My cat just gave birth today

Blozada89

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Oct 12, 2021
Messages
9
Purraise
14
So my animal lover daughter found had this stray young kitten follow her home from the gas station, we've had her about 6 weeks. Today she gave birth to 5 kittens, one was a still birth. The last kitten was delivered about 5 hours ago. We went out to get food and put a camera on her just incase she had more after we left. Now that we got the kids in bed and are laying down and she's with us. Her kittens aren't meowing but I'm concerned for them. Also she's still quivering like she was doing before she went into active labor.
 

Attachments

vince

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jul 23, 2017
Messages
2,172
Purraise
3,540
Location
metro Detroit
She most likely needs calcium, which was depleted making kitten bones the last couple months. Calcium is necessary for muscular contractions. Get her some KMR. Have the kittens been latching onto her teats and feeding? She'll continue to need some KMR for calcium supplement, as the calcium loss will continue as she makes milk to feed the litter.

When mama will let you, do weigh the kittens to get a base line value against which you can check to see if they're gaining weight adequately. The generally-accepted number is that kittens should gain about 10 grams a day. You should supplement any that fall significantly behind. You can use the same KMR for supplement (which is what it was developed for in the first place).

Check The Kitten Lady on YouTube. She's an expert on kitten raising and has lots of informative videos.
 

Sarthur2

Cat lady extraordinaire
Staff Member
Advisor
Joined
Mar 8, 2015
Messages
35,984
Purraise
17,674
Location
Sunny Florida
Agree with above, and mom definitely needs calcium ASAP and through her nursing days. If you have no kitten formula in the house, give mom a quarter cup of cow’s milk or half and half or evaporated milk — but only tonight.

Cats in general don’t digest lactose and it can cause diarrhea, but won’t hurt right now as she needs it to stop trembling.

Buy a can of PetAg or GNC or Royal Canin powdered kitten formula tomorrow and begin giving her 1-2 dishes a day. (Walmart has PetAg; pet stores have other brands.) Pick up a 1-2mL syringe for free (needleless) at a pharmacy in case you need to supplement any kittens.

Are they latching and nursing? What are your concerns?

Make sure mom has plenty of wet and dry food and fresh water nearby at all times, plus her litter box.

Do not let small children handle the kittens the first 3 weeks. They are fragile and cannot regulate their own body temperatures during this time.

Keep mom inside only until she can be spayed when the kittens are about 8 weeks.

Thanks for giving her a home and keep us posted!

B Blozada89
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #4

Blozada89

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Oct 12, 2021
Messages
9
Purraise
14
Agree with above, and mom definitely needs calcium ASAP and through her nursing days. If you have no kitten formula in the house, give mom a quarter cup of cow’s milk or half and half or evaporated milk — but only tonight.

Cats in general don’t digest lactose and it can cause diarrhea, but won’t hurt right now as she needs it to stop trembling.

Buy a can of PetAg or GNC or Royal Canin powdered kitten formula tomorrow and begin giving her 1-2 dishes a day. (Walmart has PetAg; pet stores have other brands.) Pick up a 1-2mL syringe for free (needleless) at a pharmacy in case you need to supplement any kittens.

Are they latching and nursing? What are your concerns?

Make sure mom has plenty of wet and dry food and fresh water nearby at all times, plus her litter box.

Do not let small children handle the kittens the first 3 weeks. They are fragile and cannot regulate their own body temperatures during this time.

Keep mom inside only until she can be spayed when the kittens are about 8 weeks.

Thanks for giving her a home and keep us posted!

B Blozada89
My biggest concern now is her not being with the kittens. She meows at me to lay next to her while she's with them. She doesn't let me out of her sight. I got all of them latched on earlier and she fell asleep so I snuck out of the closet, that's where I have them. She heard me in the living room and came running out screaming at me.
 

Sarthur2

Cat lady extraordinaire
Staff Member
Advisor
Joined
Mar 8, 2015
Messages
35,984
Purraise
17,674
Location
Sunny Florida
This is not unusual. Her hormones are in high gear and she is seeking comfort from you because she is insecure. It takes new moms about 48 hours to settle down fully after giving birth. In the meantime, can you sleep near her somehow tonight? She really needs to stay with her kittens.

Has she stopped trembling? Did you have any milk to give her?
 

StefanZ

Advisor
Staff Member
Advisor
Joined
Sep 18, 2005
Messages
25,995
Purraise
10,640
Location
Sweden
My biggest concern now is her not being with the kittens. She meows at me to lay next to her while she's with them. She doesn't let me out of her sight. I got all of them latched on earlier and she fell asleep so I snuck out of the closet, that's where I have them. She heard me in the living room and came running out screaming at me.
Re calcium supply. Give calcium rich food what you have at hand and she takes.
Aside of the already mentioned;
goats milk is excellent; it works also as emergency kmr for the kittens.
Yoghurt is good; much better than cow milk. (even if some cow milk perhaps may be used if you dont have anything else at hand). If you have several youghurt to choose; take a full fat unflavored. Youghurt works also as a mild probiotic, so useful in other circumstances too.

If necessary, you can use boiled eggs, and crush the hard "skin" into fine powder. And sprinkle this in her food, or let her lick it off your hand. There is much calcium in this.

Against fatigue you can add a droplet of white caro syrup on her gum, beneath her lips. Same tip if a kitten becomes lethargic, or is weak.

The tremblings may be simply a muscular fatigue, very common here.
But giving extra calcium is a good safeguarding against problems... A lack of calcium is common and troublesome.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #8

Blozada89

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Oct 12, 2021
Messages
9
Purraise
14
I gave her mi
This is not unusual. Her hormones are in high gear and she is seeking comfort from you because she is insecure. It takes new moms about 48 hours to settle down fully after giving birth. In the meantime, can you sleep near her somehow tonight? She really needs to stay with her kittens.

Has she stopped trembling? Did you have any milk to give her?
I did, she seems to be doing much better. She is still following me around the house so I can lay back down with her and the babies.
 

Sarthur2

Cat lady extraordinaire
Staff Member
Advisor
Joined
Mar 8, 2015
Messages
35,984
Purraise
17,674
Location
Sunny Florida
Is she staying with her kittens so they latch and nurse multiple times per day? That is important.

Have you weighed the kittens?
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #11

Blozada89

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Oct 12, 2021
Messages
9
Purraise
14
I weighed them earlier today. I had to go buy a kitchen scale. She's nurses them if I sit with her. She's done it about 5-6 times. She's now laying with them because I pulled her box closer to my bed.
 

Sarthur2

Cat lady extraordinaire
Staff Member
Advisor
Joined
Mar 8, 2015
Messages
35,984
Purraise
17,674
Location
Sunny Florida
That’s good. She wants to be near you. You are her “trust” person. She’ll eventually settle down even more.

How are their weights?
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #13

Blozada89

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Oct 12, 2021
Messages
9
Purraise
14
100g, 98g, 96g and the smallest is 92g
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #14

Blozada89

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Oct 12, 2021
Messages
9
Purraise
14
She's not cleaning them up so they have a bunch of poop on them but so far so good.
 

Attachments

Sarthur2

Cat lady extraordinaire
Staff Member
Advisor
Joined
Mar 8, 2015
Messages
35,984
Purraise
17,674
Location
Sunny Florida
Clean them yourself if you can with a warm, damp cloth to help mom out. She may be a bit too tired or overwhelmed to clean them all herself right now, though she should start doing it soon. The first 48 hours after giving birth are hard on moms.

Their weights are okay - just barely above premature weights, but if they are nursing well, they should gain quickly. Weigh daily and report here.
 
Top