First Litter, Please Help How Far She Is?

[Peekaboooo]

Have no idea when she got pregnant she is 1 year old she and allowed to go outside the garden. I noticed about 4 weeks ago that she is pregnant, her nipples were enlarged. Her belly is huge now, her nipples are more swollen and milk dripping, yesterday she had brownish discharge thought we gonna have kittens last night but no I'm anxious coz she is young too. She is still eating but since yesterday a lot less then the last couple of days. I made a box for her with blankets in it she likes to go in there and she want me to rub her belly when she is there is goes in her back straight away. Is she in her last days of pregnancy or still have more time left?

 

[talkingpeanut]

She is close.

Can you keep her 100% inside now? Do you plan to spay her after this litter?

 

[Peekaboooo]

Yes I keep her inside now the last couple of days. Deffinetley spaying her as soon as I can after nursing. She is just either sleeping all day today or cleaning herself.

 

[talkingpeanut]

She will need to stay inside all of the time until she is spayed. Moms can get pregnant again within a week of delivery. She can be spayed when the babies are 8 weeks old.

 

[Peekaboooo]

Still no kittens, she is very irritated today She doesn't want to be rubbed or kids around. But I don't see any nesting behaviour. When they start usually nesting?

 

[Sarthur2]

Most cats don't really use the nest until the babies come.

 

[Peekaboooo]

hi all! My Kitty just had 4 beautiful kittens today, she needed help with the first one but after that she was very good, so proud of her!! Would like to know if their birth weight is ok just concerned coz 2 of them very tiny. They all nursing fine now, the smallest one had a really hard time to find and latch on but eventually did.
Black 140g
Black stripes 130g
B&w 118g
White 117g
(She will be spayed as soon as she is ready for it!! I got the kitten a year ago when she was 4 months old and were told she is spayed!!)

 

[libertysgoats]

How cute! Glad momma will be spayed once the kittens are old enough.
I'm sure the others will come on and chime in about birth weights but I believe anything over 100g are good weights. I could be wrong so I'd definitely wait for the others to let you know.
Just make sure you keep a very close eye on the smaller kittens weights they can loose very easily so be prepared to supplement if they do loses any.

 

[red top rescue]

Kittens weigh about 100 grams (3-5 ounces) at birth and gain approximately 7 to 15 grams per day (a quarter to over half an ounce). Thus, they will double their birth weight by seven days and triple it by twenty-one days (males gaining even faster). Be sure to weigh the little one every day to make sure she is gaining enough. Her birth weight is fine, but you need to make sure she has mastered latching on.

 

[Peekaboooo]

Thanks for thi advise, I will weight them every day, the little one still finding it hard to latch on but she is getting there hopefully.
Another question! Kitty is out of the nesting box now, she left the kittens in there she had a big bowl of wet food, and now she is purring away relaxing on me. Just wandering is it normal that she leave them on their on this early? She had them 6 hours ago. How long is it normal for her to be out?

 

[Sarthur2]

As long as the kittens are sleeping it's okay for mom to leave the nest for up to 1-2 hours. She will most likely go running back as soon as she hears them cry for food!

Weigh the little one every 12 hours for now to make sure she is gaining weight and not losing since she is struggling a little.

Do you have supplies in case she needs supplementing?

 

[Peekaboooo]

Had a good night with them, after 10 mins kitten started to cry and she straight away run back to them! She is such a good mammy thank god!! I will weight them now again, small one seems to find easier to latch on. Will post the weight once I weight them.
Other question my Kitty haven't been on the toilet since birth, she is eating the wet food she already had 2 cans. Can I do anything to help her go?
And one more thing I read that moms should lick the kittens bottom to stimulate bladder but I didn't see her doing it so far, when should I step in and wipe them with a cloth?

 

[Peekaboooo]

Ok so I weight them and they all gaind after 12 hours!!
Black 140g ~ 145g
Black stripe 130g ~ 136g
B&w 118g ~ 128g
White 117g ~ 127g

 

[Sarthur2]

Excellent first weight gains!

Mom will use the litter when she's ready.

Is she toileting the kittens now?

 

[Peekaboooo]

They all feeding well, Kitty used the toilet and she toiletting the kittens! They all gained over 10g in 24 hours, the smallest hair the most, 18g!!!
But I have a new concern!! PLEASE HELP!!!
When I was weighing them this morning, they all have fleas!! Not many just 1 or 2 I was able to pick couple of them, but on 1 off the kitten I wasn't able to catch it, keep trying to pick it but keeps running away and hids in the longer fur so I can't see. I tried the comb but no success. I changing the set 2x daily. Mom has a flea collar, and I treated her about a month ago with spray but looks like she infested again. I probably have to treat momma first? But how can I do it? Will I give momma a bath?

 

[Sarthur2]

First, mom should not wear the flea collar. It has chemicals in it that can be toxic to the kittens.

Are you able to get Advantage II? It goes on the back of mom's neck and will kill most of the fleas on her and the babies.

Do not spray mom, as the spray can also be harmful to the kittens.

Do not give her a bath right now either.

The kittens are too young for flea medicine right now. They need to be 5 weeks old.

You'll want to change the bedding frequently, and wash it in hot water to kill the flea eggs and larvae.

 

[red top rescue]

If you CAN catch a flea in the flea comb, hold it with your thumb against the comb and then flick it into a small dish of plain water with a little dish soap in it. That will break the surface tension and the flea will sink and drown. The Advantage II on the mom will kill any small fleas and larvae, so you just need to catch the big ones if you can.

 

[Peekaboooo]

My kittens are 11 days old, they all have their eyes open, but 3 of them have crust on them I have to clean it with warm water every morning and night coz they stuck together. There is no puss coming from their eyes but just gets crusty and so stuck together. Not sure if this normal is it enough to just keep cleaning their eyes with the warm water or is it infection? Should I go to the vet for antibiotic ointment?
I attach few pics this is just after I cleaned their eyes.
Thanks in advance.

 

[Sarthur2]

If you see green or yellow goo then you need terramycin for infection.

Their eyes look normal to me. Continue cleaning with the warm, damp cloth, and observe closely.

 

[ameezers]

From my understanding (which is what I was told from my breeding mentor) it's common for this to happen and it's the equivalent of a cat cold. Her advice is "You have to keep bathing the eyes and put medicated eye drops in. If they really seem to be going down (not eating, lethargic etc.) then take them to the Vet and they will give you anitibiotics. Most shake it themselves within two or three days but the odd one needs help"

I hope this is helpful. If you are unsure, it never hurts to call your vet and ask what they think would be the best course of action. I hope everything works out for you and the kittens, they are absolutely adorable!