When should I expect kittens?

I took my female cat (Cookie) in as a stray around the last week of November. My male cat (Rigby) is fairly young and I had intentions on getting him neutered, I didn't think she would go into heat as quickly as she did. I also didn't know if she had been spayed or not, turns out she wasn't though and went into heat about 2 weeks after bringing her home. I know she was in heat around December 11th through 15th. I took her to the vet for a check up on Jan 12th and he said she was about 30 days pregnant which would fit my time frame. I hadn't been able to feel the kittens moving, and I ended up taking her to the vet again on February 2nd for some issues she was having with diarrhea. They told me then she had some mammary development and would probably have her kittens in the next week. It's not been a week, and today was the first time I was able to feel the kittens move. I'm just getting anxious about the birth because I work third shift and every other time I've had a cat who had kittens in my lifetime, they had them at night time. I just want to be here in case anything goes wrong. According to the time frame, I'm thinking she wouldn't be due until around this weekend.

Over the last few days though also, he nipples have became padded feeling around them. I guess it's milk developing? No milk is coming out of the nipples though. She has become more distant over the last week. I put her bed in my laundry room and she likes to stay in there most of the time, but she was never a very friendly cat anyway. Just wondering if I can get some insight as to when I should expect kittens. How common is it for a cat to go over their due date, and what are some signs of labor or that she will be going into labor soon?

Here is a pic of her a day or two ago.

sometime next week you should expect kittens 

here some articles they should answer most or all of your questions 

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/cat-pregnancy

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/pregnant-cat-what-to-prepare-for-the-birth

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/help-my-cat-is-having-kittens

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/post-birth-complications-in-cats

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/how-do-i-know-when-my-cat-will-give-birth

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/premature-kittens

Also, just to update my male cat has been since been neutered and she will be spayed once the kittens are weaned.

If we go according to your timeframe (So between the 11th of December and 15th of December) It should be around the 14th (So in 2 days)(Day 65 if pregnant from the 11th) or later. Normally, first born litters are born on day 65 when gotten pregnant, but it can take up to 70 days. If there are still no kittens on the 70th day, she'll need a vet to help her.

So you can expect them this or next week if your timeframe is correct. As you said the kittens started moving recently, I would expect starting next week rather than this week, but we can't really predict, so it's best you keep a good eye on her starting today.

As for labor signs. It can go rather quickly, but some clear signs would be her being restless, looking for a spot to give birth at, digging a lot on spots while searching. When this happens it shouldn't take much longer. I also heard people say their belly drop, and you won't be able to feel the kittens anymore after that happens as they are moving into the birthing channel (I personally haven't noticed this myself). Next to that some cats might vomit, while others might stop eating completely 24 hours before birth. 

It's hard to predict it a few days before, as usually you only notice things 24 hours or less before birth. Don't worry though, most cats are perfectly fine giving birth on their own. Nature has prepared them well

Good luck, and let us know how it went! 

Hi there!

Beautiful cat. Given the timeframe, and when you first started feeling the kittens, I'd say either this weekend or early next week she'll have them. My cat is also due any day now!

The most common pre-labour signs are that she may become very affectionate, vocal, sleepy, and she may also lose all interest in food. However, it's not unheard of for a cat to eat before or even during labour. She will also constantly lick her teats and her gential area. She will also begin nesting, so leave her plenty of clean towels in her birthing area. Just a few minutes before delivering her first kitten, you will notice her abdomen area tightening with each contraction. They are very hard to miss, because most cats will grunt and growl whilst pushing. She may even pant, and squirm around. Let her do as she pleases, and DO NOT restrain her, as this will put a lot of stress on her, and she couldn even stop the labour and give birth to stillborn kittens many hours or even a day later. Remain calm, assist her if needed, and make sure to clean the kittens off yourself if she is taking too long. Some cats can be really out of it after the first few kittens, and will require help.

You will notice an overall change in her regular behaviour, you just have to pay close attention, because the signs ARE there. Her body-language will certainly showcase that she is just fed up with being pregnant.

