Pregnant Mama doesn't want to be confined!

Sarthur2

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Any signs of impending labor?

If not, it's a matter if continuing to wait, hard as it is. She will eventually go into labor when her body is ready.
 
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sewingdervish

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Not that I can see. She just acts like a sad cat that wants to be free.
 

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She'll be okay. It's still best that she's inside. Hang in there! :)
 
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I noticed a pretty soft stool in the litter box tonight.  Is this a sign of some movement?  We are dying of anticipation over here!
 
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sewingdervish

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They have arrived!  6 black kitties. Fairly recently I think because everyone is still pretty wet even mama's tail.  there was still one placenta left when I found them.  This morning at 8 I looked in on her and saw that she was in the pet carrier but didn't investigate, then when I came back at 9, Kittens!  I haven't weighed them because they all look exactly alike, I don't know how we could remember who weighed what.   They all look to be tabout the same sized. One looks like it might be a dark grey, possibly.  NOW what!?
 
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sewingdervish

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My cat finally delivered her kittens within the last hour or so.  There are 6.  I have no Idea WHAT to do now.  I put on gloves and picked them up only to change the towel they were laying on which was pretty wet.  Decided not to weigh them because they all look almost exactly alike, I wouldn't be able to remember which weight went with which kittens.  They all seem to be the same size visually.
 

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I would let the mama cat take care of them, do they have a safe spot?
 

Sarthur2

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Congratulations that it went smoothly. :)

Are they all latched and nursing?

You can still weigh them to get a starting weight. Can't hurt to know.
 
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sewingdervish

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Yes they are very safe in a pet carrier in a detatched laundry room.  We were planning to take a short 3 day vacation BEFORE we found out that we were expecting kittens.   Would the next 2 weeks be a safe time to go away for a couple of days with an experienced neighbor keeping watch? Or are we tied to the house for the next 8 weeks?
 
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It is hard to tell if they are all nursing but everyone seems to be involved in the event, no one appears to be left out.
 
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sewingdervish

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I managed to weigh 4 of them, after 4 they squirmed around so much that we couldn't figure out which had been weighed and which hadn't. 3 oz, 3 1/2 oz, 4 oz, 4 oz. The grey one is  one of the 4 oz kitties.
 

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Excellent birth weights! :)

Now we know their starting point. Mom has mostly colostrum the first day or two, so they may not show much gain initially, but weigh them everyday so we know they are gaining. If there is a runt you'll need to supplement. They should double their birth weights in the first week, and gain a mimimum of 6-10 grams a day.

Do you have kitten formula and a syringe on hand if you need it? Mom would drink a dish of the powdered KMR mixed with water if offered. She actually needs the calcium for feeding her kittens. Six kittens will sap her, so feed her well.
 

Sarthur2

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If you are going away for two weeks your cat and her kittens need to live at your neighbor's house so she can keep an eye on them and meet mama's needs.

Your neighbor might need to step in and supplement if there is a runt, and this is determined by observing and weighing.

Is this pet carrier large enough for mom to stretch out in to nurse? Do you not have a large box or plastic bin? It would make it easier to get to the babies to weigh them and to see if they are all nursing.
 
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sewingdervish

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We wouldn't be going away for 2 weeks, we were just wondering if we should take our opportunity now before they are mobile kitties.  It would only be a couple of days.

We do have a box but the carrier is where she chose to have the kittens, i didn't know when or how to move them.  I thought that mom liked to do the moving

Should I move them?

I took the lid off of the carrier so that we can check on them easier.
 

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As long as the carrier is big enough, I think with the lid off you can observe the kittens better.

Yes, now would be the time to go away for a couple of days with your neighbor checking several times a day and feeding mom and scooping litter. But you first need to make sure that no kitten is struggling, and that will be determined over the next few days.

Do you see them all latched to a nipple and nursing - all six at the same time?
 

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Congratulations!  Nice to hear the kittens are off to a great start.

You don't need to wear gloves when you handle the kittens.

Pictures when you get a chance.
 

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There certainly is a little gray one! They look healthy :).
 
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