Babies are almost here!

tiffykitty

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Well I did take Harriet to the vet last week and she's definetly pregnant. I think she's about ready to have them. She's jerking her tail around and I read that is a sign that she's going to deliver soon, is that right? And about how long do ya'll think?
Take Care,
Tiffany
 

cupcake1234516

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I am goin through the same thing i have been waitin forever it seems like lol they will be here soon just watch her and soon you will see babies
 

tnr1

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Originally Posted by tiffykitty

Well I did take Harriet to the vet last week and she's definetly pregnant. I think she's about ready to have them. She's jerking her tail around and I read that is a sign that she's going to deliver soon, is that right? And about how long do ya'll think?
Take Care,
Tiffany
Tiffany....do you have the room set up yet?? If the vet verified that she is pregnant, I would definately get a room set up for her with her birthing box, litter and food/water. I would keep her confined in the room so that you know she will choose a safe location to have the kittens. You will want to choose a room preferably with a door and plan to have her in this room from now until it is time for her to be spayed (once the kittens are weaned). This link provides you with some very important information:

http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=80724

Katie
 

kluchetta

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How exciting! Did the vet give you an approximate date? Did he x-ray or just feel? Have you felt the kittens moving?
 

cupcake1234516

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I feel so bad for someone that is waiting i have been waiting forever it seems like i hope my baby has her babies by monday i am gettin nervous Just watch her and sooner or later you will see babies
 
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tiffykitty

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Thanks everyone! Yes, I feel the kittens moving!!!!! It's so neat! Harriet seems tired of being pregnant, I'm sure they're coming soon. The vet said last saturday that she would have about a week - two weeks left, and now that it is Saturday again, I'm expecting them any day now.
We do have a room set up for her, a birthing place, litter and food. We've been confining her when we're not home, and when we are home, we're keeping a close eye on her. She's always in the same room with us, so that's not difficult.
Thanks again for all the advise eveyone! I hope to have some pictures up as soon as she delivers!
 

kluchetta

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I think that after you first feel the kittens moving it's about 2 weeks until delivery. I know Elsa got so big that I couldn't believe it. She could only lie on her back!
 

beckiboo

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Great job on getting her to the vet for a check up. It is so hard to wait! I foster kitties, so several times a year we get a pregnant Momma, and just have to wait it out!

I keep my pregnant kitties confined to one room. But I think your plan for shutting her in the room when you are gone, and watching her when you are home, is a good one. Once she has the kittens, it will probably be best to keep her shut in the room with the kittens. This helps in two ways. First, it helps her establish a close bond with the babies, ensuring she takes good care of them without interference from the other house pets. Second, as the kittens grow up, Momma will go back into heat. As you learned (the hard way), a kitty in heat can be very creative about escaping! If kitty is confined in a room, there are two doors to the outside, increasing your chances of keeping her in. Strange as it sounds, cats can get pregnant within days of having a litter, and will go into heat when the kittens are about 8 weeks old.

It is a little difficult sometimes keeping a kitty in one room, but I always tell my Momma's it is for their own good, and that of the babies. And that "this too shall pass"! After all, 8-12 weeks in one room, to ensure the babies get all the nursing they need, and Momma gets spayed before getting preggers again is for her health!

I look forward to pictures when the babies are born. Welcome to TCS!
 

poohandwendy

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It's been a week...any news? Hoping Harriet has a wonderful labor and delivery. Did the vet give an approximate # of kittens?
 
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tiffykitty

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Today is 2 weeks from when I took her to the vet and he said she had 1-2 weeks left! She is absolutely huge! She's wanting to nest in my dresser drawer or also in a box thats filled with stuff from when we moved a year ago and never unpacked it. We had her a nice place in the bathroom to deliver, but since she preferred the box, we emptied it out and made it cozy for her.

I have a feeling I'm going to be waiting as much as Cupcake did for Kaly to deliver....

My best friend seems to be more impatient than I, she's already thinking of names for the kitty she'll be adopting and every day, she asks if she's had them yet!

My guess, its going to happen any day now. Poor Harriet, she cant jump up on anything anymore, she tries, but just falls off. I'm scared she's going to hurt herself!
 

celestialrags

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I'm glad she is doing well. I wouldn't try to get her to jump on things, ect, but she will any way, she knows what she can do, and unless she falls from pretty high, she probley won't get hurt. She will be fine.
I hope we arn't waiting as long for Harriet as we did for cupcakes Kali
You will have us going crazy with worry!

If she is in a place safe, then I would let her decide where to have them, as long as she is in a room where she will be safe, but I think it is best to set up a large dog crate and make it a birthing cage, and keep her and kittens in it. When they (kittens) start to wander around a bit, they can be very hard to see and can easily be stepped on, so I a big fan of birthing cages.
Good luck, you both will do fine!
 
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tiffykitty

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WOW! What an experience, but unfortunatley I have good
and bad news
.

Harriet had not been giving signs that she was going to go into labor,but this afternoon, Harriet and I were taking a nap, and when I woke up, I started petting her and she went into contractions! I put her in her room and in her birthing box that she wanted NOTHING to do with anymore, or the birthing cage, so finally I could tell she wanted in my room, so she wandered into my closet and so I picked her up and put blankets down. Then she started giving birth!