Also, I highly suggest taking her rectal temperature. It is the most certain way of deciphering when she will go into labour. The normal feline/canine temperature is between 100.5 to 102.5 Degrees Fahrenheit, when it drops below 100F (97F-98F give or take), you can expect labour to take place within 12-24 hours. During this time, you will notice all the pre-labour signs occurring, rapidly. If you're going to take her rectal temperature, I find that it's best to do when the cat is sleeping. Sit next to her and stroke her while she falls asleep, wait a few minutes until she is actually sleeping (they'll usually stop purring once they are in la la land) and then gently insert the lubricated thermometer into the anus, hold her still if necessary, or just scratch her neck (or where ever she likes to be scratched) to distract her, and then wait for the thermometer to beep. I find this method to work the best because it gives the accurate resting temperature of your cat.

Good luck and post a picture when they're here!!!!!

-quinnmcc

Thanks for all of the info! I have been watching her like a hawk for a week now, but still no signs of kittens  or any sign that they are coming any time soon. So, I'm going to give it another week and if she hasn't had them by this weekend I'm thinking of taking her to the vet just to make sure everything is okay. Just thought I would give an update, will post pics as soon as they are here!

I knew my cat would be going into labor any day now, but I went to sleep and I woke up to  use the bathroom and she was nowhere to be found. I started the search for her and finally found her under my sons bed with one kitten. I don't know how long it's been since she had it, but she's not showing any signs of labor or contractions now and I know there has to be at least 2 more kittens. Her belly is still huge. I haven't seen the kitten nurse at all either.

I left her in the room and was going to leave her alone so I cclosed the door to keep my other cat out, but then momma cat started meowing. I opened the door and she runs downstairs like she is hungry. I fed her some wet food and while she was eating she had a little puddle of blood under her bottom. I cleaned her up a bit and the blood seems to have stopped, but now she's just pacing and meowing.  She went back to the nest briefly, but shes just walking around the living room meowing. She's come downstairs and just tried to jump in my lap. I'm scared for the kitten because I don't know if she's doing what she needs to be doing.

I would take her to the vet in the morning, but I live in Southeast KY and we just got a foot of snow so we are snowed in. I don't have any experience with kittens or cat birth and I'm just a nervous wreck. Please give me some advice!

cwalkup329 said:

 
I knew my cat would be going into labor any day now, but I went to sleep and I woke up to  use the bathroom and she was nowhere to be found. I started the search for her and finally found her under my sons bed with one kitten. I don't know how long it's been since she had it, but she's not showing any signs of labor or contractions now and I know there has to be at least 2 more kittens. Her belly is still huge. I haven't seen the kitten nurse at all either.

I left her in the room and was going to leave her alone so I cclosed the door to keep my other cat out, but then momma cat started meowing. I opened the door and she runs downstairs like she is hungry. I fed her some wet food and while she was eating she had a little puddle of blood under her bottom. I cleaned her up a bit and the blood seems to have stopped, but now she's just pacing and meowing.  She went back to the nest briefly, but shes just walking around the living room meowing. She's come downstairs and just tried to jump in my lap. I'm scared for the kitten because I don't know if she's doing what she needs to be doing.

I would take her to the vet in the morning, but I live in Southeast KY and we just got a foot of snow so we are snowed in. I don't have any experience with kittens or cat birth and I'm just a nervous wreck. Please give me some advice!

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Writing and thinking, hold on.   Where is KY by the way, what country?

If you can ride to a vet if you werent snowed in, I gather you can also phone to this vet?   This may be the best advice for the moment.

Do you have any neigbour who has a 4wheeled vehicle, which manage to drive in feet deep snow?   Or a big wheeled, forward wheels driven car, with winter wheels on?

IF you must take her to the vet?    Any other neigbours who you think may help?  In situations of dire necessity, the social custom is to help each other, if you ask, even people whom usually arent talking with you.

Pauses are not unusual, even long pauses.  And some red colored discharge of course very common. Bleedings not so good, especielly not if they continue.  Here it stopped. Puh!   If there are no complications, you can usually wait and see when they have pauses.

The problem is, she seems to have problems.   Lets hope its "just" continuing of labor, which is expected.

Next kitten should come out easier than the first.  So, if she hasnt delivered yet, its over one hour since you wrote your post, its red alert.  You MUST contact a vet, this way or another.

Be sure the kitten is warm and comfortable.  Healthy kittens manage to be some hours unattended, but must be warm.  I mean, its not that desperate yet with the kitten, although if mommy continues to have problems, you must step in yes.

  If mommy continues to be sick, you must perhaps feed it, etc.   Any chance your other cat may step in as foster, if need be??

