Scared... need help!!!

I have a beautiful black female: she is in the below picture (this pic was just taken about a week ago so she is pregnant in this pic)


She is a little over 2 years old i believe (not entirely sure, she was given to me) anyways. she is pregnant... and i THINK she is like within a week or so of having these wonderful babies! however... the last couple days shes just been laying around (unlike her as shes usually pretty active) i didn't think much of it because she is getting pretty far along and figured she probably was just tired... except tonight i noticed a murky mucousy string of what looks to be a bloody discharge. shes breathing pretty hard too... not panting... but like just heavy breathing.... could this be it? or could she be sick... ??? im scared because she is my baby!

This can be beginning delivery and hopefully is, but if you are unsure, the best advice is to contact your vet. do phone her. The vet will know what follow up questions to give...

Another variation: long fruitless labor is also a reason to contact the vet,  (and be ready to rush in).

So, do safeguard, contact a vet.

Keep reporting - our advices and responsas will come, depending on the development.

Welcome to our Forums!

Good luck!

Im so glad someone finally replied to me! thank you! Im just new at this and think i MIGHT be overworrying just a little... (how could I not? shes my baby!) lol... I plan to call my vet tomorrow if nothing to major happens tonight as it is 3:30 am and I wouldn't want to wake him if its just the beginning of labor (which after a bit more reading on here im about 99% sure its starting)... however if something arises... i am keeping my phone very close and the emergency line for my vet pulled up.... until then my husband (her "chosen one" so to speak) and I are staying very close to her, checking her, but also trying to leave her alone (she will come to him not me) another thing I noticed (when she finally let me close) her belly has gotten rock hard where up until this evening it has been kind of squishy (for lack of a better word). I originally didn't want her to get pregnant and had planned on getting her spayed (my other cats are) but hadn't found out how old she was until recently (and im rather ashamed to say i have procrastinated a little as well ) but have to say that now that I have gotten used to the idea of her becoming a mommy... im pretty stoked.... also I have found homes for up to 6 kittens (im not sure how many she is having, just that this is an average number) and they will all be spayed or nuetered before they arrive at their new homes... and their new familys are people close to me, and have all been asked that if at ANY time they change their mind and don't want or can't have a kitten to please give them back to me so that I can care for them or find someone else that can. I have tried to think of everything... and am doing my best to make sure she is safe comfortable and healthy... and am praying for a safe delivery for both her and the kittens...

as of right now she is just laying where she is away from everybody (except my other 2 cats who seem to be acting as if they are her bodyguards. If i even move like I am getting close to her they get up to watch and make sure shes ok with it.) not making any noise really. Think I might have her a small meow out of her a few minutes ago, but not sure... but she normally isn't very vocal anyway. and once in a while she will crawl up on my Husbands lap, but only for a second and she goes straight back to her same spot... bottom shelf of an old bookcase...

Thank you again for responding!
 

I should also add that this is her first (and last) litter. and the first time i have been in the situation of having to go through a pregnancy with one of my cats. so this is a first for BOTH of us!

ok... she started cleaning herself down there and her breathing is getting harder... i think this might actually be it! she is eating right now though...

question....

should i keep the other two cats away from her?
 

Yes, give her a room of her own and peace and quiet.  She is more likely to settle to delivery and looking after her kittens without them to distract her.  Stay with her but let her get on with it as far as possible - read, listen to the radio, watch TV or similar, just keep an eye on what is going on.

thank you!
 

OK, I think it is a normal delivery beginning, after all...   but do have the number to the vet handy, IF.

About the other cats. It depends on.

Normally, yes, the mom must be unstressed, that is the rule number one. Obey the mom!

but if the cats are best friends, and they want to help her, and the moms clearly wants them to be near,

so let them be there, helping.

Good luck!

Thank you both so much! she is drinking an awful lot of water right now as well! im so excited! and my vets emergency number (its almost 5 am here) is pulled up in my phone and my phone is fully charged and next to me...

AHHHHH!!!! she is trying to crawl up into the fabric attached to the bottom of my boxspring... she has torn a hole in it and everything! she came out to get some food.... but what if she has them in there?

she probably wants to have them there...  she will surely manage, cats often do so.

the problem is, you cant help anything if anything goes wrong...

Best if she have them in her nest you did prepared.

She perhaps feels unsecure?

As said, make sure she is unstressed, and may feel calm in her own corner.

Good luck!

That is what im scared of since she is a first time mom... i want to be able to be there if i need to... I've turned out most the lights... the room is quiet... aside from the TVs turned down low and I removed the other two cats... bit she seemed to be a little happier with them in here so I brought them back...

I agree, don't let her have them in your box spring. Not only will you not be able to see if she needs help but think of the mess she will make in there, how will you clean it? Just my thoughts. I'm a clean freak so maybe that's my OCD talking lol

Still no babies

so... all signs point to her being really close... however what concerns me is she isn't leaking milk at all.... only 1 nipple is swollen like it has milk in it.... but she keeps licking herself down there and was walking bow legged earlier...

im so confused...

also... how common is it for her to only have 1 kitten?

I can't say how common it is but I have heard it happens a lot. I wouldn't worry about her milk supply yet. Some cats don't get their milk till birth. I had two like that last year.

That makes me feel better... that is what was worrying me the most so a BIG thank you for helping me put my mind at rest...

I have been by her side since about 11 pm last night... was up til a little after 7 am with her... then went to bed... got back up and have been watching her very closely (giving her her space and leaving her be aside from giving her a pet here and there of course). she just keeps licking herself... breathing long deep breaths or short quick ones (no full on panting yet) and being really lazy (very unlike her) so im sure shes close, just not sure HOW close. Just worried about her because this is her first litter and I know that sometimes those don't go so well.

Problems are somewhat rear really. It doesn't seem that when when reading on here. That's just because this is a site people turn to when they do have issues. But for the most part cats know what they are doing. Hope I didn't Jinks anything by saying that. All 9 of my rescues last year went fine with over 30 kittens! So relax and enjoy the ride. Your doing fine!!

thank you... you are making me feel a LOT better.... im just really worried about her because shes my baby!

Awwww that's great she has such a great mom taking care of her!