What symptoms did your cat show right before giving birth?

Abbie-Leaked brown goo for 12 hours before.  Kept on trying to get into all the little cracks and crevices she could find, and was very clingy. She followed us waddling out to bring the goats in from the pasture, and when we got back, laid in the manger and started pushing. I rushed the goats back out while my sister kept Abbie there-she was still trying to follow me. When I got back, she was really scared. I had to talk to her and pet her to calm her down.

Lucy-She was in her kennel and one morning she had kittens. The next litter, she was meowing all night and trying to get out of her kennel before having them at 9 the next morning.

George-The first litter nothing. The second we were gone for a week with someone taking care of them and she had kittens when I got back. Third she was leaking brown goo and trying to mother her year-old kittens, and meowing. 

Poptart started meowing like crazy about 2 hours before she gave birth..that was the only hint I had from her

We recently rescued a stray kitty. She is pregnant. Any advice? Thanks!

Sophia just wanted a lot attention, she didn't cry or meow before or during, but she did however chirp and constantly lick my face. She didn't start nesting till a few hours before had. 

My cat Harvey gave birth 2 weeks ago. It was a complete surprise as we expected she'd be giving birth 5 or so days after she did.

I expected that I'd see nesting signs, but she didn't create a nest until she'd had the first two kittens...

Apparently the night before, my husband couldn't sleep and she was very restless, pacing the bedroom. The first sign anything was happening was around quarter to seven in the morning, when she started yowling furiously. She was clearly petrified, and I could see the first kitten crowning.

So, there was very little warning, and she only really figured out what she was supposed to do mid flight and later. For the three days after the birth, she moved the kittens five times, but has now settled nicely into the closet.

That's where sophia is too, she hasn't moved them yet, and hopefully she doesn't!

Not sure how old this thread is, but i stumbled across it and decided to post anyway. First of all, as a rescuer of all animals, I am a big one for the whole spay/neuter thing. I've seen too many homeless animals and overcrowded shelters not to be. My two cats, Mouse and Run (my 5 year old named them) were part of a 17 kitten rescue I did. There were 3 litters, one whose mother died from infection and the other two queens were severely malnourished and unable to properly care for the kittens. I tried to get the mothers as well, hoping I could nurse them and allow them to care for their own kittens (each litter was about 4 weeks old) but they were feral and after two days I gave up. The kittens were in pretty poor shape as the two mother cats were sharing all 17 kittens between them and were barely able to eat enough for themselves, let alone their babies. I tried to find adoption agencies to place any of them I could, but they were all full and couldn't help. One place did offer to take them, but required me to pay a fee of $70 per kitten. I understand that caring for these animals takes money and resources, but I didn't understand why I was being asked to pay $70 to GIVE them a kitten to adopt out. I offered to provide food, blankets, toys, even volunteer my time if they would at least come down on the price (since 17 kittens times $70 would have cost me$1190) but they told me that only money would do. Personally I think any rescue agency who refuses to accept donations and requires you to pay such a hefty price isn't worthy of being called a rescue, but that just me I guess. Now that I'm done venting...

Amazingly I was able to adopt out all the kittens but the two we kept. I made appointments for them to be spayed on the same day, but a luck would have it I got a flat tire on the way to the appointment and had to reschedule. The next appointment was over a month away and I decided to just be very cautious. At the time we were in the process of getting a new house and I asked my parents to keep an eye on them while we took care of things. I knew they were due to go into heat soon and since their heat cycles are about 1-2 weeks apart I didn't want to risk one of them escaping during all the confusion. As luck would have it, Run went into heat a few days later. My mother, a former Vet's assistant, was extremely patient with Run's constant yowling to be let out. But my father didn't realize that she was in heat and let her out one morning thinking she just wanted some time outside. I don't blame him, he didn't know she was in heat and I hadn't told him that she doesn't like to go outside, unless of course she is in the mood for romance. I arrived 15 minutes after he let her out to find  large yellow tom pacing proudly away. She jumped up and began rubbing against me and I knew the deed was done. I took her inside and prayed that she was barren or maybe my arrival had interrupted their plans. Of course I was wrong.

