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Pregnant Nahla

post #1 of 70
1/9/10 at 1:19pm
Thread Starter 
Nahla is the newest member of our household; we aquired her from outside about the first week of October she appeared to be a kitten 3-4 months old. I have another cat, male, who's fixed, but she did get outside a few times before we moved to our new place the first week of december. There's no way for her to get outside here. But just a few days after we moved in about the 5th of dec i noticed that little Nahla's stomach was getting larger and her belly was drooping. about the same time her nipples we're sticking out alot more then they had. Dec 23 i felt her babies moving around for the first time, i hadn't tried much before but i figured i'd check it out. Over the last week or two her stomach has drooped alot and the area around her nipples is becoming full and hard she is sleeping alot more in dark secluded places and is constantly getting up to eat small amounts. I have no idea when she might have gotten pregnant as she never went into a heat that i could tell. I've seen females howl and raise there butts but she never did. and when she was getting out it was only for a few hours at a time till we tracked her down. Does anyone have any ideas of how far along she is? When she should be expecting her litter? I'm pretty clueless on cat pregnancy as i've never had a thing for cats, my boyfriend does.

We have everything ready for Queening; a box with a pillowcase cover and a few old blankets inside a litter box and food very close by. She really likes her box and lays in it when ever she's upstairs.

if anyone has advice, opinions, ideas, ect...they would be very welcome! I could really use some help! thanks!

jess
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post #2 of 70
1/9/10 at 6:01pm
If the area around the nipples is getting hard, I would be expecting kittens within a week or so. When the milk starts coming in (area beneath and around nipples becoming hard, like a lump beneath them) It usually doesn't take very long. I've even had cats who did not have their milk come in until they were IN labor.

Watch her closely to see if she pants. Heavy panting is a good sign of labor. Also, you can sometimes feel, even SEE contractions, twitching in the belly muscles and sides. When she's getting ready to have the kittens, she'll turn around and around and around in her box, constantly moving as the kitten get into position. She's also very likely to do a lot of grooming "down there" as labor gets going.

Things to watch for: After she starts having kittens, someone should stay with her if possible. She should have as many placentas as kittens. If one stays inside, it can cause infection, make her sick, even kill her. If there haven't been any more births or placentas for 4 hours after the last kitten, you should at least call a vet to see if they think she should come in.She could be having a medical emergency, like a badly turned kitten, or her muscles can be too weak to push out any more kittens, which can put her life and the life of any unborn babies at risk.

Almost always, kitties get through this without any problems. Also, don't be too worried if kittens come out back feet first. It seems to be pretty common, happening about half the time, and doesn't seem to cause as much of a problem for cats as breach births do for other animals.

There are plenty of other members here that should be along shortly to give you better info, maybe even some links to other posts, but I hope this gets you started.

Here's that Nahla does well. Make sure you keep us updated!!!
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post #3 of 70
1/9/10 at 6:13pm
As young as she is, it will be very hard on her to have kittens, she's just a baby herself. Be prepared for complications, have an emergency vet number on hand.

I would guess she'll probably have kittens in the next few weeks. You may want to read through some threads on cats giving birth here, I find that to be a very good way to learn more!
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post #4 of 70
1/9/10 at 7:55pm
I believe cat gestation is about 69 days. I also thought that you could feel them moving about 2 weeks before birth, but if she's really little, that could be earlier. From what I've been told, if a female that is outside at ALL is unspayed, there is a 100% chance of pregnancy.

One thing that happened when Elsa had her kittens, was that 2 came really quickly together, and I had to open the sack of the one that was born first because Elsa was busy, so watch for that. I hope everything goes ok...
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post #5 of 70
1/9/10 at 8:13pm
Thread Starter 
I could see the kittens moving tonight for sure. I thought I had a few days ago but wasn't for sure. tonight it was very blantantly kittens kicking. She's been sleeping all day and eating ALOT. Do they always loss their appetites before giving birth or do some cats eat through? How long after i SEE kittens kicking? I wish I had done this before, I'm nervous for her! I've come to love my kittys!
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post #6 of 70
1/9/10 at 8:36pm
Hey, another South Dakotan! Welcome!

