Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi!

About 6 weeks ago (somewhere between May 22 and 25th - can't remember exactly) my husband decided to adopt a WONDERFUL stray cat. She was skin and bones, very friendly, and very young.

We planned to get her spayed when we take our other 2 cats and our St. Bernard in for their annual checkup next month, so have been VERY careful to make sure she stays inside (all our cats are indoor cats) - didn't want any unexpected surprises! It seems, however, that she came with baggage...several baggages...

Our house is NOT well equipped for kittens - and the St. Bernard would LOVE to PLAY with them - and probably slobber them to death - so we have cleared out a lot of my stepson's room, put mom-to-be in there with her own litter, food and water, and a birthing box. (And LOTS of visits and attention!)

I'm trying to figure out when exactly she is due. She had to be pregnant before we adopted her, so the LATEST due date would be July 29th. I don't want to keep her in one room too long, butI also don't want to take a chance with her health or the kittens!

We noticed she had put on weight and was a bit lethargic last Saturday. when we picked her up we noticed her nipples, and that her tummy was starting to show. since then, if I LIGHTLY rest my hand on her side, I can feel the kittens moving around. Her tummy seems to still be getting bigger, and I noticed today her nipples were a bit larger too. She is still eating well, and is very active. I haven't seen any signs of her looking for a place to have kittens, or any change in her behaviour.

I know this isn't much to go on, but any thoughts would be appreciated!

Sebastienne

Hi There,

Thanks for taking in this precious baby. I'm sure she will be forever grateful!

Gestation in cats is from 63 - 64 days so the time for delivery has to be close. You have done the right thing by giving her privacy but don't be surprised where exactly she chooses to have her babies. I once had a cat that gave birth in my bed, under the covers, in the middle of the night! I woke up and felt these little wet things moving against my feet.

It's best if you feed the mom-to-be kitten food so she will get some extra nutrition. You should continue feeding her kitten food as long as she is nursing her babies, and possibly longer if she is very thin. It sure sounds like the poor thing had a very rough start in life.

You already know the importance of spaying, so I don't have to go into that here. I know you will make sure the mom is spayed once the babies are weaned. The kittens can be speutered when they are 8 weeks old as long as they weigh at least 2 pounds.

If you have any questions or need advice of any kind regarding the birthing or kitten-raising, please don't hesitate to ask!

Regards,
PHKitkat

Well, no kittens yet.... but boy can I tell we're getting close! She has FINALLY calmed down a little, but is still VERY snuggly and seems to occasionally be having a minor contraction. Makes me think of Braxton Hicks contractions when I was pregnant. Do cats get braxton hicks?

She KEEPS dragging the newspaper I put in a box for her into the litter box, and digging in the litter like she wants to nest. I keep moving the paper back, and man, is her litter ever clean - just in case!

I know what you mean about where SHE chooses to have them... my parents had a cat that had her litter inside my fathers very expensive hand made seal skin boots from the arctic.... Needless to say, the boots were a write off. Their other cat INSISTED on having hers in my fathers tool drawer - amid screwdrivers, files, saws etc. My mother kept moving it - and the kittens - and mama cat kept moving them back again...

Once the kittens come I'll post a pic. In the meantime, any help would be appreciated!

Forgot to mention - my vet wont spay/neuter until 5-6 months. Too bad. I'd like to get it done early - in fact I'D like to get it done before I adopt them out! I'm already making plans to get their shots done - the vet is giving me a "litter rate" on that.

Hi There,

This site has some excellent info and also contains links to other helpful articles:

http://cats.about.com/cs/pregnancybirth/a/pregnancybirth_2.htm

How is the mother-to-be doing?

Take care,

PHKitkat

Mother to be seems ok. I am a nervous wreck - mainly because mother to be is, well, still TO BE!

We adopted her on the 23rd of May, and she has not been out since. Assuming she got pregnant THAT DAY - we are already at 67 days, with no signs of labour.

The kittens are still moving around, and her tummy is just about dragging on the floor.

I am concerned because I don't know exactly when she got pregnant, or when I should really start to worry.... There's no discharge, she's still eating - and meowing (she doesn't like being left in a room - can't say I blame her) and is still active (jumping on and off the bed), just- no kittens!

Help! What should I be doing? Am I right to worry? when should I worry (after 68 days, 75 days etc.....)

Thanks!

Well, 3 kittens and one stillbirth. All delivered in less than an hour, so I'm guessing she delivered too close together. It was between when my husband left to get me from work, and when we got back.

The other 3 all look okay - they're hidden under the bed, she seems to be nursing them okay, so I put a bowl of wet food and a bowl of water under there for her. I'll check them a bit later, and hope to take a picture tomorrow.

Thanks for all the help. 3 kittens appreciate it!