The first few weeks of a kitten's life are extremely important for the animal's development. Feline breastfeeding is one of the main steps for the kitten to receive the nutrients it needs to grow up healthy and strong, as mother's milk strengthens the immune system. However, between the seventh and eighth week of the kitten's life, the mother cat's milk production is reduced.Otherwise, a common complication is when the cat gets cobbled milk, which can be quite uncomfortable for her. But how to do it the right way? To help you how to dry your kitten's milk, we talked to veterinarian Guilherme Borges, postgraduate in veterinary medicine. Check out what he explained!

How does the cat get milk in her milk?

During the lactation period, it is normal for the kitten to go through a period of high stress due to all the changes. Just like cat agestation itself, which requires a lot of care, the post-pregnancy period needs attention. To begin with, the correct feeding and hydration are important to provide quality milk for the litter. "After childbirth, milk production and secretion should be high.begin to decrease when the mother no longer accepts to suckle the kittens, which are usually around six weeks old, and the sucking stimulus gradually ceases. Cats produce milk for approximately up to two months after giving birth (there may be exceptions) but ideally it should not be extended too long after the end of suckling due to the possibility of developing a breastfeeding disorder.inflammation and breast infections," the vet warns.

Some complications can occur during this period. "The period of breastfeeding and post-pregnancy for cats is quite stressful, mainly due to physical and emotional fatigue. Therefore, they may have a lack of appetite and not be interested in food, culminating in nutritional disorders and even eclampsia due to lack / low calcium and exhaustion ", explains the specialist. The strength that thekittens do to pull the milk and because they are growing teeth can cause the mother to suffer breast injuries. Therefore, it is important that the guardian is always checking the region. A simple swelling can evolve into a serious inflammation and leave the cat with cobbled milk. It is important to help the kitten urgently to prevent the condition from evolving into more serious illnesses, such as themastitis in female cats.

What to do when your kitten's milk gets stale?

As explained above by the professional, the kitten's milk should dry naturally. Guilherme explains that the ejection of milk is stimulated by the hormone oxytocin, secreted mainly through the stimulus of breastfeeding. However, when external stimuli stress the animal, its release is affected and discharges of hormones such as adrenaline and noradrenaline increase. "This situation leads toobstruction of the mammary ducts and blood vessels, impairing and blocking the efficient outflow of milk. In this way, milk accumulates in this region, since it cannot empty completely, and ends up looking more viscous and harder than normal ", he explains. The problem causes pain, swelling and discomfort in the cat.

In addition to the prescribed medication, the guardian can help the cat. "At home, the guardian can prepare compresses or bags of warm water to help dilate the mammary glands, as well as do light and circular massages around the breasts, but never exceeding the limits of the animal", indicates the specialist. It is also important to keep the environment always clean to avoid infections and provide a place to stay.comfortable for kitty to rest.

Remedy for drying cat milk: when is it necessary?

Some guardians have doubts about when the remedy to dry cat milk is really necessary. Ideally, the process should take place without the intervention of drugs. "The use of antigalactogenic drugs should be carried out by prescription of the veterinarian, who will analyze, through clinical examination, this need. But, in general, the remedy is only indicated in cases wherethere are indications of inflammatory and infectious processes, which cause pain and discomfort, and also to prepare the female pre-castration, since milk can be a culture medium for the growth of microorganisms, which can harm the trans and postoperative period ", advises Guilherme. If these are not the cases, the ideal is to wait for the milk to dry naturally.

Observing when the cat no longer accepts to breastfeed her kittens is essential to help milk production stop at the right time. When this occurs, the ideal is for the guardian to gradually reduce the kitten's food to the amount that was offered in the period before pregnancy. Thus, her body can return to what it was before. The introduction of other foods, such as food and sachets, in the cat's diet is also recommended.The expert emphasizes that each case must be evaluated by the veterinarian: "It is important to emphasize that before anything else it is important to evaluate the animal by the veterinarian, who will determine the best treatment for each case".