Hello all!
I have spent hours trying to research this myself before I posted, but I am not getting any answers to my question.
I grew up on a farm with many cats and have helped a few through labor, usually after the first was born (except once). I have been a volunteer for the Southern Oregon Humane Society and a foster home for them. I now live in Northwestern Oregon and once again found myself rescuing a kitten. My husband lost his job and suddenly we barely had food money, let alone money for spaying our very young kitten. Since she was only an indoor cat we weren't too worried and thought that we could delay it a little. But as the story goes.... before we could have her spayed she escaped out the door during her very first heat (that I had noticed, anyway)! Luckily I already have homes lined up for them. We already have a "waiting list" of 6 people and I have warned them they may not all get one!
Stitch will be spayed as soon as the kitties are weaned. She is only an indoor cat now that she lives with us. I already know about what to do during pregnancy, birth and after birth. My only questions concerns the beginning stages of labor and the mucous plug.
Stitch is normally a very slender cat. We did all of the appropriate vaccinations and worming. She has always had a good appetite and is healthy and happy but very skinny.
She is rather big but not as big as most cat's I have seen ready for labor. Her bottom half sets of nipples are bagging up and are very pink, but do not express milk. She still has a little bit of an appetite. I really did not expect her to begin labor for another week. I am not sure of the breeding date, but I am familiar with the signs of labor. I expected it to be at least another week before she has them. Maybe she will have a small (1 or 2) litter of kittens?
WARNING!! MAY BE GROSS TO SOME READERS!
This morning she walked up to me and looked right into my eyes and meowed like she was worried. I checked her vagina and she had a dried up, biege colored, mucous "plug". She also had some small pieces of dried feces on her anus that I didn't want dropping on the floor that my 3 year old plays on. So, I used a baby wipe to very gently clean it off and cleaned off the crusty mucous on her vagina as well. She had more mucous beneath it. I set her down and she cleaned herself. An hour later she had more coming out and cleaned it up again. Her vagina has turned lighter (almost white) in color and seems a tiny bit enlarged. The mucous had a slight green tent to it but no odor and no blood. Now there is a very small wall of dried mucous at the vaginal opening making it kind of dried shut.
I am just not sure what to make of it. I want to make sure that it isn't some type of infection of something. I have never witnessed a cat losing it plug. I really wasn't expecting her to go into labor quite yet but it is her first (and only!) batch and I know they can be unpredictable. Her behavior the last few days before today, has consisted of a ferociuos appetite (many, many small meals) and crazy running back and forth all over the house playing.
Please, any advice?
Thanks,
Steph&Stitch
I have spent hours trying to research this myself before I posted, but I am not getting any answers to my question.
I grew up on a farm with many cats and have helped a few through labor, usually after the first was born (except once). I have been a volunteer for the Southern Oregon Humane Society and a foster home for them. I now live in Northwestern Oregon and once again found myself rescuing a kitten. My husband lost his job and suddenly we barely had food money, let alone money for spaying our very young kitten. Since she was only an indoor cat we weren't too worried and thought that we could delay it a little. But as the story goes.... before we could have her spayed she escaped out the door during her very first heat (that I had noticed, anyway)! Luckily I already have homes lined up for them. We already have a "waiting list" of 6 people and I have warned them they may not all get one!
Stitch will be spayed as soon as the kitties are weaned. She is only an indoor cat now that she lives with us. I already know about what to do during pregnancy, birth and after birth. My only questions concerns the beginning stages of labor and the mucous plug.
Stitch is normally a very slender cat. We did all of the appropriate vaccinations and worming. She has always had a good appetite and is healthy and happy but very skinny.
She is rather big but not as big as most cat's I have seen ready for labor. Her bottom half sets of nipples are bagging up and are very pink, but do not express milk. She still has a little bit of an appetite. I really did not expect her to begin labor for another week. I am not sure of the breeding date, but I am familiar with the signs of labor. I expected it to be at least another week before she has them. Maybe she will have a small (1 or 2) litter of kittens?
WARNING!! MAY BE GROSS TO SOME READERS!
This morning she walked up to me and looked right into my eyes and meowed like she was worried. I checked her vagina and she had a dried up, biege colored, mucous "plug". She also had some small pieces of dried feces on her anus that I didn't want dropping on the floor that my 3 year old plays on. So, I used a baby wipe to very gently clean it off and cleaned off the crusty mucous on her vagina as well. She had more mucous beneath it. I set her down and she cleaned herself. An hour later she had more coming out and cleaned it up again. Her vagina has turned lighter (almost white) in color and seems a tiny bit enlarged. The mucous had a slight green tent to it but no odor and no blood. Now there is a very small wall of dried mucous at the vaginal opening making it kind of dried shut.
I am just not sure what to make of it. I want to make sure that it isn't some type of infection of something. I have never witnessed a cat losing it plug. I really wasn't expecting her to go into labor quite yet but it is her first (and only!) batch and I know they can be unpredictable. Her behavior the last few days before today, has consisted of a ferociuos appetite (many, many small meals) and crazy running back and forth all over the house playing.
Please, any advice?
Thanks,
Steph&Stitch
