Tiggys unexpected pregnancy

[Gingerbread_Gem]

I got Tiggy Tails when she was about 6 months old, I was told she had been spayed by her previous owner (I think I am her fourth owner). She is 18 months old now and is definitely pregnant. Shes a very outdoorsy cat who will happily be out in all weather (half bengal). I only see her every 1-4 days generally and i thought she looked a little round about 2 weeks ago but I dismissed it, believing she was spayed.

I'm keeping her inside now and although she meows to be let out a few times a day, she's a very cuddly cat so she's adapting fine.

I'm hoping somebody might hazard a guess how long it will be before kittens arrive? I have 3 other cats but they're all spayed/neutered. I occasionally taken in "free to good home" cats who need some TLC but never had kittens before so this is new for me.

If she keeps still for long enough I can feel small movements which i think are foetal, I can't see any movement though. I will attatch photos. Thanks!

 

[Sarthur2]

It’s difficult to say, but I see a slight bulge. If you are able to get her x-rayed, a vet could tell you an approximate gestational age and number of kittens.

Here are helpful articles:

Cat Pregnancy

Pregnant Cat? What To Prepare For The Birth

How Do I Know When My Cat Will Give Birth?

Help! My Cat Is Having Kittens!

Make sure she does not go out after she has the kittens. Cats can go into heat again a week after delivery.

 

[Gingerbread_Gem]

Vets are only open for emergencies at the moment. I know someone who does mobile ultrasounds which would be ideal but due to the lockdown (UK), I don't think there's a lot I can do.

She's so fluffy so she might look bigger than she is. But she's also a big cat so she might be further along than she looks. It's difficult to judge anything from her behaviour too because she's not used to being an indoor cat. (She was so grumpy the other day, i thought it was labour, but it was litterbox anxiety until I moved it where she wants it).

She will definitely be spayed before she's let out again. As well as the kitten my daughter will inevitably "need" to keep.

...And she just rolled straight off the couch then acted like that was what she meant to do

 

[Celticmum]

She is a beautiful girl

 

[Gingerbread_Gem]

In the last few days, she's gone from sleeping mainly on my daughters bed during the day, to sleeping under my bed behind some boxes and other stuff. I've set up a couple of possible nesting areas for her but she prefers under my bed (where my toddler can't reach, very sensible). Ive made it comfy under there with an old toddler mattress and some old towels. I can easily lift my mattress and reach her through the slats in the bed. That should be good, right?

Yesterday she kept still and relaxed long enough for me to see definite kitten movement. And I felt them a week ago. Usually she's too busy demanding fuss for me to see or feel anything.

Does all this mean she's probably got a week or less to go?

 

[Celticmum]

Yep, I would say a week or so to go all right the week before my cat had her kittens she started sleeping under my daughter's bed and that is where she had her kittens as well. we just pulled back the mattress and sat on it while she delivered her last two kittens

Good luck with the waiting it felt like it was never going to happen for us

 

[Gingerbread_Gem]

Tiggy is huge. Today she's refused to eat anything apart from dog food.

She's really got it in for one of my other cats right now. He's male, neutered, 9 years old. He's keeping out of her way but how closely should I be watching the situation? I don't want either of them or any kittens getting hurt but I dont want to disrupt either cats routine too much either. He sleeps on my bed every night and both him and tiggy currently have free roam of the house all night, but my boy is usually outside during the day. He's a nervous cat who doesn't like change. Thanks!

 

[Sarthur2]

She’s in protective mode with babies coming soon. She can’t help it - it’s instinctual. You’ll need to keep them separate when she goes into labor, and until the kittens are weaned. Do you have a spare room you can allocate to her?

 

[Gingerbread_Gem]

Unfortunately I don't have a spare room. It will be difficult keeping them completely separate. There will have to be some shuffling involved. I completely understand where she's coming from with feeling protective. I'm surprised at how well she listens to me actually, she's picked up the phrase "tigs, lets not chase him, thank you" very fast which has prevented any fur flying.

Im confident I can definitly keep them separate during labour and the birth but realistically I can see it happening that they're going to come face to face a few times while the kittens are young. I don't think he'll actually go near the kittens though, he's likely to be terrified of them to begin with. I can definitely ensure they're never alone together. Or is it likely to get a lot worse?

 

[Sarthur2]

I wouldn’t think so. Sometimes other cats try to “play” with the babies and toss them as though they are mice. Sometimes there is jealousy.

Naturally, the kittens are vulnerable the first 3 weeks as they are wholly dependent upon their mother for food and warmth as they cannot regulate their own body temperatures during this phase.

It sounds like you’ll be able to manage it.

 

[IndyJones]

Please do not feed her dog food. It doesn't have the nutrients a cat needs let alone an expectant mother. Feeding her dog food will cause malnutrition and could cause problems for foetal development.

Kmr and kitten kibbles are what she needs. Make sure you have bottles and kmr handy before she delivers.

 

[IndyJones]

I would keep the other cats away from the kittens too. It's not unheard of for male cats especially to kill kittens they didn't conceive. They may also accedently hurt the kittens with rough play.

 

[Sarthur2]

Kittens with a mom won’t take bottles. Get 1 or 2 mL syringes on hand. Free at a pharmacy.

 

[Gingerbread_Gem]

I marked on the calendar that I first realised tigs is pregnant on april 16th. Its been 4 weeks and 1 day since then. I was expecting her to have had her kittens by now? From everything I've read, I'd guessed she was about 6 weeks then at the earliest but apparently not? There are no real signs of labour starting in the next day or so at all. Could she be having a massive litter and showed early?

I've started checking for foetal movement twice a day and they're still going strong in there. I think if nothing by Monday I'll probably take her to the vets though?

 

[di and bob]

Since you don't know exactly when she got pregnant it is really hard to say when she will deliver. When you notice she looks smaller and the kittens stop moving, that means they have dropped and she is close. But it could still be a week. I would wait to take her to the vet so she doesn't deliver prematurely if she is acting normal. If she starts acting sick, refusing to eat, hiding all the time, etc. then take her in. Make sure she is getting kitten food to be able to handle the stress of nursing and giving birth. it is just a waiting game!

 

[Sarthur2]

I agree. She doesn’t need the vet. Just wait. She’ll have them!

 

[Gingerbread_Gem]

I think she's in labour! Hasn't stopped meowing at me for about 2 hours now and keeps sitting to one side with a leg in the air, looking uncomfortable. Theres a bit of discharge and she keeps trying to get me to top up her (full) food bowl

 

[Gingerbread_Gem]

Ohhh she was asking me to follow her upstairs to her little nest. Now she's just purring at me

 

[di and bob]

This may be it. If she wants you close, just sit quietly and give her support. It sounds like she does. sometimes they get so exhausted they don't do a good job with cleaning the kittens, make sure to have a warm wet cloth ready to wipe the membranes from the kitten's face and to stimulate them into breathing by rubbing their little bodies. She could have contractions, which look like ripples in her abdomen, for an hour. Any longer than that, call your vet. She could just be losing her mucous plug, and if she is, it could be days yet. Watch for active labor, those ripples. All the luck!

 

[Gingerbread_Gem]

Shes just given birth to her first one on the stairs. Obviously not a safe place for it to stay so once she's cleaned it up (which she is doing now) should i pop it in her nest for her?