labour signs

Hi  I rescued a pregnant cat but don't know when she id due, belly today where her back legs are next to has gone hard or feels like a big mass lump. Is this kittens moving to the birth canal? How long will she give birth if this is what is happening? Any info would help. She is still eating loads do all cats go off food before they give birth

Thank you for taking this mom in and Welcome to TCS.

She might have ripped.  Does she look slimmer?  If so kittens within 48 hours.

Some cats do stop eating usually the day they give birth, they also empty their bowels (in the litter box) as the body prepares to give birth.

Do you have supplies ready?
[article="31379"]Pregnant Cat What To Prepare For The Birth  [/article][article="31496"]How Do I Know When My Cat Will Give Birth  [/article][article="29720"]Pregnancy And Delivery In Cats  [/article][article="31414"]Help My Cat Is Having Kittens  [/article]
Keep using this thread for any questions or concerns you may have.

Typo above - I think she means dropped, not ripped. Sounds that way to me too!

talkingpeanut said:

Typo above - I think she means dropped, not ripped. Sounds that way to me too!

Click to expand...

Yes I did mean dropped.  My computer is so slow today and since ripped is a word spell check didn't catch it.

Sorry my computer froze for ages! Her bump does look like its dropped a bit and its not as much football shaped now. She was eating about 5 tins of meat a day the last week but has only eaten one today. She is really affectionate and purring and keeps going to different rooms especially the laundry room and nestled in washing but then went back upstairs. I set her a big box in the room which is empty as I don't use it. I havnt noticed any discharge but she does have dirt on her bum which she dosnt  have normally but maybe cuz of her size cant clean it? What does this mean if she has dropped? I have never dealt with cats breeding kittens before, just dogs so I am nervous but the woman was just going to have her put down and shes only 10 months old just so she didn't want kittens or hassle. She was due around weds 23rd the woman thinks but the vet only felt her tummy no scan but that hard or drop wasn't there yesterday. She has no milk either. Any info will be much appreciated xx

And yes I have supplies and been giving her kitten food, been reading online for info till I stumbled on here. Her litter box was full this morning with several in, she only does one usually but I have only had her for nearly a month Thursday. When I first got till yesterday I used puppy pads as I have a Pomeranian puppy but got her a litter tray but isn't working great for her but I have noticed she has pawed at the pads like shes went toilet but they have been empty when I go to dispose of them? She wouldn't come near me for first few weeks I got her although she wasn't nasty she just wouldn't seek me out but now she is so affectionate and calls for me and follows me everywhere and likes to lie in my arms like a baby bless her. I have put her in my spare room so my dogs don't disturb or stress her so should I just check in on her and is the time near with the things iv told you? x

She may want you with her when she delivers. Pregnant cats are very affectionate. Sounds like she is getting close.

I can hear her pacing about upstairs as I directly bellow the room. I have been sitting with as much as possible but my puppy keeps crying so I check on her downstairs then the cat cries so I go back up and so on and so on. Its tiring but I'm sure its worth it. She was fine with my dogs aswell but last few days if they come upstairs she growls sort of, and when they come in the room iv put her bed in she goes nuts and attacks and chases them out so ive not let them go upstairs now as I don't want her to feel unsafe to give birth in there so iv restricted them to downstairs only. She still came down today and stood by the door meowing as if she wanted out but I don't want to let her incase she runs off, also how will a mother cat be with another female cat/?Well its a kitten and I'm not due to pick it up for a few weeks. I put the deposit on a female ragdoll kitten before I got this cat but if its a kitten will she be ok with her or is it different for each cat? I can keep them separated anyway

Right now she is protective of her unborn kittens.  You will need to keep the other animals away from her and the kittens until they are 3 or 4 weeks old.  She will tell you when she is ready for other animals to meet them.  Sounds like the new kitten will be just in time.

The puppy  and kittens will need to be supervised when meeting for quite some time.

I assumed she was being protective. She is fine with them anywhere else in the house when she comes downstairs for affection but just not in that one room. She is eating again today, not as ravenous as before but eating more normal like an unpregnant cat. Her milk has filled up since last night it looks like. They look little cows udders unless its the kittens I could feel. I havnt touched her tummy much as I don't know what I'm looking for and I don't want to hurt her so I only felt them twice but not pressing down on her, more like cupping them? I would like to take her vets to get a more definite date but she is obviously late in pregnancy so I don't want to stress her. I havnt felt kittens move but that may be because I havnt touched hertummy much but when shes lying down i thought it looked like her tummy rippled sometimes. She is finding lying down quite uncomfortable as shes a bit restless. She was calling me at 3am then 4am and came and scratched at my bedroom door about 5am, i thought to get fed like normal but she didnt eat that much. Iv added a pic ofher when i first rescued her, i will upload pics of her now when i get my damn phone to work. Bloody iphones!!

I will have to get the recent pics off facebook so will post them soon x

These are the latest pics of tummy, can anyone guess how far along she looks like x

It's really hard to tell at least for me. How long have you felt the kitten's moving. I have been told that you have 2-3 weeks from there. My cat doesn't look that big and she is 62 days today. But she may be having a big liter. 

Well when I picked her up it was exactly three weeks ago last Thursday and the woman said she had took her to the vets the day before on the wednsday and he told her she had about three weeks left in her pregnancy so she should of been due around Wednesday of last week but he only felt her tummy, no scan so its just an estimate I suppose. I havnt actually felt the kittens move as I don't want to press on her tummy but I saw her tummy move the last 5 or 6 days? Them pics I put up are ones I took about 4 days ago I will take some more and put them up. Its difficult to do it as shes restless and her tummy looks smaller that it actually is. Not sure if its her fur markings that's blending her big tummy but I will take some now and put them up

Thanks

I just took these pictures. I have noticed what looks like dark bits on her vulva and she keeps licking herself there although it could be from going toilet as she just did loads! but she still dosnt have milk I don't think? Any ideas?

I really don't know about the dark bits because my cat is pregnant for the first and last time. I know from others on the site that licking down there could mean she is close. I also know they can go up to 70 days but 63-65 is average. You can defiantly tell she is pregnant. Here is a picture of mine from a few days ago and I don't think she looks as big as yours. 

View media item 336050

I can see the little bum on your cat. So shes on her 63rd day but she looks smaller than mine so i dont have a clue now, ive been reading online as much as possible but they all say basically the same thing, take cat to vets to be sure, but I don't want to put any stress on her. I think the dark bits may have been discharge she couldn't reach to clean because of her bump she is struggling to reach that area. She is following me everywhere and keeps calling me as if she wants reassuring. Its difficult because I want to spend time with her and keep her close at all times but having puppys they cry when I go upstairs to sit with the cat and she dosnt want them near so I'm just going to alternate x

I just realized that this was a week ago. The vet said she was sure she felt two kittens but didn't want to press to hard to hurt the babies or mom. I could be wrong but I don't think she is going to have a big liter.  These pictures was just taken. She is 62 days today.

You are correct that you don't need to take your cat in unless she appears to be in distress. To me, it sounds like she is now in early labor. The dark bits you're seeing could be from discharge or from not being able to clean herself property after using the litter box. Either way, you can help her clean herself with a damp cloth if she'll let you.

Thanks. I can hear squelching noises every time she moves? She was desperate for me to stroke her belly and she couldn't get comfy so was fidgeting around and I heardsort of a squelching noise. Kind of like when you step in water logged mud with your wellie if that makes sense? I can feel the kittens shape and them moving, she dosnt seem in pain she sort of sounds scared when shes on her own upstairs and will call for me till I go up then she comes up for fuss and purrs loudly. Any idea what the noise could be?