My cat has had kittens

I recently took in a stray cat that turned out to be pregnant. Since my other 2 cats are older and spayed, I kept her completely separated from them in the office. Yesterday morning, she started howling and kept going in her nesting box. About 11am she gave birth to a healthy kitten and then about an hour later gave birth to a second-this one healthy but a little smaller. Everything seemed ok but I could distinctly feel a bump in side which felt like a little head. I was getting panic stricken, read all kinds of posts, spoke with an emergency vet. The vet said I could bring her in,do xrays,ultrasound, and if necessary a c-section. To make a long story short, about $2000 just to find out what was the issue( impossible amount of money for me). I monitored her and she seemed fine-eating, drinking and caring for the 2 little kittens. I read that feeding her kitten food would be good as it has extra calorie so this morning I went to the store to get her some. When I came home to my surprise and horror, she had given birth to a stillborn kitten- this was almost 24 hours later

TracieJB said:

 
I recently took in a stray cat that turned out to be pregnant. Since my other 2 cats are older and spayed, I kept her completely separated from them in the office. Yesterday morning, she started howling and kept going in her nesting box. About 11am she gave birth to a healthy kitten and then about an hour later gave birth to a second-this one healthy but a little smaller. Everything seemed ok but I could distinctly feel a bump in side which felt like a little head. I was getting panic stricken, read all kinds of posts, spoke with an emergency vet. The vet said I could bring her in,do xrays,ultrasound, and if necessary a c-section. To make a long story short, about $2000 just to find out what was the issue( impossible amount of money for me). I monitored her and she seemed fine-eating, drinking and caring for the 2 little kittens. I read that feeding her kitten food would be good as it has extra calorie so this morning I went to the store to get her some. When I came home to my surprise and horror, she had given birth to a stillborn kitten- this was almost 24 hours later

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Is it long after the third delivery?  In rare occassions, a seemingly stillborn can be revived even several hours later (ie it was not really dead) - so warm it up, massage it by rubbing with a towel and your hands, etc...

I will come back

TracieJB said:

 
I recently took in a stray cat that turned out to be pregnant. Since my other 2 cats are older and spayed, I kept her completely separated from them in the office. Yesterday morning, she started howling and kept going in her nesting box. About 11am she gave birth to a healthy kitten and then about an hour later gave birth to a second-this one healthy but a little smaller. Everything seemed ok but I could distinctly feel a bump in side which felt like a little head. I was getting panic stricken, read all kinds of posts, spoke with an emergency vet. The vet said I could bring her in,do xrays,ultrasound, and if necessary a c-section. To make a long story short, about $2000 just to find out what was the issue( impossible amount of money for me). I monitored her and she seemed fine-eating, drinking and caring for the 2 little kittens. I read that feeding her kitten food would be good as it has extra calorie so this morning I went to the store to get her some. When I came home to my surprise and horror, she had given birth to a stillborn kitten- this was almost 24 hours later

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Good you waited, its also our usual advice - if momma is OK, no visible troubles, be vigilant and observant, but usually you can wait and see.  EVEN if you are sure there is one more.  One of the reasons is, its not unique they can be delivered hours and even days apart.   And kittens, unlike humans, dont manage well premature deliveries...

So, unless mommas life its not in danger, the statistical money betting will be on waiting...

Here, be sure you monitor the kittens, take their weights every day - especielly as there IS some complication. Have the scale preferably in grammes, its easier to see.

Please come back with reports and further question.  I will ask a mod to make your own tread of this your first post and the following answers.

StefanZ said:

 
Is it long after the third delivery?  In rare occassions, a seemingly stillborn can be revived even several hours later (ie it was not really dead) - so warm it up, massage it by rubbing with a towel and your hands, etc...

I will come back

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Its often worth to try and revive a stillborn - its not unique at all they can be revived.   But at least once a forumist told about a stillborn, whom they by some reason didnt bury at once. 9 hours later it come by itself into life.  But in the end it didnt make it.  It if was some fault on it from the beginning, or because the reviving and proper care come too late, we cant know.

