Pregnant adopted stray

Hi! I am new here and found a lot of helpful posts. A little stray followed me home about a month ago. She slept at my doorstep for the three hottest nights of the summer when I then took her to the vet and brought her in. I have one other cat. At that time, I was not aware that she was pregnant and here we are with a huge cat belly! I took her to the vet again just to follow up. I've made a few nesting spots for her because I want to make sure she feels comfortable but she seems to just lay on the living room floor. I keep saying that she is due any second but how do I really know? Her belly has gotten much firmer and the babies are moving less. Do I need to be available for the first few days after they are born? Should I have the milk replacement on hand just in case? Will the kittens urinate on their own? At what point will they need to be introduced to a litter box? Does the mother's good and water need to be in the nest? I just want to make sure I do all of this the right way. Thank you!

Also, what can I expect for the birth? Will it be very bloody?

My cat had 4 kittens it was quite messy but mum will clean up after herself just give her reassurance and it should be fine x

And mum will clean up the wee shell feed them then lick them witch makes them wee and personally I had kitten milk on hand just incase and when she's ready we'll from my experience my cat went upstairs and started heavy breathing then I put her in her nesting spot and the pushing begun I just stroked her back and told her it's ok 1 and a half hours later 4 healthy kittens first couple of days you don't nessecerally have to be there as she'll do everything for them just make sure she has plenty of fresh water and food keep your other cat away from the kittens as he/she might hurt them and also put the litter box in there too because mum cat won't want to leave her little balls of fluff for a second hope this helps if I've missed anything just ask good luck with your little bundles of love [emoji]128049[/emoji][emoji]10084[/emoji]️ X

This is what she looks like now. Any guess on how much longer?

Welcome, and thanks for rescuing her!

Here are some links to help you out:

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/how-do-i-know-when-my-cat-will-give-birth

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/pregnant-cat-what-to-prepare-for-the-birth

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/help-my-cat-is-having-kittens

It's hard to say from a picture. From your description, she is nearing the end of her pregnancy though. [emoji]128522[/emoji]

I am envious that you are going to have kittens in your house. Fostering a cat last fall who had 3 kittens was the most fun. I saw them born & it was so exciting.

Hello! My cat had kittens last Friday so they are currently 6 days old. She gave birth in her nest which was set up in the bathroom and they have all stayed in there since. I have one other cat that has pretty much stayed out of the area. The mother attacked him one time when she thought he got too close to the bathroom. This morning, the mother cat moved all of her kittens to my boyfriend's closet behind the drawers in the closet all while my other cat was watching on the bed. I moved her nest into the closet but she still tried to get behind the drawers. She finally laid back down and nursed them in the nest again. She was meowing really loud at me like she was trying to tell me something and I don't know how to help her. She allows me hold and move her babies. I just want to make sure I do the right thing for her and the babies and understand what she wants and needs. Should I watch for anything specifically? Is it usual to move the nest so early after the birth?

It's not at all unusual for a cat to move her kittens to a place where she feels they are safer. The closet is a good place.

She is trying to tell you to keep the other cat away right now. He makes her nervous. Can you keep him out of the room for now?

The other cat hasn't been in the bathroom at all. Maybe it was the toilet and the shower that was disturbing her? It will be very difficult to keep the other cat out of the bedroom because that has always been his safe haven, especially when the mother cat was introduced (she is a recent adopted stray). Can I keep her food in a different room? It was next to her in the bathroom but there is no room in the closet to do the same thing. 

K keri

Can you put her food and litter box just outside the closet door?

Continue to use this same thread for all of your questions.

So all the little kitties are doing very well! They have begun to wrestle with each other and it is so cute to watch. The mother cat, "Little Kitty," continues to move all the babies which is kind of a problem because there are not many places for them to go in a one bedroom apartment. I set up a huge cage with lots of blankets that I leave the door open so LK can go in and out to check on her babies. I covered it with a sheet for extra privacy. It was working out well because the babies had more space to move around and LK had more room to nurse than my pajama drawer that she had last decided to make home. She moved them again last night. It's a little hard to keep up with this because of the other cat that is in the apartment, Martin. Things have not really eased with LK and Martin. Understandably, LK is incredibly protective of her kittens so she attacks Martin when he even thinks of coming close to the bedroom. Martin used to sleep with me every night. He was always a nervous and skiddish cat and it breaks my heart that his space has been so limited. I want to move LK and the babies to the kitchen that can be gated so that they have more room to practice walking and I have space to introduce a litter box. I am scared that LK will try to move them out of there again because it is a very used room. And I would have to move Martin's food to a different location. Does anyone have any advice on making all of this work? I am really trying but I have thought about contacting a local shelter to help me just because of the limited space, poor Martin and I don't to hinder the kittens growth or upset LK...

K keri

Martin will be fine in the long run. I would give him extra attention and affection for now, but I would not move the mom and kittens right now. It is very important that she feel safe.

Have you tried putting a plug-in Felliway diffuser in your bedroom? It helps to calm cats.

I suggest that you contact a no-kill rescue and inquire about them taking the mom and kittens eventually so they can be adopted into proper forever homes. The kittens must stay with mom for at least 8 weeks.

What is your city and state and I can check for you?

Martin has been getting attacked for going on three months now. Sometimes I just don't it's fair that his safe zone was taken over and has no real safe place to be because LK will go after him anywhere. She definitely is a confident cat and took over from the start. Martin is so much bigger but always so afraid. I give him lots of extra attention and love and it just makes me feel more terrible knowing and allowing this to happen for so long especially when he has such a timid personality in the first place.

