Some labouring cat advice needed please :-)

[anannamous]

My indoor cat got pregnant during lockdown - we thought we had lost her as my 4yo daughter opened the door and the cat shot out, having been hiding behind the curtain - returning a day or two later with a new boyfriend following her (who we'd never seen before but now visits our garden every day - like a cat version of Romeo and Juliet).

Anyway, it seems that the time has come for her to have her kittens - she's restless, miaowing (what I would call "yowling"), pacing, scratching. We have another cat (who is spayed after having rescued her from RSPCA many years ago), and a loopy dog who is our indoor cat's best pal in the world so we felt it probably was in her best interest to keep her separate from the other animals when the time came and while the kittens are small.

We decided to move everything out of our front hall area (which is warm, and usually where we'd keep our dog if we go out, but since someone is always in the house - he hasn't been in there in months). We've set up a large dog crate with towels and blankets, and covered it so it's like a little cave. We've tried to keep her confined to the room at night with her litter tray, food and water and some toys, and she has been sleeping in the crate. Now we think she's in labour and she's trying to go behind our TV - which I don't think is a great place for her to have her kittens as thats where our other cat usually sleeps. Will she be ok if we keep her shut in the room while she has her kittens?

Also - how long before she has her kittens if she's constantly miaowing now ? Is it likely to be minutes? Hours? Days? I'm new to all this and I've got my cat midwifery kit at the ready just in case!

 

[anannamous]

OK so an update. I just went to check on her, and she's had 4 kittens - in her litter tray. We've moved them all out of the litter tray and into the comfy place we had set out for her.

Just wondering though because the placentas all seem to be intact. They were literally born about 30 mins ago - do I need to give her a little longer to sort them all out, or do I need to intervene and get the dental floss out?

 

[di and bob]

Yes, they need to be tended to. Has mama started chewing the cords and licking the kittens? For 4 to be born that fast is unusual. The cords must be tied about an inch from the abdomen and then a half-inch further down, and then cut in between, trying to crush it to minimize bleeding. The kittens must be wiped with a warm wet cloth to stimulate them into breathing, quickly.

 

[anannamous]

They're all breathing, they're all making noises and being fed. She has removed the membranes off them all so they are all clear and breathing ok. I think she's tending to them one by one.

Only thing I'm worried about now is her moving them back into the litter tray ?

 

[di and bob]

Are you sure it is the placentas or just the cord hanging? Is the membrane surrounding their face and body removed? Are they breathing?

 

[di and bob]

Thank goodness! She is being a good mama, bless her. As long as they are breathing and feeding, all is normal. She may try to move them again if all is not quiet and calm. Hopefully, she'll stay right where she is. Look in once in a while to make sure. Maybe you could offer another nest, just in case?

 

[anannamous]

Good plan - I'll try and find somewhere else we can put her with her babies

 

[di and bob]

Somewhere quiet and calm....

 

[Sarthur2]

A bedroom with a door you can close with her nest, food, water, and litter would be ideal. Glad it all went well. She’ll need to be spayed when the kittens are 8 weeks old. Until then, she will likely go into heat again before 8 weeks, so make sure she does not get outside.

 

[anannamous]

Thanks all. We left her to it for a while, but she's been so good. All kittens are still in the old dog crate keeping warm with plenty of blankets and towels for padding so it looks like the mum is happy with where they all are for now, I've weighed them all and they're all between 84g and 96g, all umbilical cords have been dealt with by her, so I didn't have to intervene. They're all very vocal and wriggly and having a good feed! They've also dried beautifully fluffy so she's obviously cleaned them well too.

I was a bit worried with it being her first (and only!) litter but she seems absolutely besotted with all of them. She's had some food and a drink and used the toilet and all is well. Couldn't believe how fast she had them all! When I posted my first post this morning about the miaowing, I thought we were looking at 12ish hours - not 3 hours! We didn't think she was going to have 4 kittens either, we thought perhaps 2 or maybe even 3 as she wasn't huge.

The kittens are all going to close family members that we trust so we know they will be cared for and Mama Cat will be staying indoors now until she can be spayed.

