Pregnant Stray Decided She Lives Here Now.

[Ceeedge]

Long story short the neighborhood kitty has moved into my home office and I think she is about to pop. I have spent the last day or so familiarizing myself with what is going to happen, but I am still damn nervous.

We have decided to take over the care of Pretty Kitty (name is still in the works) and plan on getting her fixed as soon as we can after the babies. We also plan on getting together with a local shelter that we do some work with to get some advice and help with finding homes for them. She is very small, but very athletic and I think she is going to end up being an inside/outside cat. Her hunting instinct is strong, and I think she is going to want to chase more than socks walking across the floor.

We got her food and some kitty things at the grocery this week.. but should have grabbed a litter box too. She had been going out with me on smoke breaks to do her business, but she had to be carried outside the last couple times tonight and I think she is getting ready to have these babies tonight.

I have moved some sleep things into the office for the night. When I leave she cries pretty loudly and it is confusing our dogs (Who have not met PK yet) they have both been acting so beautifully and not trying to get into that room at all, so I want to keep it as uninteresting as I can.

She has been alternating between panting in the kitty bed, laying on the hardwood floor and being aggressively affectionate, so I really think we are close. Will keep updated and would love some advice/tips/human interaction about a very strange situation.

Thanks!

Ceedge

 

[red top rescue]

Congratulations, and WELCOME to TCS. You have come to the right place for support during this exciting time. We have a collection of articles covering cat pregnancy and birth, and here is a list of links to them. It sounds like you should probably start with the one on What To Prepare For The Birth. I'm not sure where you live as you haven't added that to your profile yet, but you only posted 24 minutes ago and it's 3 AM where I live (Georgia) -- I happened to be up checking on a sick cat, so I checked in here -- and it does sound as if you may have babies on the way tonight. Hope these articles can give you what you need right now, and please let us know how things are going. There should be some West Coast folks on here if you have any pressing questions later. And BLESS YOU for what you are doing for this mama to be.


Cat Pregnancy
How to Tell if My Cat is Pregnant?
How Do I Know When My Cat Will Give Birth?
Pregnant Cat? What to Prepare For the Birth
Help! My Cat is Having Kittens!
Post-Birth Complications in Cats
How to Save Your Cat From These 16 Life-Threatening Pregnancy Risks

 

[Ceeedge]

I live in Fort Worth, TX so it is just after 2am here. I am actually reading those very articles on my cell here as I lay with PK. She is clearly uncomfortable, but still trying to get love and cuddles. I don't have a ton of experience with cats, but I have never seen one want so very much love.

I'm not too proud to admit that when she leaned in and licked my nose my heart melted and this lifetime dog lover added cat lover to the list in that very second.

I am probably making too much of the situation, but something tells me I need to be in here tonight so I grabbed some caffeine and a fresh pack of smokes to sit out the night with her. I took a few more pics that you can really see her belly in.

 

[red top rescue]

She looks ready, and her nipples are showing, easy for babies to find. I have to share with you a photo of the most pregnant cat I've ever seen. I named her Moonpie (after the cookie/cakes) and she had five gorgeous babies less than 12 hours after this photo. She was older and had many litters before (came from a hoarding situation) and I just can't resist showing this photo. Your cat looks slim compared to her. I hope tonight turns out to be the night for you, or else you will be spending more nights on the floor. Welcome to the world of cat lovers!

 

[Ceeedge]

Oh my goodness that belly! She looks more uncomfortable than PK does! Poor baby is rolling around on the floor trying to find a comfy position. I feel bad for her, she is just looking at me pitifully and making short little mewing sounds. She seems to be comforted by a hand on her belly as she is sleeping, so maybe the warmth feels good? Whenever I move it away she wakes up and moves closer while looking offended.

- Ceedge

(This one shows how tiny she is)

 

[Ceeedge]

Baby girl and I are both napping on and off. She just woke me up by killing a paper towel dead after it outrageously dared to fall off the desk. Killer instinct at work. I did put down a new can of wet food for her and she is picking at it, so maybe a false alarm? I am going to try to get a few hours of zzs in and I will check back in as the day progresses. C'mon PK you can do this!!

 

[red top rescue]

just checking in but don't see news of kittens yet. Hope you got some sleep.

