Abandoned Cats Taken In One Appears Imminently About To Have Kittens - All Advice Greatly Appreciate

[m3rma1d]

WHOA! SEVEN!!???

Holy smokes Tigs! Good job!!!
What a little overachiever!

 

[ans5181]

Ah Ans thank you so much... you’re a star. I thought nail polish and then worried it will smell too strong and Tig might leave them....
Is that what you did in the end? Put it on the tiny little claws or tip of tail? x x x

No, Jade had less than half what your girl did lmao, and every one looked completely different from one another, so there was never any question who was who! I bet your whole family is enjoying them so much! How are Tigs and the Tribe doing? She looks very contented. Is uncle Poppy around?

 

[lutece]

They don't all look the same, so it shouldn't be too hard to tell most of them apart, even without marking them. You've got some brown tabbies (black stripes on a brown background), and some blue tabbies (dark gray stripes on a beige background). It looks like some of the kittens have white on them like mom, and some don't. Also, the tabby patterns are different, for example in your last picture I'm seeing a blue mackerel tabby (vertical stripes) and a blue classic tabby (big bold bullseye on the side), and it looks like there's also a blue classic tabby with white feet... Make a list of the kittens with their colors, patterns, and white markings and I bet it will become easier to tell them apart.

 

[ashade1]

What a beautiful tabby family! I love baby tabbies! Those tiny stipeys!

 

[SpinkyDinkyDoo]

WHOA! SEVEN!!???

Holy smokes Tigs! Good job!!!
What a little overachiever!

Yep she is a total overachiever! wow Kittens are ruthless when it comes to getting milk.... it’s like a battleground....Lol... xxx

 

[SpinkyDinkyDoo]

They don't all look the same, so it shouldn't be too hard to tell most of them apart, even without marking them. You've got some brown tabbies (black stripes on a brown background), and some blue tabbies (dark gray stripes on a beige background). It looks like some of the kittens have white on them like mom, and some don't. Also, the tabby patterns are different, for example in your last picture I'm seeing a blue mackerel tabby (vertical stripes) and a blue classic tabby (big bold bullseye on the side), and it looks like there's also a blue classic tabby with white feet... Make a list of the kittens with their colors, patterns, and white markings and I bet it will become easier to tell them apart.

Thank you for that.... I’ve been trying to get to know cat markings and colours and what they are called... I think we are almost there with knowing who’s who. It’s just quite tricky when they are all constantly in a big pile of cuteness... x

 

[SpinkyDinkyDoo]

No, Jade had less than half what your girl did lmao, and every one looked completely different from one another, so there was never any question who was who! I bet your whole family is enjoying them so much! How are Tigs and the Tribe doing? She looks very contented. Is uncle Poppy around?

Hi Ans,
Everyone seems to be doing fine. We weiged them last night and kits are between 107g - 137g. We weighed right in front of Tigs and she was not impressed and took a couple of babies back. When we had finished she got out of the box so I was really worried she wouldn’t get back in and reject the kittens due to our meddling.
This morning I moved one she was laid on and she got out of the box again. She’s been to me for a fuss a few times and keeps purring and meowing at me like she’s trying to tell me something. I refreshed her food and water (I haven’t seen her drink much water at all so I’ve been mashing wet kitten food with water and she ate that)
I noticed a small amount of blood in her box this morning (about half a little finger type of splodge) and a little fresh blood around her vagina which has now dried up.
If I try to rotate the smaller ones again She gets out of the box so I’m thinking I should just stand back and leave her to it??? Only intervene if one is getting left out on its own??? What do you think? Is it vital to weigh everyday?
Currently they all seem really feisty - I am so surprised how fast they are growing and just how fighty they are when they are feeding pushing one another around!!! It’s like a brawl....
Should I prepared that we may lose one or more because it’s a large litter?
I have prepared the children for this like I did before the birth in that kittens born sleeping was a possibility.
I feel so blessed that Tigs and Pops have come in to our lives and now these seven tiny terrors... lol...
We haven’t let uncle Poppy in yet. He is showzing zero interest in wanting to come in either. I thought I’d give Tigs a week to settle with her babies and then let him in for a well supervised look at them..... x x x

 

[SpinkyDinkyDoo]

Tiggys Birth Story

As you all know I thought Tigs had started early labour contractions on Sunday evening,

After our trip to the vets on Monday morning these continued.

Tigs came to me Monday afternoon and slept on my tummy where I could still feel the contractions and babies moving against my skin.

