My pregnant stray names Annabelle

Last spring a female tabby adopted my porch, at the time I had 1 male outside. She was a little stand offish for a while but slowly came around then she came up pregnant. The idea was to let her have the kittens and then have her fixed. She disappeared for a few days then when we saw her again she was skinny. We looked all over trying to find the kittens and never found them then one night I went out to water my rose bush that was in a pot on the porch and to my surprise this is what I found 



7 little kittens all huddled up - my rose bush had bloomed! About a week later there was an accident and all the kittens were killed, they had gotten under the hood of a car to go to sleep and that did not end very good. We did not see Annabelle for a while after that so we were unable to get her fixed. Next thing you know she is pregnant again. By this time she was more friendly so I decide I will fix a place for her and the kittens then get her fixed. She had the kittens without us knowing it but this time we never saw a single one of the kittens, I have worried if something happened to them or what. Then she disappeared for a little while after having them. 

Now she is pregnant again, I have out smarted her this time. She is in the house and will stay in here to have her kittens then get fixed. I did not know how far along she was exactly but judging from her size before knew that she had only a few weeks left. This is my first experience with a pregnant cat so I have been reading a lot. Wed night I noticed she was throwing up and it looked a little blood tinged then later noticed her stool also looked like it might be blood tinged.

I called the Vet the next morning explained she was a stray did not know how far along she was but was worried. I took her in he checked her over. Her temp was 99.9, he said she was very distended and treated her for worms and gave her a B10 or B12 shot (I cannot remember which) he said that should make her feel better. He wanted to make sure she was indeed pregnant and not another health issue so he did an ultrasound and said she was certainly pregnant. I asked him about how long before she would deliver and he said judging by her size and the ultrasound that we should have kittens by Mon....its 11:20pm Sunday night! She has not been very playful at all yesterday or today. She lays and sleeps most of the time. Occasionally she will come over and allow me to rub her neck. Last night she sprawled out on her back on the floor that was the first time I had ever seen her do that since she has been coming around. Normally she lays on her stomach or side.She is not a very vocal at - her purr is very quiet. Today when she was allowing me to rub her neck she was purring very loud. She has not eaten as much today as she usually does.

She has done amazingly well with the transition of going from being outside to inside. She took right to the litter box, I had put her in the spare bathroom and she likes it.

My concerns are still with what happened to her second litter. I think I have gotten together all the things - small digital scale and a small tossable glad bowl to weigh them in, several old fleece blankets cut in to smaller sections, canned cat milk and a few bottles, a heating pad, a few puppy pads, latex gloves, a just in case first aid kit, a bulb syringe, my phone is staying fully charged. I honestly feel like a first time dad that is pacing outside the delivery room waiting for some news!

Any and all advice and tips are greatly appreciated.

You seem to be prepared!

A thing though: the first aid kit you do have.  It is for cutting of the cord if need be?  Dont use sharp scissors for it.  Use blunt scissors, or even better, your own nails.  Wait a while so the blood isnt pumping any more. Sear thru as far away from the kitten as possible.  The cord is more or less self sealing if cut / seared with blunt.  The mom herself using her teath isnt binding up, so it shouldnt be necessary for you either.But it you do worry, have a sewing thread ready.

A tip. If one is born lifeless, but not apparently stillborn, it may help to make some massage, and or warming it up. Emergency warming up by setting the body (not head) in warm water do works.  Sometimes.  If she get again a big litter, try not let her eat all the mothercakes / placentas. Count them if you manage to be sure they are all out (may be difficult), but try not let her eat more than 4. There is a risk for diarrheas.

I understand you do have a scale ready too. Good, try to weigh them from day one.

Great pity about the two foregoing litters, on the treshold of salvation, as there was you wanting to help them...   But this is the fate and dangers of being homeless / semiferal. Many do die, often whole litters.

Predators, cold, sickeneness,  accidents...

Please have picts of Annabelle. does she has big ears like her late kittens had?

Welcome to the TCS site and our Forums!

Good luck!  *vibes*

So so very sad.  Im glad you have her inside now.  I found a pregnant stray last summer, and it was my 1st time as well.  I was not a member here at the time, but I read a lot of the threads here in this forum, and it helped me a lot. 

Do you have a box for her in the spare bathroom?  Cats like boxes to have thier kittens in.  I used a box that I bought new from uhaul, and I had shredded newspaper as bedding.  It was easy to clean and change often.  When the kittens started walking, I just cut a flap on the side so they could get out, and at night I would close the flap so they could stay safe.

