Questions About Inexperienced Cat Mom

[cihanthepanda]

Thanks for reading this much love to you all

My beautiful Mary whos a 12 months old cat, gave birth last night about 9pm ish to a goregous little black kitten

I was told by the nurse at vets for pets on their emergency hotline to `get prepared for a long night of arrivals`

Well it never happpened and we are now 10am so a good 12 hours later
And my cat is just eating well - lots of good premium food, and even behaving as normal/purring against us, walking around (but obviously still nursing the single kitten)

I have been told that for a young healthy cat this isnt that common to have just 1 kitten
and her stomache still feels and looks very big

However she doesnt look like shes in pain or going through labour or trying to push out any more kittens, despite us giving her, her own nice warm space.

I dont know what to do, vets for pets told me if i bring her in its 40 for the appointment and then 90 for a scan!! and that doesnt even include any possible treatment/injectsions if need be!

I am really concerned and dont know what to do

Please help and thanks so much!

 

[StefanZ]

Reading stand by.

 

[StefanZ]

First if she is ok no visible problems you can wait and see.
Continue to observe this may get touchy but normally should be ok.
Stay calm and conidently wait for further development.

Will continue

C cihanthepanda

 

[cihanthepanda]

thanks so much for your reply
so my local pets at home have no vets on today
theyve suggested the EMERGANCY one, which is a whopping 300 pounds ultrasound and about 100 for a scan, unbelievable!

they did say to give it another hour or so, as its only recently hit the 12 hour mark since she gave birth to the one kitten

i just dont understand, shes 12 and 3 quater months old, healthy and big and in her prime, how is it just 1 kitten

and how come her stomache is still big and feels bumpy

also she is giving no signs of being in labour or trying to give birth to another. shes been chiling out eating/scratching scratch post last few hours, however its important i say but in the last few minutes is lying down exhausted and seems to purr loudly any time i touch her, maybe that means she might be starting up

 

[StefanZ]

I see she is nursing that kitten. A good sign!

Does the kitten looks healthy?
All furry decently rounded?

Or may be somewhat premature?
Pics welcome and try to weigh the kitten! Best in grammes.

As said you dont need to worry if momma ok as she seems to be.

But if you notice problems or long active labor without results more than 30-40 minutes - ...

 

[StefanZ]

Yes sounds as next on way.

You can offer her something containing calcium - cheese or yoghurt if she eats this.

 

[StefanZ]

You can also smear some water with honey on her lips - gives quick energhy

 

[talkingpeanut]

Try to relax. You will only need to take her to the emergency vet if she seems to be in distress. You don’t want to see her pushing without results for more than a half hour.

Are you able to keep mom 100% inside and away from intact males now?

 

[cihanthepanda]

Yes sounds as next on way.

You can offer her something containing calcium - cheese or yoghurt if she eats this.

she had been behaving very normally the last several hours but a few min ago she got up and purred loudly a few times
lay back down and looked exhausted, purring away
she isnt pushing or straining - but shes wide awake though and anytime i even gently touch her she meows

 

[cihanthepanda]

I see she is nursing that kitten. A good sign!

Does the kitten looks healthy?
All furry decently rounded?

Or may be somewhat premature?
Pics welcome and try to weigh the kitten! Best in grammes.

As said you dont need to worry if momma ok as she seems to be.

But if you notice problems or long active labor without results more than 30-40 minutes - ...

hi yes the born kitten has had no problems, fully formed, meowing normally and breast feeding

only thing is, even now - the cat has shown zero signs of labour since she gave birth to the first one almost 13 hours ago

even now with her purring and seeming a bit restless, theres still no signs of pushing or straining

can i ask, whats the longest youve ever heard of between kittens

thanks

 

[Norachan]

Do you know exactly when she mated? Was it just once or could she have mated several times over a period of days/weeks?

Cats can have a litter of kittens fathered by several toms, so if there were a few days between each mating she may have a few days between each delivery too.

