Sophie's Pregnancy Log

Hi everyone, this is my first time posting, but I have been reading through threads on here for a few weeks now. I have learned SO MUCH from reading past threads!  My story starts in October when I was given two cats, one male, one female each about a year old (they are not siblings). I live in the part of the country that was devistated a few months ago by bad flooding and a good friend of mine lost pretty much everything in her house. She had two cats, and had them bouncing around to different homes while they redid the majority of the first floor of their home, needless to say she felt bad that they didn't have a constant home, and asked if I would keep them permanently, so I did. Well, they weren't fixed and when I brought them into the vet to get updated on their shots I found out that the female, Sophie, was pregnant. The vet said she was surprised that it hadn't happened sooner, because of neither of them being fixed, but said that maybe the stress of moving them from home to home had kept it from happening, but either way, here we are. Miles, the male, has since been fixed, and as soon as Sophie is able, she will be as well. According to the vet she should be due sometime in the next few days, and I'm going crazy waiting for it to happen!!  I have her birthing area all set up in a quiet room, but I can't lock her in there. Whenever I seperate the two of them they just sit at opposite sides of the door and cry for one another, it makes me feel horrible, so as of now I'm just keeping a close eye on the situation and am allowing them to be together.  She seems to be doing well, and the kittens are moving like CRAZY, in fact right now she is resting near me and it looks like she has boiling water in her belly there is so much movement!  I thought it may happen tonight because she was awake and moving things around in her nest and frequently going in and out of the litter box.  She was wide awake for hours, and she hasn't done that since she was given to me, but just as I decided to post on here she has finally decided to get some sleep and is conked out next to my feet.  I guess the waiting game continues!  At this rate, perhaps she will decide to give me kittens on Christmas morning!! LOL, we shall see. So anyway, I wanted to share my story and thought that maybe posting on here would help me be more patient in waiting for our little fuzzy bundles of joy. Anyone else expecting Christmas kittens??

Hmmm, perhaps it was the moving that got them going!!  They are the best of friends though, I could FILL this thread with adorable pictures I've taken of them cuddling and sleeping together, I think its so precious.  I'm glad to know I don't have to separate them, they really don't like being apart. She was not a happy camper while Miles was away getting fixed, so hopefully he cooperates and is a good daddy and she won't need to be away from him.  He still often tries to get her to play with him, though within the last week or so she just doesn't want any part of it, so I try to keep him away when he gets in a playful mood and I know she doesn't want to participate.  Thank you so much for the welcome and the good vibes, and hopefully my Christmas kitties will be here soon!

Well, I sat with my hand on her belly through out a lot of the night and I think I may be feeling some contractions, they are still very far apart (maybe 20-30 mins?).  I'm pretty sure that was what I was feeling because I would feel the babies moving constantly, kicks and rolls, then all of a sudden her belly would get hard in like an L shape and I wouldn't feel ANY movement from the kittens for as long as it was hard (usually between 30 seconds and a minute) then it would be soft and liquidy again and I would go back to feeling the babies moving around.  I also noticed when she had the contractions that her vulva would squeeze kind of, sorry hard to explain. She was also sleeping but when her belly would harden she would wake up and usually lick her belly or nipples.  Does this sound like the first stage of labor??

Well, nothing yet... She is just wandering around, not sleeping much.  Hopefully we see some action soon, but I've read enough threads on here to know that contractions can come days before the pushing stage, so I'm not holding my breath. ;)

I posted some pictures of my kitties and a video of Sophie's ever moving belly on this thread: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/239562/hello#post_3154239

Well, today is Sophie's due date if the vet was right about her being about 4 weeks pregnant when she last saw her on November 16th... and we've got a whole lotta nothing going on.  I haven't felt any more contractions since that night and her milk hasn't come in yet, so I suppose we still have a few days.  She's still eating a pretty good amount and sleeping a lot, and she seems content to stay pregnant forever!  I don't know how much bigger she can get at this point, my sister in law commented today that she looks like a bowling pin, poor Sophie.  Oh well, the waiting game continues....

Thank you!  I just hope that I'm here when things happen.. Normally I would have no problem staying home and keeping an eye on her but with the holidays quickly approaching we have a lot of places to go and things to do, so its impossible for me to be home all the time.  I'm keeping a close eye on her in hopes of catching some of the earlier labor signs so that I have some idea of when we are getting close.... so far I see nothing. 

Nope, no kittens yet.  I thought maybe she would have them yesterday, I put her in her nesting room and was gone shopping all day, but when I got back all I had was a mama kitty who was sick of being cooped up in the bedroom for hours. Her belly is so hard, I think the kittens are running out of room in there, so hopefully it'll be soon!!

