Pregnant Cat Advice

[Jadetempest]

Hello I adopted a young cat who was ment to already have been spayed, her previous owners gave me a card with her proof of desexing but i am now wondering if they lied and the proof card belongs to another cat as she is now very clearly very pregnant, we have had her almost 2 months, her nipples are enlarged and leaking colostrum so i know we can expect kittens soon, is there anything i should purchase before these babies arrive, i want the very best for them even though they come as a suprise

I have a box in a quiet area for her to nest in,towels,string and scissors in case she needs help with the babies cords,KMR, kitten food for mum and also a vets after hours number close by

She is such a gorgeous cat and i feel so bad for her, hopefully everything goes smoothly, she is only about a year old, she will be spayed asap and the kittens will be rehomed microchipped and with a voucher for them to be desexed

My daughter renamed her Elsa, she adjusted to the name change and settled in to our home rather quickly

 

[Sarthur2]

She is beautiful!

You sound very well prepared. Keep us posted and ask questions as things pop up.

 

[bklyn]

Wow, another thread with someone getting a cat that was supposed to have been spayed but wasn't! I'm surprised that people get away with that, seems like an obvious inevitable problem.

It sounds like you're well prepared. You should have disposable gloves in case you need to handle the kittens too. Most moms won't mind you handling them if you're familiar with them, but some get upset. Typically this isn't a problem, but since you've only had her two months I would use gloves out of an abundance of caution. I would also have a box with warm bedding set aside to place the kittens in if you notice the already born kitten/kittens are at risk of being stepped on while she gives birth to the others. The last mom I had struggled with giving birth to the second kitten, and really restlessly stomped around during contractions. I moved him to a box right next to her so she wouldn't step on him. It's a fine line though, because you don't want her to get angry with you for touching them, and get distracted from giving birth, so only intervene when necessary, and avoid interrupting contractions.

Make sure that any blankets the kittens are placed on or that are in the nesting box are flat, because you don't want their heads/faces getting stuck in the crumpling, because they can't breathe and can't move well. Also, even though she will provide warmth to them, make sure to keep the whole room warm, since mom will leave them at times to eat/use the litter box.

That's really all I can think of that you haven't mentioned right now. Also, I would really encourage you to spay/neuter them yourself before adopting out. Even with vouchers, people can be weird or lazy, and not spay/neuter even though they have no reason not to.

 

[Jadetempest]

Wow, another thread with someone getting a cat that was supposed to have been spayed but wasn't! I'm surprised that people get away with that, seems like an obvious inevitable problem.

It sounds like you're well prepared. You should have disposable gloves in case you need to handle the kittens too. Most moms won't mind you handling them if you're familiar with them, but some get upset. Typically this isn't a problem, but since you've only had her two months I would use gloves out of an abundance of caution. I would also have a box with warm bedding set aside to place the kittens in if you notice the already born kitten/kittens are at risk of being stepped on while she gives birth to the others. The last mom I had struggled with giving birth to the second kitten, and really restlessly stomped around during contractions. I moved him to a box right next to her so she wouldn't step on him. It's a fine line though, because you don't want her to get angry with you for touching them, and get distracted from giving birth, so only intervene when necessary, and avoid interrupting contractions.

Make sure that any blankets the kittens are placed on or that are in the nesting box are flat, because you don't want their heads/faces getting stuck in the crumpling, because they can't breathe and can't move well. Also, even though she will provide warmth to them, make sure to keep the whole room warm, since mom will leave them at times to eat/use the litter box.

That's really all I can think of that you haven't mentioned right now. Also, I would really encourage you to spay/neuter them yourself before adopting out. Even with vouchers, people can be weird or lazy, and not spay/neuter even though they have no reason not to.

Thank you for your reply, i will definitely be getting some disposable gloves and will make sure the room she is in is kept warm, shes a very affectionate cat but i realise this might be pregnancy related and her temperament might change once babies arrive, the house she came from had a lot of other cats and i wish i could have taken them all as the conditions were not the greatest, Elsa has had a vet check up and is in good health, she didnt have a ultrasound but vet palpated her abdomen and guesses she will have around 3 kittens
I will look into getting kittens desexed before they go to new homes, my vet wont do it until they are 6 months old so will see if another vet will , i am also going go be very picky with who they go to and they will be kept here until 12 weeks

 

[judygarlandmacat]

I too have a cat that was supposedly spayed before adoption and is now pregnant! Am outraged but the shelter is being uncooperative. Oh well, keep us posted!