 

[cihanthepanda]

sigh, marys gone back to being mary again, shes just curiously walking around the room like she normally does, again - showing no signs of anymore labour, hmm

 

[cihanthepanda]

still nothing and now shes eating and even wants to go outside to play!!
i think it might just be the one kitten even though shes still very big
wouldmt you think by now if there were birth difficulty problems wed have seen her trying or straining by now?

but in 13 hours since the first kitten nothing

 

[talkingpeanut]

Did you see my post #8?

Mom must stay 100% inside with the baby. She could be confused at this time and deliver more outside. She can also get pregnant again within a week of delivery.

 

[cihanthepanda]

Did you see my post #8?

Mom must stay 100% inside with the baby. She could be confused at this time and deliver more outside. She can also get pregnant again within a week of delivery.

yes, yes
we have a cat house which is like a triangle shaped mini house/tent with a lovely blanket inside
shes been in there most of the last day

all i was saying is shes been acting really normally since birth

eating, scratching, and wanting to go outside

but there are signs of her purring and meowing a lot and shes lying down a lot and breathing heavily

i dont know if its even possible for her to go back into labour with it being close to 14 hours since the first baby

 

[di and bob]

Cats can and do deliver kittens over different times over different days. As long as she is acting normal, not hiding, or seems in pain, she is doing fine. Eating, drinking, and going to the bathroom should be monitored to make sure she is doing them all. I would wait several days and make sure she is done delivering, as long as she is acting normal. If there are more kittens and they are not to be born, she will get infected inside and definitely will have to see a vet. so watch for any discharge from her birth canal that is not clear. Breathing heavily might mean labor, so watch her closely.Bring her to the vet if she does this for over thirty minutes with no results, and acts distressed. Please keep us posted.

 

[cihanthepanda]

Cats can and do deliver kittens over different times over different days. As long as she is acting normal, not hiding, or seems in pain, she is doing fine. Eating, drinking, and going to the bathroom should be monitored to make sure she is doing them all. I would wait several days and make sure she is done delivering, as long as she is acting normal. If there are more kittens and they are not to be born, she will get infected inside and definitely will have to see a vet. so watch for any discharge from her birth canal that is not clear. Breathing heavily might mean labor, so watch her closely.Bring her to the vet if she does this for over thirty minutes with no results, and acts distressed. Please keep us posted.

thanks for your reply
well it almost seems like we are resigned to just accepting the 1 kitten
it makes no sense though as her tummy is still big
anyway the 1 kitten is fine and happy ill take pics soon as this ordeal is over
however ive not seen any signs of attempting to give birth/pushing out/straining whatsoever since that first baby was born nothing
cats eating fine, toilet
every several hours though she has a smelly pooy/slightly bloody discharge which im assuming is normal right?

 

[StefanZ]

Its common uterus is more or less swollen after the birth, giving easily the impression there is another kitten left.

Yes, discharges afterwards are common and normal.

Of course, do continue to observe and watch out, there may be complications even after a fully normal delivery. But be calm and optimistic.

But as you describe it now everything sounds OK. EVEN if you were sure there is someone left - pauses may be even a couple od days. As Norachan mentioned, it happens the kittens got conceived several days apart.

 

[cihanthepanda]

Its common uterus is more or less swollen after the birth, giving easily the impression there is another kitten left.

Yes, discharges afterwards are common and normal.

Of course, do continue to observe and watch out, there may be complications even after a fully normal delivery. But be calm and optimistic.

But as you describe it now everything sounds OK. EVEN if you were sure there is someone left - pauses may be even a couple od days. As Norachan mentioned, it happens the kittens got conceived several days apart.

thanks for reply
apart from smelly discharge which look more like explosive slight diharea
and apart from a cute little black kitty that its nursing
you wouldnt think its in labour
it is resting a lot and breathing heavily is the cat

the only thing is the two local emergancy vets i rang up have both said that 12 hours it eh max in between births and theyve never known live kittens to be born much longer than that between each other. hmmm

 

[StefanZ]

Yes diarrhea is fully possible.

Lets hope its watery diarrhea because we dont want smelly discharges.

Smelly discharges often means infection and pus.

If its much diarrhea give her extra salts. Flavorless bough pedialyte or homemade.

Heavy breathing is hopefully afterpains.

But if your gut feeling says something is wrong, tske her to a vet for check up.

Peace of mind may cost, its good insurance.