Pleaaaase let Aaru have her kittens safely and SOON...

Ummm... I keep going back and forth on this, but I think there's still a kitten in there. The last one was almost 10 hours ago. She hasn' t been having contractions, but I think I felt it move, and she's still got rapid breathing. Otherwise, she seems great. She ate a snack and got up to walk around a little. I found two small blood clots when I changed the bedding... about the size of peas. She has a little discharge but not like the pre-birthing fluid from before... just very slight on her vulva. Does any of this sound like a cause for concern?

forest phoenix

It can be hard to know. A cat's uterus is definitely lumpy after giving birth, and they can continue to pant.

If she conceived more than once, another kitten could be gestating still, but will be born on Mother Nature's timetable, usually within a couple of days.

The sure way to know would be an x-ray or ultrasound, or you can just wait. If she's not in distress, she'll either get calm, or birth another.

Have you given her a dish of KMR to drink? That tends to calm new moms rather quickly.

Keep us posted.

@sarthur2 Thank you so much for all your guidance and information. You are such a blessing. Maybe she did conceive more than once. I have no way of knowing. She was a barn cat before she wandered onto my porch one night, so who knows what she got into. She had some KMR mixed with wet food earlier, and I figure it's time for another dish. The PetAg KMR I have says 2 tsp a day for Momma, so I thought I'd give her  a tsp in the morning and one in the evening each day. Does that sound right?

She was a little antsy earlier when I posted. She was following me around, more vocal than normal, and had left the kittens alone in the nest. She went to the area of the floor where she went into labor for the first time this morning, and became preoccupied with that spot. I had to coax her back to the nest and put the babies to her belly to get her to stay with them. Who knows what she will do. We both had naps today, so maybe we're rested up for another exciting night... or maybe not .

It would be exciting if she had a tuxedo baby at the last minute that looked like her. My Mom really wanted a tuxedo girl, and was sorta bummed that they were all solid black.

One last question... is it normal for the nipples to get sorta red from the nursing? The gland doesn't feel hard or inflamed, but the nipple is just reddish.

My friend is picking me up a kitchen scale on her trip to town tonight, so I'm excited to start tracking their weights. That will probably be the only way I can tell them apart! Are there any good, safe, tricks for that by the way? I don't have any ribbon, and I don't want to put colored yarn around their necks because I don't want momma to take it off and ingest it while bathing them. My Mom suggested nailpolish on their claws or tail tips, but nailpolish has some nasty chemicals in it. I don't even use it on myself... any ideas for how to tell 3 solid black babies apart? Well... I only need to tell 2 apart. I can recognize #1... he's the biggest and strongest. He's the fighter that screamed loud enough from 2 rooms away that I came running to find that she had had gone into labor while I slept last night, and left him behind the bed. Needless to say, I did a whole house scan with a flashlight for others.

Nail polish on the tail tips is what I recommend. Re-do it as needed.

I usually mix a cup of KMR at a time and pour a third of a cup for mom.

Thank goodness you found the missing baby!

You can also use non-toxic markers to mark the inside of their little ears. Cryola washable markers or crayola highlighters work.

Got a kitchen scale and checked weights...

I can't actually tell them apart except by size, but I think the numbering reflects birth order:

Kitty #1: 141g

Kitty #2: 128g

Kitty #3: 136g

Kitty #4 (a mythical unicorn I'm not sure exists, but I really think he's still in there): TBD

Also, Aaru gets up and leaves the nest frequently for an hour or so at a time. I hope this is fine. When she goes back, she does seem quite motherly, cuddling and nursing the babies. She nuzzles or licks them when they cry. Earlier, she was in the living room with me, and heard one of the babies cry from the art studio where the nest is... she was up and gone like the wind... running to get to him. It was awesome. She's also started growling at sounds, which she's never done before. I assume it's a protective thing. She growls when the phone rings. Haha. I was worried that, as young as she is, she wouldn't have the maternal instincts, but so far she's doing pretty well. I'm so proud of her. I wish this last kitten would come out soon! I'm going to take her to the vet Tuesday after work, and I'll get them to ultrasound her if #4 hasn't arrived yet. I wish the clinic were open today.

