Did my vet do this right?

poofnmoo · Jul 22, 2015

Not sure if anyone will see this, but wanted to update like asked. Sorry it's taken so long, but we were out of town and had absolutely no service. I talked to the vet on Friday and he said the anesthesia will not hurt the babies and he estimates that she will give birth in 10 days. So far everything seems to be going well. She has been meowing a little more than usual which I assume is because she's getting closer. We also have a 1.5 month old female kitten we found in a bush and those 2 wrestle like crazy. Sometimes I get a little nervous that they're going to hurt the unborn kittens. Maybe one of you can reassure me that it won't. We have a box with towels laid out and she gets in there and messes it up every once in awhile so I'm hoping that she'll be comfortable there when the time comes to deliver. Thanks again for all your help last week.

handsome kitty · Jul 22, 2015

Yes, we are interested in an update. Glad to hear the cat and kittens survived. i don't know if wrestling will hurt the kittens but a 1.5 month old kitten isn't very big. Does she have stitches that you need to worry about?

Keep the updates coming.

Sarthur2 · Jul 22, 2015

Ah, good news that the kittens will be okay. No, mama kitty can wrestle. She won't do anything to hurt the kittens. The new kitten must be delighted to have a mother again! Keep us updated on mama kitty's progress with her pregnancy!

poofnmoo · Jul 22, 2015

No stitches!! I was just reading the articles offered and saw that we should weigh the kittens. I was told by someone that touching the kittens is not good and can lead to mamma hurting them. I also read that it's best to avoid touching them if possible. So now I'm a little confused as to whether or not I should weigh them. I don't want to do anything to jeopardize mom and babies relationship. I also was wondering if you all could give me some suggestions about her nesting box. There is nowhere in my house that I can put her so there won't be any disruptions. I thought about putting her in the bathroom (least amount of traffic) but feel like the shower running will terrify her or the babies. I can put the box in the corner of the kitchen, but we have a pretty small house and all rooms are used all day. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Oh! And I was just on the floor petting Mama mamma and when she stood up (she won't stay still for more than 30 secs) there were wet spots on the floor! I'm getting nervous!

tsukiyomi · Jul 22, 2015

No stitches!! I was just reading the articles offered and saw that we should weigh the kittens. I was told by someone that touching the kittens is not good and can lead to mamma hurting them. I also read that it's best to avoid touching them if possible. So now I'm a little confused as to whether or not I should weigh them. I don't want to do anything to jeopardize mom and babies relationship. I also was wondering if you all could give me some suggestions about her nesting box. There is nowhere in my house that I can put her so there won't be any disruptions. I thought about putting her in the bathroom (least amount of traffic) but feel like the shower running will terrify her or the babies. I can put the box in the corner of the kitchen, but we have a pretty small house and all rooms are used all day. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Oh! And I was just on the floor petting Mama mamma and when she stood up (she won't stay still for more than 30 secs) there were wet spots on the floor! I'm getting nervous!

The no touching thing is absolute nonsense the limited is to avoid upsetting the mother. The idea is to just weigh them and handle them as little as you can.

poofnmoo · Jul 22, 2015

Tsukiyomi said:
The no touching thing is absolute nonsense the limited is to avoid upsetting the mother. The idea is to just weigh them and handle them as little as you can.

Thank you!! I was confused! Totally new at this and feeling a little lost!

handsome kitty · Jul 22, 2015

Do you have a closet you can put the nest in? You can use a 3 sided box w/fleece or flannel, the kittens claws won't retract for a while and can get caught in the loops on towels. Old T-shirts work too. Otherwise a corner in the quietest room. If you have a table you can put it under and cover most sides w/a sheet might work. the bathroom with the shower doesn't sound like a good idea.

You can handle the kittens a little. When you weigh them, do it in front of the mom so she sees the kittens. She may or may not want the other kitten around the newborns. you'll have to play that by ear. I suspect she won't want her around, but sometimes females share rearing duties.

poofnmoo · Jul 22, 2015

I do have a bigger closet I could put the box in. I was trying to avoid that because my preteen daughters clothes tend to end up on the closet floor (regardless of how many times I ask her to make sure they don't

) and I don't want them to be a soft spot for her to deliver. I have towels in there now so I will get some old tshirts until I can go buy her some fleece blankets. The box I'm using is bigger (she's able to jump in as of now) because I'm trying to keep the younger one out of it. I'm scared if I cut a little walk through she'll get in there and then mamma won't like her box or will feel protective and attack after the babies are here.

handsome kitty · Jul 22, 2015

If you have a Joann fabrics nearby you can get some fleece from the remnants pile - You can even use a 40% off coupon on it. Then you can cut it up into a couple of pieces.

A bigger box is fine. She need to be able to stretch out when she nurses.

Other items to add to your errand list if you don't already have it: Kitten Milk Replacer (KMR) available at pet stores and Walmart (also sells fleece fabrics and has remnants.) Powder form, Pet Ag brand if possible.

A small needleless syringe 1 -2 ml/cc available at pharmacies.

A scale that weighs in grams or 1/10th of an ounce.

A heat source, can be a heating pad, hot water bottle or even a sock filled w/raw rice.

Unflavored Pedialyte.

I'm sure you have blunt scissors and dental floss around your house, Gather those as well.

posiepurrs · Jul 23, 2015

I realize I am coming into this thread a little late, but I have a comment. A vet who could not tell by palpitation that a cat that far along is pregnant is not one who I would use again. A few years ago I took one of my girls in to be spayed who is not friendly. Although she was born here and was handled from birth, she does not like to be touched unless it is her idea. Somehow my kids allowed her in with my stud without telling me so she ended up pregnant - but given her temperament I didn't know. My vet examined her by palpitation and told me he thought she was pregnant. We did an x ray and she was. She delivered a few days later.

