Preggers cat about to pop -- all advice needed and welcome!!!!

[Hell Hath No Fury]

On Sunday I took in a pregnant kitteh from a friend of a friend who could not take care of her anymore. Since then, I have been online reading everything I can on what to expect/what to do/etc. to help this gal through the birth.

Her name is Happy, she is very young looking, maybe 6-7 months old, and very small, maybe 5-6 pounds sans babies. She has been seen once by a vet two weeks ago, who checked her health and said she appeared to be around 40 days pregnant. He did not indicate how many potential babies we are looking at.

Right now, her vulva is looking kinda puffy and alien, the babies appeared to have moved a bit from where they were when I first got her, you can see and feel them moving around under her fur, she is eating like a pig but ate a bit less this morning, her nipples are just going from white to a touch pink (no discharge), and is very into kitty massages and purring.

So far, I have set up a birthing box (cardboard box with comfy blankies) in my closet (she sleeps there often), gotten together a birthing kit with stuff I might need in case she needs some help (floss, scissors, a timer, kitten formula/bottle/nipple, printed instructions) and have been watching her like a hawk for any of the reported changes she could go through to indicate she is about to give birth.

The thing I am most worried about is her size or age/experience causing problems for her. At this point, I just need any advice or thoughts from those who have gone through this experience that can help me help her though this whole thing.

ThankS in advance for the help and I will be sure to post baby kitteh pictures as soon as they arrive!

And yes, she is getting spaying and the kittehs altered as soon as is reasonable.

Hell


On edit: Are there any safe OTC flea treatments for preggers cats???

[hamsterjill]

1. Thank you!

I have no advice to offer you as to the birth, except that they generally pretty well take care of things themselves. And if she appears to be in distress, obviously, call the vet.

But I wanted to THANK YOU GREATLY for your comment indicating that you will see to it that the mom and kittens are speutered at the proper time. This is SO important and I commend you for being proactive in this situation.

So many people talk the talk, but don't walk the walk. So I am always happy to see someone who is taking action. Best of luck to you and kitty mom!

[Hell Hath No Fury]

3. I am a spay/nueter freak!

That's is the primary reason I took in this kitty -- the gal who had been caring for her had (obviously) not done what needs doing and was so surprised to have her show up carrying a pack o' babies. I'm gonna end that right now! I am also talking the gal into putting out a humane trap for the "boyfriend" so we can get him to a local clinic for snipping.

Thanks for the kind words! :hi:

Hell

[hamsterjill]

5. I am, too!

I live in San Antonio and we have a horrible overpopulation problem because people aren't responsible about spay/neuter. I "fix" anything that crosses my path. And (just as you indicate that you are doing) I am proactive about seeking out those that won't get it done themselves.

I am glad this kitty ended up in your responsible hands!!

[demnan]

2. Best of luck to you and Happy

I googled and found this for you:

http://www.petpeoplesplace.com/resources/advice/cats/37.htm

What is the best way to treat my very pregnant cat for fleas. She's got fleas awful, and I don't want the kittens to get them. (Danica Zidro - California)

When your cat is pregnant, I advise against using any chemical-based treatment for fleas. An often overlooked tool in the fight against fleas is the ever-reliable flea-comb, which is the best method to use on ill, pregnant, or infant pets. Your pet will love the extra, hands-on attention he gets as you comb through his coat. Choose as fine a comb as you can find, and after combing your cat place the fleas in warm soapy water (this will kill them). The disadvantage to flea combing is that it takes a considerable amount of time, and will not be effective in pets that have flea bite hypersensitivity.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

4. That's a good idea...

She seems so uncomfortable with the whole flea thing -- constantly snorfling away at her fur, and scratching at the fleas. She seems to have a pretty good infestation going so I wanted to go as hardcore as possible/healthy -- but serious flea combing is a good start.

Thanks!
Hell

[ginnyinWI]

6. I've been through this twice (the cat was then spayed)

When she goes into labor she will want you to be right there, so try not to leave her alone. Put some old towels in her box, because there will be some blood/fluids during the birth. Afterward you can put the comfy blankets back, because she will keep the kits clean by licking their bottoms until they poop/pee until they are able to get to a litter box by themselves (about 4-5 weeks old).

She'll probably be able to give birth with no problems. The kittens will come between 15-30 min. apart--but don't panic if it varies. When each one is born, she needs to lick its face to clear away the membrane and get it breathing. If for some reason she doesn't, have a moist washcloth there and do it yourself. Then place the kitten near her nipples and it'll find one and latch on.

edit:
Forgot to add about the placentas: each kitten will be attached to a placenta. The mother cat will want to eat this and you should let her do it. It contains a lot of nutrients that she can use, and it is her instinct to clean up evidence of the birth. She will gnaw at the cord attaching it to the kitten, the rest of which will dry up and fall off in a few days.

