Help! Mama cat won't stimulate kittens
The shelter gave me a pregnant cat two weeks ago. She delivered 5 healthy kittens over the weekend. She was extremely diligent in cleaning the babies and stimulating them to pee/poop.
However, she retained a placenta and tried to go septic (104.5 F at the vet yesterday!!). She obviously felt like complete shit and stopped cleaning the kittens and herself while feverish. They all spent the day at the vet+shelter while she received subq fluids, antibiotics, and oxytocin to expel the placenta.
As of yesterday afternoon, everyone is back with me. The babies lost a few grams while she was sick (and I knew her milk supply needed time to recover), so I spent last night bottlefeeding and stimulating every three hours. She hasn't stopped letting the kittens nurse and always shows concern when I handle them, so I know she still has her maternal instincts and isn't rejecting them.
HOWEVER. She absolutely refuses to stimulate/potty them. This is a minor crisis -- possibly a big crisis -- because I'm not consistent at getting neonates to poop. Two have pooped in the last 24 hours for sure, but I can't get the other three to poop. I know all the tricks: warm water, triangle method, etc, but the actual execution of the techniques eludes me.
Potentially other relevant info:
- Her temp is down to normal levels (rectal temp last night: 102.6F, and this morning: 100.4F)
- I'm giving oral antibiotics 2x daily
- She's eating and drinking, but not as much as she did prior to delivery
- She stopped grooming herself while sick, and she hasn't caught back up, so it's not like she's grooming herself and neglecting the babies
- We're only 24 hours after the start of treatment, so maybe this is just residual discomfort and nausea?
Has anyone seen this type of behavior in a mama cat after an illness, and did she eventually get her act together?
I'm obviously going to pick up the slack for as long as it's needed, but I'm very concerned my efforts won't be good enough, and the kittens will be susceptible to life-threatening constipation.