Make sure the mom is unstressed, if she and the other cat arent best friends.   Give her the comfort you can.

I send in some links we do have.  You can surely google forwards another too....

Please, come with reports and updates, and further questions if you have any.

Good luck!

Most of these links have been readied by our forumist  Red Top Rescue:

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"  )  

Fleece or flannel good to use in the bedding for kittens.

Okay, so here's an update. After my last post my female cat kept meowing at me so I went back with her upstairs to where the kitten was at. She wouldn't do anything but lay there, I tried to get her to let the kitten nurse, but she wasn't having it. So I left her alone for about thirty minutes or so, I came back to check on her and there was one more kitten and she was in the process of having a third.

She seemed to be doing okay so I left her to get them cleaned up. After a while she came downstairs to eat and drink so I went to have a peak at them.  I tried to move them to the area I had set up for her downstairs because it's hard for my access them under my sons bed. When she was done eating and drinking she came back over to me and started meowing again, then I saw fluid so had one more kitten in the middle of the living room floor. SO i figured she's not going to be happy unless she is where she chose to be, I put down some towels under the bed and put all four kittens back under there. She keeps coming back downstairs though and I don't know how much time is she supposed to be spending with them??? Seems like she wouldn't leave their side unless absolutely needed. I'm worried about the kittens getting milk and staying warm.

Here are some pics of the first three, the fourth one is solid black.

They're so precious! I'd hate to see anything bad to them.

Mama needs to be with them 24/7 unless she must take a bathroom break, she will even refrain from that for the first few hours with her kittens, just so she can be with them. They cannot produce their own body heat this young, thus why she must always be with them. They will need to nurse every 2-3 hours, but she will still need to lay with them to keep them warm inbetween nursing them.

You must bring her to her kittens and lock her in a bedroom or even a crate with them, and pray for her motherly instinct to kick in. In the meantime, if you have a regular heating pad, cover it with a blanket or old pillowcase, put it on a low temperature and then place the kittens on top of it. This will work extremely well and keep them warm while mama is finishing up labour. She must be forced to stay with them though, or they will starve and die. If mama is hungry, leave a bowl of cat food and water for her and simply let her be, but check up on her frequently. If she wants you to be with her, stay in the room with her and remain calm, and assure her that everything will be okay. Cats are really in-tune with our auras, so they will feel stress if they see it within us.

GOODLUCK and keep us all posted!!!!

Goods news is that momma is now with her babies. I led her to them and she is with them now and they seem to all be nursing!

cwalkup329 said:

Goods news is that momma is now with her babies. I led her to them and she is with them now and they seem to all be nursing!

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Oh great! I'm so happy to hear. Keep a close eye on the kittens and make sure they are gaining weight. They will have full, fat little bellies on them and they will actually look bigger in just a few hours. If they are skinny-looking and really cranky, then they aren't getting enough milk and they may need a milk supplement. I doubt there will be an issue, though! Good luck and post a picture of the new sweet little family if you can congratulations!

cwalkup329 said:

Goods news is that momma is now with her babies. I led her to them and she is with them now and they seem to all be nursing!

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Splendid!  Tx for the updates!

Bring her litter and food & water plates up to where she is, the same room.  Perhaps even have your own matterass there, if she is so eager to be in your company.

After some week make sure the litter is non clumping, and the kittens cant crawl by accident into the food water bowls.

Later on, when its time for them to learn eat, they shall be shallow...

I made a post about my cat having kittens this morning, she ended up having a litter of 5. The only problem is, I don't think she is spending as much time with them as she should be. She will go to them for a while, but then she usually ends up following me around the house while I do my chores (that's her normal behavior). I tried to move them to the bathroom and shut the door with her in there with them, but all she does is scratch at the door and as soon as the door opens she has one in her mouth and runs back to where she had them at. I don't have a heating pad and we had a snow storm yesterday so I'm not able to get out and get one. I have been keeping hot water bottles under their blanket to help keep them warm.

Someone had told me in the previous post that she should stay with them most of the time, but she isn't doing that at all. I have seen them nurse a couple of times so that seems to be okay. One of the little ones cries, constantly and is always rooting around so I'm not sure what's going on with him. Just looking for any advice or tips, never taken care of newborn animals before.

This can become a problem.