She's very young. She would have gotten pregnant around the beginning of November so she would have only been 4-5 months old. She may have some complications....keep the e-vet's number handy. Of course, most cats do not have complications, or there wouldn't be such an overpopulation problem now. So hopefully she'll be fine. But if she's obviously in active labor more than a few hours without producing a kitten, a call to the vet is in order.

I've only had a pregnant cat once (she was 6 weeks along when I brought her home), and that was over 9 years ago. So I'm a little sketchy on the details. But if I remember correctly, once I saw the babies moving it was very soon, maybe 3 days. She was behaving normally right up until the night before the babies were born, then she was pacing and acting restless. The kittens came the next afternoon.
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post #7 of 70
1/10/10 at 1:34pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Willowy View Post
Hey, another South Dakotan! Welcome!
Hey Great to see another south dakotan!

Update on Nahla. she's been VERY affectionate today wanting me very close to her if she's not IN my lap! I've been hanging out in the bedroom near her box and that seems to make her content to lay in there purring. She has seemed a little restless moving from her box to my side to under my bed but no other real signs. She's still munching on food just not as much as the last few days...drinking alot of water though. I have refilled her bowl 4 times already. I can see the kittens moving more today...it's her persistent purring that's got me. It seems she's even doing it in her sleep...any ideas?

Another question...when in early labor would you see contractions near her anus and vulva...sorry TMI but was noticing some muscle movement like after she poops earlier but she hadn't used the litter box near that time. I couldn't find anything online about it. Also do their tummys "drop" like humans do? because she seems less ROUND and more Droopy.

You all have been sooooo HELPFUL! I'm really glad I found this site and I really hope you all don't mind answering all my crazy questions. I wish I had an idea of when kittens we're due. I'm so nervous for her!
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post #8 of 70
1/11/10 at 5:02am
Yes, the constant purring and affection is a good sign, especially if she isn't a real lover most of the time.

Note, though, that my Loudmouth kitty is only really lovey while she's pregnant. that's how I could tell when she was pregnant, because within the first week, she's be purring and rubbing all over everything.

Prissy kitty had her first kitten IN MY LAP when she had hers several years ago. Her other two kittens were born in my bed, because she would NOT stay in her box. So watch Nahla when she is in your lap.

You may indeed see a few small contractions in her genital area. That would be her dilating and getting ready to push babies out. A cat might also gorge themselves right before labor, or not eat at all for a few hours. It depends on the cat. After she has them though, it would be good to have plenty of clean water and kitten food nearby her so she won't have to move far from the kittens to eat. If she's not already on kitten food, now is a good time to start. She needs the extra calories for sure. You might see a subtle change in shape of her belly in the last few days before labor, while all the kittens get into position.

And of course we don't mind answering your questions! We're here to help and support, and we all hope for the best for you and your Nahla.

And yes, please do call a vet today, and tell them you've got a pregnant cat, and ask if they can be on standby for questions. Sometimes they'll give you a home number to call, in case kitty has an issue in the middle of the night.
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post #9 of 70
1/11/10 at 4:25pm
Thread Starter 
still no kittens today I keep seeing signs and getting all excited then nothing UGH this is soooo stressful! LOL I can't....

My first kitty was named Prissy SamhainBorn she lives at my moms farm now because she was always stratching out our screens to get out...best life for her was outside catching mice.

I read you can't get them fixed until the kittens are weaned? Is she going to go in heat immediately after?

Send babydust our way...hopefully she'll have them soon Thanks again!
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post #10 of 70
1/11/10 at 5:46pm
Thread Starter 
she now has a very small amount (just enough to show) of clear maybe a little bloody fluid at her opening? but is acting pretty normal...
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post #11 of 70
1/11/10 at 5:59pm
Sounds close!
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post #12 of 70
1/12/10 at 2:57pm
Thread Starter 
No kittens as of yet today...but the mucousy discharge is increasing and she hasn't been eating since this morning that i've seen...doesn't want me to rub her tummy much anymore and gets super protective of her rear....I'm hoping we'll have some babies in the morning i'll let you guys know!!
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post #13 of 70
1/12/10 at 8:59pm
Good luck! Hope she has a safe and easy delivery!
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post #14 of 70
1/14/10 at 2:20pm
Updates? Sounds like she should have been having them that day, and I'm anxious to hear how it went.

