Update...My "outside" cat is going to have babies!

To all of you who helped, I finally convinced my fiance to let our "outside" cat come inside so she can deliver her litter in a safe place. :tounge2: Guess what? She delivered her kittens last night! She had 7 babies. I am so excited but do not have any idea what to do next. If anyone can give me some helpful suggestions it would be much appreciated. I got a head count last night and mama kitty did not seem to excited that I was looking at her, so I left her alone. Do I need to do anything special for her and when is it ok to go around the kittens? Thank you so much!

Oh I am so happy she got to come inside!! She probably was waiting until she felt safe.
By all means!! Please sit with mom and kittens now. They start learning what humans are from day one. If mom is unsocial, they will need you to teach them that humans are nice. I would not pick them up as mom might get a little ticked, but see how far you can get with them. You can pet them and talk to them all you want. Really you just need to make sure they are eating okay. That nobody is straying or crying a whole lot. Make sure mom is on kitten food. If they arent already, put them in just one room. Too much room for mom to move them around is a bad idea. Watch for any signs of infection and such. It will be a good week to 2 weeks before thier eyes and ears open. If you have any specific questions, ask away. I will be gone this weekend, but I will be sure to answer anything Fri morning or when I get back!!

Mom is very social. I went into the room last night and only counted 3 kittens. When I did the first count she was at the end of labor. I don't know if some of the kittens were not in good health and she disposed of them or what happened exactly. When is ok to handle the kittens? I spent a lot of time with them last night and gave a lot of TLC to mom when I quit she would jump back into her spot to protect or feed the babies. Is that normal? I felt her teats and every one of them were swollen. I assume that they are feeding fine. You mentioned that I need to look out for infection, what exactly should I be looking for? She is also eating well herself. Someone told me to give her milk to help her with hers, does that seem right? I have not done that because I did not know if it would upset her stomach. I have noticed that she is not using the litter box yet. Should I be concerned?

What did your cat look like and act like before she had her kittens? Were her teats hanging with milk and did she act funny? Just wondering.....we are going through a similar situation.

Oh, kittens! I am so happy you all decided to let her come inside! Now, the part about there first being 7 kittens and now only 3 concerns me a bit...can you clarify that? Did you ever find the other 4 or did I miss something?

I don't recommend milk for cats, but the suggestion that Sandie left to make sure that mom is eating kitten food is a very good one. Changing food or adding milk will sometimes upset delicate tummies, so you might want to bring about the change slowly, mix a bit in with her regular food until she's eating all kitten food. You can try adding a small amount of milk to the dry kitten food for her, but back off if she starts to vomit or have loose stools.

Signs of infection would be: Off eating or drinking, litter box habits after a delivery can sometimes be off, so that might not be a good indicator, but if she is using the box, check for anything unusual there, if you see any abnormal discharge, or if she feels hot and isn't interested in caring for the kittens.

By all means, the more human contact the kittens have, the better. Keep them in a room with mom by themselves if possible, and make sure there aren't any good hiding places available for mom to spirit them off from the evil monsters in your home *grin*. Go in and sit with them as often and for as long as you can. Start to put your hands on the kittens as soon as you can - this is called "imprinting". The more you handle them, the more socialized they become.

We would love to see pictures if you have them, or can send them to me and I'll post them here if you like.

Please keep us updated - we are here to help.

My continued best to you,

Gaye