and her babies because they all went together.

Good luck and please post pictures when you get a chance!! ;)

[bella123]

Thank you so much for the advice.!
I willl be keeping Mia, this is the first kitten I ever had. I also adopted older cats, so I'm new at this kitten thing. I did try to give her kitten food, but she sniffed at it, but did not eat. The problem is im not sure how old she is, since mother just appeared with this kitten (looked about 2 weeks old) so I think she is at least 5 weeks now.


Well I'll keep trying!!!!!!!!!!

[kittycats_delight]

What I did when my RB Mytsi had babies and they got old enough to eat was touch a little bit on the food on their noses so it stuck and they had to lick it off. After doing this a few times they would go looking for the food as they liked the taste and it was new to them I guess. So before long they were nursing less and less and eating more and more on their own. DOn't be the least bit surprised if Momma gobbles up the food as she wants her baby to stay her baby and dependant on her but baby will learn quickly to get her share and momma will loosen up and allow her to do so.

[tvt]

Why does mamma cat have to wean her kitten right now? She will wean when it's time.
I understand you want to get mamma fixed, and I praise you for that very wise decision, but if she's in a room with her baby by herself, she won't get impregnated again. You are providing regular cat food for mamma, and mamma cat will introduce the kitten to regular food as it matures and can handle the change in diet. We don't cut our children off the breast cold-turkey, by nature, so let the mamma cat do her thing in her time. Then when you are sure she is done breast-feeding and the kitten is fine on his own, then take her to get fixed.

I don't mean to sound touchy to you or any catlover, but we humans tend to forget our cats act on instinct, and mother nature does great without us on a lot of issues. If this is mamma cat's only chance for having a kitten, let her nurse until she's ready to wean. I would think she wants that bonding with her baby as much as we cherished it with our own children.
(And yes, I had to quit breast-feeding cold-turkey so I could get back on the Pill. It was painful for me physically and mentally, and my son too. We'd both been better off if others had let me do it my way and not some man's way.) Please, let mamma cat make those decisions by instinct.

And, I loved the advise to rub cats with towels to introduce to new cats. I needed that advise about 3 months ago, but all are getting along fine now.

[kittycats_delight]

If you do not help in the weening process momma will continue to feed. I have had a cat that feed her kitten sporadically till the kitten was 6 months old. That is too big of a drain on the mother cat and the kitten needs to learn independence. Help with the weening process. She will still feed for awhile off momma but nt as much and she will stop almost completely in a few weeks. It is not a cold turkey stopping of breast feeding. It's a gradual weening. That is what weening is gradually taking away the breast milk.

[bella123]

Well thank you all so much, I took your advice and put some food on my finger, she sniffed and loved it!
Not sure mother will be happy, Mia is doing great playing and just hopping around.
Bella (mom) keeps meowing for her to stay with her, but Mia has a little mind of her own.

[moosmom]

When I had Mattie Grace and her babies, I started weaning them at 8 weeks. I mixed the canned kitten food with some KMR and put some in a syringe. Then I gave a little to each of the babies. It took a couple of tries, but they finally started eating it.