I left the room to get my phone in case I needed to call the vet, and she followed me, just cryin, and with part of the baby hanging out of her. We went back in the closet, and I could tell something was wrong, which is why she didnt want me to leave. She had a breeched birth that she could not get out of her. I let her try but then she looked at me in desperation, and so I helped gently remove the baby. Harriet went to work doing her thing, but the kitten never started breathing. The vet said that the oxygen probably was cut off as she was coming out due to the breech, and thats why she died.

I left the baby with her for a little while, per the vet's suggestion, and then out comes three more heathly babies! And Harriet's doing fine, already walking around.


So there's my good news and bad news, I wish the other one would have survied, the coat on her was the most beautiful coat that I had ever seen! And her face look just like Harriet. We kept her with Harriet for a little while, then took her away, Harriet knew she didn't survive. With the other ones, if I pick them up, Harriet gets very motherly and wants me to put them down, but not with the deceased one.

Anyways, a long story, but if you met me in person, you know I can talk forever, so I write a lot too. Thanks again for all of your support. As soon as my best friend/sister-in-law/aunt of Harriet's kittens comes over, I'll have her take pictures with her camera and we'll post them for ya'll to see!
-Thanks again - Tiffany
 

tnr1

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Originally Posted by tiffykitty

WOW! What an experience, but unfortunatley I have good
and bad news
.

Harriet had not been giving signs that she was going to go into labor,but this afternoon, Harriet and I were taking a nap, and when I woke up, I started petting her and she went into contractions! I put her in her room and in her birthing box that she wanted NOTHING to do with anymore, or the birthing cage, so finally I could tell she wanted in my room, so she wandered into my closet and so I picked her up and put blankets down. Then she started giving birth!

I left the room to get my phone in case I needed to call the vet, and she followed me, just cryin, and with part of the baby hanging out of her. We went back in the closet, and I could tell something was wrong, which is why she didnt want me to leave. She had a breeched birth that she could not get out of her. I let her try but then she looked at me in desperation, and so I helped gently remove the baby. Harriet went to work doing her thing, but the kitten never started breathing. The vet said that the oxygen probably was cut off as she was coming out due to the breech, and thats why she died.

I left the baby with her for a little while, per the vet's suggestion, and then out comes three more heathly babies! And Harriet's doing fine, already walking around.


So there's my good news and bad news, I wish the other one would have survied, the coat on her was the most beautiful coat that I had ever seen! And her face look just like Harriet. We kept her with Harriet for a little while, then took her away, Harriet knew she didn't survive. With the other ones, if I pick them up, Harriet gets very motherly and wants me to put them down, but not with the deceased one.

Anyways, a long story, but if you met me in person, you know I can talk forever, so I write a lot too. Thanks again for all of your support. As soon as my best friend/sister-in-law/aunt of Harriet's kittens comes over, I'll have her take pictures with her camera and we'll post them for ya'll to see!
-Thanks again - Tiffany
Tiffany...I'm sorry about the kitten you lost..and I'm glad that your cat was able to successfully deliver the others. I know she prefers the closet but I do have to agree with Celestial that a secured room is much better than a closet..especially when the kittens start getting older and crawl around. In addition, we certainly do not want Harriet to accidentally get outside again.

As far as your friend who is anxious to pick out a kitten...she can certainly select which one she wants...but the kittens should stay with mom until they reach 10-12 weeks of age.

Katie
 

proudkittiemom

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i am so happy that everything went great I am so sorry for the loss of the one little one
its a little angel tho now
and I agree with everything that TNR1 has said
cant wait to see photos tho
 

celestialrags

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I am sorry for the little one that didn't make it. No matter how hard we try, some times, they just weren't meant to live, there may have just been some thing enternally wrong you couldn't see, and even if she was able to live, mom may have seen some thing wrong and abandoned it any way. So focus on the babies you have there wasn't any thing you could do about the other. I still recomend moving them all to a crate get it all set up, cover it so it is private, and let her be for awahile, so she gets comfortable. They will start to wander around by time they are 2 weeks and can easily be stepped on or get into some thing they can't get back out of. She will probley come into heat again before she has weaned these guys, so she may try to get out. It can be very dangerous to get out and bred again so soon, so the cage will help reduce the chances of her getting out before you can have the kittens weaned and mom (and babies if you can ) spayed/neutered. We hope to see that you get her spayed, and this is her last litter. So for those reasons, I think that crating will be best. I think they are capable of getting pregnant again as early as a week after having them, and she does not have to be in heat to get pregnant either, so please make sure where ever you decide to let mom and babies be that mom isn't able to accidentally escape atleast until she has been spayed.
Good luck and have fun with the babies, they are fun when they are little! of coarse, I would love to see pictures too!
 

beckiboo

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Wow! You really did a great job helping with the delivery. I'm sorry about the loss of the firstborn...that is very heartbreaking. One thing to think about is that if you had not taken her in, and been there for her, it is very likely that she and all the babies could have died!

Thank you for being there for this girl! And congrats on the healthy babies!!!

Remember to keep Harriet inside only until the kittens are 10-12 weeks old. She can get pregnant right after having the babies...so keep her safe inside for now! Then once the babies are weaned, she can get all her vaccinations and be spayed.

Keep us posted on how the babies are doing!
 
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