 

[anannamous]

Just a clarification - the kittens will be going to new homes once they are old enough

 

[Kittycatcat]

Thanks all. We left her to it for a while, but she's been so good. All kittens are still in the old dog crate keeping warm with plenty of blankets and towels for padding so it looks like the mum is happy with where they all are for now, I've weighed them all and they're all between 84g and 96g, all umbilical cords have been dealt with by her, so I didn't have to intervene. They're all very vocal and wriggly and having a good feed! They've also dried beautifully fluffy so she's obviously cleaned them well too.

I was a bit worried with it being her first (and only!) litter but she seems absolutely besotted with all of them. She's had some food and a drink and used the toilet and all is well. Couldn't believe how fast she had them all! When I posted my first post this morning about the miaowing, I thought we were looking at 12ish hours - not 3 hours! We didn't think she was going to have 4 kittens either, we thought perhaps 2 or maybe even 3 as she wasn't huge.

The kittens are all going to close family members that we trust so we know they will be cared for and Mama Cat will be staying indoors now until she can be spayed.

Sounds like mama is doing a fantastic job, glad all went well! Remember to change her blankets regularly, I do a change over daily and mama has made no attempt to move her babies and they'll be two wks tomorrow.
Do you have her food and water near the nest? And litter box in the same room? I think most mama's are reluctant to go far from their babies.
Cannot wait to see some pics

 

[anannamous]

Here's a pic I am so in love with them.

 

[Kittycatcat]

Here's a pic I am so in love with them. View attachment 344822

They are beautiful!

 

[anannamous]

I have another question. I've tried to Google it but as with everything on Google you get a different answer on every website - so figured it was best to ask the people who've been there!

Obviously, my beautiful girl had her kittens yesterday, around 36 hours ago. What is considered 'normal' discharge ? My beauty is eating very well, enjoying lots of treats and using litter tray fine but we keep finding small drops of blood around the room we keep her in. Is this normal? She doesn't seem in any pain, she's her usual happy self and still taking fab care of her babies who have all put on at least 14g in first 24 hours.

Thanks!

 

[ArchyCat]

You might feed mom cat kitten grade canned and dry food as long as she is nursing kittens. It provides the extra calories, minerals, and protein for milk production. When the kittens are weaned, feed them kitten grade food. If you can find/order Kitten Milk Replacement (KMR), , Not Hartz. And the powdered form. You can mix a saucer or two a day. Then for the kittens once they are weaned.

Keep us p[osted!

 

[Sarthur2]

Yes, spotting is normal for 7-10 days as the uterus heals.

 

[catsknowme]

Any updates?

 

[anannamous]

They're now 8 days old and doing fantastic! The mum has been an absolute star - she's so relaxed yet attentive to her babies.

We have 2 larger kittens, and 2 slightly smaller (but feisty) kittens. They've all more than doubled their original birth weights, the two smaller kittens both have their eyes open. They're all utterly gorgeous (I am biased though).

The third kitten down (black fur) is starting to show a lovely tabbyish marking through the black - how would you describe this colouring and will it get more prominent as the kitten grows bigger?

 

[anannamous]

I do have another question. I weigh the kittens at the same time every single day. All seem to be absolutely thriving, although I'm a little worried about the little tabby and white kitten as for the last 2 days she has put on 8g, and then 6g. I weighed her twice to be sure, and the others seem to be putting on weight consistently. Do you think, based on the data below I need to step in and give her KMR in addition to her mum feeding her, or should I weigh again this afternoon? Or do you think this is normal and its just me panicking. She seems fine in herself, she was the first to open her eyes, she is very active compared to the others and I've just sat and watched her feed and she isn't being pushed away from feeding or having to compete too much for the nipple?

Her weight gain is as follows:
Birth weight: 84g
Day 1: 101g (+17g)
Day 2: 117g (+16g)
Day 3: 129g (+12g)
Day 4: 143g (+14g)
Day 5: 155g (+12g)
Day 6: 171g (+16g)
Day 7: 179g (+8g)
Day 8: 185g (+6g)