I cannot remember the exact date, but I know it was around Christmas time. Now she is very pregnant and we expect them to come any day now. Her habits didn't change much and it wasn't until mid-January that I realized that she was pregnant by the way she was gaining weight. She's always been a pig for food, but within the past two weeks she's been insatiable. I have a box prepared for her in my closet, but she doesn't seem too fond of it and prefers the other corner of the closet underneath a tiered metal shelf. For the past few days she has been going in there, but only for a few minutes at a time. She runs out quickly if I try to spy on her (hence her name Run). I finally gave up and took one of the blankets from the box and have laid it in her preferred spot. Of course now she has decided she doesn't like that spot either. Maybe she just doesn't like blankets. Does anyone have any advice on how to make either spot more comfortable for her? It seems like anytime I try to make the nest to her liking she doesn't like it.

She has been a lot more clingy these past few days, following me to the bathroom and such, and earlier she seemed a little restless, like she couldn't get comfortable. She also seems a little jumpier than usual. She will lie down in one spot for about 30 minutes, them move to another spot,stretch out, and go back to sleep. She was eating earlier, but in the past two days hasn't eaten as much as she usually does. I find myself filling her bowl 3-4 times a day, and even though she does share her bowl with our other cat, the other cat prefers to be outside for the better part of the day so I know it's her. Today I only filled it once and there is still food left. She did do something new tonight however, she went and sprawled out on the hard floor in our master bathroom. She seems to have preferred the hard flooring to the pet beds or our bed lately, but I've never seen her do that. Her breathing rate is a little faster than normal, but doesn't seem to be "labor" fast. She's also lost interest in playing with the laser, one of her favorite things. I tried to use it earlier and she just looked at it, didn't even attempt to law at it or anything. She hasn't stayed asleep longer than 30 minutes at a time and has been a lot more interested in moving around in the closet, moving from one spot to another. No excessive licking and she has always been a purrer, so nothing new there. She is usually only vocal when she's hungry or in heat and tonight has been "chirping" whenever she wants attention.The most unusual thing that I've noticed tonight is that every once in a while she kind of jumps or snaps her head up for no apparent reason, even if she's asleep. I think she will probably go within the next 24-48 hours, but I could be wrong. I have to admit even though I really didn't want her to get pregnant in the first place, I am kind of excited. I will post an update if her behavior changes dramatically. If anyone has any advice let me know! It's been a very long time since I've had a pregnant cat, my first cat never showed any signs of impending labor with her two litters at all. She would simply go in the box and have them. No noise, no meowing, nothing. She was quite the labor champ, really. Thanks!

She jumped up and began rubbing against me and I knew the deed was done.

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A shame you didn't get her neutered immediately - at that point in time (just after mating) her eggs haven't been released so conception can't have taken place.  Think your dad needs some feline facts of life explaining as well.

If you know the date, add 65 days and that gives expected due date, but cats can go up to 70 days.  If it was Xmas day she's due on the 28th February so she still could have a week or so to go.

She needs to be allowed to eat as much as she wants until she finishes feeding the kittens, and ring your vet and find out how soon after delivery he will neuter her.  If he's pricy ring round any other vets in your locality.  Remember she can get pregnant again very soon after delivery, while she is still feeding her kittens so she MUST be kept in.  Make sure your father knows, and anyone else who comes to the house.

my new cat is pregnant. i got her 2 days ago she only eats a little and only uses the bathroom a little she searches the house then lays down i dont know what to think is she ready or just checking the new home

I am so pleased to have found this site and did come to it regarding pregnancy. Every single cat I have ever had or fostered is a rescue. I now have a mother that is pregnant missing an eye. I just want to share why my personal opinion is that spaying/neutering is extremely important unless you are a professional breeder. Again, just my opinion and everyone has one.

I ended up with 5 kittens that were born unwanted in a barn from a tame cat set out on a farm. The farmer was definitely going to put a bullet in all of their heads when my nephew brought them to me when he was working on the farm with the permission of the farmer. He tried to get their mother, but was never able to catch her. After her delivery, she apparently belonged to a woman across the road from the farmer. However, we still do not know what happened with the mother. If the mother had been spayed, this would never have been an issue.

I ended up with 4 kittens born outside in the middle of September in Ohio in my basement window. They were born with illnesses that had to be treated with antibiotics from a mother that was set out and not spayed. Two of them had deviated septums. They would never have survived the winter here without medical treatment. They are being spayed/neutered tomorrow. If the mother had been spayed, this would not have been an issue.

An adult male that had been set out and left with a collar on him, probably from a kitten spraying age (more than likely) by the size of the collar, had outgrown his collar and it embedded into his neck. It had to be removed and he had to be neutered and vaccinated.

I had to euthanize 2 stray male cats deathly sick with illnesses related to FIV that were left in my area by a neighbor who just moved off and left their three cats. I am still taking care of the 3rd brother.

