Late/early season pregnant mama

[kittyfostermama]

We just got this girl from our local shelter to foster. Not sure if it's a late season or early season pregnancy for this girl but based on her nipples, I'm guessing it's not her first litter. Anyways, the shelter had her x-rayed to confirm and attached is the radiograph. I'm guessing she's still at least a week or two away based on the skeletons not being very "defined". Is there any way to estimate how far along a cat is based on radiograph alone? Vet thinks she sees 4 kittens in there.

 

[Sarthur2]

It’s very difficult to say. Did the vet give you an estimated gestational age based on skeletal development? She’s surely pregnant, but I cannot tell you from this picture when she is due.

Thank you for fostering. Please keep us updated as to her symptoms and we’ll advise you as best as possible along the way!

 

[kittyfostermama]

It’s very difficult to say. Did the vet give you an estimated gestational age based on skeletal development? She’s surely pregnant, but I cannot tell you from this picture when she is due.

Thank you for fostering. Please keep us updated as to her symptoms and we’ll advise you as best as possible along the way!

They did not give an estimate, just confirmed pregnancy. She's in a warm, safe place now getting lots of love and good food. I will update as we progress.

 

[kittyfostermama]

Well, it looks like the X-ray posted above is what an X-ray of a cat looks like that will deliver in two weeks. I was surprised to find our foster mama cat delivered all 5 of her babies within a few hour period this morning. I checked on her at 4am and she was totally normal. Then again at 7:00am and all 5 babies had been born! I was slightly disappointed to miss the delivery but happy that all babies are healthy and mama is doing great. Babies are all 116-133gms and nursing well. Two tuxedos and three whites, two with a smudge of grey on their heads.

 

[StefanZ]

Congrats! Peculiar you doesnt seems to have felt the kittens move, nor momma dropping; because you didnt tell about this.

Re the whites.... When whites are born, its easy to suspect they are points - they often are.
But as two of them have a smudge of grey, its more probable at least those with grey smudge are from a white father. The all white is all white for real (may thus be deaf - nothing serious for an inside only cat) OR he may be a point anyway. We will simply see in about a week or even elss., with dark grey momma and black siblings he will surely be a seal point.

Why, thye all may be from the same father. White is so strong it covers all other colors. And if he is heterozygot for white it gives all possibilities open - and is quite exact with statistics..

Ps. Does momma has white spots anywhere? If so, it would explain why two are tuxedos, and two are high white.
But if not, it must be daddy whom carriers both the all white gene and the white spot gene... AND possibly, the point gene. We will see soon enough.

 

[kittyfostermama]

Thank you so, so much for this information! I had to read it a couple of times to fully understand it The color genetics are so fascinating to me. There are no white spots on her at all, other than one single white hair I saw on her a few days ago. I wondered if just one white hair could mean she carried the white gene. And yes, I am anxious to see if the one "all white" ends up being pointed and what color eyes the white ones have.

I could definitely feel the kittens over the past couple weeks. But she gave me no other indications of laboring. No mucus plug, no discharge, and never lost her appetite. Luckily I'm guessing this is not her first litter and she knew exactly what to do. I came in right as the last kitten was born as it still had the placenta attached.

I will be sure to update in a. couple weeks once they get a little bigger. Thank you again for the explanations of the coloring.

 

[kittyfostermama]

During the daily weigh-ins today I took pictures of each kitten to try and guess the gender. I think I'm seeing 4 males and one female. Curious to get others opinions?
p.s. All babies are gaining 15-20gms per day

 

[Sarthur2]

Weight gains are excellent! I’m not good at telling gender this young.

 

[HeyKat]

During the daily weigh-ins today I took pictures of each kitten to try and guess the gender. I think I'm seeing 4 males and one female. Curious to get others opinions?
p.s. All babies are gaining 15-20gms per day

I agree, 1st one is female and the rest are boys, but it's always difficult to tell from photos.

 

[kittyfostermama]

Two weeks old today and eyes are open. Looks like they are going to be straight white (one has a small grey dot and another with two very faint grey lines that are disappearing) leaving one with zero pigment. Will be interesting to see what color his eyes are. I know their hearing is not great right now at two weeks old but all of the others reacted to my voice and the one all white one did not (he was sleeping). I'll continue checking him to see if he might have some deafness. All are gaining weight exceptionally and are very fluffy. Is it too early to tell if some might have longhair?

 

[StefanZ]

often its not easy to see what is kitten fluffiness and what is longhair. Unless their tail is visibly bushy - this is always a strong sign for longhair.

 

[kittyfostermama]

All grown up! That was a fast (almost) 8 weeks. These babies swill head back to the shelter this weekend when they turn 8 weeks. They will be spayed/neutered and adopted out to their forever families. One of the easiest and most enjoyable fostering experiences we have had so far.

 

[HeyKat]

Thanks for the update! Out of curiosity, how many ended up being male/female and short-haired/long-haired? Looks like the B&W ones are fluffy, but I can't tell from the last pic about the white ones? In their baby pics it looked like maybe 2 of the white kittens were DLH.

Is the all-white one hearing or deaf?

 

[kittyfostermama]

We ended up with 4 males and one female. It looks to me like the tuxedos and two of the whites will be either DLH or DMH. One DSH. It looks like they are all going to have eyes like their mom, a greenish/gold, so no deafness. The two that had the little grey smudges of coloring are now all white as that "kitten fluff spot" has grown out of their coat.