She sounds like a great mama cat. It's fine if she leaves the nest while her kittens are sleeping. I'd say her maternal instincts have fully kicked in!

If you do go to the vet, take the kittens in the carrier too. Are you seeing/ feeling movement still that might be a kitten?

I don't know. I have times, like last night, when I was sure I felt another one in there. But then I can't find it again. I have no idea. She had some discharge on her hind quarters this morning.. clearish like before she went into labor before. But she's not having contractions or acting weird other than that she's more vocal than normal. She's finally eating, drinking, and using the box again. It took her awhile to get her appetite for kibble back after the births yesterday.

If she ate the placentas, she wasn't hungry. Cats do spot for about a week after delivering. They also are very vocal while raising their kittens. It sounds to me like she's done giving birth.

  Congratulations on the new kittens!!! Sending prayers of thanksgiving that all has gone well. I have heard of cats having a kitten a week or so after the others - it depends on if she ovulated later, since the kittens can have different fathers and/or be conceived at different times.

If 'Ru's nipples are getting sore, you can bite open a Vitamin E capsule and put a little dab on each. It will be soothing to her and wont harm the babies. 

If your mom really wants a female tux, I highly recommend that she adopt one - tuxies & black kitties often are the last to be adopted so when shelters get full, they are at the top of the "list" ...She could also get one of 'Ru's babies since kittens do best when adopted as a team. Of  course, that's a decision whose time is weeks down the road.

And thank you for the pics     Again, congratulations! Susan & crew

@catsknowme Thank you for the vitamin E advice. Yeah, my Mom got us a tuxedo girl as my first kitty when I was just around 4 years old, but she totally became my Mom's cat as the years went on. They were really close, and she still misses her (she lived to be 17). Mom and I both worked in animal hospitals, and she managed one for about 35 years, so we always had plenty of rescued cats at the house, but she always wanted another tux. I think we both took for granted that Ru would have a baby tux, but it just wasn't in the cards I guess . She has 5 cats (which is sorta a low number for her LoL), and she's not really *looking* for a tuxedo. I think she just would have been happy to take it off my hands. She's coming to visit me at the end of this month, and I'm hoping that her heart will soften when she meets them. Of course, she'd have to wait and come back down to adopt it after another month when it's big enough to leave Ru... who knows. I want to keep one of them, but I don't know yet who will adopt the other two. I have some ideas. I live in an area where people really don't like cats, for some reason. It horrifies me to hear of the things that people do to them without remorse. I can't stand it. I teach high school, and I tell my students that I don't have cats because I don't want any of them to harm them. Anyway, I want to be really careful who gets these babies. Being black cats especially, they could be in greater danger. It hurts my heart.

Kittens are 2 days old... gaining 7-10 grams per day (is that good?). They all appear to be feeding well and sleeping comfortably with round bellies. I never hear a peep out of them, except when I take them out to check their weights. When I do, Ru gives me the fierce stink eye until I give them back. She's spending most of her time in the nest, except when she ventures out every out or two for some alone time on the cool linoleum. I'm so proud of her. One concern that I have is that she has the instinct to scruff the babes to move them, but she seems too hesitant to actually move them. She grabs and then flings them! It's like if you wanted to move a feedsack, and you lifted it once, threw it as far as you could, then walked away rather than trying to carry it. I wonder if she's worried she'll harm them by carrying them. I weighed #3 last night, and he cried when I set him on the scale. She came out of the nest and grabbed him by the scruff. I wanted to let her have the opportunity to move him herself, so I just sat back and watched... but she scruffed him, flung him down onto the floor off of the scale platform (which was just a few inches above the floor), then went back to the nest without him . There was also a time when one rolled out of the nest and started crying for Ru. She got out, went to him, scruffed him, let go, and went back inside without him and ignored his cries. I had to put him back myself and fix the door to the nest so he couldn't roll out again. What is up with this? Anyone ever seen a new mommy do this?