Wow, thanks for the replies everyone!! RAFM- that story was absolutely beautiful, it brought tears to my eyes. How amazing that he held off long enough to see his babies born, and people think animals don't have deep thoughts and emotions.. smh.  Well everyone, NOTHING yet, but I'm not concerned, she is in wonderful spirits, very sweet and affectionate as always. She still plays and sleeps (though she plays for about 5 minutes then sleeps for hours haha) and I haven't noticed any contractions since the night I posted about it.  I spoke to the vet yesterday and she told me not to worry, that she caught the pregnancy early and we didn't do x-rays or ultrasounds to give an exact date, so its very possible that she was a few days off. I have her cell phone number that I can call her if there's any problems. (Great vet huh??)  I just hope its soon for Sophie's sake, everyday I say, "Sophie, no way you can get bigger than you are today.." and the next day she's bigger... she's going to burst soon!  I'm rather glad she waited to have them though because I have my 3 daughters every other week and they go back to their dad's tomorrow.  I would rather her have a few days of peace and quiet when she has the kittens, so its better timing for all of us.  I will be sure to let you guys know when she goes into labor!  Merry Christmas to you and your fuzzy besties!

Well, no kittens yet!!  Mama Sophie is doing just fine, she is her normal sweet self.  One thing I did notice today was that Sophie was very, very affectionate.  She is usually very sweet to me, but today she barely left my side.  She was constantly climbing into my lap and rubbing on me, she usually isn't that agressive about attention.  Has anyone else noticed an increase of affection shortly before a cat gave birth??  Other than that though I haven't noticed anything different in her behavior, she is eating well, plays a little, and sleeps a lot.  I sure hope we have kittens soon!!

HELP!!  I was just petting Sophie and noticed her girly bits had a greenish tinged discharge all around it, it wasn't a lot, but I haven't seen it before... Could she be starting labor???

Thanks for the reply!!  I did end up calling my vet, and she had me wipe some of the discharge off, it has no smell, and on a paper towel had only a light yellowish color.  The vet seems sure that it is the beginnings of losing her mucus plug (if she hasn't already and I just missed the bulk of it.)  Right now she is just very restless, cleaning herself, and changing positions a lot.  I think this is the beginning, I think I have a long night ahead of me. ;)  Wish us luck and good vibes!

Thanks :)  She is driving me crazy, acting for a while like labor is going to start, then just now she took like an hour long nap.... So who knows that this point.  She is going to keep me guessing right up to the very end I think!  

He is okay, although I have been having to keep him away from her most of the time because he seems to feel the need to smell her lady parts constantly ever since she started having discharge.  I assume he knows something is going on, but I think it annoys her that he is always trying to smell her.  (She always moves away from him when he does it, and even shies away from me when I try to have a look.)  I've been trying to spend some quality time with him, because I think he is feeling jealous.  We've been bringing her into our room at night, and leaving him out, and I don't think he's very happy about it.  I just hope she has these babies soon, although the vet said its normal to have some discharge 24-48 hours before birth, so who knows. 

I can't wait to see them either!!  I have no idea what to expect from this litter, according to their former owner, Sophie's parents were an orange tabby and a Siamese mix, and Miles' parents were a grey tabby and a Maine Coon.. She's short haired, he's long haired, she has cream tabby fur with white boots, chest, and face, and he is a dark grey tabby with a tan spotted belly and is VERY fluffy... I can't wait to see what those babies look like!  I'm just really hoping she has them before New Years Eve, because I know I won't be able to go anywhere if she doesn't... but oh how she loves to keep me on my toes!!  She is acting rather strange though, so hopefully we aren't too far off.  She is jumpy and excitable, only sleeping for an hour or so at a time.  I was able to feel what I thought were a few contractions last night, but tonight she isn't very fond of me touching her belly, so I'm not sure if she is contracting or not.  I guess we shall just wait and see...

No kitties yet.  Sophie had me going most of the night, she was poking her head around, nesting, but nothing happened.  The vet called me a little while ago to see how she is doing, I told her about the nesting and small amounts of discharge, she said that all is very normal.  Sophie has no fever, isn't acting like she's in pain, and seems overall pretty happy, so who knows at this point!  If she doesn't have them by Monday morning I have an appointment to take her to the vet, lets hope I don't have to!

Hahahaha!!  I will remember to have the "Sophie, you are not a race horse" talk with her tonight, maybe that'll do it!  She has been so playful today, rolling around on the floor, batting her toys around, as happy and pleasant as she can be.. just looking at me like, "Haha Mom, I will keep these kitties in here as long as I want to!"  I give up, they have to come at some point................... right???