Mastitis is a rare illness that develops when a lactating cat’s mammary glands become inflamed. It usually affects young female cats who have recently given birth and are nursing their kittens.
Generally, this condition develops when bacteria like E. Coli, Staphylococci, and Streptococci enter through the nursing cat’s nipples and cause an infection. Mastitis can be very painful and may cause lethargy, irritability, and a loss of appetite. Intense pain can also harm a nursing cat’s bond with her kittens, sometimes to the point where she rejects them.
If you believe your cat could have mastitis, it’s important to contact a veterinarian right away. Home remedies alone can’t cure mastitis—and without treatment, the condition can worsen and progress to sepsis, which is life-threatening. The right treatment from a vet, however, can cure mastitis, often within a few weeks.
Below, learn how to recognise this serious condition and what you can do to care for a cat with mastitis.
What Are The Signs Of Mastitis?
A key sign of cat mastitis is a visibly inflamed mammary gland (breast), according to Dr Amber Carter, DVM, ABVP board-certified feline practitioner. In the 23 years of her clinic’s operation, she and her team have only encountered three cases of acute mastitis in cats, and all three of the cats had inflamed glands.
Other key signs of this condition, according to Dr Carter, Dr Primrose Moss, MA, VetMB, MRCVS, and Dr Shannon Barrett, DVM, include the following:
- swollen mammary glands
- glands that feel hot to the touch
- glands that are red, purple, or otherwise discolored
- milk that contains brown, bloody, or pus-like discharge
- an unusual odour from the area
- signs of pain or distress from the nursing cat when you touch the area
- kittens that don’t grow as they should, due to not getting enough milk
- vomiting and other stomach distress
Dr Moss says the illness’s progression varies between cats. For some cats, mastitis rapidly spreads through multiple glands, while for others, it affects only a single nipple.
Most cats who have recently given birth have strong maternal instincts driving them to care for their kittens and keep them safe, according to Dr Barrett. But the pain and discomfort from mastitis could disrupt those instincts and lead them to stop nursing altogether.
“Human caretakers must closely monitor the mom and kittens,” Dr Barrett says. “In some severe cases, kittens may need to be removed from their mother for her teats to heal.” In other words, you’d need to find the kittens a foster mum or bottle-feed them.
What Causes Mastitis In Cats?
Factors that may play a role in mastitis include:
- Unhygienic conditions, like dirty bedding or an unwashed cat carrier
- Bacteria that enter the bloodstream from the uterus or bites or scratches on her nipples from kittens nursing
- A backed-up milk supply caused by the death of a kitten or abrupt weaning, according to Dr Moss
- A condition called fibroadenomatous mammary hyperplasia, where the mammary glands are swollen to extreme levels. “We see it in young, cycling queens, but it can occur in cats of either sex or age after administration of progesterone-type medications,” Dr Carter says.
Types of mastitis
There are five different types of mastitis in cats.
- Acute mastitis. The most common type of mastitis affecting cats, acute mastitis appears as mammary gland inflammation and swelling, usually without abnormal discharge. This infection can spread to other nipples and potentially cause the mammary glands to rupture. Cats with acute mastitis may seem reluctant to nurse kittens, refuse food, have a fever, or become lethargic.
- Chronic mastitis. This type of mastitis, also called subclinical mastitis, involves a low-level infection that doesn’t cause noticeable signs like swelling or discharge. In fact, according to Dr Moss, you may only notice symptoms in kittens—who may be on the small side, have diarrhoea and stomach issues, or fail to thrive.
- Non-septic mastitis. This type of mastitis usually happens without an infection, says Dr Moss. It’s often caused by abrupt weaning, which may happen when a kitten dies suddenly. The trigger is usually a ‘backed up’ milk supply that increases pressure and inflammation within the mammary gland. Treatment from a vet can improve symptoms and ease your cat’s discomfort.
