Contractions Question

If you don't have your hand on your cats belly how do you know if she's having contractions. Ginger is a long hair cat so I can't really see anything happen to her belly. She seems to be breathing a little faster than normal, but she's not panting or anything. She also has a look of pain in her eyes.

With Trina, she panted a little, and every time a hard contraction rippled, her entire body would tense. I'd think it'd be pretty obvious, even in a long haired cat. Do you know if she's lost her mucus plug yet, or has she had any sign of a straw-colored fluid?

I really don't know if she's lost her mucus plug, I don't think so. She's got a very small amount of blood around her vulva. She's trying to sleep, but she keeps moaning softly.

Hmm, that generally means she's about to lose it(or has). Look for purposeful straining. She'll bear down and have a focused look--and generally stop panting or breathing with every push. You're getting close, obviously! Good luck, got my paws crossed for ya. You can also gently rest your hand on her stomach. If she's having contractions, I guarantee you'll feel them.

She's probably still in the early stages. You have a bit, I would guess.

Well, whatever it was seems to have passed for now. Maybe one of the babies was in a really uncomfortable position or something, but she seems much more comfortable now.

Nothing going on today. Whatever was going on with her last night seems to have passed. She seems to be acting normal now.

I hate to be pessimistic, but really keep an eye on her acting possibly lethargic. Make sure she eats and drinks alot of water, and make sure she isn't too hot(feel her ears and paws). My cat, Estrella, was due about due when I noticed her seeming to have slight contractions and she had a tiny bit of blood coming out too. Then, it just stopped. The next day the same thing happened and I started to get worried, but she was still eating and drinking. Then, the next day she stopped eating and drinking and was acting lethargic. Well, I rushed her to the vet and they had to do an immediate c-section and hysterectomy. Turns out she had tried to deliver one of the kittens and it got lodged and died. By the 3rd day it was decomposing!

None of the kittens made it because they were all too far gone, but Estrella did, thank God.

So, just as a warning, keep a close eye on your kitty. She seems so big, maybe she mated for a long period of time and the first kitten is too bog to fit out. Keep your vets # handy. Good luck and keep us all posted on her progress.

Thanks for the information. I do try my best to keep a real close eye on her while at the same time taking care of my 5 kids. I make sure I have periods of time where I can just sit and be with her. I don't think she has actually had any contractions yet, she was just acting a little funny yesterday. If she doesn't deliver tonight I might take her in for a quick check up tomorrow, just to be on the safe side.

small amount of bleeding in the first 10 days after pregnancy is normal. and sometimes what your feeling is just the womb contracting back to normal. but like i said in your other post it really might be wise to take her to the vet for them to check her over just in case if your worried.

Well, after Bestia had her kittens, her stomach was still really big and she was still too big to even bend over and clean herself. I took her to the vet and he said she was fine, just gassy, lol. I switcher her food to something better and that fixed it right up. Now she's a skinny little rail again.

Also, after a cat has her kittens, for the first time in a long time you can feel her "guts" and you may be confusing them for a kitten still inside(at least, that's what I did, lol).

However, if you're worried, then you should go to your vet for a checkup. Unless there is something wrong, it shouldn't cost very much. You can bring the kittens too and they should be able to check them out as well for no extra charge.

Originally Posted by cupcake1234516

Any news on Ginger? Do we have babies yet?

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Still no babies and still no sign of her going into labor. The vet said she's just "not cooperating." LOL. He was sure she would have delivered by now, but everything is fine. She looks great and the babies seem to be doing well too. They are very active little buggers. You'd think she'd want them out. Oh and in case you didn't catch the other thread the vet took an x-ray and said that she should have 5 kittens.