My only other advice, is search out homes early.  My cat had 7 kittens.  It was so hard to find good homes for them.  I ended up keeping 2. 

By the way, my vet did an ultra  sound, and said she could give birth as early as a week from then.  She had them 3 weeks later.  You may still have awhile. 

Good luck to you and Annabelle, and please as StefanZ said, please post pictures.  We love to see them!

The scissors are blunt and a bit dull - they are made that way they are new in a suture set they cut really good but aren't to sharp. My sister is a nurse and I work as a sitter for post surgical and acute illness/injury elderly hospital stays. After watching many many videos on YouTube so I would have an idea of what to expect I assembled a mini pet ER. With that said if there is an emergency I will take her and the kittens to the Vet, I just got all these supplies since anything can happen.

I have several of the small kidney bean shaped basins that they give you when you are nauseous, several pink square shallow sponge bath basins and a few deeper ones, I have a few of those instant hand warmers that you squeeze and made some sleeves for them out of fleece.

She does have a box, two of them now I was cutting some fabric for a quilt a little while ago and she decided to commandeer the box my fabrics were in. Much the same has she decided that my shelf was now hers in this pic. She does not have the big ears, I have wondered where those came from!



She is really liking this spoiled has cat life and I must admit I love having her in here.

The scissors are blunt and a bit dull, they are made that way - they are new and in a suture set. My sister is a nurse and I work as an elder sitter for post procedural/operation and acute illness/injury so I raided our personal stashes of medical supplies and complied a mini pet ER. With that said should anything serious happen I will take them to the Vet. I got a few different sizes of those pinkish plastic basins that they have at hospitals thinking they might be handy, The kidney shaped ones, the shallow and deep sponge bath ones, I got a few of those instant hand warmers and made a several fleece pouches to put them in so they will touch the kittens directly. I have been watching videos on YouTube to get an idea of what to expect and that made me add more stuff to the first aid kit. I do have pen and paper handy to track the number of kittens and placentas and to track their weight. I read that I should put a length of string or something around their neck to help keep track of who is who. I cut narrow strips of fabric to use, I have a several different colors and a lot of each so I an change or replace them as needed until I can tell who is who without them.

She does have a box, two of them now. I was cutting some fabrics for quilts and she decided that the box I was using should be hers. Much like in this pick she decided the bottom shelf should be hers as well! As for the ears I have always wondered where those came from! I will keep posting pics and when the kittens come I will get tons and video!!



I have been working on homes which as you said is not easy. 

The Vet was a few days off but unless we were there the exact moment it happened its hard to guess.

I can tell Miss Annabelle is getting more comfortable with me - this is only the second time I have seen her lay like this and moments after this she was wriggling on her back so I could rub her belly. I am pretty sure I am the only human she has had contact with or those she has had contact with were meanies. When she first came around I was allowed to briefly rub her ears then that was enough. She would walk away she has never been aggressive toward me just the other cats at feeding time, she always felt she deserved first pick of the food bowls I would set out. Over time I was allowed to rub her neck and ears conditions of those agreements were all food based. She would let me love on her after I feed her. Since she has been in the house I have not forced myself on her but let her come around when she wants. Until yesterday we were still on the only being allowed to rub the neck and ears, I could rub her lower neck /chest once or twice then she would walk away. I was allowed 1 belly rub then that was enough. She would never growl but you could tell she was not used to be touched. Today she decided that she wanted her belly rubbed, I did not get the hint so she wriggled a bit and motioned for my hand then folded her front paws down like in the pic as if to say "Its ok" I was worried about her feeling comfortable around me in the house, she apparently has taken a liking to the spoiled house cat life.

Her nesting spot of choice is the bathtub,  which is kind of funny. Several time I noticed the brown blanket from the box I fixed her in the tub, first thought was the spouse so I asked why he kept doing that he said he thought I was doing it. I will keep you updated with pics as things develop!

Still no kittens! If it were not for the ultrasound the Vet did I would think she was just a little fluffier and not pregnant. The week before she went to see the Vet I think it was on (Mar 2-3) I noticed the kittens moving around inside of her and I tell you next you feeling my own unborn children moving that had to be the neatest thing in the world! I keep looking for signs of her going in to labor the waiting is killing me. She, however, is calm lounging about sleeping all most all the time.

She had 8 kittens this morning!

When I woke up she had already had these three. She was in the bathtub and the kittens were alive and cleaned but were very cold and still really wet. I wrapped them in some fleece squares then in to small box that had the heating pad with a couple layers of fleece over it.