I now have a female that is full of kittens and missing an eye that someone also set out. I am taking her to get spayed and her eye sewn shut as soon as she delivers her kittens. I also get them vaccinated and have made homes out of shelves from IKEA that are like cubbies that stand on their side and insulated them with styrofoam. The mother is inside until her kittens are old enough to be weaned. Then, the kittens will be treated/spayed/neutered and hopefully adopted. Again, this should not be an issue and she should have been spayed.

When I was younger, I was fishing in Florida on Lake Monroe in Sanford, Florida with my father and snagged a crate with kittens that were drowned and dead by some sadistic human being. I also have friends who have found strays poisoned, shot with bbs, tortured, etc. It is wretched how inhumanely cats especially are treated when they are unwanted.

This is why people were probably so taken aback when one of the posters stated they wanted a litter of kittens and wanted their cat to be pregnant. It is your choice, however, other people are entitled to their own opinions, as well. After my personal experiences, it just grieves my heart that cats seem to be one of the most neglected and abused pets. There are so many awaiting death row that could be adopted and given a forever home and so many that are already pregnant that need help, please understand the other person's point of view, as well. It is extremely sad to some that one of those mentioned above never got the opportunity to deliver kittens in someone's home or were ever given a chance to be adopted by someone. That said, it is still definitely a person's free right as an American to do and carry out their own personal business as you see fit and the kittens really are just adorable.

What I really came to this site for was to gain information to know what to expect with this stray mother. I want to thank everyone so much for their posts. You helped me to determine this mother with one eye is extremely close to delivery. Thanks so very much!  Best wishes to all regardless of view or opinion! :-)
 

OrientalSlave said:

A shame you didn't get her neutered immediately - at that point in time (just after mating) her eggs haven't been released so conception can't have taken place.  Think your dad needs some feline facts of life explaining as well.

If you know the date, add 65 days and that gives expected due date, but cats can go up to 70 days.  If it was Xmas day she's due on the 28th February so she still could have a week or so to go.

She needs to be allowed to eat as much as she wants until she finishes feeding the kittens, and ring your vet and find out how soon after delivery he will neuter her.  If he's pricy ring round any other vets in your locality.  Remember she can get pregnant again very soon after delivery, while she is still feeding her kittens so she MUST be kept in.  Make sure your father knows, and anyone else who comes to the house.

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I rescheduled another appointment the same day I got a flat to bring them in, but they couldn't get me in for almost a month because of all the Christmas pets coming in for spay/neuter appointments. And the other vets I called I really couldn't afford because they required about $200 per cat. i told them that they were both due to come into heat soon which is why I needed an appointment ASAP and they upped the price about $40-$60 each because of the way the uterus expands during the heat cycle and the possible complications that can arise from spaying a cat in heat. And when I asked about the price change if one was already pregnant it only went up more depending on the gestational age at the time of the spay. Also, having been present at a few surgeries where pregnant cats were getting spayed, it was a little traumatizing to see (i will spare you the details) and once confirming she was pregnant I didn't have the heart to spay her in her condition.
I live in SC and there are not a lot of helpful resources for low cost pet care. Vet spay/neuters do not offer discounts for multiple pets unless you are doing a spay/neuter/release, and even then it's not much. I worked at a vets office for 5 years and the prices have only gone up at nearly all the offices near me since I stopped working at the vet. Kind of sad really. It's almost at the point where you have to be wealthy to be a responsible pet owner. $400 or more spay two cats is not cheap and I can understand why people who cannot afford it neglect to do it. Don't get me wrong, I am also a believer that if you can't afford pet care you should reconsider getting a pet, but I'm certainly not in the position right now to pay $400-$520 to get them spayed.
As for my father, he didn't know she was in heat. She's really vocal when she wants something and unless you know her cycle it would be hard for someone else to tell the difference. He was very apologetic and I know he wouldn't have done it if he had known she was in heat.
I have been free-feeding her and have put food in the closet with her nesting box. I also give her boiled boneless, skinless chicken because a lot of cat food doesn't contain the proper amount of protein a cat needs. Everyone in the house knows she must stay inside and they all do their part to keep her in. She really isn't a huge fan of the outdoors so is usually not a problem. I have spoken to the clinic where she will be spayed and supposed to call as soon as possible after she delivers to schedule her spay. They are very nice, an ASPCA branch, and have offered the normal reduced price regardless of heat or postpartum condition. They said they should be able to get her in 6 weeks after she delivers and I am just praying everything will go well until I've actually dropped her off lol.
UPDATE: no dramatic behavior changes. She's been in and out of the closet a little more than usual today, but is still acting the same. She's a little more withdrawn than she has been, but is still not producing any colostrum from her nipples. I have been told that this will happen shortly before labor, but is that always the case? Also, still in need of advice to help her with her nesting box. She doesn't like what I do, but I don't want her to have them on the floor. Has anyone else had a queen who didn't like blankets and preferred hard surfaces as a nesting site? Thanks!

