My Rescue Kitty is Pregnant. Could she be ready to have them?

myzfit

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Okay so for starters, my cat is a rescue. We came home this past Friday (8/26/16) to find her laying on the sidewalk in front of our house. My husband thought she was dead at first because she was completely sprawled out. As we pulled in the driveway, she picked her head up and was watching us, looking as though she might bolt a couple of times until I made him stop so I could get out and try to approach her. She was VERY friendly and actually ended up being the same cat I'd seen a month ago that I thought was someone's pet because she was on someone's porch and then ran up on another porch after following us down the street a bit.

Anyways I couldn't catch her and bring her home a month ago but we got her inside on Friday and immediately realized she's pregnant. She has a large belly and while staying up late Sunday night she came and lay in the chair beside me and I watched her belly bulge and shift as the kittens moved about so from what I've been reading she's at least 7 weeks into it.

Today, Tuesday, She has become VERY affectionate and clingy and wants me with her the whole time. I've also noticed she seems a bit more restless than usual and, while not exactly NESTING, she HAS been spending a lot of time on our enclosed front porch where we have been shutting her in at night until the kittens are born (she has NOT gone back outside since we brought her in. The porch is completely enclosed with no way for her to get outside. We also make sure she has everything she needs out there and the temperature is okay before we close her out there at night.)

I've made her two different nesting boxes, one that has two tabs taped over the top with a square entrance to make it more cave-like for her and sits beneath my desk so she has somewhere to escape the bothersome, screeching 2 year old that chases her around if she sees her. And the other is on the porch with her and is basically just a box with a blanket in it. I don't know what else to do for her but she will occasionally go in the cave one and refuses to even touch the other one.

Earlier tonight I heard her chirping a bit and meowing from the other room so I called her and she's stuck to me like glue ever since. I'm sure she'll be going into labor soon from everything I've read on here and everyone else's descriptions matching up with her recent actions but she's still too new to us to be 100%...

My concern is that she is definitely still kitten age. This poor dear is most DEFINITELY NOT over 1 year old and more than likely was a kitten someone couldn't adopt out so they put her on the street to fend for herself. She's far too sweet to not have had SOME form of handling in her short life. My mother and law and I think she looks to be about 8 months, maybe 10 at the most. Is there anything I should expect/prepare for with her being so young a mom? I've read some young moms will abandon their kittens/have complications... This is also our first (and unless we find another pregnant stray, our LAST) litter of kittens so what should we have on hand for the birth? I have plenty of old towels ready to go and I know where I can get milk replacement for the kittens if they need it but I feel like I'm missing something... Any advice is very welcome.

P.S. My husband and I intend to have her spayed immediately after the kittens are born and are discussing the possibility of keeping the kittens (she's our only cat atm...we just had to put down our senior a few months ago and haven't had the heart to get another yet) and will DEFINITELY have them spayed if we keep them as well. If we do NOT keep them, they will be going to my mother in law who works with rainbow animal rescue near us and will see to it they get spayed before being adopted out. We are definitely pro spay/neuter! And def Anti-declaw! We actually have talked about building a cat habitat in our home (shelves up the wall, beds hanging from the ceiling, etc) to give her and possibly her kittens places to hide up high where they prefer. Good kitty parents just NO CLUE about pregnant cats because we've never had one! Ours were always fixed and we had our senior from the time he was about 1!
 

raina21

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myzfit myzfit

She definitely sounds like she could be close! Typically kittens will be born 2-3 weeks after you can see the kittens move.

Also, it is better to spay mom when the kittens are 8 weeks old (kittens can typically be spayed/neutered at 8 weeks of age as long as they are over 2 pounds). Having her spayed too soon after the kittens are born may mean she'd be too sore to nurse and you'd also be stuck feeding X number of kittens KMR (Kitten Mother milk Replacer) every hour while she is in surgery and while she recovers.

And I think its a great idea that you are thinking of keeping the kittens :) mother cats will often choose a "favorite" in the litter and form a close bond with them. So if you can't keep all of them, be sure to try to keep monma cat's "favorite"!
 

Sarthur2

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myzfit myzfit

Welcome to TCS! [emoji]128522[/emoji]

Thank you for rescuing her! She does sound like she was a house cat at one point. She also sounds close, but cats can become clingy up to a week before delivery while experiencing pre-labor.