I'm still vacillating as to whether or not she still has a bun in the oven, still waiting to come out. I'll convince myself it's there, then I can't feel it anymore... so I'll convince myself it's not there, and then I feel it again. I'm taking the whole family to the vet in the morning. We were supposed to go today, but I got a flat tire and had to postpone. Wish us luck.

It sounds like mom is trying to learn how to scruff and move her babies, but is not yet comfortable with the process. In the meantime, helping her is the way to go. Let us know what the vet says tomorrow!

Holy guacamole!!! Kittens just weighed in. They all gained at least 20 grams today!!!!! How is that possible?!?

Also, Ru is getting better at scruffing. She stole #1 off the scale and almost got him into the nest this time

A 20-gram gain is excellent! Mom's milk must really be kicking in now. I doubt she has any kittens left inside.

We have had a trying morning . I just moved to this area 2 years ago, and haven't used any of the vets here until now. Although this practice is small and no-frills, everyone I know just raved about it, so I took the family for a checkup and Rabies vax for Ru (who has never been seen or vaccinated). I also asked them to do a post-partum checkup on her, and a combo test to make sure she is FIV/FELV neg before I start giving away kitties in a couple months.  I didn't expect anything fancy, but I did expect more. I got a new doctor and although there's nothing wrong with being new in a career, I think she needs a little more experience. Just from my years as a vet assistant, it seemed that I knew more than she did about some things . When I went to check out and they handed me some dose syringes and a bottle of Panacur, the receptionist asked me how much she weighs. I gave her a ferocious look and said "you guys are supposed to know that." They hadn't bothered to weigh her. She said "Is she medium... large?" I told her to write the dosing instructions on the paperwork and I'd weigh her and calculate it at home.  Aaaarrgh. Maybe I just got her on a bad day. I'll have to request not to be seen by her in the future. I don't want to be a jerk, but I take them there for medical care... not guess-work. I'll have to request that another doc spay Ru in August. So bummed.

On the bright side, we're all home, Ru is FIV and FELV negative, and she's got her Rabies taken care of.

I had hoped she would have a good, thorough checkup because she's just been so tired lately. At least her temp was normal. This doctor was just disappointing. Sorry. I don't mean to be so negative. I'm just upset that she didn't get better care.

That sounds like an awful experience for both you and your cat. It sounds like the newbie vet needs hands-on experience along with direct supervision. I'm not sure I would ever go there again. I would be inclined to find a clinic with an experienced vet who's been in practice for a number of years when it's time for kitten shots and spaying.

Your cat is tired, though, because she just experienced pregnancy and delivery, and is now nursing kittens. It's hard work. Most cat moms are tired, just like human moms.

Update: Shortly after my last post, Ru vomited and had terrible diarrhea. Not wanting to stress her out more, but fearing a vaccine reaction, I carted her back to the vet and explained that I needed to see a different, more experienced vet. They got me in to see a different doctor, and she was fantastic. She was thorough, kind, knowledgeable, and took all the time she needed to look at Ru and each of the kittens. She gave Ru a benadryl injection to counteract what seems like a mild reaction brought on by a combination of vaccines, stress, and maybe the KMR not agreeing with her. Unfortunately, her fecal cytology showed some bad bacteria, so she'll be going on amoxi drops and probiotics. I hate antibiotics most of the time, but I don't want to gamble this time. I know that antibiotics make problems with intestinal flora worse, and I hardly ever take them myself. I don't know. When it comes to my cats, I often chicken out and go the conventional route because I don't want to make a mistake with holistic medicine that harms them. So she'll get the drops and the probiotics. Long story short, this vet was great. I requested that she be the only vet that Ru sees, and that she be the attending surgeon on Ru's spay in August. Much happier camper now. Aaaannnd I have to wash all the poop off my linens now. Here's hoping you all have a lovely and far less eventful day.



PS... the doc thinks the babies are 2 boys and a girl!

I'm guessing it was the result of stress plus the vaccine. In general, it's best not to vaccinate lactating cats.

So glad to hear that you found an experienced, caring vet at the same clinic. What a relief.

There's nothing wrong with amoxicillin to get rid of bacteria. The meds will pass to the kittens through mom's milk, and prevent any infection she may also be sharing with them.

You and your brood have had a big day!