Intermittent gasping for air from 4 day old kitten

Hello
I am new to this forum, we just trapped a pregnant semi feral female a few weeks ago, to give her a safe place to have her babies. Everything went well, she is in a big dog kennel with comfy fleece blankets and room service at demand. She had 4 kittens, and today they are 4 days old.

All seem to be eating and sleeping and eating and sleeping, there eyes are not runny and their noses are clear - however, this afternoon I was peaking in at them and one who was sleeping raised his head and gasped 3 or 4 times. Then he put his head back down, then raised it up and did it again. This happened 3 or 4 times in a row.

I have read alot on here about them "hissing" especially if they smell a stranger, but I really don't think that is what it is. Since I don't hear any other breathing problems (even listened to his little chest with my pediatric stethascope) I am still a little concerned. Has anyone ever experienced this with kittens?

Thanks for any advice
Jennifer

It's not really that they hiss, it's more like they open their mouth to breathe a few times, with the breath being a little heavier than a normal breath, if that makes sense. I'll look to see if I can find an example for you.

here is an example of momma cat doing it

This is blurry, but a good example

On the first link it stood "Brigit Kittens Flehmen Response"


and I think it was it; the kitten flehmed - ie draw in air to smell extra thoruoughly.


Thus, nothing at all dangerous, au contrary - apparently four well developed, well doing kittens and a well doing mom.


Tx for helping them out!

Good luck!



Ps. Welcome to the Forum!

Thanks very much, that is exactly what the kitten was doing. I dabbed a little food coloring on the tip of his ear so that I would be able to better keep an eye on him - all four kits are solid gray, with no distinguishing marks...so anyway, he has not done it again that I have seen. He was probably just sleeping that first time and smelled me near the basket, and was trying to get a better idea of "what" I was.

Such a relief, that these kittens are so healthy. That is because the mama we have been feeding for a year...because we feel so bad for the outdoor cats, they get dry food and cooked chicken every day. I am assuming the mamas health and the health of her little ones has alot to do with diet. I wish we had trapped her earlier, before she went into heat for the first time.