by Lisa
(San Jose)

My cat has been nursing for about 7 weeks and now all the kitties have been given away. I am now wondering if maybe they were still too young to give away. My question is why are the nipples on the cat so hard and odd shaped? They all seem oblong and like her whole stomach has tumors on it. It is so hard and possibly still filled with milk. Is this normal?


Hi, Lisa,

She has mastitis due to the abrupt cessation of kittens nursing. This is normal. It is preferable to give the kittens away slowly over a few weeks to try and avoid this, but that is not always possible.

Apply warm compresses to her mammary glands as often as possible. Decrease her intake of food considerably for a few days. If she will let you, try to express some milk from the nipples from time to time. If she stops eating and drinking or becomes lethargic or develops a fever, she should be seen by a vet.

Thank you for writing,
Dr. Neely