But the lesson is - if it isnt no  very visibly dead, fight on - let water out from mouth and lungs if there is any, warm up, rub vigorously, pray...  No quaranties, but sometimes it helps.

traciejb

I'm so sorry that the last kitten was stillborn. That is sad.

It's good that she delivered it without needing surgery though.

Sometimes when a kitten remains in the birth canal too long without being born, especially when the sac around it breaks, the kitten will be stillborn.

It may have been breech and it was a difficult birth. That may be why it took so long. It just happens sometimes.

Thankfully, mom and the other two kittens are okay.

Mother and the 2 kittens are doing extremely well- I was worried about her milk production but it seems that after the last one was delivered, everything started working the way it should. She is going to be spayed as soon as the kits start weening. It really makes me sad that people can have an animal-whether it be a dog or cat and then move and leave it behind, which is what happened to this young cat. But she is in good hands now

traciejb

Believe me, every single cat I have ever owned has been a stray. I could get on my soapbox like crazy about irresponsible people who do not spay or neuter, and who leave pets behind. It's sad and maddening. These poor animals can't fend for themselves.

I took in a pregnant stray last spring and ended up keeping her and all four of her kittens. The kittens are almost 16 months old now. I love them all!

I'm glad yours are doing well! Give mom as much kitten chow and wet food as she wants while she's nursing.

It's best to spay her when the kittens are 8 weeks old. And the kittens need to stay with mom for 10-12 weeks. [emoji]128522[/emoji]

UPDATE- Daisy is the stray cat who "found" me. One night I came home from shopping and this little stray cat ran right up to me meowing as if she new me. My roommate asked if I had been feeding her and I told her I had never seen this cat before. She was very friendly and obviously a stray as she was very very hungry. I started feeding her because she was showing signs of pregnancy. I checked the lost and found, asked neihbors if she was their cat but nobody claimed her.

She got very big with kittens, so I took her in, put together a nesting box for her and gave her alot of love. This past Saturday, she gave birth to 2 live kittens and Sunday gave birth to a stillborn kitten. Monday I took her and the 2 kittens to the vet because even though her mammaries were full, there were no nipples for the kittens to latch on to. Vet assured me they were ok,or they would not have survived for 2 days.  I had such a gut feeling that the kittens were not getting enough nourishment from her, so I bought KRM and a baby bottle at the pet store in a attempt to help feed them.

Came home from work late Monday night to find the smaller kitten clinging to life. Tried to give the poor little thing some nourishment but to no avail, and the kitten died an hour later. Tuesday the 2nd kitten took a turn for the worse and again tried to give it nourishment but again, he/she was so weak to suck on the bottle,Tried my best to get the mother to nurse it and although she tried, there was just no milk from her and the kitten died a few hours later.

I thought there would be some signs of mourning the kittens from Daisy when I removed the nesting box and closed the closet door where the kittens were born, but she didn't. She sat on her blanket and just looked at the closet but did not meow , or look for them. It is now 2 days since the last kitten died and Daisy`s milk has dried up, she is happy and content and has an appointment on July 11th to be spayed.  

My message is PLEASE if you have an animal, get it spayed or neutered. I live in an area where there are so many stray cats that it breaks my heart daily. Daisy is one of the very few who have a happy ending but there are so many who don`t. Even if you think you are giving kittens to a good home, it is a very big chance that that just won`t happen

Unfortunately you did not come to us for advice sooner when you first had a gut feeling and went to the vet for "help". I would have explained to you how to syringe feed the kittens, along with other emergency things to do. It does sound like they died from starvation.

Many vets have zero practical experience with newborn kittens, or he would have given you emergency information on what to do to save the kittens, as we would have.

I'm very sorry you lost the kittens, but happy that your cat appears well, and will be getting spayed soon.


Thank you for the update. Please continue to ask questions about your cat on this thread.

I'm sorry the kittens have passed away. Perhaps the mama cat was just too under nourished when she found you and the kitten's development may have suffered? It's a shame, but you tried. I'm glad she found you so now at least she has someone to take care of her and will know a loving home from now on.