Pregnant Bengal cat due any day

Hi, have been reading some posts/articles on here since we realised our cat is expecting. She is a pedigree Bengal cat who is almost 1yo herself, and we're in the UK. She's primarily an indoor cat, has only really been outside supervised in the back garden with the kids but before Easter she got out and a few weeks later we witnessed some typical changes in her nipples/appetite etc.

I took her to the vet a few weeks ago expecting a lecture but he was very supportive, apparently in our area there is no surplus of kittens as the drive to neuter young has been so successful and he frequently has people getting in touch looking to adopt kittens and struggling to find one suitable (we're in the UK).

He put her a week further on than we thought but as we know when she got out it was 9 weeks ago this week. Watching her for signs everyday now, we have set up one room for her with her litter tray, food, water and bed/box. She comes out in the daytime though as she prefers to be around me and the kids, but we wanted to make sure she has a place she can get away from the kids when she needs to and we're fortunate enough to have space to do this.

So I guess I was just wondering if anyone has any tips for the impending labour/birth? I have a non-contact thermometer for the kids (you point it at bare skin and get a result almost instantly) and I've been using that pointed in her ear to check her temp for the drop I've read about. As it doesn't even touch she doesn't mind that at all. She's grooming herself a lot, licking her nipples lots.

She doesn't seem interested in the box/bed we made for her at the moment, keeps choosing to sleep on the floor somewhere. Is there something I can do to make the box more appealing or will she get more interested closer to the time?

Thank you for reading, any tips/advice realty appreciated!

They often take to the nest in the last moment, or even after the delivery.  Out in the wild, they dont want their chosen nest to get smelly too early.  

Good luck!

Some links:

We have a good collection of articles in the Cat Health section which you can access by scrolling up to the brown bar, clicking on Articles,and then choosing the Cat Health section and scrolling through the choices.  To make this super easy for you, I am copying the links regarding birth, delivery and newborns for you here.  After reading this information, let us know if you have any more questions.  And good luck with your approaching new arrivals.

Birth, Delivery and Newborns

How to Tell if My Cat is Pregnant?

Cat Pregnancy

How Do I Know When My Cat Will Give Birth?

Pregnant Cat? What to Prepare For the Birth

Help! My Cat is Having Kittens!

Premature Kittens

Post-Birth Complications in Cats

and also:

http://www.icatcare.org/advice/my-cat-having-kittens     ( This is a link to a group of articles on cat pregnancy, birth and kittens.   Read the ones on normal cat birth and on " when to wait and when to worry"  )  

Thank you, I wondered if it might partly be the heat as it's really hot at the moment and probably cooler laying on cool laminate flooring rather than blankets LOL Just watching her lounging on the bathroom floor and could see the kittens wriggling she seems very content I suspect we'll have a few more days to wait

Lillitiaphoenix said:

Thank you, I wondered if it might partly be the heat as it's really hot at the moment and probably cooler laying on cool laminate flooring rather than blankets LOL Just watching her lounging on the bathroom floor and could see the kittens wriggling she seems very content I suspect we'll have a few more days to wait

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Yeah, it may be this reason too as extra touch here....  

Be sure she has lotsa to drink!  Several plates with water, or even a drinking fountain.

Dont worry too much about waiting.  It seems cats manage a little too long pregnancy better than humans.   And the opposite with premature deliveries - premature kittens is always a fight uphill.   Humans babies manage being premature much better.

Good luck!

Yes we have a couple of dishes of water out and refreshed regularly. She doesn't seem to like drinking from her bowls though, is always in search of a puddle, has to be kept out of the bathroom or she drinks from the toilet or a dripping tap LOL maybe a drinking fountain is the answer!

Lillitiaphoenix said:

Yes we have a couple of dishes of water out and refreshed regularly. She doesn't seem to like drinking from her bowls though, is always in search of a puddle, has to be kept out of the bathroom or she drinks from the toilet or a dripping tap LOL maybe a drinking fountain is the answer!

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if she has several bowls, one of them may be with a somewhat stale water.

As you say, some cats seems to prefer water which isnt very fresh...   And as cats manage bacterias (for example salomonella) better than humans, its not real danger for them, unless its real gross.  Or mouldy.

