New momma

Hi all...

Our little lady cat gave birth this weekend....6 kittens spread over 3 days....all but one were breech...and we lost the first three ....but, we have three happy, healthy, wiggly kittens left! I have never done this before, our cats are all rescues....so if someone could please help me out here....

Momma and babies are in their own room, its quiet and warm...I'm keeping it about 85 degrees....they have a roomy kittening box....momma has food, water and litter as well....what worries me is that she keeps leaving the kittens alone in the box while she goes off and lays near the door or under the bed where its cooler....she goes to them if they cry and lays with them...lets them nurse...and stays for awhile...but as soon as they're asleep she goes off again....

Is this normal behaviour? Or should I be concerned?

Thanks in advance,

Missy

Missy, Congrats on the new additions!

I'll move this to Behavior where your questions can be answered.

Originally Posted by Missy H.

Hi all...

Our little lady cat gave birth this weekend....6 kittens spread over 3 days....all but one were breech...and we lost the first three

....but, we have three happy, healthy, wiggly kittens left!

I have never done this before, our cats are all rescues....so if someone could please help me out here....

Momma and babies are in their own room, its quiet and warm...I'm keeping it about 85 degrees....they have a roomy kittening box....momma has food, water and litter as well....what worries me is that she keeps leaving the kittens alone in the box while she goes off and lays near the door or under the bed where its cooler....she goes to them if they cry and lays with them...lets them nurse...and stays for awhile...but as soon as they're asleep she goes off again....

Is this normal behaviour? Or should I be concerned?

Thanks in advance,

Missy

Click to expand...

Yes it is normal behavior... mother cats don't spend all the time with their kittens. When they are asleep, it is fine for her to walk off, or even when they are awake sometimes. As long as they are getting fat and growing, they should be fine. She spends most her time with them, and that's normal for a cat. Congratulations on the kittens! If you need any help, I'm raising my 7th and 8th litter right now, and I can help if needed!

I would contact Kumbulu who is our kitten expert with any questions.

http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36816

Also..given how hard this birth was for her...I would seriously consider having her fixed (spayed) after her kittens are weaned.

Katie

Thank you all so much. Ty already has her appointment to be fixed as does her boyfriend. We raise horses and I'm fine with mares and foals...but newborn kittens are a bit out of my league. Both parents were brought to us as kittens to be raised as barn cats...spoiled by dozens of little girls...time got away from us and before we knew it we were getting ready for kittens. We are fortunate that all the kittens already have new homes waiting with our lesson people Our vet is coming to the ranch today about a mare...so hes going to take a peek at the kittens and momma as well.

Again, thankyou you all so much.... I'm trying not to hover over the babies...

Originally Posted by Missy H.

Thank you all so much. Ty already has her appointment to be fixed as does her boyfriend. We raise horses and I'm fine with mares and foals...but newborn kittens are a bit out of my league. Both parents were brought to us as kittens to be raised as barn cats...spoiled by dozens of little girls...time got away from us and before we knew it we were getting ready for kittens. We are fortunate that all the kittens already have new homes waiting with our lesson people

Our vet is coming to the ranch today about a mare...so hes going to take a peek at the kittens and momma as well.

Again, thankyou you all so much.... I'm trying not to hover over the babies...

Click to expand...

It's hard not to!
You wouldn't happened to have lived in Oklahoma, would you?
We gave my two cats away and their four kittens to a barn, that were to be raised as barn cats... what a coincidence.

By the way... WELCOME TO TCS!!!!

Kumbulu will not be able to answer many posts for awhile. But she will be back with life permits her to return.

Your momcat's behavior is fairly typical of a new mom who was overwhelmed with the responsibility of new babies. Depending on her age is a factor as well. As long as she is returning to them when they are hungry and you know the kittens are warm. That is a pretty unusual time span for labor, are you sure she is healthy? Has she been to the vet to see if she has a retained kitten?

I would strongly suggest that once these kittens are weaned, you get lady cat spayed. She is also leaving them because the momcat will go into heat right after birth and want to get outside to mate. Please keep her indoors.

If you are fearful the kittens are not warm enough, you can make rice heaters. Take an old pair of boot socks and fill them up halfway with uncooked rice. Nuke them for 30 seconds apiece in the microwave and put them next to the kittens for added warmth. It buys you about 2 hours of warmth for them.

You can go to this site here as well, though it was created to help those who don't have a momcat in the picture-

www.kitten-rescue.com It is Tania, and my website set up to assist overwhelmed new kitty moms-

Welcome to the board, nice to have another horse owner among us!

What you want to look out for is her taking one kitten from the nest and leaving it alone in another part of the room. This is your clue that the kitten she abandoned is not right and will soon die. You need to get that kitten up immediately wrap it in a warm towel and get it to the vet-

Good luck!

Originally Posted by hissy

I would strongly suggest that once these kittens are weaned, you get lady cat spayed. She is also leaving them because the momcat will go into heat right after birth and want to get outside to mate. Please keep her indoors.

Click to expand...

Yeah... I learned THAT the hard way!!!

Originally Posted by Missy H.

Thank you all so much. Ty already has her appointment to be fixed as does her boyfriend. We raise horses and I'm fine with mares and foals...but newborn kittens are a bit out of my league. Both parents were brought to us as kittens to be raised as barn cats...spoiled by dozens of little girls...time got away from us and before we knew it we were getting ready for kittens. We are fortunate that all the kittens already have new homes waiting with our lesson people

Our vet is coming to the ranch today about a mare...so hes going to take a peek at the kittens and momma as well.

Again, thankyou you all so much.... I'm trying not to hover over the babies...

Click to expand...

Missy...great to hear that you have spay/neuter appts. for the cats. I would make sure that all the kittens are fixed as well (have the people who are taking them sign a contract). The kittens should be fixed by 6 months of age..but can be fixed sooner (our rescue spays/neuters at 10-12 weeks). BTW..I do understand the lure of the cute little balls of fuzz! We had a few at the feral cat clinic I volunteer with...amazing how fast they grow.

Also....if you are in need of more barn cats....I'm sure there are feral cat groups that would LOVE to place a few fixed/UTD on shots cats at your property. Some ferals make wonderful barn cats and it really helps when they are placed on a secure property versus in a precarious location.

Katie

Congrats on the new kittens! I hope they do well with the vet check when he comes out to see the horse and I hope the horse is ok too! I am sorry to hear some did not make it, my condolences to you and momma cat. I hope she is ok after such a long labor. Good luck with the new additions!!

Missy, I just wanted to clarify that is not normal for the momcat to leave the kittens for a long period of time. She should leave them if she is hungry or thirsty or needs to use the litter pan. But if she is a first-time mom or a young cat she could be overwhelmed by the whole episode and just need some down time. But they need her for warmth and food, As they get older, she will leave them then call to them to come to her still staying in the same area. But if you notice her leaving them for long lengths of time, I would be concerned and try and keep her confined to a smaller space so she has to go to to them. You might clear out a closet and put her and the kits inside and block the door with a baby gate. She also might not feel well so if she stops eating or drinking, or starts panting or discharging heavily get her to the vet quick!

If you peek to often she will move the kittens again. Momcats are nervous that way.