Pregnant Cat Help Please

petkeepr7789

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Well, I have a pregnant cat that looks like she is going to be due soon. I need all of the information I can get on the early signs of labor. Also, do all cats show early signs of labor like restlessness? Also my cat is almost always trying to get outside since she loves it outdoors. Should I let her go out since it is close to her having her kittens? Please help!
 

kluchetta

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Originally Posted by petkeepr7789

Well, I have a pregnant cat that looks like she is going to be due soon. I need all of the information I can get on the early signs of labor. Also, do all cats show early signs of labor like restlessness? Also my cat is almost always trying to get outside since she loves it outdoors. Should I let her go out since it is close to her having her kittens? Please help!
Hi there! I was told to keep my cat inside (not only because of diseases, predators, etc.) but also because when cats go into labor they instinctively try to "hide" themselves, and you sure wouldn't want to lose her!
 

tnr1

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Originally Posted by petkeepr7789

Well, I have a pregnant cat that looks like she is going to be due soon. I need all of the information I can get on the early signs of labor. Also, do all cats show early signs of labor like restlessness? Also my cat is almost always trying to get outside since she loves it outdoors. Should I let her go out since it is close to her having her kittens? Please help!
Welcome to TCS....as far as letting your cat outdoors...I would definately keep her strictly indoors from now until her kittens are weaned and she can be spayed. First, you do not want your cat to go into labor and have her kittens while outside. Second, a cat can become pregnant again as early as a week after giving birth. If she is an escape artist, it may be a good idea to confine her to a single room where she has no access to the outdoors.

Katie
 

charmed654321

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I agree, do not let her outside for all the reasons mentioned. If she is coming close to her time, she will get restless, and she will be looking for a place to have her kittens. And again, you don't want her finding a place outside. You might not be able to find her, and you dont' want her, or the kittens, catching anything either.

I got my Deja Vu about a week before she was due. A few days before she was trying even moreso to get out, and one time accidentally did. It was hell getting her back, took me hours of chasing her up and down the block. She kept trying to hide in little tiny places, probably looking for a nest.

As her time approached she also become more and more affectionate, and for a day or two before she had the kittens she was all over the house, looking in every nook and cranny for a perfect place. It was very obvious she was looking.

Make her a nice welcoming box in a fairly enclosed, warm, darkish place. I put a thick towel and paper towels on top of that, and put her in it once in a while.

However, chances are she will not use it. LOL She will find her own place. Although they tend to like very enclosed places, every cat is different and you never know. She might decide to have them on her bed. Deja had them on my sofa. LOL

I knew she was ready when she came up on the sofa where I was sitting and lay down for me to pet her. I saw a bit of white mucus coming from her, and realized it was time. However, if I got up, she would follow me everywhere, so I just sat down on the floor, put a towel on the sofa, and let her be where she wanted, and sat with her since she wouldn't let me leave without following. Realize not every cat is like that, some want privacy, go by her signals. I'm glad she had me stay because she was completely exhausted by the last 2 (there were 5 and she was very young) and she didn't seem to have the energy to push after they were halfway out (the first 3 she had trouble with).

Another way you'll know it's imminent is if you see her laying down and see her stomach and sides contracting, then you know they're a'comin' .

So I sat with her, talked to her softly, and pet her gently and tried to reassure her between kittens. She practically shot them out, had all 5 within 45 minutes. Usually it takes longer than that, which is why she might have been as exhausted as she was.

So if you see her starting to really explore your home, into all sorts of places she usually doesn't explroe, and seem somewhat restless, yes, time is drawning near, probably within a day or two.

The outcome of my own family turned out great. In fact, I was very flattered because the no-kill rescue agency I contacted to help me get homes for them (and who were great and helped me with much during the whole process) told me that they kittens I helped raise were just about the healthiest and friendliest they had ever come across. That's a pretty big compliment, considering how many they get.

Don't know if it was the greatest compliment for me though because I started fostering for them and I get all the toughies! LOL Recently socialized a mom and 3 wild babies for them and it's just so much fun.

I wish you luck with your new family, please let me know how it goes!

And if you find any problems, or see something you don't understand or are concerned about, get on the web, go to google, and do a search for the symptom or behavior. You'll find an answer.

One of the kittens could not seem to figure out how to nurse, or open her mouth, and I was really getting concerned. I went on the web and found an answer, and ended up using the rounded end of a chopstick and a home-made version of KMR (which they recommend only temporarily until you can get real kmr) to nudge her to open her mouth and get them used to the feel of a nipple. Sure enough it worked, I heard that smacking sound they make when they first open their mouth, so the info is out there for emergencies.

Also I would recommend buying a can of premade or container of dry kmr (kitten milk replacement) and a bottle and keep it just in case (a lesson I learned). If you don't use it, you can always return it, but in an emergency, or if she has trouble or for some reason won't nurse the babies, you'll have it.

Sorry I went on so long. LOL Hope what I've said helps.
 
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