Have ordered a drinking fountain and also some 'mother and kitten food' (though she is still on kitten food herself this looked more suitable?) Is as wondering though should I mix the new kibble in with the old at first so it's not a sudden change or just offer the new? both are royal canin brand.

She has a little brownish discharge today but her behaviour seems no different to the last few weeks so probably another day or two.

Lillitiaphoenix said:

 should I mix the new kibble in with the old at first so it's not a sudden change or just offer the new?

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Yes, its safer to mix them in the beginning, making the change slower.  Unless she has a "stomach of iron", but not all cats has it, and you dont want experiment at this moment.  

Came home to find first 2 kittens born, left room to get a drink by which point 3rd kitten born, she's being attentive to all three, they're wriggling around and trying to feed as she cleans them up but the cord from the third disappears inside mum still and it's been a little while I just wondered how long till it is likely to come out and does this mean she's done or could there still be more kittens?

LOL in the time it took me to find iPad a type that she passed the placenta. Now I guess we just wait to see if there are more kittens or is their some way to check? Also the nesting box is a bit damp and yucky under her I have clean blankets I could put in but don't want to move her if it'll disturb her IYKWIM? She seems happy enough and purring likea. Proud loon when I peer in the box :-)

As she is contend and happy, no troubles, you really dont need to know if theere are more.   You can wait and see.

You must change the bedding soon, although I can agree you dont want to disturb her as yet.

They themselves dont want to be in filthy  bedding, it is one of the reasons many tend to change the nest.

Good luck!

Looks like just the three kittens she seems v happy and they're feeding away every time I peek in which I guess is good!

I managed to get a clean blanket in under her and the kittens last night but the corner of the box was till all yucky and damp underneath so this morning I sorted out a clean bed for them and moved the first kitten, went to move the second but before I could even pick it up she'd dashed out, grabbed the first and returned it to the messy nest LOL. She was purring the whole time so didn't seem overly cross with me I just wondered if I need to separate her long enough to ditch the old box or wait and see if she chooses to move herself? Just concerned the nest will get pretty stinky pretty quickly in this hot weather

The best is probably to have a second bed ready.  Perhaps a provisorical bed.   And move the kittens into this second bed, hoping she will understand better the idea.  Or move her as number two, to kitten number one being in the new bed...

Its seldom very touchy as long you try to do it respectfully.   After all, most caretakers do weigh the kittens every day. Change bed / nest if necessary, so handling them some isnt impossible.  they can hiss some, but they never abandon the kittens, for example.

Good luck!

Kittens are 6 days old now, mother has a room with her litter tray, food/water and nest in. We leave the door open periodically throughout he day so she can come see us but she doesn't leave the kittens side for long at a time. This morning she came out and was very vocal, I checked her food and water was topped up but she kept meowing. Then she appeared with a squirming kitten in her mouth and ran off upstairs! I followed and she hid it behind my son's bed and lay down near by purring away. As it didn't seem a very safe place I retrieved it and took it back to the nest, she followed close behind and I've shut them in her room again for now.

Any idea why she decided to move one? She made no effort to go get the others I don,t know if she would have if I'd waited. It just didn't seem a safe place as not contained and cables and things back there. I could put another box up there or something or Should I encourage her to stay put? We were hoping to contain the kittens in the present room so they'd have space away from the kids and a wipe clean floor for before they're litter trained LOL.

Do you change their bedding regularly?   Even every day?   If not this will cause mom to move...   The room seems otherwise nice and cosy, no stressing factors there...   Litter not too near the nest I hope?

She can move by any other reason too, some moms are movers.   If you have done everything correct you can think of, and they still wants to move, the only remedy may be to have them closed in this room.

Good luck!

I have changed the bedding a couple of times but will try doing it every day. It's. Larger room and the litter tray is a good distance from her bed. I went in to see her just now and she's mega affectionate, purring and meowing and rubbing against me almost like when she was in heat! I think she misses us a bit LOL

  Bengal kittens!!!  

Please may we see pictures?!?
Puuurlease!!!

...also, congratulations!!!