 

[Ceeedge]

I did Pk and I have been napping on an off for the past few hours. She gets up and kneads me awake and this last time she has started to make a low almost growling noise that I have heard other unhappy kitties make. She is rubbing her head on my hands for love while she is making the sound.. so I think it might just be discomfort? I have been reading up on cat behavior as I get up in between naps and it seems like cats don't generally like a belly touch, but I feel as if she is moving in a way to get my hands on her belly, so I think she is wanting the comfort somehow. Kitties are a little more complicated than pups, with the doggos if they are awake..chances are they are happy campers. Then again neither of them had to (Or ever will) carry babies, so she is entitled to some complaining and crankiness.

Speaking of the pups, they are behaving beautifully through this. I can see they are curious about what is going on in there, but there have been no attempts to try to get into the room and they are happy as all get out to be able to go out and play so often in one day. My boy did take advantage of the situation last night and crawled in bed with my girlfriend for the night, stinker is going to lose that spot right quick when these kitties are born. That's my spot! I am very proud of them and am feeling positive about this new addition to our little family here.

Thanks!

Ceedge

 

[Sarthur2]

Keep us posted!

 

[Ceeedge]

We are still playing the waiting game. I have given her wet food twice today and she is picking at it, but not coming close to whacking it down like she did before so I only gave her about 1/3 of the can this time and she ate a little before napping again. We did get a rainstorm that came through and it cooled off significantly so I opened the door and closed the screen to her room. It should air out there.

What are thoughts on putting a little ice in her water? We do this for the dogs in the summer along with the frozen bowl and they love it...but I am reading mixed advice when I google it and cannot find anything about preggo kitties.

 

[Sarthur2]

It's fine! Cats like ice water like dogs do.

She sounds very close!

 

[Ceeedge]

Oh boy did she love the ice water. There is a ceiling fan and a box fan in that room, but I am thinking that she was already uncomfortable and feeling a little warm so that was causing the restlessness. Since it has cooled off she is between wanting love and passing out stretched out on the floor. We have decided that she needs to stay in the office now that she is so close because she climbed in the back of the armchair earlier when the GF was watching her and we don't wanna risk her having the babies somewhere we can't get to them. She is being very vocal and has taken to climbing on my lap and trying to lay on the keyboard when I am trying to get some work in. She is not a fan of my laptop.. it's actually kinda funny to see her trying to make it as hard to type as possible. She clearly thinks there are better things my hands could be doing

 

[Ceeedge]

Babygirl has been cleaning herself vigorously for the last half hour or so. GF and I are going to trade off so I can get another nap in, but she has promised to wake me up and keep the camera close should we get kittens in the nest few hours.

 

[Ceeedge]

Still waiting! I put a call into the vet that takes care of the pups and she told me that kitties can have pre labor for a few days, and I should relax and let it happen. She did say to bring her in if she is in full labor for more than 48 hours... Our vet is amazing and used to me asking too many questions and being a general spaz. Kitty is just hanging out on the couch napping with us right now, so nothing new to report yet.

 

[Ceeedge]

We wrapped a squishy cold pack in a kitchen towel and she loves it! She keeps rolling back and forth on top of it to cool down then fell fast asleep :-)

 

[blueorchid]

The suspense is killing me!

Thanks for saving her, keep us updated. I can't wait to see pics

 

[Ceeedge]

You and me both! Camera is ready, I have a couple people on standby for different times of the day since my GF had to go to work. I'm going to feel more comfortable with someone else here to keep me sane when it's time and to remember to take pictures!

Despite the ridiculous amount of pictures I have taken of her so far, I am not the best at remembering to get those special moments on film (Or memory card as the case may be) I am still a little nervous but having been able to plan for this and do some research has made me feel quite a lot better. I have never done the pregnant animal thing before, and outside of some more crazy circumstances I don't see myself doing it again. I already don't like seeing her in discomfort, although the cooling mat helped, I am going to HATE seeing her in pain.

 

[daisyd]

Hopefully soon especially as she has some show!

 

[Ceeedge]

She rearranged the box I had gotten set up for her and is currently just chilling in there. I really thought she was going to have them right on the little bed in there, which would have been fine. We put down two layers of thick winter sheets under a lighter sheet, so the bed will be fine. TBH I don't love it when someone stays at my house anyway, so I would be totally fine with "accidentally" ruining the mattress lol It has not been kind to my back the last couple days.

Quick funny grumble: The dog seems remarkably well rested after spending the last two nights on my side of the bed. He will be so upset when he gets kicked back to the dog bed after she has the babies.

 

[Sarthur2]

Waiting is no fun, but she will have them when her body is ready!