To answer your questions:

I have yet to find a vet that will spay the mom until her milk has dried up. Sometimes a vet will do it in an emergency situation, but often the shift in hormones after spaying can cause her milk to dry up, so it is best to wait until the kittens are at least 7 weeks old. If you want some tips on how to make her dry up more quickly after weaning, PM me.

She may go into heat as soon as a week after birth. Not common, but not unheard of. Loudmouth would consistently go into heat about 3 weeks after birth, and then stay in heat until she either got pregnant, or I finally managed to get her spayed. (slippery, super-sneaky kitty)

During this time it is important to keep her inside to prevent her from getting pregnant again. I know it's not always possible, but she really can't afford to get pregnant again. IF she does manage to go into heat and get out again, you might want to consider terminating her secondary pregnancy. I feel it would be far too much stress on her tiny body.

That said, give us updates! I really can't wait to see if she and the kittens are alright.
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post #15 of 70
1/14/10 at 2:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by SamhainBorn View Post
Updates? Sounds like she should have been having them that day, and I'm anxious to hear how it went.

To answer your questions:

I have yet to find a vet that will spay the mom until her milk has dried up. Sometimes a vet will do it in an emergency situation, but often the shift in hormones after spaying can cause her milk to dry up, so it is best to wait until the kittens are at least 7 weeks old.

Right. In practice, this emergency spaying usually goes well, forumists do witness. The mother can function as usual, unless there are unlucky circumstances like an severe infection.
Thus, "it should" be ok to spay her while she still nurses the small kittens. But as you Samhainborn say, hardly any vet nor breeder will do it voluntarily, unless forced by a dire emergency situation....


Keep us updated, and

Good luck!
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post #16 of 70
1/14/10 at 8:00pm
Ack!!! No news? I'm dying to find out!
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post #17 of 70
1/14/10 at 9:07pm
Any news? I'm sure you're busy with the little ones by now! Post pics when you can.

My vet says the mama cat can be spayed when the kittens are 9 weeks old....of course, you have to be careful she doesn't get out before then--getting pregnant again that quickly would be a bad situation for her. But you said that in your new home, there's no way for her to get out anyway, so it should work out. Remember that if you keep any of the babies, a male can possibly get his mother (or sister, if you keep more than one) pregnant as early as 4 months of age, so be sure to have her spayed before that.
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post #18 of 70
1/15/10 at 9:30am
Thread Starter 
alrighty....STILL NO KITTENS!!! Awwwww A few hours she has all the signs of going into labor and the next she's running around like her normal self wrestling with my other boy and all! Half the day she's constantly licking herself and hiding in her box...she went off food for most of a day..and now eating like crazy again...sooo frustrating...I'm assuming she's just getting ready to have them and I'm just reading too much into her symptoms...

So...she's been leaking mostly clear fluid since monday...some sites say this can happen for up to a week before birth....? Sometimes there's the smallest trace of blood? on the fur around her area...but it's almost always clear and just looks shiny wet...she has a hard time reaching down to lick it so i've been trying to keep her clean...she hates that too! The area around her nipples gets larger everyday but she still has fur around her nipples will they always start balding or pull the hair off? She has defiently decided to have them in my room as this is where she spends the majority of her time resting unless i'm downstairs...then she's in my lap. She's so large now she has to put her paw on top of the food dish in order to reach her food...and my male is obsessed with her...in this going to be a problem when she has them? Would he possibly eat the babys? He's NOT the father of these kittens and I'm not sure if I should be kicking him out of the bedroom when i let her rest by herself or if it will be ok.

