A couple of weeks ago my neighbour asked me if i would take in her pregnant cat as she could no longer care for her.
I agreed immediately as the poor little cat was not vey well looked after.
The cat was originally a stray that several people on my street would feed. She is constantly pregnant.
I thought if I took the cat in I could let her have her kittens and then (finally) get her neutered.
This is a cat that to my knowledge, has never seen the inside of a vets, nor had any vaccinations, flea or worm treatment or proper food.
Luckily, mummy cat trusts me and so moving her in was no problem. She settled right away and made herself at home.
I have been able to see the kittens moving in her tummy for around 9 days so I knew she didn't have long to go. She was having trouble walking as she was so big.
Yesterday she began nesting in earnest and decided on the laundry basket laid on its side.
I thought that perhaps she might be more comfortable in my room, away from the hustle and bustle of daily life so I went upstairs this evening to sort out a quiet space for her in there.
When I came down to get a drink, she had already given birth to one kitten!
A few hours later and we had three babies.
At this point it was around three in the morning and I fell asleep on the sofa.
When I woke up I checked on mum and saw a fourth kitten. I noticed it wasn't moving at all so I took a closer look and realised this kitty wasn't breathing.
I scooped it up and tried to warm it by wrapping it in a little towel and gently rubbing. The kitten felt so cold.
On closer inspection I noticed that the babies tummy had a gaping hole in it around the umbilical cord.
Did mummy cat do this chewing through the cord? Or was it born with this hole?
Also its now been almost 4 hours since the last kitten was born and no more kittens have arrived. How do I tell if she has more in there waiting to be born and how long do I leave it before seeking help from the vet if there are more in there?
Now I know that in the past four years, this little cat has had one litter after another. Surely she knows what to do by now and so she wouldn't have chewed through this babies cord causing a fatal injury?
I have offered to pay for her neutering but her 'owner' didn't want it doing. So I have had to sit by and watch this little girl be repeatedly pregnant and never receive any care.
So ultimately im asking, did she hurt her kitten if so why would she do this and how do I tell if she has anymore in there and how long do I leave her before taking her to the vet?
Thank you in advance x
I agreed immediately as the poor little cat was not vey well looked after.
The cat was originally a stray that several people on my street would feed. She is constantly pregnant.
I thought if I took the cat in I could let her have her kittens and then (finally) get her neutered.
This is a cat that to my knowledge, has never seen the inside of a vets, nor had any vaccinations, flea or worm treatment or proper food.
Luckily, mummy cat trusts me and so moving her in was no problem. She settled right away and made herself at home.
I have been able to see the kittens moving in her tummy for around 9 days so I knew she didn't have long to go. She was having trouble walking as she was so big.
Yesterday she began nesting in earnest and decided on the laundry basket laid on its side.
I thought that perhaps she might be more comfortable in my room, away from the hustle and bustle of daily life so I went upstairs this evening to sort out a quiet space for her in there.
When I came down to get a drink, she had already given birth to one kitten!
A few hours later and we had three babies.
At this point it was around three in the morning and I fell asleep on the sofa.
When I woke up I checked on mum and saw a fourth kitten. I noticed it wasn't moving at all so I took a closer look and realised this kitty wasn't breathing.
I scooped it up and tried to warm it by wrapping it in a little towel and gently rubbing. The kitten felt so cold.
On closer inspection I noticed that the babies tummy had a gaping hole in it around the umbilical cord.
Did mummy cat do this chewing through the cord? Or was it born with this hole?
Also its now been almost 4 hours since the last kitten was born and no more kittens have arrived. How do I tell if she has more in there waiting to be born and how long do I leave it before seeking help from the vet if there are more in there?
Now I know that in the past four years, this little cat has had one litter after another. Surely she knows what to do by now and so she wouldn't have chewed through this babies cord causing a fatal injury?
I have offered to pay for her neutering but her 'owner' didn't want it doing. So I have had to sit by and watch this little girl be repeatedly pregnant and never receive any care.
So ultimately im asking, did she hurt her kitten if so why would she do this and how do I tell if she has anymore in there and how long do I leave her before taking her to the vet?
Thank you in advance x