Yes, weighing the kittens at the same time everyday will tell you if they are growing well. A scale that weighs in grams is best. My kittens are handled right from birth. I spend time each day with them - but it depends on the mothers comfort. If she doesn't like you handling the kittens just weigh them and put them back. My situation may be a little different in that the cats that have kittens here were born here so know I mean no harm. The ultimate goal is to keep Mom happy and the kittens thriving.

If you are going to change her food to a higher quality food (or wet food) do it slowly. You don't want he having an upset tummy. As for KMR use it if you want but I have never used it. I use goats milk instead.

poofnmoo · Jul 23, 2015

posiepurrs said:
I realize I am coming into this thread a little late, but I have a comment. A vet who could not tell by palpitation that a cat that far along is pregnant is not one who I would use again. A few years ago I took one of my girls in to be spayed who is not friendly. Although she was born here and was handled from birth, she does not like to be touched unless it is her idea. Somehow my kids allowed her in with my stud without telling me so she ended up pregnant - but given her temperament I didn't know. My vet examined her by palpitation and told me he thought she was pregnant. We did an x ray and she was. She delivered a few days later.

Yes, weighing the kittens at the same time everyday will tell you if they are growing well. A scale that weighs in grams is best. My kittens are handled right from birth. I spend time each day with them - but it depends on the mothers comfort. If she doesn't like you handling the kittens just weigh them and put them back. My situation may be a little different in that the cats that have kittens here were born here so know I mean no harm. The ultimate goal is to keep Mom happy and the kittens thriving.

If you are going to change her food to a higher quality food (or wet food) do it slowly. You don't want he having an upset tummy. As for KMR use it if you want but I have never used it. I use goats milk instead.

When I dropped her off he felt her tummy and told me that she was either pregnant or had a full bladder. He said he was sure it was her bladder. So I guess in a way he could tell but wasn't sure. I have already been researching and looking for other vets. I want to make sure I am going to a good vet that will take care of my animals.

Poof (Mamma cat) is the same way as yours. She only wants attention when she wants it. If we try to hold her she freaks, but she will let you pet her if she's in the mood. She is very skittish which makes it hard to check her for things. Her being so standoffish to us makes me nervous about touching the kittens, but I will do what everyone here has suggested and I'm sure it'll work out just fine. She's only 9 months so I was already feeding her kitten food so that was no change. The wet food I just gave her little bits at a time to make sure it didn't upset her tummy. She seems to be ok now. Where would I get goats milk? I don't have a preference between goats or KMR and would just prefer to use whatever is better for the kittens.

poofnmoo · Jul 23, 2015

1437667052761171061866.jpg

poofnmoo
Jul 23, 2015

Here is mama!

poofnmoo · Jul 23, 2015

1437667189618287860124.jpg

poofnmoo
Jul 23, 2015

And here's our other baby!

handsome kitty · Jul 23, 2015

You can get goats milk Whole Foods and other 'natural' stores. Whole fat, unpasteurized is best. Some KMR might be nice to have in case you need something and can't get to the store.

Sarthur2 · Jul 23, 2015

Mama does indeed look young! No wonder she wants to play so much! And the kitten is a cute little tuxedo!

poofnmoo · Jul 26, 2015

Ok. Need another bit of advice. Box originally started in a corner of the living room, but I then moved it under my desk (5 feet from original spot) thinking it offered a little more privacy for her. After thinking about it I decided to clean out my bedroom closet (a big feat) and put a box in there. It'll offer the most privacy as the only time the room is used is when I go to bed at night. I don't have another big box so I want to move the one I already have, but I'm wondering if that will mess with her. She already knows where it is. Will moving it and showing her be ok or do I wait until tomorrow night when I can get another?

catladyvettech · Jul 26, 2015

Your vet sounds like a moron. He should have done an X-ray. I know you said the X-rays were expensive, but I can't possibly fathom how that would be more expensive than anesthesia and surgery! And I'm quite curious to know what method of anesthesia he used. Inhalant anesthetics are very harmful to fetuses. The only safe method of sedation that I know of is propofol and that wouldn't be sufficient to cut open the abdomen. And if he can't tell a full bladder from a uterus he's definitely not very savvy. He should have been able to palpate and express a bladder easily. Stay away from this vet!!!

poofnmoo · Jul 26, 2015

I am definitely finding a new vet. Not feeling that he puts the animals first. More like he is just there to make money. I've honestly been getting nervous after reading everyone else's threads. I've maybe seen the kittens move twice and that could have been wistful thinking causing me to see things. She's still tiny, doesn't really have a belly. Tomorrow will be10 days from when the vet gave me an estimate of 10 days. I tend to be paranoid so I've been trying to calm myself.

Sarthur2 · Jul 26, 2015

poofnmoo

Try to relax. What's done is done. The kittens will be okay or not. I am glad you made a box for the closet. Just show it to her. She will probably like it!

I don't trust your vet's estimate at all. What do her nipples look like? Are you noticing any other behavior changes that might indicate she is near term? If not, let's just wait.

poofnmoo · Jul 26, 2015

I'm trying

I tend to always expect the worst. Not sure why.... The other day I was on the floor laying with her and when she got up there were at spots, which led me to believe her milk was coming in. I checked later and there was a little dried white around her nipples. And she's a little more affectionate at night then usual. That seems to be it. I know that I can change the whatever happens, but I've come to be excited about the babies. And if a anything is wrong I'm not sure how I'll deal or how my kids will. Ahh! There's my paranoia kicking in again.

Did my vet do this right?

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