Babies crying means they're hungry. Mom needs to be encouraged to stay with them, even if it means making a large container using a big box and cutting it down to like a tray, with maybe 8 inches on all sides to keep them contained. Drag the box around to the room you are mostly in so mom can be with you AND her kids.

The smallest baby will get the upper nipples to nurse on too, so they will be seen rooting around for better ones, but in the first week or so each baby will have chosen their favorite nipple and will nurse on that one throughout their nursing.

The smallest always get the worst, uppers don't make nearly as much as lowers.

This can actually mean that the so-called runt won't make it, but most don't know this.

Keep an eye on this too, you might need to do a rotation or supplement.

Is it possible to have the babies where you are in the house so she will pay attention to them more?

A mom not being with her kittens all the time, even from the very first day, is not something to worry about as long as the kittens don't cry out all the time. Specially a litter of 5 will crawl up to each other and keep each other warm. The mom will usually return every 2 hours to feed them properly. If this is done, it should be okay. Some moms are just different than others. I have one here too that only went to her babies when they were crying for food for 5 full minutes, and they all made it just fine.

However, you said one is crying constantly. It's probably hungry and not getting enough of a drink. When mom is with them feeding them, it's best to help the one crying and place it on the nipple yourself to make sure it's hatching on. If it does properly and you are sure he's drinking, that's good. Some kittens get overrun fast, and specially with bigger litters. The little one might need some help finding a nipple and not being pushed away by his/her brothers and sisters.

Also, make sure to weight them every day at the exact same time to make sure they are getting enough drink and grow steadily. The one crying might have trouble getting milk (Maybe sucking problems) and if so, you need to help him/her. Even the putting him/her on the nipple might not help in this case. 

Does the crying one look healthy overall, aside from the constant crying? Make sure to check him/her just in case. It might be something else that's wrong.

Hello again!

The kittens are absolutely beautiful. I really hope each of them thrive, they definitely deserve it.

Biancavd gave really great advice. I would just like to add my thoughts about the kitten that is constantly crying-
does this particular kitten appear skinnier, and more sluggish than its littermates? Would you call this kitten the runt? Does his/her belly look full? Clearly it sounds as though this poor little baby isn't getting a good amount of milk. Does the kitten have a runny nose, any weight loss since birth, respiratory difficulty, difficulty suckling on mamas teat, lack of appetite, etc? It is very possible, and I HIGHLY recommend that you check inside the kittens mouth for a cleft palate. I'd check all of the kittens, for that matter. I always do, just to be sure. I also count all of their toes to make sure that they're all accounted for.
A cleft palate could be the reasoning to why this kitty is so cranky and is not getting a proper flow of milk to its tummy.
The best way to check their mouth, is by gently picking up the kitten, wrap him/her in a warm and clean towel, and carefully pry open the kittens mouth and peer inside quickly and long enough to get a good glance. The kitten will more than likely be reluctant to letting you open it's mouth, so be patient and GENTLE. The cleft palate will look like a hole that hasn't been completely fused together during embryonic development, located at the roof of the mouth, between the nasal passages and mouth.

Here's a link with additional information regarding cleft palates in newborn kittens.
http://m.petmd.com/cat/conditions/mouth/c_ct_cleft_palate

I really hope this isn't the case. The kitten might just simply need to be fed a milk supplement by hand. PetAg KMR is a wonderful kitten milk formula.

Best wishes-
quinnmcc

So the kittens are 4 days old now and they seem to be thriving. The one I mentioned before who cries a lot, I think that's just her demeanor because for the first couple of days I would check when they were nursing to make sure each kitten nursed for at least 15 to 20 minutes uninterrupted. The only issue I'm having now is that I really would like to move them, but momma cat doesn't want that. My son has drawers under his twin size bed and somehow she got behind one of them to have the kittens. I had noticed a week or two before that she had made a nest there using his clothes, but I took it all out. I have no idea how she even got back there to have them lol. I took the drawer out while shes staying in there so she has easy access and I can easily check on them, but my son is 4 years old and I don't trust him with tiny kittens in his room.

