My Kitty is Pregnant!! Questions for first time "Grandma"

Hi everybody,

I'm new to thecatsite so hello! Nice to meet you all. I hope to get to know you all better over time here.

I believe that my cat, Babalon, is pregnant. (My avatar picture is of her as a kitten.) My family and I adopted a male cat about 7 months ago, he was a rescue from underneath a porch. We haven't been able to get Babalon (now 1.5 years old, also a rescue by the way) or Leto (the male rescue) spayed/neutered yet. We take impeccable care of them otherwise, and plan on getting them taken care of this way as soon as possible (so please, if you are thinking of it, no need to discuss the importance of 'fixing' the animals with me, my family and I understand the importance! What was more important at the time was rescuing them from their dire circumstances and dealing with the surgeries asap.) 

Obviously Leto grew up quickly and last month Babalon and Leto mated. The obvious signs of Babalon's pregnancy are there - swollen nipples, 'nesting', eating more. I am following the guidelines of creating a safe enclosure for her, weaning her onto primarily kitten food within the last few weeks, and all of the other protocols. We have been and will continue to keep a close eye on her and have a vet on hand if necessary for the birthing process.

My questions are, a) her labia is already swollen, and I have not been able to find much on the internet about swollen labia a month before she is slated to give birth. Is this normal? It is not red or irritated at all. She is not uncomfortable. She is eating and going to the bathroom normally, and is playing. 

b) What is the best procedure in terms of newborn kittens and other cats in the household? We have two much older spayed females, Lola and Zoe, ages 10 and 7. They have very sweet temperments, but I am slightly concerned about kitten safety. I live in an open concept loft, so really have no highly-structural way of separating the kittens and the cats. 

Thank you all, I'm sure I will have more questions. 

Scarlet

I think you're going to have to find a way to keep the male separated from the mama cat and the babies. Some toms will kill kittens, but even if he doesn't, he can get her pregnant again right after she gives birth, and this obviously wouldn't be too healthy for her, besides making more surplus kittens. Even if you get him neutered right now (which would be a good idea), he can retain sperm in his tubes for a while after neutering so he would still have to be separated. The older females shouldn't be much of a problem (they'll likely ignore the mom and babies until the kittens are big enough to be a bother. Then they might get cranky) but you never know so you should keep an eye on them. It might not be them you have to worry about---the mama cat might get hyper-protective of her babies and take it out on the other females. Do you have a spare bathroom or walk-in closet you can keep her in while the babies are young?

Raising kittens is insanely expensive. They eat like horses (before they start on solids, their mother eats like a horse), use tons of litter, require lots of bedding changes. Very time-consuming, too. Just be prepared, I know I wasn't the first time I raised a litter!

The labia can swell just before labour, in day or two beforehand generally. Many will also eat right up to delivery, along with playing etc. I have several girls who will eat between early contractions even.

I give my girls their own room, no other cats around so they can bond with their kittens and be completely focused. Hormonal girls do not always appreciated others around and it can stress them greatly.. 

You will need to keep the male away, even when neutered it will take up to 2 months for his hormones to settle. Have you looked into low cost options? they are available in many countries, and it's far cheaper than raising a litter. 

Look into getting the male done asap, and the female along with her kittens at 10-12 weeks. 

Thanks for the advice!! 

We have decided to clean out our studio room, create a little pen/nursery within it and install a door so that the other cats can't get into the room. I think this will work out, we just were attempting to avoid it initially as the studio room is currently less hospitable, but I am a designer so I'm sure I can make it home-y enough!

Good plan, I'm sure she'll be much more comfortable in her own private space. Good luck with the clearing