PLEASE HELP!!

Hi, about a week ago I took in a stray cat. My friends neighbor left behind their pregnant cat. She looks no more than a year old. I have done a lot of research since I have never had a pregnant cat before. But I still need some help. She is eating like crazy, her nipples are big and pink. And she has milk coming out of them. You can totally tell and see she is pregnant. She has gained a lot of weight since I took her in. All she wants to do is sleep, eat, drink , and potty. She is such a love bug but she can get her mood swings at times. How do I know when she is ready or how do I tell she is in labor?? She is constantly grooming her nipples and rear end area. I have her in my spear bedroom with a box and old blankets in it for her and there is really no where else for her to have them in that room. I have her food and water by the box with the litter box across the room. Am I doing all this correctly?? When will I know she is ready or in labor?? Please any help would be greatly appreciated!!

I just checked her nipples and they have dried up milk on and around them if that is any more help to my questions.

Hello and welcome to the site. From what you've said I would imagine you only have days left to go. Has the hair around her teats disappeared? When did you start to feel the babies move? Is she being overly affectionate to you. She can either appear to eat a lot more or go totally the opposite and not eat. My Ginny used the litter tray a lot on the day that she had her babies.
Good luck.

You seem to do it all right so far. I too think it is near now. Prob a couple of days, not more.  Although "the waiting game" doesnt allow you to be sure for the hour...

Not even some contractions are a sure thing, as they can have some precontractions...

With having her in bedroom, make sure she cant hide under the bed. it will not be convenient...

When she had born them, change the bedclothes every day. And also make sure she isnt stressed, so the risk she wants to change her nest will be lesser.

When the kittens are borne, good if you use fleece or flannel in the best.  People use often old towels, and its surely OK, but there is also some risk the kittens nails may fasten.

Under the bed you can have old newspapers, to soak in fluids.  Easier to just change it all.

Prepare also a scale weighing in grammes. Useful...

And read on, other threads, articles on our Subforum.... Look on youtube for films about delivery...

Good luck!

 Welcome to our Forums!

Thank you both for the help. Yes the hair is gone away from her nipples and I have been able to see and feel kittens move for about two days now. And I have the bed blocked off so she can't get underneath. I was wondering how can you tell if she is actually having contractions or not?? Does it look similar to the babies moving around or does she tighten everything up?? She is being very moody this evening. She usually lets me rub her belly and she is biting me when I try rubbing her belly tonight. Could that be another sign?? I am sorry this is my first time dealing with all this and everything that I have researched does not go into much detail.

Well if its only been a couple of days since you started to feel and see the kitties move then you have got a bit of a wait. Usually there is a fortnight to go from when you first see and feel them.
With regard to knowing when she is in labour, well how long is a piece of string lol. There are lots of signs and symptoms. Some cats get really really affectionate and demand lots of fusses, others withdraw and want very little petting. Some cats won't stop eating the day they deliver, others want nothing. From what I've read on here, a lot of cats have loose stools, probably because they need to make room to deliver, I know my Ginny went 4 times on her delivery day. They also lick their tummies and parts a lot although this can prove funny as they end up rolling over due to the extra weight. The best way I can describe how I knew she was in labour was that her tummy looked like it was rippling and then she would get up and crouch as if she was trying to poo. This occurred about 3/4 of an hour before she had the first kitty. The best thing I can suggest is to read back on the posts on here as a lot of them tell you how the cats went into labour.
Hope this has helped, keep us posted and good luck

mamabirdy said:

Well if its only been a couple of days since you started to feel and see the kitties move then you have got a bit of a wait. Usually there is a fortnight to go from when you first see and feel them.
 

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Usually it is true, but it depends also, on when you Kat began to feel after the kittens, and how used you are...  Say, if you Kat didnt touch the tummy often, you can have easily missed several days of these 2 weeks...  The other signs hints it is more near than 10 days...

Otherwise, I agree totally with your post, MamaBirdy.

Good luck!

ps.  You can also measure her temperature.  It is easiest and most nonstressing to do it in the armpit, say the foreleg.  Pretend you are playing!  The normal temp in the armpit is about 99F, and 37,5 Celsius.

When they are coming near, it drops one full Celsius and three Fahrenheit; > 96 respectively 36,5...

Thanks guys!! Well its look like she has gone into labor. She seems to be having contractions about every five minutes. She can't get comfortable and wants to be right next to me. Her private area look swollen and she is flipping from side to side and on her belly. I am about to take her temperature and see what it is. I will keep everyone posted!!

Let me know what her temp is and where u take it....im waiting too

She is at 98.6 and I am taking it under her armpit.

I did my momma cat in her recrum and it was 100.0....I hate this waiting game lol

Its been a few hours since your last post, are there any babies yet?  I am wondering how long is normal for it to take...

Still no babies!! I don't know anymore lol. This waiting game is getting so confusing. This is my first time with a pregnant cat. She is a stray that I took in and put in my spare room away from my other animals. When I first brought her in she was skin and bones and now she is filling out very well. I have been able to see the cats moving around inside her for a while now. She has a different meow about her and has been using her litter box more the past two day, she won't leave my side and is so affectionate to me licking me and herself all over. I just don't know anymore. I am so confused lol.........

I took her temperature earlier today under her armpit and it was 100.1 and just took it again and it was 98.5 could this be a sign of getting to be time to have them?? She can't get comfortable and is meowing a very different meow. Please help?!?! I am so confused.....

Hoe is your cat doing? Any babies yet?

No babies yet. We are still patiently waiting. I wish she would hurry up though she keeps me up all night cause I have been sleeping in the room with her. Will keep you updated though!!

The waiting Is so long!

Yes it is!! Today when I got home from work I noticed she has not ate as much as she usually does and she wont eat her cat treats that she loves to have. She seems very restless and she can not get comfortable for anything. She keeps on flip flopping on the floor. And she has been going in and out her box. So I have my fingers crossed that this is it!!!

Fingers crossed for u!!

Can't wait to hear if you have some little ones