Mikaela

EB24 said:

I am really surprised to hear you say that you think she is pregnant. You have been on TCS for so long- why was she not spayed?

Generally once you feel the kittens moving you are about two weeks away from delivery. You can use any sort of box or container as a nesting box so long as you line it with blankets and towels and cut a little opening so she can get in and out easily. If you use cardboard use extra lining so that the birthing fluids don't destroy the bottom of the box. I also always cover the top with a sheet to make it extra dark and cozy. Whatever you use be sure there are no sharp edges that she or the kittens can snag on. 

You do need to have KMR and bottles on hand in case of an emergency. And, be sure to read through all the kitten care links posted here: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/249018/...regnant-cats-kitten-care-articles-and-threads and look through old threads to prepare yourself on what is to come. Though, I'm pretty sure you have been through this before. 

If you have any other intact cats in the house they need to be altered ASAP so that this doesn't happen again. Remember males still carry active sperm for several weeks after surgery so she does need to be confined to one room and needs to stay there until after she herself is spayed. I know you have quite a few cats in the house and they can pose a threat to her and her kittens. So, wherever you confine her make sure they can't sneak in. Also be prepared that the hormonal change in her and the arrival of kittens may throw the others off and increase their behavioral problems such as urinating outside of the box. Do what you can to prepare yourself for that. 

She is still early so you may want to talk to your vet about a spay/abort. Cats don't acknowledge a pregnancy the way a human woman would so it's a viable option and may be your best choice. Of course, only you can decide that. Regardless, you need to get her in to the vet soon and have them palpate her stomach to be sure she is pregnant and be sure she is otherwise healthy (free of fleas, worms, and parasites that can be deadly to her kittens). Once she gets her clean bill of health confine her and keep it that way until she is spayed. 

Good luck. 

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Mewlittle said:

i was asking what one i can use as a nursery for her because i have both and i'm going to buy more towles before she gives birth 

i think she is to far along for a spay/abort my vet wouldn't do one for Bumble when i found her preggo but she misscaryed and yes bumble got fixed 1 mo later

please i dont want to talk about how i should have gotten her fixed. i just want to talk about making sure everybody will be healthy.

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EB24 said:

I don't know what you mean by nursery. To me, that term denotes the entire room. Is that what you mean or do you just mean a birthing box? If so you can use either the cardboard or the plastic bin (so long as there are no sharp edges). I would probably set up both in her room and give her the choice of which she wants to use. 

It's possible she is too far along to spay/abort but if that's something you want to consider I think it's still worth asking. No harm in that, right? You know firsthand how expensive it is to raise a litter of kittens. Add to that that you have two new little ones and existing residents and the bills add up quickly!

We all have the same goal of making sure you have the tools you need to ensure Mikaela and her kittens are healthy and safe. And, the first step in doing so is making sure you are cutting the snake off at the head, so to speak. You want to make sure there are no other intact cats who can get pregnant/re-impregnate her once she goes back into heat, which, it sounds like there aren't, except the new kittens. How old are they?  Remember they can reach sexual maturity as young as 4 months so you may need to have them altered before Mikaela is ready just to be on the safe side, especially if one is male. And, until they are, they also need to remain indoors only (I don't remember if all yours are indoor/outdoor or if only some are or if they are all indoor). 

I know you have experience with a Queen and kittens so now you just need to fine tune how you are going to manage it all. Setting up her room, having her health double checked, getting the kittens altered, and preparing your birthing box and kit are all at the top of the list. Just focus on one thing at a time and allocate your monetary resources wisely and it should be manageable. Maybe the vet can offer a discount for her appointment and altering the new kittens at the same time? And, perhaps you can buy more commonly used items such as food and litter in bulk? Of course you need to have things like extra towels on hand but you should be able to pick those up relatively cheap (as you don't need nice fancy ones). You can even ask friends and family if they have old towels or blankets that they don't use that they could give to you. And, buy the powdered KMR instead of the pre-made. It lasts a lot longer.

The bottom line is if you get creative you can stretch a dollar pretty far and hopefully get all the things you need for the upcoming litter as well as all your other residents. Finally, being preventative is the biggest money-saver. Having Mikaela checked now can save you a ton over dealing with a bunch of sick babies later. And, spaying the new kittens now is far cheaper than having yet another litter. Again, all just things to consider!  

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