I'm still seeing the kittens move and I can feel there hard little bodies...they have moved lower in her stomach where i used to feel them more up towards her back and now they are really LOW. I did try to get her into the vet today to be checked but I can't get an appt till next tuesday unless it's an emergency....I did talk to the vet though and he said it would be a waste of money to have her scanned now since she's so close...he seems to think she will deliver over the weekend but he never examined her just his opinion based on my observations....

Ooo i'm so frustrated waiting for these little ones...I hope they come soon! Any advice?
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post #19 of 70
1/15/10 at 9:58am
My very first post on this site was, "Overdue Cat?" or something like that. Elsa was a feral I had taken in, and I took her to the vet on March 17. At that time, the vet said, 2 kittens, and no more than 10 days. If she goes longer than 10 days, bring her in. So I was starting to wonder, and posted, and within 4 hours Elsa had her kittens.

However, it was 8 Kittens, and 21 days after the vet examined her!

So just watch to make sure she doesn't have any trouble due to her small size.
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post #20 of 70
1/16/10 at 1:43pm
Thread Starter 
I decided to take her temp the last two days and yesterday it was 100.9 and today (around the same time) it's 99.4...good sign? or not enough days to tell? just wondering and trying everything lol! So far she's off the food again today....but it's a possibility i'm missing her eat too...Her licking has become ridiculous...she licks herself she licks me if i pet her she's crazy licking! If anything happens i'll let you guys know.....
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post #21 of 70
1/16/10 at 3:57pm
YES! The drop in body temp means that she's getting very close to birthing! Keep an eye on your girl! I agree with the vet, she should probably have them sometime this weekend! Can't wait to see pics of Nahla as a mommy and all her pretty babies!

As far as the male in the house, I would certainly keep him away once she starts going into labor. You might have a good boy that only wants to sniff and help care for the babies, as I've had before, or once he smells that they are not his, he might try to kill the young. I've had that happen too.

Once the kittens are AT LEAST a week old (better if 2 weeks or more), you can allow him into the room, keeping your hands on him. If Nahla doesn't immediately chase him out, which may happen, you can allow him to sniff the box and if he shows no aggression, the kittens too. At the first sign of hissing or aggression, you will need to remove him, and keep him away from the kittens until they are at least 6 weeks. If he has no problems, i would do the "supervised" visits until you are certain he means no harm to the kittens, and then if you feel confident he won't hurt them, you can let mom and tom come and go as they please, without stressing over keeping doors shut.

Best of luck, and I CAN'T wait! :-) for safe delivery.
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post #22 of 70
1/17/10 at 2:46am
About the moms, kittens and males. I agree with Samhainborn. Give it a try but be watchful.

If the male is a good friend with the mom, usually there are no real problems.
Some males acts like extra mom (it is quite common neutered males do so, but also intact toms have been seen to do this). Quite some are a little afraid at first and unsure about what is going on - may hiss a little!, but get more comfortable when the kittens gets a little bigger. Being then a friendly uncle to them.
Some are more or less uninterested.
And all variations inbetween thereof.

Some few are hostile/dangerous. The danger is small with friendly housecats but NOT null, and thus you must watch out, and keep an close eye and supervision the first times the male visits the kittens.

The rule of thumb is let the mom decide. If she accepts him, or better still - feels comforted by his presence, and everything seems OK, fine!
- This said when the kittens are born, but also now, as you tell the male is by her the whole time.


If the mom seems to be stressed by his presence - help her. Keep them apart if need be.
The mom and kittens goes first, before the feelings of the male. Natural father or not.
Keeping the mom unstressed and happy is one of the keys. Here and in most circumstances.

(a very stressed mom is too a danger for her kittens... It is my belief some of the tragic stories of visiting dog or tomcat harming the kittens was really the panicked and highly stressed mom harming them...)


Good luck!
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post #23 of 70
1/17/10 at 10:04am
The discharge should mean she's very close. I guess it would depend on the cat just like everything else but Mira's discharge didn't start until 5 or 6 hours before the first kitten. I wonder if cats' water breaks? Seems like Mira's did. She left a big wet spot on my bed, bigger than if she had urinated, then took off to my closet where she had her babies. Good luck with Nahla and the kittens.

