Pregnant Cat myths or truth??

I found a pregnant cat and we are keeping her. She appears to be around a year old. I have read everything I can about pregnant felines and I am curious as to what is true and what isn't. First of all let me tell you her condition. Her betty is quite round and hard. Each side is the size of a baseball. Her nipples are very pink almost red, they stick out quite a bit. She loves her belly rubbed and she eats great.

Her is what I have read..............24 hours before a cat gives birth I will be able to express milk from her nipples...True or False???


Most young cats that give birth, their babies will not live??


12-24 before birth a cat will constantly clean itself in preparation??


Before birth a cat will reorganize it's bed???


The kittens should not be touched for 2 weeks???


Plus I really want to know how soon she is going to have these kittens. I have 2 little brothers and we are all excited. I helped them pick out a few names and we have prepared identification forms so we can keep track of who is who and how they are doing, plus the markings and so on and so forth. I would love for them to be able to see the birth since it will NEVER happen again, We have plans to have her and the kittens fixed. My brothers are 3 and 5. Neither of my parents have had pets that have had babies. We are strong believers in neutering and spaying. Any info will be greatly appreciated.:girly2: I just love these smilies!!!

I have a cat who recently had babies (also, NEVER again!). I'll try to answer your questions as well as I can.

24 hours before a cat gives birth I will be able to express milk from her nipples...True or False??? I couldn't do this with Muffy. Maybe someone more experienced could. To tell the truth, I couldn't even do it when I was nursing my daughter.


Most young cats that give birth, their babies will not live?? Muffy is only one year old, she had 5 babies, and they all lived.


12-24 before birth a cat will constantly clean itself in preparation?? Muffy was constantly cleaning herself her entire pregnancy. I knew her due date, so I had an idea of when the babies were coming. She did spend a lot of time in her kittening box during the last few days of the pregnancy. The day she had the babies, I could tell when she went into labor because she couldn't get comfortable. She'd lay down, get up, lay down, get up, repeatedly. Also, right when labor started, she had clear discharge.


Before birth a cat will reorganize it's bed??? Muffy did this for days. I kept straightening the blankets out again so there wouldn't be any way for the babies to suffocate. Muffy didn't mind. She's very laid back.


The kittens should not be touched for 2 weeks??? I touched the babies as they came out. Muffy was tired and needed help with a couple. Like I said, she's very laid back. I was with her through the whole thing. I held the babies everyday from day 1. I think you need to take the cat's temperment into consideration on this one. If she's ok with it, I'd say it's no problem.


Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any more questions.

Yes that helps alot. I suppose we are so anxious that everything she does appears to be exciting and eventful. Today she is just walking around as usual rubbing up against our legs. I saw a picture of a pregnant cat on the internet and she appears to be around 7 weeks. Comparing her to the cat I saw. Her nipples are very pink but the cat on the net had fuller nipples. So she may not be as far along as we think she is. We called the pound this morning but of course no one reported her missing. We live out in the country where many animals are dropped off. I wish someone would drop off something like a complete stereo unit instead of a pregnant cat. But not likely. Despite the overgrown population of kittens I am excited to be able to experience something so miraculous. My parents are going to have the kittens fixed whenever the Vet says is a good time. Then we will be able to give them to better homes. We plan on keeping her and 1 kitten.(Dad doesn't know about the one kitten thing but he always gives in) My mother has a friend who would like one. She has one cat that is her sons. She would like to get him a friend since he is an indoor cat and loves to play with her neighbors cat. I suppose I had better go and get something done.......... It is almost 11:30 and I still haven't gotten dressed. AAHHH the joys of Summer Vacation!!

I don't know the answers to all your questions but I have had a few pregnant cats before. A few days before she has them you might notice her wondering around the house and checking out strange places like closets, clothes baskets, behind dryers etc.. She's looking for a place to have them. Also they do a lot of licking and cleaning(a lot of butt licking right before having them). My young cats ,a year or just under, did lose at least one kitten which were born dead as far as I could tell. well, good luck and I hope you see her have them it's a great experience.

Kelsey,
I can't answer all your questions, but I can give you my experience. We have a Momma cat that gave birth before we had her spayed. She stayed in the house, because we were afraid she would hide her babies, which is their way of protecting them, and we wouldn't be able to find them. She was not quite a year old and had been in our family since she was quite small. The day arrived, we were quite unprepared, and she came to me and wanted me to follow her. She led me to my bedroom and then went under my bed. I knew right away she was getting ready to have her kittens. My four year old granddaughter and my daughter came home and we pulled my bed out from the wall and sure enough she was there. We all watched and even helped her a bit. One of her kittens was very large and we helped her deliver a little by helping her. She cleaned them all up, she had four, plus herself and stayed under my bed for several days. It's best if you leave them alone for a week or two because Momma will try to move them if you bother them too much. This can cause for no end to frustrations. If you fix a place for her to have the kittens, make sure it is in a undisturbed place where she will feel safe, like ie. a closet or an out of the way corner. You can picked them up some, but don't do it too much, because it will make Momma want to move them. On the other hand it is good to get them used to humans early. Just give Momma lots of love and food and water and let her know you don't mean any harm to her babies. Watch out for your little brother because he will want to hold them and they are fragile. Our biggest problem was Lacee, who was four at the time, wanted to hold the kittens too much and that is not good. She didn't understand that they weren't toys and could be harmed quite easily. Momma will take care of her babies, its a natural thing for them. You just need to monitor everyone else. Keep us posted on the pregnancy. It sounds like she doesn't have much longer to go.
Debbie

So Kelsey,
How is the momma to be doing? Has she had her kittens yet?

TashaJD

She hasn't had them yet. She is getting a little larger though. she hasn't got any milk yet but she has pulled the hair from her nipples. She just started this a couple days ago. I didn't go to bed until after 3 a.m. because I am afraid she will have them without me. She really likes to have her tummy rubbed. She doesn't go into her box much. We keep all the closet doors closed and hope she will not have them somewhere else. She is eating like a horse. The babies move around alot now, I can feel there little legs.

Kelsey,
It's good to hear a report about your Momma kitty. It sounds like it is getting close. It's a good idea you had about keeping the closet doors closed, Momma's like dark undisturbed places to have their babies. Good luck and I hope you get to see her have them, it is a wonder.
Debbie

One thing I noticed with our cat when she was ready, was that she stopped eating and found ME so I would be there with her. As a matter of fact she got very upset if I left her. She had them in the bathtub of all places. I put down extra thick towels and a sheet so she wouldn't get cold. I sat an entire day in the bathroom floor with my hand on her. My husband and kids had to bring me coffee, food, etc. Let us know when she has them.

Tasha