Two Pregnant Cats - What Should I Expect?

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melontine

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Happy Halloween

Charlize is giving birth. Three so far, only the first baby is alive though. I’m in contact with the shelters vet, but other than that it’s just me here trying to help her.
Her first kitten keeps squirming back over to her moms bum, I try to move her to nurse but she’s fussy and I’m not sure she gets it.
Charlize has been working to push kitten #4 out for an hour now. That’s not a good sign. Sadly it’s really late and the only emergency vet is more than an hours drive.
I’m not sure what to really be doing here.
 
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melontine

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So it's getting closer to two hours now, I've been instructed to bring her to the emergency vet if it reaches that point. Poor girl is trying her hardest.
Her kitten was left on its own (temporarily I assume), but it's been a little while so I moved the kitten to some dry bedding close by and am working to keep the kitten warm.
This isn't even her last kitten she's got to push out, Charlize is still so very round and obviously pregnant but I don't dare expect much for the babies still inside her.
I'm going to get a carrier ready and figure out what I'm going to do with the stillborn babies, probably should bring them to the vet too right?
 
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melontine

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Spent the rest of the night at the emergency vet.
They did some x-rays and the stress caused her to push the stuck kitten out finally. It was another stillborn baby. She went on to have three more stillborns. If they all had lived her litter would have been seven kittens. Now though she and her first baby seem healthy and happy, that's something to be grateful for at least. The vet gave me some antibiotics to give Charlize so she doesn't get an infection. We'll be keeping an eye on her and the surviving baby, but for now, they are doing really well. Finally, this rough night might be over now.
 

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I will pray for all of you, I'm so sorry for your loss...May the reamaining kitten be healthy and strong! You are a blessing for that sweet mama, and saved her life....
 

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Poor mama kitty! Thank you for being there for her through such a rough night, and so sorry no one was able to answer during the night. Rest in peace babies!

I hope you all get some rest today!
 

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I'm so sorry. What a tough tough night. She's so very very lucky to have had you. Had she not been cared for this likely would have had an even worse outcome.
 
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melontine

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Thank you all, Charlize is doing better. She seems happy and loves her kitten so much.
I had a slight issue with her choice of nest. About a week ago I purchased new litterbox for her as she likes to kick the litter everywhere. It's like a tote bin with an opening in the top. Even though she's used it as a litterbox before, she decided that was the perfect place for her baby.

I have it blocked off now, so she's forced to find a new place.
Now she seems settled under my desk. I gave her a heating pad. I worry her kitten would be too cold when she's not with them because she's not choosing a very insulated area and there is no kitten pile to snuggle in. The heating pad should help with that a bit. So far baby is enjoying it. I'll have to find something to put over it, but Charlize is refusing to associate with anything soft. She will pick her kitten up and bring them away from the heating pad if I try putting a blanket over it.


charrr.jpg


Arwen and her kittens are leaving on Monday, they're ready to be spayed/neutered and adopted out.
Demi and her kittens have a check-up on Friday.
Charlize and her baby will have their first check-up two weeks later.
 
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melontine

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The kitten has been named, he is Howl. He's precious.
I had to take him to the vet today, I noticed his breathing was heavy and his eyes (still closed) had some green crusty discharge. Poor little guy. We had him checked at a vet, and they think it's possible he got some fluid in his lungs at birth. That the complications leading to the other kittens being stillborn could be causing him some illness. They said he looks strong, that we should keep him warm and make sure he nurses. But since he's only a week old they can't give him any medicine.
The vet trip itself was worrying, the vets said that they were afraid at first that they'd have to euthanise him; If he was worse they really wouldn't have been able to do much for him. Thankfully nothing so drastic yet. I'm really hoping Howl gets better.

This week's kitten weights-
Howl - 6.1oz

Gizmo - 2lbs 1.3oz
Stripe - 1lb 14oz
Gremlin - 1lb 10.4oz
Mogwai - 1lb 9oz

Demi and her kittens will be heading back to the shelter to stay on Monday. I'll probably get more foster kitties in the future, but for now, I'm going to get my house in order and take a semi-break.
 

Sarthur2

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It irks me when vets say they cannot give meds to tiny kittens. It sounds like this kitten needs an antibiotic for infection, and yes, it can be given at a tiny kitten dosage level.

Can you possibly see a different vet for meds?
 

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I agrer with Sarthur2 Sarthur2 . How old is Howl? I had a litter of 7 kittens that were put on a slew (3 or 4 of them) of medications at 8 days old because their mom got sick, and my last litter was supposed to be on antibiotics from birth since their mom was so sick.
 
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melontine

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It'll be a bit more tricky since it's up to the shelter staff and not me where Charlize and Howl go for vet care. I'll try to talk to them about it.
Howl is looking a bit better or at least he isn't doing worse. Hopefully, he continues and pulls through.

Howl was exactly a week old when he went to the vet. He's now 10 days old.
 

Bratcat31

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It'll be a bit more tricky since it's up to the shelter staff and not me where Charlize and Howl go for vet care. I'll try to talk to them about it.
Howl is looking a bit better or at least he isn't doing worse. Hopefully, he continues and pulls through.

Howl was exactly a week old when he went to the vet. He's now 10 days old.
I totally understand the vet thing. My pregnant moms are all through a shelter with their own clinic and such. I'm also at thr "mercy" of what they say.

Fortunately they are amazing and cutting edge on a lot of things so I've always been happy. But if I wasn't I'd have little to no recourse.
 
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melontine

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: (
So it's been a while, Howl was doing alright for a while. He got up to 8.7oz last week. Yesterday when I weighed him he only weighed 7.1oz.
Charlize has gone into heat, she's not doing much to take care of him at this point. I'm trying to bottlefeed, but I think I may have to ask someone else to take over.I'm not here during most of the week because I have classes. Howl was very cold this morning, Charlize still likes to move him around but really isn't making sure he's warm or anything. I think I'll actually have to keep them separated so at least he'll be able to use the heating pad without her moving him away from it. I'm warming him up now and will try to bottle feed him after he's not chilled anymore.
They're going to try to get him to a vet today.
 

Sarthur2

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He really must be kept warm and fed frequently on a schedule. I hope something works out quickly for someone to care for him around the clock.

You’ll need to syringe feed if he won’t take a bottle.

I understand mom is in heat, but can you put them in a crate together a few times a day so he can nurse from mom?
 
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melontine

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Thank you for all the help. Sadly Howl has passed on.
I just don’t get why, Charlize seemed perfectly healthy during pregnancy, then he managed to survive all of that and was getting stronger. Suddenly he just...
I’m out of kittens now, looks like kitten seasons finally over too. Thank you again for all the help, it really made a huge difference.
 
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