 

[Jadetempest]

She looks so uncomfortable, although I am excited to see what her kittens look like I also feel sad that she is going through this and angry that I was deceived, she is only about a year old. So far her only sign that labor isn't too far off is the clear colostrum coming from her lower nipples and she is sleeping lots but has to move positions regularly. I can feel the kittens moving and she's constantly wanting to go outside(I don't let her), her appetite is also good.
I have read most cats lose their appetite when labor approaches, has anybody had a cat that has eaten right up until giving birth?

 

[Jadetempest]

 

[Jadetempest]

I have another question, Elsa has been having runny poo today, its not watery but more like a flat cow patty, is this a sign she is close to giving birth or something I should be worried about, she's eating and drinking like normal and doesn't appear sick. Never had a pregnant cat before so I am not sure what to look at for although been doing heaps of research and watching YouTube videos
I have given her some pumpkin to help ease her tummy

 

[ashade1]

Diarrhea is common the day before/the day of labor!

 

[Jadetempest]

Thank you ashade1, hopefully she doesn't have any complications

 

[ashade1]

Sending good vibes for an easy labor and a small litter!

 

[Jadetempest]

Still no kittens but her runny poop is now more solid, she is eating less and has a clear odorless discharge so from what I have read I think she's getting very close, she meows when I walk out of her room and has become very attached to me

I decided to contact the people I got Elsa from and ask why they told me she was spayed, they said they have identical cat sisters 1 was spayed and 1 wasnt and must have given me the wrong cat, they wanted to take her back and give me her sister who is spayed but theres no way I was going to let that happen, I want the best for her and the kits plus I have fallen in love with her. The day we got her we also got a gorgeous 11 month old ginger tom from the same place, he bonded strongly to my teenage son who called him Fuzzy,we booked him in to be desexed but his appointment wasn't for a couple of weeks, he ended up getting out sometime in the night or early morning(we have no idea how as windows and doors were closed), my son woke to find him on the lounge barely moving,rushed him to the vet but he had to be euthanised, vet suspects he was bitten by a snake, Their old owners said they saw Fuzzy mate with Elsa so I have let my son believe this as its given him a bit of comfort to know the kittens might be Fuzzys but know in reality the kits could have different dads especially seen as though these people have multiple cats/kittens living in poor conditions. I have reported them to the RSPCA and to the council but don't think anything will be done.

 

[Sarthur2]

Oh my! That is very sad about the male cat.

 

[Jadetempest]

He was a gorgeous boy, very unsure about people though but he loved my 13 yr old right from day one, we actually didn't intend to get him but he cuddled up to my son when we were picking Elsa up so couldn't leave him behind. We think he must have got out through a small hole in our pantry that leads into the roof,which is now closed up. He didnt adjust to being a inside cat and was constantly trying to get outside. We only had him for a couple of weeks but he stole a piece of our heart and was very much loved

 

[Jadetempest]

Just an update on elsa, she just gave birth to 2 gorgeous solid black kittens, i had to assist with breaking the sack of the first one but the second one she delivered just fine
I think she has more but her labor has stalled and she is sleeping, when should i become concerned?
Kitten 1 weighs 89 grams
Kitten 2 is 80 grams

 

[Sarthur2]

Hopefully the kittens are nursing well? They are very small!

No need to worry if she is in no distress. Kitten births can be many hours, and even days, apart.

 

[Jadetempest]

They are tiny but dont seem to have any problem nursing, both are very active and feisty

 

[Jadetempest]

Elsa isnt a very big cat herself so maybe that has something to do with the kittens size

 

[mazie]

We would love to see a picture of the new little family.

 

[Jadetempest]

Baby just arrived, little black and white kitten with gorgeous markings, looks a little bigger than the other 2 but havent weighed him yet