I tried this morning to move them, I put them in a large crate with a blanket and heating pad. I covered the crate with a blanket and put it in my laundry room which is probably the most secluded area of the home. She tried several times to carry them back upstairs so I gave in and just put them back. It's not much of an issue right now, I just worry. When they get bigger over the next couple of weeks though and start toddling around, I don't want them there. Any tips on how I can relocate the nest?

cwalkup329 said:

So the kittens are 4 days old now and they seem to be thriving. The one I mentioned before who cries a lot, I think that's just her demeanor because for the first couple of days I would check when they were nursing to make sure each kitten nursed for at least 15 to 20 minutes uninterrupted. The only issue I'm having now is that I really would like to move them, but momma cat doesn't want that. My son has drawers under his twin size bed and somehow she got behind one of them to have the kittens. I had noticed a week or two before that she had made a nest there using his clothes, but I took it all out. I have no idea how she even got back there to have them lol. I took the drawer out while shes staying in there so she has easy access and I can easily check on them, but my son is 4 years old and I don't trust him with tiny kittens in his room.
I tried this morning to move them, I put them in a large crate with a blanket and heating pad. I covered the crate with a blanket and put it in my laundry room which is probably the most secluded area of the home. She tried several times to carry them back upstairs so I gave in and just put them back. It's not much of an issue right now, I just worry. When they get bigger over the next couple of weeks though and start toddling around, I don't want them there. Any tips on how I can relocate the nest?

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Hmm, good question. With Michelle, she ended up not having a problem where she was, wherever the kittens were, she was right there. That's not always the case with new feline mothers, though. As you've described her current nest area, I'd think that she's liking the dark, den-like feel of it. I'd try to meet her personal needs and wants, and yours as well.

From personal experience, crating my cats with their newborns was useless, even if I kept the crate door open. It was super cozy and she was in my bedroom walk-in closest, yet she insisted on carrying all 8 of her kittens, one by one, under my bed and on the cold floor. I think she liked the idea of being tucked away, with the den-like setting and darkness. Most cats like this for that matter, which is why I think she likes being under your sons bed. She may also be seeking privacy, so if I were you, I'd set-up a nice safe and cozy area in the basement (assuming you have one) or in your bedroom closet. Also, bring all of her things to her, food, water, litter box etc. (why the basement would be the best option). I definitely think a nice big box equipped with the heating pad, and possibly a kitty-door for mama to get out easily, would be your best bet.

She should eventually give in. Remember to give her space and privacy, and just simply reassure her that everything will be okay and that the world won't end if she's out from under your sons bed!

Good luck

cwalkup329 said:

 
So the kittens are 4 days old now and they seem to be thriving. The one I mentioned before who cries a lot, I think that's just her demeanor because for the first couple of days I would check when they were nursing to make sure each kitten nursed for at least 15 to 20 minutes uninterrupted. The only issue I'm having now is that I really would like to move them, but momma cat doesn't want that. My son has drawers under his twin size bed and somehow she got behind one of them to have the kittens. I had noticed a week or two before that she had made a nest there using his clothes, but I took it all out. I have no idea how she even got back there to have them lol. I took the drawer out while shes staying in there so she has easy access and I can easily check on them, but my son is 4 years old and I don't trust him with tiny kittens in his room.

I tried this morning to move them, I put them in a large crate with a blanket and heating pad. I covered the crate with a blanket and put it in my laundry room which is probably the most secluded area of the home. She tried several times to carry them back upstairs so I gave in and just put them back. It's not much of an issue right now, I just worry. When they get bigger over the next couple of weeks though and start toddling around, I don't want them there. Any tips on how I can relocate the nest?

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I personally would wait a while before relocating them. She just became a mom for the very first time, it's exciting. You should not want to meddle with the newborn mom, as she's probably still getting  the hang of it. Moving them might add unneccesary stress. The kittens will start "walking" around at around 3-4 weeks. After 4 weeks they will start venturing further and further away. I would wait till they are around 2 weeks old, then move them.

If possible, place a blanket at the current place (Or anything soft, like a towel etc). The nest has a certain smell that she will recognize. When they are 2 weeks old, move the entire litter with the blanket/towel, so the smell relocates as well. There's a higher chance she'll accept the new place if it smells like the old. It might sound dirty to let it be for 1,5 weeks, but to cats it's really not. It's more like a human thought that we need to put clean sheets often etc. After they got used to their new spot, you can, of course, clean it out.

She will probably been settled down a little more too at 2 weeks or maybe even 3 weeks. I also think that would make moving a little easier.

Hope it helps!