Pregnant Cat Advice Please

talkingpeanut

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There can be long pauses between deliveries.  If she seems fine, and she does, she's probably fine.  You may be able to feel babies moving inside her.
 
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lovelife

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@talkingpeanut   Thank you for taking time to reply! I feel so much better knowing that! 

Yes she is acting great. She just ate two whole bowls of soft cat food mixed with a tsp of dry KMR. Drinking a lot. 
I can't tell if there are still babies or not. 

I was really scared there. When no more kittens appeared, I called the ER vet in my area to ask how can I tell if she is done having kittens. The lady who answered said to me  you need to bring her right in since she hasn't had any more kittens. I told her I am not sure there are more kittens. Told the girl what she was doing, calm happy, up and about, etc. she said oh she probably needs a cesaarian. ?????? Then she went on to say that cats never have just one kitten, litters are always at least 3 kittens, etc. I know that isn't true thought, that is an average number. 

I asked to speak to a vet tech but they were busy. The lady who told me all that admitted she has no idea about cats in labor. It is 16 degrees here right now and the last thing I want to do is take a newborn kitten out into that kind of cold weather. I told the lady that, but I was a bit freaked out by it. 
 

handsome kitty

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You also don't want to expose the newborn kitten to all the germs at the vet.   They don't have antibodies yet.  You can gently feel her stomach to see if you feel a kitten.  Be aware her uterus is large and will take days to shrink back down some people mistake it for a kitten.  It isn't unusual for her to have just one kitten so it could just be the one.


Post some pics when you get a chance.
 
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lovelife

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@Handsome Kitty  that is a very good point that I never even thought of! I definitely do not want the newborn kitten exposed to germs. I have been feeling around and I can't tell if there is another kitten. Her belly still seems full, and I am not sure if what I am feeling is her insides or what. You mentioned her uterus will not shrink for a few days, I am guessing it to be her uterus. I put a heating pad on low under the nest since it is just one kitten. I also was able to weigh the kitten. He/she weighs either 3.0 or 3.3 ounces. It came up 3.3, but he/she was wiggling around and the number changed. 

Mama is doing great overall, eating, drinking, purring, nursing, etc.,so I am thinking you are right in that it could just be the one. Whenever she wants a break, she comes in here meowing telling me to come "babysit". lol It is so funny.  Since Mama isn't in any distress, I will just watch and wait and see what happens in regards to another kitten because when I was running her belly on both sides a few days ago, I could have sworn I felt a kitten on each side. But then again, I am not proficient at feeling around for kittens. I will post pics later on.
 
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lovelife

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@Brigittesmomma  Yes indeed! Mama had 1 baby total. Pure white (Mama is albino, I think baby will be too.) and sooooo cute!! Baby weighed in today at 5.7 ounces! Baby gained over 2 ounces in two days! I didn't expect that much gain. Mama is quite happy and allowing with letting me spoil baby. Baby has been held quite a bit and loves being wrapped in a blanket and cuddled. In fact, Mama meows to get me to come sit with her while she nurses. I always thought mother cats were very protective with their babies. Maybe it is because she only has one, I am not sure. All I know is Mama is enjoying showing her baby off to us and having him/her held and fussed over. I will post some pics soon when I have a chance. 
 
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lovelife

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I sure will post pics when I get a chance! I need some ideas/advice about keeping baby warm if the power goes out. We are having a major winter storm here starting late tonight. They are telling people to prepare for power outages as they are expecting significant icing and a lot of snow. My concern is if the power goes out, it will quickly get cold in the house. In a scenario like that, what can I do to keep the baby warm? 
 

talkingpeanut

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Snuggling with mom helps a lot. You can also put raw rice in a sock and microwave for 5 minutes. It should stay warm for 4-5 hours. Lastly, you can keep the baby close to you if mom needs to get up.
 
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lovelife

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@talkingpeanut, that is a great idea. I could microwave rice and keep it warm in case the power does go out. I am hoping the power won't go out. The news media outlets are really playing up the storm, but when all is said and done we really won't know what the weather will do until it happens. They put a state of emergency out and everything here is already closing for Friday. 
 

handsome kitty

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If the power goes out you can heat some water if you have a gas stove and put it in a hot water bottle.  Or if you have hand warmers, those keep warm for hours.   Remember to wrap the heat source in a towel and give the kitten room to move away if she/he gets too warm.
 
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lovelife

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I don't have a gas stove. I will try to find hand warmers. Never thought of using them. I just realized one of my cat beds responds to body heat and warms. That is a good option too with the rice. Want to be prepared just in case because it is very cold here too. Fingers crossed we get all snow and zero ice.
 
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lovelife

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Question about weight gain - when I weighed baby tonight she weighs the same as last night. Is that normal? 
 

Sarthur2

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It's okay. Weight loss is cause for concern, however a plateau should not last more than a day. The baby should gain 6-10 grams per day, more is better. Is the kitten getting enough nursing time with mom? If she does not gain weight tomorrow, you might want to consider supplemental feeding with kitten formula. Let us know how it's going. If the kitten needs supplementing, we can give instructions.
 
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lovelife

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Mama is feeding her every two to three hours. But, sometimes Mama only feeds for a few minute. I am not familiar with how often cats should nurse their babies. 
 

Sarthur2

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Every 2-3 hours is normal. Most kittens nurse for about 15 minutes at a time. Is the kitten getting full quickly? She may need supplementing in between. Let's see where her weight is tomorrow. If you'd like, go ahead and pick up a can of KMR (kitten milk replacer). Pet Ag is good, as is Royal Canin and GNC. Powdered not pre-mixed. You'll need a 1 or 2 mL syringe. I'll give you feeding instructions when you're ready. The can won't be wasted either way, because kitten can drink it from a dish when she weans, and mama can drink some now. It's very good for nursing moms too!
 
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lovelife

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I am thinking she isn't feeding her enough. I sat and watched. After 5 to 7 mins of nursing she jumps up and wants out. I took her back and she is running back and forth between the door and the nest box. Mama did not settle down until I let her out. Baby is looking for Mama. I do have PetAg that I have been giving to Mama. It is not the kitten one though. It is the general one for either kittens or puppies, which is the only one I could find in my area. I ordered a few cans of the PetAg Kitten KMR online, and they will be here next week. 

I do have a 5ml dropper. Should I supplement baby? I read the stuff on supplementing and if I remember correctly, it was 1 ml every hour is that correct? 
 
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