During and after the birth you might want to offer her water-- and then plenty of water and canned food after they've all arrived (canned food is higher in protein than dry food when you compare dry weights) She will need a lot of calories to produce milk. She'll also want to sleep, and that will suit the kittens just fine.

Don't worry if the kittens don't use all the available nipples. They each seem to choose a favorite one and go to that one each time. Sometimes two will squabble over one nipple and that is cute to watch. You can gently pick one of them up and guide it to a different nipple.

Kittens should be socialized to humans and handled (gently), but of course most of that can and should wait at least until their eyes open, which will start happening at about 9-10 days old.

The first litter our cat had was a litter of just two. The second time she had four kittens. Same father (I think our block was his "territory". We found homes for all of them, and in fact kept one kitten, Tim, his entire life until he was 18.

Edited again to add one more thing:
Lots of people let the kittens go to new homes as early as six weeks, but this is really too young. When you see an adult cat that will knead a pillow or person's lap, that cat was separated too early and never got past that nursing mentality. If you keep a mother cat with its kittens, she will finally reject the kitten's attempts to nurse at about 12 weeks. So the closer you can get to that age, the better.

[BrklynLiberal]

10. That's strange. My cat and two of her kittens are still together with me.

The kittens are 5 years old, and they still knead their Mom and me at times. I always thought it was just a way for them to comfort themselves when tired or something.

[ginnyinWI]

11. yeah that could be.

Some perfectly normal kitties probably do it to some extent. I guess there are more extreme cases. My sister in law had one that would actually suck on her clothing while doing it. The kitten I mentioned--the one we kept--didn't knead as an adult, but even he would sometimes flex his claws in and out while purring, ever so slightly.

[roody]

7. If you can give her a bath, Dr. Bronners mint or

eucalyptus soap kills fleas and is non toxic to her. Murphy's oil soap also kills fleas; I don't know if it will harm animals.

[badgerpup]

8. Give her a manicure FIRST if you're going to go the bath route...

and keep some hydrogen peroxide on hand.

Talk to her while you are bathing her, tell her how brave and clever and good she is being...just the tone of voice and reassurance often seems to help, as does having a towel down for them to grab onto.

The nail-cutting before bathing is self-explanatory...but if you do get some scratches or punctures, peroxide will clean them out and help prevent them from getting infected.
It will also prevent them from welting up and ITCHING like mad.

Dr. Bronner's is EXCELLENT stuff :thumbsup: (I swear by the peppermint soap in the summertime)...but the smell is a bit strong for sensitive kitty noses. You may want to dilute it somewhat before using.

[spooky3]

9. Here's my experience if it helps

Sounds as if you are doing everything wonderfully. I have fostered several moms and kittens. In most cases, moms did not want to be disturbed during birth or had the kittens while I was sleeping. However, in one case, I had a very tiny and young mom like yours (I called her Tidbit). One Sunday morning while I was taking a bath, she came right next to the tub and grabbed my hand with her teeth. So I got out quickly and followed her to my closet (like yours, her preferred place). I called the emergency vet and fortunately the on duty vet called right back and talked me through it, so I would advise that you have this number ready (and maybe talk to your vet in advance if possible). I stroked her gently and talked to Tidbit while she was delivering the kittens, and she actually purred (which I understand sometimes cats do when they are stressed or in pain, as well as when content). Tidbit wanted my hand near and bit it while delivering, but not too hard. She did not seem to know to clean the kitten's mouth to remove the placenta, and removing it quickly is essential for the kitten to breathe, so as the vet instructed, I removed it and placed each kitten near a nipple as soon as it was delivered. T also didn't know she should bite the umbilical cord, so I cut that carefully with manicure scissors. Not too close to the kitten or the mom--the vet said it will shrivel and drop off on its own later.

After the third and final kitten arrived, I then removed as much of the mess as I could without disturbing everyone, and later replaced all the toweling so they would have a nice clean bed. I brought Tidbit food from time to time since some moms (especially for the first litter) don't realize that they can't just run around and have fun once kittens have arrived. Make sure there is a litter box nearby.

I tried moving the box to a place in my house that I preferred for them to be (since it was safer from my other cats) but T kept trying to carry each tiny kitten up the stairs to my closet, and she could never make it more than a few steps, since she was so little too. So if you are ok with their living in your closet for a few weeks, they probably are too.

If you can, try to get the vet to tell you how many kittens she has. That will help so that you will know when your work is done (rather than if one is stillborn and still inside, for example) if the mom asks for your help at delivery.

I am not sure if your foster will do any of these things but hope this helps.

[MagickMuffin]

12. Here's my story

We had one female Astra (which we found when she was only a few months old) and three males living with us none of them altered. Astra got pregnant and we decided it was time to get the boys fixed and made an appointment with the Humane Society.

One the very day I was to take the boys in, Astra went into labor. Luckily she was okay until I got back.

