need help....

My family and I took in a stray cat about 2 weeks ago. Her belly was really tight so we assumed she had worms. After I took her to the vet I was told she was pregnant and will be a mom in about 2-3 weeks! I immediately brought her inside fearing that she would have her new babies out in the cold. Never having a cat that was expecting I'm a little nervous.....I was wondering if anyone has had experience with the birthing process and what signs I should look for to know that it's time! I appreciate your help.....feel free to email me as well... [email protected]

It's a good thing you took her in - a neighbor's cat had her litter in our greenhouse last spring. I don't have any experience with kitten births, since our animals have always been neutered, but I don't suppose they're much different from puppy births. First: the cat needs a nesting box in a warm, dry, quiet area, lined with an old, clean sheet (perhaps over newspapers) that the kittens won't get tangled up in. A day or two before the birth her teats will swell and fill with milk. When she starts scratching around in the nesting box, you should confine her to that room with food, water & a litter box. She will be restless and refuse to eat shortly before the birth. She'll clean her genital area. Kittens usually arrive at intervals of half an hour to an hour, and the mother will lick away the surrounding membrane, chew through the umbilical cord, and eat the placenta. Call a vet if there is excessive bleeding or very strong contractions for more than an hour with no kitten delivered, or if a kitten is stuck part way out. Good luck, and you might want to post this question on the breeders' forum for expert advice.

Hi kymb86:

I am going to move this thread to our Health and Nutrition forum. I don't have any advice for you, as I only have boys in the house!

I am really bad at writing alot, so I will try and put some stuff in a nutshell for ya

Make sure she's eating kitten food now through when the kittens are weaned around 6 weeks. You will still want to keep her on kitten food until she is showing signs of good condition.
Designate a single room for her to stay in from now until the kittens are old enough to venture on thier own. You will want to create a box for her to have her kittens in. I like to use one of the large tupperware containers you can get at most stores. Put some nice towels or blankets in there to make it comfortable for her. If mom doesn't feel secure when she has her kittens, she can start moving them and hurt them on accident. It's best to keep it nice and quiet for her.
When it's getting close, you will notice that she's sleeping much more, eating lots less, and will get restless meaning she will probably get up and down alot and seem uncomfortable.
When it's time, you will see her contract just like people do. Once she starts to contract, it will be VERY soon. You just want to keep an eye on her for stress, or any problems. Generally they can give birth themselves, but sometimes can have problems. My suggestion for that would be to get a book to refrence incase you need it. Most large book stores have a section for cat care and have some good books on pregnant kitty's.

Remember that she can get pregnant again very soon, while the babies are still nursing. She needs to be kept inside until she is spayed, when the babies are about eight weeks old. Have fun with your babies. Becky