I can definitely try the diffuser. Can I find that at Petco or a store like that?

I have a few people who are interested in adopting the kittens when the time comes which is why I haven't contacted any shelters yet. I live in Moriches, NY.

So LK keeps moving 2-3 of the kittens out of the cage and puts them right next to or behind it. The kittens meow when they are separated so I always know when something is up. Should I let her separate them? Any tips on how to introduce a litter box and wet food now if they are going to stay in the carpeted bedroom? Should they have free range of the whole room? Also, LK hates being locked in there with her as she likes to have access to the whole apartment.

Just feeling a little stressed at the moment...and we haven't even gotten to the training part...

I would remove the cage altogether. Since the kittens are almost 4 weeks old, they no longer need it. Instead, put a big towel down in its place, and allow them the run of the room.

You can begin introducing kitten chow and pate-style wet food between 4-5 weeks old. Some are ready, others not until 6 weeks or so.

Once they begin eating, you'll need to put them into a kitten-sized litter box with non-clumping litter to start. You can use disposable aluminum cake pans from the dollar store until they are big enough for an adult box. Put them in before and after meals. I put doggie pee pads all around mine in case of accidents. Kittens usually catch on quickly.

Felliway plug-ins are at pet stores. Not cheap but effective!

Mama kitty may need short breaks out of the bedroom, but she does not need complete control of your apartment.

It's great you have folks wanting to adopt the kittens. Make sure they can all afford to spay and neuter, and are committed to doing so.

What is your plan for mom? She will calm down after she is spayed eventually. Her hormones are still driving her right now.

Ok so I removed the cage and they seem to be happy to be able to explore a little bit. They mainly stay under the bed which is where LK likes them to be. It seems like she is nervous about this new layout. Do you think a lot of accidents will happen under the bed when we start litter training? 

I let LK out of the bedroom and it seems like the very first thing she does is check where Martin is to decide if she should attack or not. She hates when he eats. She hates when she uses the litter box. I moved hers into the bedroom and she won't even use it. She waits until she is out of the room and uses the one that Martin uses. My boyfriend really wants to keep LK after her kittens are adopted but I'd rather keep a kitten and adopt her out because of her attitude. How long do I have to wait to have her spayed?

Thank you for all of your advice!

Keri said:

Ok so I removed the cage and they seem to be happy to be able to explore a little bit. They mainly stay under the bed which is where LK likes them to be. It seems like she is nervous about this new layout. Do you think a lot of accidents will happen under the bed when we start litter training? 

I let LK out of the bedroom and it seems like the very first thing she does is check where Martin is to decide if she should attack or not. She hates when he eats. She hates when she uses the litter box. I moved hers into the bedroom and she won't even use it. She waits until she is out of the room and uses the one that Martin uses. My boyfriend really wants to keep LK after her kittens are adopted but I'd rather keep a kitten and adopt her out because of her attitude. How long do I have to wait to have her spayed?

Thank you for all of your advice!

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She doesn't have an attitude but she does have impulses to protect her kittens. She can be spayed when they are 8 weeks old. I see no reason why Martin and LK need to interact right now. Can you put him in another room when she is out stretching her legs? I also think when the kittens are a bit older that you could move them into the kitchen and move Martin into your bedroom. That way he will feel secure and you will be better able to clean any kitten-related messes.

How did they get along before she had the kittens?

She is a stray, talkingpeanut , a relative newcomer. Martin is the resident cat. It is a one-bedroom apartment - ergo, these issues.

In the next couple of weeks, as the kittens get to about 6 weeks old, you can move them to the kitchen.

All new mama cats get anxious when their kittens first begin to explore away from the nest. Again, it is instinctual, and does not last that long.

As they wean, they will begin using the litter box, so mess under the bed will be rare.

LK will calm down eventually. Yes, she can be spayed when her kittens are 8 weeks old. I would still keep her litter box in the bedroom for now, even if she does not use it.

It's not ideal, but things really will get better. I understand it's stressful. Give it a couple weeks before making decisions. We are here for support! [emoji]128522[/emoji]

sarthur2 said:

She is a stray, talkingpeanut , a relative newcomer. Martin is the resident cat. It is a one-bedroom apartment - ergo, these issues.

In the next couple of weeks, as the kittens get to about 6 weeks old, you can move them to the kitchen.

All new mama cats get anxious when their kittens first begin to explore away from the nest. Again, it is instinctual, and does not last that long.

As they wean, they will begin using the litter box, so mess under the bed will be rare.

LK will calm down eventually. Yes, she can be spayed when her kittens are 8 weeks old. I would still keep her litter box in the bedroom for now, even if she does not use it.

It's not ideal, but things really will get better. I understand it's stressful. Give it a couple weeks before making decisions. We are here for support! [emoji]128522[/emoji]

Click to expand...

Yes, I understand. OP said that the bedroom is martin's safe place, so he might feel better in there even if he's secluded.

Unfortunately, LK and Martin were like this before the kittens were born. I'm telling you, her personality is so strong! She literally walked right into the apartment when we decided to take more care of her. So it is hard to say if the kittens made the situation more tense. But then again, I haven't known her when she is not pregnant/mother...

Thank you for your help everyone! I'm sure I will post again in the next few weeks