This is #4, so precious!



All 8 kittens



Momma and her babies! I don't think I have ever seen anything so amazing in all my life as watching those little kittens being born.

Wow...that's a big litter! They are all so pretty...love the orange ones. Are the white ones pure white?

Look at the pattern on the little black/white one....I'd name that one Oreo. :lol3:

Congrats!

Dont forget to weight them every day, beginning from NOW. It is the best way to spot trouble, as as they are so many.

Good luck!  *vibes*

StefanZ said:

Congrats!

Dont forget to weight them every day, beginning from NOW. It is the best way to spot trouble, as as they are so many.

Good luck!  *vibes*

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I just went in there are weighed them all I used pieces of yarn to help me tell the 4 white/cream colored one apart and the two cinnamon/orange. I have some Colostrum supplement because I was worried, she did not get her milk until the kittens came. After she had each one she would clean it off then do nothing more with it at all.That had me really worried, if they cried next to her she did not seem to notice at all. I would try to place them on or next to her belly and she inch away. Once she had them all she cleaned herself then went to the lil bin I had put a heating pad and them in, it was too small for her. I stopped her grabbed some new bedding for her box and she knew what I was doing. She went right in there and I put in the kittens, she used her paws to rake them to her so they could nurse and she took a long nap and so did I. When I got up I weighed and checked them for the first time.

Levi68 said:

Wow...that's a big litter! They are all so pretty...love the orange ones. Are the white ones pure white?

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They were at first but now look like a white/cream color. I am hoping for at least one of them to stay white.

hi lioness did she have any signs the night before she had them by any chance i was just curious as i am waiting for my cat to have her kittens by what my vet said she should have them anytime soon

Anybody care to bet the "cream" ones are pointed?

lilkim said:

hi lioness did she have any signs the night before she had them by any chance i was just curious as i am waiting for my cat to have her kittens by what my vet said she should have them anytime soon

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I took her to the Vet on Fri Mar 9th, he said oh she should have them by Mon, he later told me she would have them when SHE was ready. I was worrying about her something awful! I had been watching and keeping a close eye on her for any kind of sign - a pop up thing like on a turkey would be nice, ha ha. Yesterday she got in her box for the first time, I had made her two a really big one for the living room and another for the bathroom, she got in the living room box. She let me love on her a lot more, she usually allows me to rub her head and ears and maybe one or two belly rubs then she would walk away sometimes coming right back. Last night she rolled over to her side let me rub her belly and liked it so much she rolled to her back and laid there for over 45 min. A little later around midnight she went to her bedroom and I went to mine, when I woke up around 5am she had 3 already and the other 5 came within an hour. I had never seen anything be born, had a Csection with my kids so this was the most amazing thing I have ever seen. 

I have already been working on finding good safe homes for all the little fur balls, I would LOVE to keep them all but its not possible so far 3 of the 8 have possible homes

aww my cat went in her nesting box yesturday for the first time but she had a quick look round then jumped out my cat has had loads of signs but nothing yet and they are so cute cant wait to see what my cats look like 

That how Annabelle was, she went in there once before for a quick yupp this is a box look around but yesterday she went in there and laid down for a little while. With her being a stray I did not know how she would react to being in the house to have them. She took really well to being in the house and for the past couple weeks the bathtub has been her bed of choice. The only other thing, yesterday she did not look as wide - instead of looking like she had saddle bags on her spine they were a lot lower.

ye ive noticed that today on my cat i let her out to play for abit because its been nice and she seemed to be abit more saggy underneath more than usual so i thought because she ran around abit they might of dropped also i took my cat in aswell when her owner died about 5months ago but she taken really well to me since she got pregnant 

Congratulations!!!! They are so cute! I agree that it is an amazing thing to watch.  Talk to everyone you know about taking one (or two, as it is much easier to have two, they keep eachother busy).  I did, and I still ended up keeping two.  I wish you the best of luck.  Annabelle is a lucky girl, and Im sure she is so happy that her kittens are safe, and she has some help.  My mama cat was a stray, and I only had her for three weeks before she gave birth.  It was extremely bonding for us to take care of the kittens together.  She, of course, did all the work for the first two weeks, but once they opened thier eyes, and started moving around, I was like the babysitter.  She really appreciated the help.  I think she also was quite aware that if I had not come along and found her, that she would have had them outside, and would have been fighting for her life, and thiers too.  It is a lot of work, but so rewarding!