Edit: About StefanZ's post above, do be watchful of the males around the kittens until they are big enough to fend for themselves. Chances are momcat will go back into heat soon after having the kittens and that's when we ran into problems. All the intact males that wanted to mate her were an extreme threat to the kittens. He *will* kill the kittens if he wants to mate the mother, especially if he is not the father of the kittens, or has any doubt that he is. I can tell you first-hand, it takes only seconds. If a male cat gets his jaws around a kitten, the baby is pretty much a goner. Even if the wound seems minor, the crushing injuries that you can't see are what kills them, and there is little a vet can do to help when they are that small. Also, if you suspect any of the kittens isn't healthy, keep all males *including* the father away from him/her. I have seen father cats single out a sick kitten even when he has been nothing but loving to the others. In the wild a mother cat will abandon a sick kitten, and a father will often kill it. If you see the mother leaving one kitten behind when she moves the others to another location, this is a good heads-up that the kitten may be sick.
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post #24 of 70
1/17/10 at 1:28pm
Miras Mommy, Samhainborn. So you had both withessed tomcats, living in the household, harming kittens?
This is thus not so very rare??


Good there IS this recommendation to be very watchful before you see they all are friends...


Perhaps best to start an own thread about this. It would be good to ventilate this more thoroughly.

Behavior Forum or this here Forum?
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post #25 of 70
1/17/10 at 3:08pm
StefanZ, I'd guess behavior forum. :-) It would be interesting to get more input on tom cat behaviors.

I'm waiting breathlessly to hear about kittens! Oh Nahlasmommy, update us!
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post #26 of 70
1/18/10 at 12:00pm
Thread Starter 
Still nothing...she is grooming more frequently and does have an appt on tuesday to see the vet. the kittens seem fine...movement and such...she seems uncomfortable and sometimes is seeking more attention and sometimes hiding...she is still having the clear discharge but her temp is back up to 101.00 so i'm guessing not today she could have gotten pregnant any where up to the time we moved i suppose...as i never witnessed her going into heat i can't be certain...due date could be as late as Feburary 2nd according to calculator for cats...but even the vet thinks it should be soon...if nothing by tomorrow I'll probably be asking for a scan or xray at the appt....waiting is so frustrating lol.... I'll keep you guys updated!

Thanks for the advice about Kodi..(our male) she loves having him around and they groom eachother regularly it's rather cute that they're such cuddlers...i've never really whitnessed cats being so lovey with oneanother...I WILL keep an eye out and make sure he's at a safe distance till it's safe to try interaction with the babe
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post #27 of 70
1/18/10 at 12:05pm
Thread Starter 
Still nothing as of yet...still showing sames signs except temp was up again this morning so according to that nothing today i would assume? She does have a vet appt tomorrow so we will see how that goes.

The kittens seem fine moving about and she's still being fairly active...just sleeping alot, but doesn't seem to be in any distress...according to vet and the fact i really have no idea when she was bred...her due date could be as far out as the 2nd of february...but even the vet thinks she's close...if nothing by tomorrow we will have a scan or xray at the vet just to check....maybe she'll surprise me tonight

Thanks for the advice about Kodi (our male) they seem so much in love...i've never whitnessed cats being so cuddly and affectionate with eachother...hopefully everything will be fine....when i leave i have started to leave little Nahla in my bedroom with all her necessities...just in case...Kodi has seemed very offended by this and is usually waiting at the door when i get home to let him in with her...she's just as offended by the seperation...i'm kind of torn on what to do...
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post #28 of 70
1/18/10 at 12:06pm
Thread Starter 
and i thought the first post had gotten lost...sorry about the duplicate lol
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post #29 of 70
1/18/10 at 5:07pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nahlasmommy View Post
and i thought the first post had gotten lost...sorry about the duplicate lol
Haha, I thought I was losing it, LOL. She will have them eventually. I know just how you feel!
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post #30 of 70
1/18/10 at 5:14pm
Thread Starter 
ya someday lol..my luck is i'll be waiting till the 2nd haha o well...just can't wait to see the fuzz balls!
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