Trying to Prepare for Labor & Delivery...NO IDEA WHAT I'M DOING!!! HELP!

Hi All, 

So a little over a month ago, when I went to go pick up my new car, there was this stray cat wandering around the neighborhood and these people were throwing rocks at her and abusing her, so I took her home with me. She was starving, really skinny, but she's the most affectionate cat I've ever met. After having her for about a week, I noticed her nipples were very prominent and pink and her stomach was pretty firm. As some time went by I came to the conclusion that she is DEFINITELY pregnant. I've done a lot of research on what to expect, how to know when she's going to deliver, what I need to provide for her, etc...but I still feel extremely unprepared and helpless. 

So here's where I'm at with her now: I have provided her with a nicely sized box tucked away in a darker corner of my bedroom, with her food and water nearby. She also has her litterbox back there as well. I've put a few towels in her box, and one towel over the top of the box so it acts as a door/curtain. She's gone in there to investigate a few times, I've heard her scratch around in there and she'll lay in there for a few minutes at a time. (At first I had nothing draped over the box, and she kept dragging the towels into the litterbox and I assumed that she was trying to nest in there because it was more enclosed and dark so that's why I draped the towel over her box and she hasn't been bringing the towels in the litterbox anymore since I did that.) She spends most of the day laying in the middle of my bedroom floor on her side, and the past few days she's been cleaning herself, but not down there. There hasn't been any milk discharge from her nipples as far as I've been able to tell nor from down there. I've been able to see and feel the babies moving around in her belly for about 2 weeks now. I noticed it at the beginning of last week. From the research I've done most people have said that when you can see them moving the queen usually delivers within 1-2 weeks. SO that's been making me feel anxious and helpless as to why she hasn't had her babies yet! I'm just wondering if anyone else has any input to help me out, or better prepare me. Anything helps! Thanks :-)

The waiting game! One forumite told she felt them 3 weeks before... If she is rather skinny, you probably feel them better than on a cat with proper flesh on.

But yes, it seems to be near, at most one week.

Your preparations are sound as long you describe them.  After delivery, you will change the bedding every day, you can  have sheets of fleece or flannel, as old towel may fasten in kittens nails.

Now the towels are OK, you will prob throw them out these used at the selv delivery, they will prob be quite soiled.  You can have old newspapers under the bedding, just to change them too, so the box itself will not get soiled.

Good she approves the nest. They seldom USE the nest too early, they dont want it to become smelly before it is time and not risk drawing the attention of predators as far as possible.

What shall I say. We do have useful links, and articles around this subforum, above and to the right. You do surely see them.  Begin with them... Read the other threads too. You can look on the youtube, there are useful films showing delivery...

And do come with reports and more questions!

Tx for helping this lilttle sis of ours!

  Good luck!

Welcome to our Forums!

I'm the worst when it comes to waiting...I just took her temp and it's still in the normal 100-100.3 range. 

I got a temp reading of 99.2 and then the second time I got 98.7ish.

Luna had 6 kittens, one of which did not make it through the night. I'm not sure why. The 5 are doing well. She jumped up on the bed to tell me her water broke, and made quite a mess on my bed, then I followed her to her nest and she immediately started having contractions. I stayed with her the whole time, and she had the first one out within the first 10 minutes of contractions. Her labor lasted from 3 AM all the way to 8 AM when she pushed the last baby out. 

Congrats!  You do not write about their weights, I hope you do weigh them every day, preferably in grammes?  If not yet, it is a good tip for noticing early many problems.

Good luck!