My cat just gave birth and she had 2 breech & 2 regular. She seems 2 be rejecting one of the breeches, why?

Question

Mother Cat is not quite a year old, and she didn't handle the birth that well, we had to remove the first kitten born and the second one because she was not cleaning them and they were getting squashed. I picked them up in a towel and tried not to touch them at all, but the first breech kitten wasn't breathing so I had to suction out it's poor little lungs. I also noticed that this first kitten has a deformed back leg. Now Mama Cat isn't tending to it at all and I am worried. Did I do wrong by helping that first one? It can't seem to move very well but it has a great meow and is eating when we bottle feed it...is there any way to get Mama back on track? Should I have left well enough alone? I am heartsick about this...please give me some advice? I also have found homes for all of the kittens already, so no one will be homeless, and Mama will be spayed in 8 weeks. Thanks!

Answer 1

You did nothing wrong and touching them is ok

She may be taking care of one because it is not going to survive

Good going about the spaying soon!

I would TRY to rub the baby on her rear... to put her smell onto the kitten and then put it in with the other ones... If it is weaker (I do this for the runt too)  then I would make sure it gets to feed first then put the other ones on the teats.

watch her and see if she accepts it.  If it is deformed inside she will know and still reject it...

then you will have to bottle feed it.  I can do quite well with only 3 legs... so don't worry about that part.

good luck