Unless you are getting remarkably poor quality cat food or you are feeding complementary instead of complete food, it *does* contain all the necessary protein, plus all the other essentials.  Lean chicken is not a complete diet (when cats kill and eat prey they eat most of it - lean mean, skin, bone, innards), and when cooked the taurine in it is reduced and this absolutely essential for health. 

If you want help with nutrition there is a whole  section devoted (and I mean DEVOTED!) to it here.

I just found this this forum last night while I was looking for signs of when our newly adopted cat would have her kittens. This cat (Momma Kitty) actually found us. She just showed up one day and decided to stay. I knew right away she was pregnant, however she was underweight. We bought her food and left it on the front porch, the next thing we knew she had found her way into our garage. I bought a litter box and moved her food inside. Before long she was in the house. Last night she started moving from place to place looking for a nest. She was very vocal and wanted me with her all of the night. I was up until 5 this morning and finally went to bed. I am happy to say she now has delivered 2 kittens and it looks like more are on their way. I hope they are all healthy. Everything shared in this forum discribed her behavior to a tee.

Funmnm. Congrats, Tx, and welcome!

Perhaps you want to start your own tread too, it will be easier to see if you do have own questions or problems you want to discuss.

And get a kitchen scale measuring in grammes to weigh them on every day.  If something goes not so well, it is often the best way to discover it.  And if they DO gain every day, you have a recipe it is going well.

Welcome to our Forums!

Good luck!
 

hi was wondering if anyone could help, my cats showed all symptoms of pregnancy, nipples are pink and big and shes put on weight, and the last 24hrs shes excluded herself or walking about a bit and lying away from people and tonight shes had a wee and it was a little pink... she wont let a vet near her, it distresses her ...could this be a sign of labour starting?

Catlover80, yeah, it surely could be the start, but the waiting game is our favorite pastime here on this forum!   I hope you are ready for delivery! May be well exciting sometimes.

You did your homework and tried to read on? Old threads here, articles etc?

Good luck!

ps.  Better you do start your own thread, so your posts dont drown in some long, old thread.

I have a question about a cat that i recently brought home that was abandoned at our store. I noticed that a cat was hanging aroung my store so i decided to bring her home but before i could get her to trust me she ended up getting pregnant. Now i have her in my home and she is due to give birth but not sure when i would say it wont be long but for the last few days say 3 she wont come inside anymore from porch but for a min or two and is very skiddish when she had become very loving and hung out at my feet laying by sofa most of the day. To me herhead seems a little warm and am very worried something might be wrong but cant find a vet to see her because of shot not being done till after birth of kittens. Does anyone have any suggestions for me? Do you think she is sick or getting close to having her babies? Dont know what to do any suggestion would be helpful.

bah-boo said:

People do seem to be rude ... trying or not, they should watch what they say and think about what they type before typing.  

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First, this is a very old thread. Many of the people who posted originally are no longer on TCS. 

Second, the issue of spaying and neutering is always a sensitive one, especially in the pregnant cats and kitten care section. It is also a delicate balance as TCS is a pro spay and neuter community but is also committed to helping those who have a pregnant cat, regardless of the circumstances under which they got pregnant. Because of this dichotomy debates do flare up in this section. 

The best advice I can offer you is to start your own thread if you have a particular issue that needs to be addressed so that more people will see it. If you do so and it is in the PC&K section know that people will bring up the importance of spaying. Know that everyone has the animal's best interest at heart and we all just express it in different ways. Hopefully you will also receive a lot of feedback on the particular issue at hand. 

For more on TCS's stance on this issue, please see a recent thread posted by the site's owner: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/257546/...-of-thecatsite-com-to-owners-of-pregnant-cats . 

Welcome to TCS. I hope you not only find it informative but enjoyable! 

My cat is trying to hide in weird spots to  and she never lays on the floor and now all of a sudden she is totally just spreading out on the floor is she about to give birth?????

-Sara <3

Kittykitty lover this is an old thread, you'd be best to start a new one of your own. Then you can list all your details about your pregnant Mommy.
My mommy used to spread herself flat on the cold tiled floor about a week before she gave birth.