Watch for loss of mucus plug, water breaking, clear or pinkish discharge, and contractions that look like ripples in her tummy in the next few days.

I recommend that you go ahead and pick up a can of powdered KMR to have on hand in case you need it. Mama kitty can have a dish a day to meet her calcium needs, and you can give it to the kittens when weaning. PetAg makes an excellent KMR.

Most strays are pregnant at around 8-9 months, and are less than a year old when giving birth, but usually manage quite well!

We do not recommend spaying until the kittens are 8 weeks old, as Raina mentioned.

Please keep us posted! [emoji]128522[/emoji]
 
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myzfit

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Thanks everyone! When I said I'd have her spayed immediately I merely meant as soon as it's safe. Is the KMR a necessity for mom? I thought that was just for kittens who get rejected or aren't getting enough milk from mom?
 

handsome kitty

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It's best to get it before hand.  People always seem to 'need' it at an inconvenient time when stores are not open or too far away.  Since your mama was on the street and young herself,  it would be a good idea to give her a dish of it a day.  She needs the nourishment for herself and her growing kittens.  After they are born she will continue to pass along the nutrients to the kittens while she nurses.

Have you seen this article?

 [article="31379"]Pregnant Cat What To Prepare For The Birth​[/article]    If you don't want to get all this together, go with the basics; KMR, small needleless syringe, kitchen scale

Young mama cats need 24 - 48 hours to settle into motherhood.  Be prepared to sit with her and give lots of love and praise while she is nursing.  You may also need to shut her in a room with her kittens so she tends to them rather than looking for you.

I see you have nests set up.  After she chooses one, her food, water and litter box need to be placed nearby.  She will not want to leave her kittens for long when they are newborns.

A little more light reading


 [article="29720"]Pregnancy And Delivery In Cats​[/article]  

 [article="31496"]How Do I Know When My Cat Will Give Birth​[/article]  

 [article="31414"]Help My Cat Is Having Kittens​[/article]  

 [article="33289"]Weighing Newborn Kittens And How This Could Save Their Lives​[/article]  

Keep using this thread for any questions or concerns you may have.  Welcome to TCS!
 
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myzfit

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So I got the KMR but I don't have a clue how to mix it for momma! Also, she started having her kittens late last night (around midnight-1am) and had 3 by 2:30 but has since stopped! I know I can feel at least one more kitten inside her and can't tell if it's active or not so I plan to call the vet here shortly to see if there's anything I can do. She's resting quite happily and nursing her first 3 kittens like a champ... I just hate to think she could have a stillborn still inside her and may need surgery...

I've read a bit about labor for cats and have learned a pause can be normal and can even last up to 36 hours so I'm not super terribly concerned but I am at the same time. And I hesitate to move her for fear of delaying it further. Any advice while I wait for the vet's office to open?
 

Sarthur2

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Leave her be. No need to call the vet. She'll have the other(s) when they are ready to come as long as she's not in distress. Vet will tell you the same!

Did you buy powdered KMR? Directions are on the can. It's one part powder to 2 parts of water.
 
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myzfit

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Leave her be. No need to call the vet. She'll have the other(s) when they are ready to come as long as she's not in distress. Vet will tell you the same!

Did you buy powdered KMR? Directions are on the can. It's one part powder to 2 parts of water.
powdered. And thank you! I was in a rush when I looked at it so I didn't read everything on the can to find that info.

Also, I did put a call into the vet and they want to see her but when I asked if we could wait it out since she's not in distress and I can still feel the kitten moving, she said that's fine it's up to me but informed me there's a risk of the mom getting very sick and possibly dying if the kitten isn't still living. She has an appointment scheduled for 6:15 tomorrow just in case but here's hoping she goes back into labor and has this last kitten before then. Is there anything I can try to induce labor to start up again?
 

Sarthur2

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No, there is nothing you can do but relax and wait patiently.

Your cat does not need surgery right now. There is no dead kitten inside her since the kitten is still moving. Even if it was dead, your cat could still expel it.

You should cancel the appointment for now. If you keep it, the kittens need to go with mom, which will expose them to germs. [emoji]128528[/emoji]
 
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