Willow may be in labor!

my mom is keeping me updated with all the news now she is back in her box cant make up here mind

Wow, Willow is beautiful, thanks for the update.

Had to take a potty break. Too much cappachino. Still no news. But she has calmed down a lot since this afternoon. She's been in her box for quite a bit now. I *think* maybe her c'tractions may be getting a *bit* stronger as she doesnt seem to be sleeping through them any more and is fidgiting when she has 'em. I can definitely feel her tummy get harder, but dont know if there is any regularity to 'em. Anyway, that's it for now... STILL no discharge or anything... and she isnt preening herself or anything.... just waiting it out...

my "just-in-case" checklist:
vaseline
gloves
thread
scissors
alcohol
wash cloth
towels in dryer

anything else?

towels for mopping up goo. warm, clean nest for mama and kittens. i bought three cheap cat beds and washed and roatated them.

Originally Posted by LaceyDF



It might not be the best idea to consume alcohol right now...you're going to need a clear, sober head to help Willow deliver these babies!

haha!!!

just kidding, i knew what you meant the whole time. Just cracking some jokes cause i'm bored at work.

Click to expand...

That was hilarious! Thanks for the laugh! It's been a long day. It's like watching a pot boil. I guess now I know how my hubby felt when I had my litter

Originally Posted by maverick_kitten

towels for mopping up goo. warm, clean nest for mama and kittens. i bought three cheap cat beds and washed and roatated them.

Click to expand...

Oh good idea -- I have towels in the dryer for kittens, but nothing for mopping.... I do have a couple nests for mama though. She seems to be picking the covered one. And I have a bed for mom and babies after and during if needed. Thanks for the suggestion.
I have one more question... *IF* I have to help mama and need to cut the cord, I tie the string 1/2 - 3/4 inch away from kit, do I need to tie anything on the mom's end? I was thinking not, cuz what? the placenta will be expelled with the kitten... but just wanted to be sure.
Anyway, Willow is in her box. She was out briefly once, tried to go to the bathroom (yeah!) I did notice a little discharge now, but it's so faint I really couldnt tell you what color it is...
Just came out for another potty break and a late dinner. Maybe now that the boys are in bed and the house quiets down a bit, maybe things will pick up some...
I'm so excited!

but still

Yes, the placenta will be expelled so you won't have to do anything on the mother's end. Each kitty has his own placenta.

Do you have a heating pad to keep the babies warm? Put it on low and while momma is still having kittens put them on there to keep them warm.

Good Luck....I will be awaiting your next update!

Sorry the updates are long in coming and the wait.... no kittens yet. She's back in her box, when she's way in the back makes it hard to see anything. But I heard her digging around. She's still going in and out and has made a few more uneventful trips to the litter box. Anyway.... hubby sleeping on the couch. I'm heading back up now. Getting way tired myself. Maybe I'll try to get in a few 'cat naps' myself
Hopefully will have some announcements to make by dawn!

Wow, I've been following this thread and another Momcat is giving birth soon! Willow is such a pretty color.

Marianjela, do you have time for another hypothetical genetics question? If Punky, a tortie, were to mate with a brown tabby having white paws and a white neck, what colors would the kittens be? If anyone knows what a "torbie," is, please explain, Is it a tortoise shell pattern striped cat?

You may have read some of my posts describing "shed cat," a very feral cat that must live by the back shed. I happened to spot it with my binoculars today and I can't tell if this cat is male or female. As far as I know, I have never heard a cat in heat outside, nor do I see any male plumbing on this cat, so I'm totally clueless about its gender. Its paws look large, but that could just be because they are white, and the cat does look kind of chubby or plump. It has a very cute face and small ears. I hope this cat isn't pregnant!

Please keep us updated on the birth and new kittens.

GOOO WILLOW!!

Look at that big tummy!! ... WOW!! ..

* tummy rubs*

It's a boy!!!! and a ? and a boy and a girl!

Dont know if we're done yet... but mama's resting with her babes. I took LOTS of pics. They're so darn cute! And WOW! What an experience! Never seen anything like it.

I avent really sexed any of them but,

#1 -- red, assuming boy
#2 -- looks all black??? with a tiny bit of white on head. but may have have orange that I cant see yet?
#3 -- another orange, I wondered how the heck I would tell them apart, but this one is a tad darker... plus this one was born without his sack . his umbilicord ripped. Mama had her tail end in the air and he just slid out and plunked in the box. his cord ripped. After mama cleaned him up I noticed blood in the kitten corner and tied his cord off. Called hubby on the monitor to help - what a wakening for him
#4 seems all black with a little white and red around one eye

I never seen the sac from #3 come out, so I was watching her close... didnt notice if it came out with 4.

