You should seek the advice of your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.

Several studies have looked at the transfer of antibodies from the queen to her kittens. 

Studies have shown that there is almost no transfer of maternal antibodies across the placenta to kittens, so the successful ingestion of colostral antibodies is essential to confer some protection during the post-natal period.

In one study the colostrum from queens was found to contain the following concentrations of immunoglobulins :

• IgA       0 - 186 mg/dl
• IgG    217-9750 mg/dl
• IgM       0-531 mg/dl

There is no IgA present in the serum of kittens at birth. Following oral administration of colostrum,  IgA concentrations in kitten serum peak at about 17 hours after ingestion and disappear in 5-7 days (half-life about 2 days). If the queen has low IgA her kittens also have low IgA during the first week of life.

No IgG is present in the serum of kittens at birth. Following oral administration of colostrum, IgG concentrations in kitten serum peak at about 22 hours after ingestion, and decrease rapidly with a half-life of about 5.5 days. Foreign IgG is absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract for up to 16 hours after birth, but after this time none appears in the kittens serum.

There is minimal IgM absorption from the gastrointestinal tract, but IgM is present in the serum of some kittens at birth, and endogenously produced IgM concentrations gradually increase from birth and peak at about 32 hours, they decrease slightly until day 7, then increased steadily.

Ingestion of colostrum during the first 24 hours after birth is important, and maternal immunity decreases rapidly in neonate kittens.

Updated January 2016