After about an hour of so she went and got back in her chosen nesting box and curled up to sleep. My husband and I were sat watching a film and I heard what I thought was his chest wheezing (the trip to the vet in the morning had set his asthma off) He said it wasn’t him so I went over to Tigs who sat up, promptly had a contraction with a very definite push. This was 7:05pm. She had just been sleeping and until the wheeze I heard and me going over to her she hadn’t really moved.

She gave five more pushes and baby number one was born at 7:15pm. She cleared the membrane away quickly and the afterbirth was born a few minutes later which she tried to eat in one go before realising she should chew it.... she chewed the umbilical cord off and started cleaning baby up......

Baby number 2 born at 7:24pm
Baby number 3 born at 7:33pm
Baby number 4 born at 7:51pm
Baby number 5 born at 8:02pm
Baby number 6 born at 8:29pm
Baby number 7 born at 8:41pm

She repeated the above for each baby. She didn’t meow once! It was literally a couple of pushes for each baby after number one and they were out followed by a couple of pushes for the placenta a few minutes later.

After baby number three had been born and it was apparent there was going to be another one we made a little towel nest right next to her to put them so they weren’t getting stood on and she could focus on cleaning up the next kit...

By number six it was apparent they were getting cold as she hadn’t had time to clean them off properly so popped the heat pad on and left it on until she had finished delivery and all the kits were dried off and tucked into her suckling. They were all dry and toasty And piled together.

One baby appeared quite floppy - he wasn’t making an effort to feed. I left tigs for a couple of hours cleaning everyone and resting and after about half an hour of trying to get him to latch gently squeezed a bit of milk out and he latched on good and proper and wasn’t letting go or allowing anyone to push him off......

She ate all seven of the placentas and two packets of kitten food mashed with water post birth. Hungry mama....

Tigs didn’t leave the kittens for over 24 hours when she eventually used the litter box. I was expecting an upset tum from all of the placentas she had eaten but it was fine. She definitely wanted those placentas to eat! Nom nom nom.... lol...

She gave birth in the room with us... definitely wanted strokes throughout.... but I guess all being said it was a really calm and quick birth for all seven babies and Tigs.

Like I’ve said in a post to ans5181 Tigs keeps getting in and out of the box today... coming for fuss and meowing at me like she wants something... does she just want congratulations and some well deserved fuss? Should I be worried?

Thanks again for all of your well wishes, support and advice..... you’re all super stars... x x x x x

 

[ans5181]

I will properly reply later but I have multiple final exams today, just took a break from studying real quick! I wouldn't be worried as long as she is taking care of the babies and doesn't seem to be in pain or anything. Mine also wanted lots of attention, I fussed over her and her babies and told her what a good mama she was and I swear she understood this lol. She also had her sister with her that would also fuss over her and helped her take care of the babies. I will reply to you more later!!

 

[talkingpeanut]

It's super important that you weigh them daily. That's how you prevent losing kittens. If any are slipping and not gaining enough, you can begin to supplement them. Kittens can fade slowly because they can't keep up with their siblings and are being pushed away from nursing. You can intervene and help them, if you know who to look out for. You want to see at least 6-10g added per day.

 

[Lots of spots]

7 kittens!! Congratulations to both of you! LOL at there farts scaring her. I had a dog that would do that a lot.

 

[DreamerRose]

That's a wonderful story. She is meowing to you because she's so proud of her babies. Praise her a lot and tell her she's a good mama!

 

[8kitties]

What a sweet family.

And you have your hands full!

 

[SpinkyDinkyDoo]

So I did weigh them this evening.... I gave tigs a fresh bowl of food to distract her whilst we weighed. Two mins and we were done but she kept her eye on us making sure we were being careful with her precious babies. I figured if I didn’t do this I would be worrying more about them and fussing more with rotation etc rather than one quick weigh to put my mind at ease and then leaving Tigs to it.... Sorry if some people think this is unnecessary.... I know I wouldn’t have slept a wink had I not done it...

I had convinced myself that two seemed quite pushed out this afternoon. Didn’t seem to be fighting as much as the rest but they are now all between 125g And 145g. So I think Tigs is doing a smashing job and all are thriving. Two smallest gains are 8 grams.... With the largest being 18g. (This last one was one of the two that I thought was being pushed out - I think it was just in a food coma!)

We can successfully identify them all now and as suggested written down distinctive markings to make it easier for us. (Hubby was ready to throw the scales at me trying to tell him what they were properly called, lol...)
Am still yet to sex them.... really wondering what we have though but I shall wait a while longer....

Cooked Tigs some fresh chicken today - which she completely shunned and ate her kitten food instead. It’s normally her favourite!

