Question about my new MaMa

My new Mama gave birth 3 days ago and I notice that she seems to be breathing a little heavy, is this normal? Other than this she appears great, she is always purring, she is eating great and taking wonderful care of her babies. This is my first litter so I am not sure what is to be expected.

Is she acting any different? Heavy breathing is not normal, but I must ask (As I asked myself) are you sure she is breathing heavy, and your not being a paranoid new mom?

If she is, then I'd call your vet for advice. Especially if she becomes lethargic, or won't eat... that's an emergency. Could be an infection or a kitten left in her.

Maybe I am just overreacting. She is not panting, her breathing just seems fast. Other than this she is great, she is eating great and she is very attentive with her babies. She is purring and seems very comfortable. I will observe one of my other cats and compare the breathing. Thanks for the response.

Sounds good. You might just wanna keep a close eye on her. If she starts to worsen, you would really need to get her to a vet.

Since she is a stray and I have moved her and her babies into a room in my house, is it possible that she will get discontent being confined to one room and want to go back out side? If so, any advise? Also, I am attempting to convience my husband to let me keep her, is there any organization that would help with the spaying cost? If I keep her or not I want to have her spayed. Also, I would like to have the kittens checked out, is there any places out there that would see them for a lesser fee because mom is a stray? I want to at least make sure they are healthy before I adopt them out.

She may have a problem with being confined. You cannot let her out of the house though. A cat can be pregnant within one week of having kittens. Might I suggest, if there are no other cats in the house, to let her roam through your house a little... that could help ease it some. If there are other cats, is there any place where you can let her roam a little to get a change of scenery? If not, then perhaps you could open a window, and supervise to make sure she doesn't get out. It won't help her roaming-wise, but it may ease her nerves a bit if she gets uneasy.

As for the low cost spay and neuter, etc., I would suggest asking Gayef. She knows all that stuff... she's good about it.

Thanks so much for the quick reply, having someone to discuss these situations with is such a blessing. Thanks.

While I cannot say for any degree of certainty that this is "normal", many queens DO display what appears to us as heavy breathing while occupying the kitten nest ... if you think about it, there are all these little beings in there in close quarters that all carry a normal body temp of a little over 100 degrees. I would be breathing hard too!

But, as I am fond of saying ... if you ~think~ something is wrong, it probably is. Best to contact your vet to see if he feels an exam is warranted.

Best of luck,

~gf~