Worried first timer (pregnancy) slightly long

We had a cat that has been in our yard for a couple of years, her basic story is that she was a house cat for the neighbours, but when they moved they could only take one pet with them and instead of doing the responsable thing they just left the poor cat in the yard. All of the nieghbours were told that she had been nutured, and that kittens wouldn't be a problem. Anyway, She lived outside, not really trusting of any other humans (she was fed by both my husband and one of the other neighbours), but she has so far had 3 litters of kittens all of who are now feral in the nieghbourhood. Anyway, we noticed a while back that she had got big again and that it was abvious she was pregnant. By this time I was also living at this house, and to stop the nieghbourhood being over run by feral cats (which none of the other nieghbours seem to give a damn about) I decided to bring her in, let her have the kittens and then take her for spaying (properly) when she'd weened them.

My problem is she's acting really weird. I had read that cat about to give birth become nasty, and all she seems to want to do is be loved, She wont eat unless you go and pet her while she's doing it. We constructed a temporary door so she has to give birth in one of our rooms, be she just managed to either get over, or push round that and came looking for me to be loved (she went straight back into that room as soon as I went with her). She has show little interest in going out, except when I do.

What is causing her to be like this? How will we know when she is in labor? and I also suppose are we doing the right thing by making her has this litter inside when she's had the rest outside?

Any help at all would be more than welcome

Most cats do not become nasty when they are in labor...they do EXACTLY what she is doing. They do not want to be alone and will follow their owners everywhere.

Here is a good site about normal delivery in cats. Very helpful! http://www.cfainc.org/health/reproduction4.html


Also, you're a very kind and responsible person for taking her in and caring for the kittens!!!


Good luck!!!

~Elizabeth~

keep her confined in one room with a birthing box and a couple of hidey holes. Because she is not used to human contact, she may very well even get nastier before the kittens arrive. She will stop eating 24 hours before the first real labor pain starts, she may get anxious and yowl and pace. You want to fill the birthing box up with soft toweling, (I usually use strips of cloth because they like to nest (dig) right before the pains begin. When she starts to have kittens be very careful what you do around her, and unless she has problems, don't interfere and don't touch the kittens. Ferals can be very quick to strike if they think they are being threatened, and reaching for her family (even though it is tempting) is not advised, unless there is a problem at birth. Call your vet when the cat starts labor just so he knows, and after the last kitten is delivered wait 24 hrs then take the whole family to the vet.

since she has had babies a few times before this will hopefully be easy for her. My feral snowwhite meowed NON STOP almost for about a day before she had the babies. She ate right up until the time she deleavered. Keep a close eye on her and good luck! Can't wait to see pics of the little ones. What does she look like?

Thanks for all your responses! We went in this morning to look in the room, I noticed she'd been nesting last night (torn paper, towels in piles etc). We went in about an hour or so later and there was kittie(s). We aren't sure if there are 2 or just one yet, but she has before only had a litter of one, and her normal litter is only two (she's never had more than two). She's being very protective of them at the moment, but I know this is normal. I'll post pics as soon as I can, and thanks again!!!!

Marie

Congrats on your new babies