I’ll take some more pics tomorrow and post them for you lovely lot.... x x x

ans5181 I hope your finals went amazingly! X x x

 

[Kflowers]

(This last one was one of the two that I thought was being pushed out - I think it was just in a food coma!)


hehehe, gonna put that in the weight chart notebook?

 

[ans5181]

Ughhhhhhhhh I know I got a 93 on one, but I don't think I did quite as well on the other one! I think you are absolutely right to be weighing them every day, that's the only way to know with so many that everyone is doing well! I realized after my earlier post that it sounded look joke I was saying don't worry about weighing them, but I actually meant don't worry about her being so vocal and coming to you, sorry! Are you praising her appropriately?

That is hilarious about Tiggy farting and scaring herself. I can't believe how quickly and quietly she had all of them, what a trooper she is! I bet she's eating like crazy with all those mouths to feed! They are so funny sometimes, you think you're spoiling them by making them something like chicken and then they turn their noses up at it!!

Thanks for sharing her story, and really for everything you've shared, it's been exciting coming on the journey with you and your fur family!! Of course looking forward to lots of photos, there can never be too many!

 

[SpinkyDinkyDoo]

(This last one was one of the two that I thought was being pushed out - I think it was just in a food coma!)


hehehe, gonna put that in the weight chart notebook?

Lol.... I am now... little chub... x

 

[SpinkyDinkyDoo]

Ughhhhhhhhh I know I got a 93 on one, but I don't think I did quite as well on the other one! I think you are absolutely right to be weighing them every day, that's the only way to know with so many that everyone is doing well! I realized after my earlier post that it sounded look joke I was saying don't worry about weighing them, but I actually meant don't worry about her being so vocal and coming to you, sorry! Are you praising her appropriately?

That is hilarious about Tiggy farting and scaring herself. I can't believe how quickly and quietly she had all of them, what a trooper she is! I bet she's eating like crazy with all those mouths to feed! They are so funny sometimes, you think you're spoiling them by making them something like chicken and then they turn their noses up at it!!

Thanks for sharing her story, and really for everything you've shared, it's been exciting coming on the journey with you and your fur family!! Of course looking forward to lots of photos, there can never be too many!

We are all still laughing about a Tiggys farts - they’ve gone silent and deadly now. She walked past me on the way to the litte box earlier and dropped a cheeky one out that made me gag! Smelly cat, smelly cat... what are they feeding you!!! (Friends quote.) lol...

Thanks for your reassurance on the weighing front. I had taken it that you thought it wasn’t vital to do everyday.

93! Wow! Well done. I hope you’ve done better than you think on the other...

Aw Ans she was an absolute trooper... total legend. I can’t beleive how fast and problem free it was and that all were born alive. She has taken to being a mama so well and is so attentive.

I’m a little concerned that she isn’t eating as and drinking as much as I’d like - hence the chicken... Her tummy has been a tad upset tonight so wondering if all of those placentas have had an impact afterall.

She is getting lots of fuss and praise from us all... with four kids whom adore her and the new babies it’s an impossibility that she is not spoilt. They’re not happy I’m not letting them pick the kittens up yet. I see them giving them little strokes when they’re fussing and chatting to Tigs though.

At what age would you recommend starting to handle them? Sorry for my relentless questions. Goodness knows how we are going to choose who to keep and who to try to find good homes for....

No worries about sharing her story: Ive loved every minute of it. This is such an amazing forum with such lovely people in it. I don’t know what I’d have done without you all... so thank you from the bottom of all of our hearts for that.... x x x x

 

[ans5181]

Yeah, Jade's appetite was never an issue, but she did have a touch of the runs for a few days, so upset tummy may indeed be a post birth thing.

I started handling pretty much right away, like day two. I would sit next to her box and pick up a baby, one at a time, and hold each one for only maybe a literal minute, and then put it back and do the same with the others. I live alone so it was only me handling them , when other people would come to visit she seemed antsier, although never aggressive, she would just stay very close and check out everything that was going on. As they got older, I increased the time. I wanted to make sure all parties were ok with the babies being held. I will say Jade was NOT a fan of loud fidgeting children, but i'm talking very small children and yours are all older, so that may not be an issue. Tiggy will let you know what's ok and what's not!

 

[SpinkyDinkyDoo]

7 kittens!! Congratulations to both of you! LOL at there farts scaring her. I had a dog that would do that a lot.

Lol lots of spots... my nan had a dog called skip that would fart then run to the window barking trying to pretend it wasn’t him...
How is Mia and how are her babies??? I’d love to see a pic... x x x