The first kitten was a breach kitty and was born without a sac. He pretty much clawed his way out. I felt really bad for Astra, since I don't think she really understood what was happening to her. It was extremely painful for her as well as me watching and trying to comfort her.

She delivered two more that were born normally, although Astra didn't know what to do after they plopped out. I immediately pulled the sacs off the kittens and placed them with their new mommy.

It was kinda an interesting day to say the least. Later that day I had to go pick up the boys and bring them home all doped up. Astra and the kitties seemed alright when I returned home.

One funny story about Astra's motherhood is she never would carry the kitties in her mouth. After the kitties got a little older I would place them spread out on the floor next to me. Astra would walk up to each one and meow at me to put them back in their box. Of course I followed her orders and obeyed her demands. We eventually found them homes and Astra went in for her alteration.


_________________________________________________

Just thought I would tell you what you might expect, although your mommy may be just fine. But be prepared for anything.



Also I agree upthread about the flea comb. That's what I use to get rid of my flea problem.

Good Luck to you and mommy:hug:

[ginnyinWI]

13. have the kitties arrived yet? n/t

[ceile]

14. Update?

[Warpy]

15. The only things you might need are embroidery scissors

and a soft face towel. It's instinctive for Momma Cat to eat the afterbirth, and sometimes she doesn't stop when she gets to the kitten. It's up to you to cut the cord and dry the baby off and put it next to her tummy to find a nipple. Once the first kitten finds the first nipple, Momcat gets the point and you probably won't have to intervene again.

The towel is just to catch the slippery newborn and rub its fur a little to clear off the vernix (wet goo). If Momcat doesn't try to eat it, she'll clear the vernix with her tongue. Don't gag, it probably tastes good to a cat.

Other than goofing and eating kitten instead of afterbirth for a first litter, there's little that goes wrong. She is awfully small for that first litter, though, so you're going to have to watch her health carefully for a while, make sure she's eating like a little piglet.

You won't need the kitten formula and bottle unless something is very wrong with Momcat, and you'll have several hours lead time to figure it out.

Do handle the kittens at least once a day, just to get them used to human smell. Studies of kittens have discovered that newborns who are handled once a day open their eyes a full day sooner than newborns who are left alone. Just let Momcat be your guide and don't handle them so much that she decides to move them behind the washing machine.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

16. Update: Nothing but bad....

First, thanks to everyone who gave such wonderful advice - I went in felling well-prepared and confident.

Happy gave birth to five kittens very early Sunday morning. It took her around 6 hours to deliver them all -- four were startlingly large kittens, with one being fairly underdeveloped. The birth went smoothly, she did everything she was supposed to for the most part - I did have to step in and cut the cord on one little guy she had missed. They were all active, crying, and ready to nurse pretty much right away. She seemed to get nervous when they cried -- she got a panicked look in her face and would try to sit on them. :scared: I finally went to bed around 6:00am with her and the kittens comfortably in the closet.

When I woke up a few hours later, two of the kittens were very squished looking and dead. The others were trying to nurse and very noisy. I tried to carefully check things out -- she would go a little nuts if I can too close to the closet -- it was appearing to me she wasn't producing a whole heck of a lot of milk, which could account for all the crying. I called my rehaber sister and she told me not to panic yet, Happy's milk still hadn't come down and to hang in a bit. By the early evening it was clear the milk thing was just not happening and the remaining kittens were just crying up a storm, making her more nervous, so I pulled the remaining kids and started supplimental feeding.

By the next morning two of the kittens had died, and the one left was the runt, the one that looked "undercooked". He was lethargic and cold, so I took him into the emergency vet who said there appeared to be nothing wrong with him genetically, it just he needed to get on regular feedng schedule.

He spent the night on a nice heating pad, I got him fed and relxed. Around 4 in the morning I heard peristent crying from him and picked him up to see what has happening. He died in my hands a few seconds later. :(

I had a little mass burial in my backyard for all the kids -- they would have grown up into two silver tabbies, two black kittehs, and one that was a combo.

Happy took a few days to recooperate, but she honestly is acting like nothing ever happened. She is playing (like the kitten she still is), eating, and running around he house and yard like she doesn't have a care in the world. She is a terrific, loving kitteh, so I am still very lucky at the end of the day.

[spooky3]

17. I am so sorry about the kittens that died.

You and Happy gave it your best shot.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

18. That's sad.

I've read that very young cats sometimes lose their first litters because they are too immature to take care of them properly.

Still -- it's sad.

[emilyg]

19. I'm sorry.

Happy and you tried.

[Eurobabe]

20. Oh that is so sad. I am really sorry...

Little angels who crossed the bridge. :hug:

[IndyOp]

21. I am so sorry the kittens didn't make it -- she was just too young.

:hug:

[Hell Hath No Fury]

22. Thanks for the condolences, guys.

:hi: :hugs: :loveya: