How Accurate are X-Rays for Determining Cat Pregnancy?

I have a question, I have been trying get both girls to drink KMR. Neither one will. I tired sneaking the powder into their food, they won't eat the food with the KMR in it.

They are eating kitten chow, soft canned cat food, and still nibbling regular cat food.

​How can I make sure they are getting enough calcium for nursing and staying healthy?

You can try pouring the KMR over the kitten chow. My mama cat loves it this way, particularly once it softens.

You can also crush egg shells very finely and mix this into their wet food. The shells are full of calcium.

I didn't know that about egg shells. I think I will try the KMR over kitten chow first. I am going to buy a new can and toss this one out. It is powdered and has been open in my fridge for a few months. Might be it isn't very fresh.

A few months? It is probably stale. And which brand are you using? PetAg and Royal Canin are favorites.

Pour it as though preparing a bowl of cereal. Then just let it sit and soak in and see if they will eat it. It gets really mushy but all of my cats go nuts for it.

Let us know if yours do!

I only use PetAG KMR. Going to try doing what you suggested with the kitten chow and KMR. See how that goes. I am going to pick up a fresh package today.

We talked to the vet again today, the kittens have still not arrived. So if no kittens by Monday we have to go back. I love how much this new vet genuinely cares and is taking time to call to see how Indy and Kenzi are doing.

I noticed on other threads you guys mention putting vegetable oil on dry nipples. Since Indy's milk has come in, it dries on her nipples and it seems to be drying them out a bit. I was wondering I use organic coconut oil in place of vegetable oil.

Would it be to use the coconut oil on her nipples?

I'm not sure about coconut oil.  I haven't heard it recommended.

I am clueless as to whether there might be a reason not to give cats coconut, other than the flavor. I would honestly stick with olive or vegetable oil. Tried and true.

It sounds like you have a great vet! I hope she shows some progress this weekend.

I also have Canola veggie oil. Would that be ok to use?

hteft said:

I also have Canola veggie oil. Would that be ok to use?

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yes, that should be fine.

Ok I will use the Canola instead.

HELP please - Kenzi started acting very odd. Slinking walking with her belly close to the floor, wild eyed. I could see liquid on her backside. She licked it off and I think maybe her water broke?

Her sides are hard, I mean rock hard where the kittens are. She has been breathing hard with her mouth closed. You can tell from her eyes that she is in pain. And her bottom had a little poop on it as though she was pushing. I took a warm damp papertowel and washed it off. I have her contained in the living room with me. She has no interest in any of the nest boxes, she keeps wandering around walking with her chest and belly close to the floor and backside raised up a bit. I have read the articles on cat labor, but have never been through it and am not sure what is normal and what isn't.

Does this sound like a normal start to labor?

This sounds llike normal labor to me! Hang in there!

Thank you! I am relieved to know that. I was afraid something was wrong. She has settled down a bit. Her tummy is altering between rock hard and soft. A lot of licking off and on, but not continuosly.

The hard and soft are her first contractions probably. Any progress so far?

That's pretty much how it happened with Winn.  She was restless and at one point I noticed liquid on her blanket an back legs, this was about noon, or a little after.  She breathed heavily while alternating between me and her usual sleeping spot.  She was wandering around the room at one point then started panting heavily, mouth open.  Then disappeared.  When she didn't emerge for a little while, I found her in a cabinet on top of a bunch of VHS tapes.  I picked her up, put towels down, and put her back.  I only saw her push once, and then when the kitten started coming out she jumped up, meowed, hissed, yowled, and tried to run away.  When the baby was born, she glared at it for a long time before her instincts kicked in and she started cleaning it.  She only had one, that was wednesday, but had another today.  A very small one that I think was stillborn (I didn't find it until afterward).

It was about 6 hours between that initial fluid gush and the birth.

Good Luck!

How's it going?

I NEED YOUR HELP PLEASE

Ok I need help. First off Kenzi has 2 kittens so far. She ate great earlier and wasn't in active labor. She was resting in the nest area and all of a sudden howl ran in there and there was 1 kitten. She cleaned kitten 1 up and ran out of the bathroom before I could close the door. Kitten 1 felt chilled, no sign of Kenzi. I send my partner after her, he coming running back OMG she had a kitten on the bed.

Kitten 2 was laying in the middle of my bed, no Kenzi to be found. She is affectionately/nervously running all over the house and stopping to lick herself. Kitten 1 and 2 are both feeling chilled to me. I grab one of my small fleece blankets. Hold both kittens to my chest covered with the blanket. While I grabbed the heating pad from the "labor kit" I made in case I needed it. Put heating pad under a small box lined with fleece blankets. Turned it on low, put the babies in to warm them up.

Partner gets Kenzi back into the bathroom. She is walking back and forth, looks at babies tried to grab 1 baby by the leg. I calmed her down and got her back into her nest area. Got her calmed down enough to put both kittens onto her nipple area. Partner is sitting next to her while I type this. If one of us isn't sitting there she is out all agitated.

They are very small, she is very small so that could be why, I am going to weigh them once things calm down. Hopefully they weigh at least 3.0 ounces.

Should I leave them with her but continue to watch? I think once she calms down and is done with labor she will be ok. Trying to bite them concerned me though. And the fact they were chilled.

I think she's just scared and will come around after she has them all.  This is very new to her and painful and scary.  

I hope so. I had to take the babies back out and put them in a box. They are chilled.

I have heating pad on low warming them up.