Oh! I hear her calling! Hubbies up there now, but he's sleeping. I'll post pics and details later!

Originally Posted by Marianjela

It's a boy!!!! and a ? and a boy and a girl!

Click to expand...

Oh How exciting for you!! Congrats!!

Ok - false alarm, I dont think it was her calling. Maybe my mind playing tricks on me, or the TV.. hubby left it on when he fell asleep on the couch.

So, right after I posted last night, I went back up with Willow and went to sleep. I was up the night before with Willow for a bit rubbing tummies, so didnt get much sleep then. Which is why I didnt go to work yesterday. But NOT what I told them - LOL - I couldnt imagine the ribbing I'd get if they knew I stayed home cuz of my cat! I'm a design engineer and work with a bunch of guys... yeah, not exactly cat people. And I know that's not the rule or the exception. But it just so happens that way...

Anyway, around 2 this morning, I woke up to Willow scratching around in her box. Shortly after that she jumped upon the bed with me. I noticed she was having a WAY lot of discharge now. And if I thought it was discharge earlier, this was unmistakable. Without all the boringness, she delivered #1 at 3:25. It was perfect. She had been digging around in her covered box, but happened to lean against the one side and it tipped over. (I had lifted it earlier to see what was going on and when I put it back it wasnt snug with the bottom) Anyway, it worked out perfect, cuz she still had her box and her shelter, and I could see. Which I'm glad I was there! It was funny because after #1 was born she walked in circles to find him he looks EXACTLY like her. Blends in well!

#2 came WAY fast. Born ten minutes later at 3:35. This is the [seemingly] black one with the tiny strip on the top of his head.

#3 didnt come until 4:05 and he just plopped on out. Like I said, his cord seemed to rip, and one of the reasons I was there for her. After she got him all cleaned up I moved him onto the kitten side (with the heating pad) and after a bit of him scooting around, I noticed blood where he was laying. So paged hubby on the intercom and he came up to help me tie it off. The little bugger was so squirly I could tie the thread while holding him! Number 3 may have a TINY bit of white... kinda hard to tell, but it looks a little light in a spot on his shoulder.

#4 was born at 4:53. She didnt lick his face right away, so I wiped it clean for her. Also she didnt sever his cord. I'm not sure if she birthed her placenta all the way with this one until after. I waited a good bit, then when she was cleaning herself off, I tied it off and cut it. After that she did eat the placenta.

There ya have it! So I'm pretty sure with the tiny bit of red I can see with the white around #4's eye, that she's a girl. And I'm pretty sure the two orange are boys. #2 has me stumped. I cant wait til morning - morning to get a better look at him/her to see if I see any red.

I have posted in another thread about my concern of whether or not Willow was a homo-red, as she has that tiny pea-sized black spot between her shoulder blades.

#1 is a PIG - nursing, nursing, nursing. The other's arent very good trackers yet

Anyway --- I'm so tired now But cant fall asleep. Gotta get my kids up for school here in a bit, and call off myself , cuz there is no way I'm making it through this day on 3 hours rest... not at work anyway.

Willow is still in her birthbox with her kiddies (hehehe - kitties ) I'm going to wait to move her a little while. I think maybe she's done (I have felt her tummy on the one side, dont feel anything, but she still looks big Dont tell her I told you that ) ...but just in case, she seems content for now.

Oh, I forgot to mention, #3 seems to have mackeral tabby stripes. Willow doesnt show tabby on her body, only on her extremities. I havent noticed any on #1 - the pig.

The wait it over! Yeah!!!!!!

How are Willow and the kittens? I was looking on google to see if I could find the gestation period for ducks and ran across this site. (Never did find the answser to my question, but this is even better!) I have experienced the birth of many litters of kittens and each and every one amazes me! Keep us posted!

OK -- two orange [boys], two calies/torties) [girls]

#2 does have orange on her face. I have pics!



#1 -- the girls have already dubbed this little piggy, Wilbur!


#2 -- with the wee bit of orange


#3 -- have to call this one Nacho!


#4 -- the girls' favorite, and the one I helped birth!

The wait is over! Yeah!!!