- Septic mastitis. This severe condition can cause swollen and discoloured nipples, inflammation, blood or pus in milk, high fever, loss of appetite, and lethargy. You may also notice open wounds or ulcers on your cat’s mammary glands. Without prompt veterinary care, mastitis can progress to gangrenous mastitis, which can be fatal.
- Gangrenous mastitis. This type of mastitis develops when the mammary gland tissues blacken and die from the infection, decreasing blood flow. Ulcers and open wounds may accompany the dead or dying tissue. As bacteria spread further into the bloodstream, the nursing cat may go into septic shock. This condition requires immediate, aggressive treatment, which may include IV fluids, surgery, and antibiotics.
How Do Vets Diagnose Mastitis In Cats?
Mastitis can vary widely from cat to cat, Dr Carter says, from a single inflamed gland to sepsis.
However, vets can usually diagnose mastitis by the visible signs of the condition, which they’ll generally notice during a physical examination.
Beyond that, Dr Barrett says lab tests and diagnostic tools can help confirm a suspected diagnosis. For example, these tests might include culturing the infected mammary gland and collecting small milk samples to check for pus and bacteria.
The results of these tests can give the vet more information about your cat’s condition, which they can use to find the most effective treatment.
How Do Vets Treat Cat Mastitis?
With the right treatment, many cats fully recover from mastitis in about two to three weeks—without any lingering complications or side effects.
Medication
“Depending on the severity, treatment may involve antibiotics to tackle the infection and analgesics for pain relief,” Dr Barrett says.
Your vet will prescribe kitten-safe antibiotics, since nursing kittens will be exposed to the medication through their mother’s milk.
“We typically start with something like amoxicillin or clavulanic acid while the culture is pending. We want to avoid antibiotics such as tetracyclines, ciprofloxacin, and chloramphenicol,” Dr Carter says. If the antibiotics cause diarrhoea or another stomach upset, your vet may also prescribe probiotics.
Home care
Dr Moss, Dr Barrett, and Dr Carter say you can also provide supportive care at home. For instance, you can apply warm compresses to the glands to encourage drainage and help ease discomfort. Hand milking and massaging the affected gland can relieve pressure and promote healthy blood flow.
You’ll also need to monitor the kittens and make sure they’re getting enough to eat. If the mother cat won’t nurse her kittens due to pain, you can help them thrive with supplemental feeding.
Important! Warm compresses and massage can help soothe your cat’s discomfort, but these approaches won’t cure mastitis and don’t replace treatment from a vet.
Hospital care
Some cats might need short-term hospitalisation for more intensive treatments like cold laser therapy and IV fluids, according to Dr Moss and Dr Carter.
Dr Barrett and Dr Carter agree that surgical intervention may be necessary in severe cases to treat ulcerated, abscessed, or dying mammary tissue. Surgery may involve removing the entire infected mammary gland or glands.
Can You Prevent Mastitis In Cats?
Spaying your cat before she becomes pregnant is the best way to prevent mastitis, Dr Carter says.
That said, you can still take steps to prevent mastitis if your cat has already given birth.
- Ask your vet about the right diet for nursing cats. “Although no specific food or vitamin can prevent or treat mastitis, a healthy diet strengthens your cat’s immune system, enabling her to better resist infections,” Dr Barrett says.
- Provide fresh, clean water. It’s essential to make sure your cat has plenty of fresh water. Hydration is essential for your cat’s overall health and also plays a role in milk production.
- Keep bedding clean. Dr Barrett suggests changing the bedding in the whelping area, or nesting box, every 12-24 hours to keep the nursing environment clean.
- Trim kittens’ nails. You can ask your vet about keeping the kittens’ nails trimmed. Scratches, injuries, and other trauma to a nursing mother’s nipples can introduce bacteria, leading to infections that cause mastitis.
- Monitor kittens during feeding time. By keeping an eye on the kittens, you can make sure they’re nursing evenly so that no glands become swollen or distended with milk.
