My cat had kittens!!!!!

I am new at this whole kitten thing so there are some questions that I am hoping that some one here will be able to answer.

1. My cat has had an enormous litter. 8 live kittens and 5 still born. For a total of 13 cats. I know that this is way bigger than a normal litter, but is that why there were some many stillborn kittens?

2. The father of the kittens is my male cat.(yes he is now fixed and yes she will be when the kittens are weaned.) At what point should I let him around the mother and babies?

3. It was more than 4 hours between cat number 12 and 13 is this normal? And should I expect more.

4. What should I watch for as far as a sign of things being wrong with mama?
The bleeding is very minimal at this point and she is just laying there nursing the kittens. She doesnt appear to be in any pain but she also has yet to eat.
Is it normal for her to want to wait to eat?

Thankyou in advance for any help!!!!!!
Melissa

By still born, do you mean that 5 were born dead, or do you mean she has 5 more to deliver?

Originally Posted by miyah12

I am new at this whole kitten thing so there are some questions that I am hoping that some one here will be able to answer.

1. My cat has had an enormous litter. 8 live kittens and 5 still born. For a total of 13 cats. I know that this is way bigger than a normal litter, but is that why there were some many stillborn kittens?

2. The father of the kittens is my male cat.(yes he is now fixed and yes she will be when the kittens are weaned.) At what point should I let him around the mother and babies?

3. It was more than 4 hours between cat number 12 and 13 is this normal? And should I expect more.

4. What should I watch for as far as a sign of things being wrong with mama?
The bleeding is very minimal at this point and she is just laying there nursing the kittens. She doesnt appear to be in any pain but she also has yet to eat.
Is it normal for her to want to wait to eat?

Thankyou in advance for any help!!!!!!
Melissa

Click to expand...

Melissa...how soon ago was dad cat fixed?? Males can still carry after sperm for a while after being neutered, so you will want to hold off on allowing him back near your mother cat until at least a month has past since his neuter.

So she had 8 live kittens and 5 still births....can you feel any more in her stomache?

Katie

I had the male cat fixed about 5 or 6 weeks ago. As far as stillborn I mean they were born dead. Two of them were not even fully developed, I assume this is because there is such a large litter. I do not think that she has anymore in there but it didnt really feel like there were anymore in there when she suprised us with this last one. Also is there anyway to keep her from laying the kittens one of the cats was no longer alive when I just went to check them and I think it is because she was laying on them.

Thanks Melissa

Originally Posted by miyah12

I had the male cat fixed about 5 or 6 weeks ago. As far as stillborn I mean they were born dead. Two of them were not even fully developed, I assume this is because there is such a large litter. I do not think that she has anymore in there but it didnt really feel like there were anymore in there when she suprised us with this last one. Also is there anyway to keep her from laying the kittens one of the cats was no longer alive when I just went to check them and I think it is because she was laying on them.

Thanks Melissa

Click to expand...

Melissa....you have removed the kittens that were stillborn or died correct??

Katie

I understand now, thanks for clarifying. I'm sorry to hear of the little ones that didn't make it.

Yes, please remove the stillborns. Try to also give momma cat some quiet time for a couple of hours...you'll be surprised how well she'll when left to her instincts as a mother. Check back with her to see how those kitties are doing.

8 babies!!! Whoo-hoo!!!! She'll be a busy lady, for sure!

What probably happened is that she mated with your male more then once and was actually impregnated with two completely seperate litters at two completely seperate times. One of the many problems with this is that often when a female is carrying more then one litter at a time, when the first one is ready to be born, they second litter will be born also whether they are ready or not.

Yes, I've heard of that before.

Interesting that they can carry too separate litters.

You have some brood there! Congrats!

I would recommend getting some KMR. With a litter of 8 kittens, you'll probably need to help supplement some of Mom's feedings. Anything over 6 kittens can often be too much for a queen. You don't have to completely take over, but some supplemental feeding couldn't hurt. Go to www.kitten-rescue.com for information on how to feed the babies.

It is not uncommon for a cat to kill healthy kittens if there are more than she can handle. Instinctively, a cat would rather give enough to less kittens to make sure they are healthy and strong, than she would to stretch out what she has, and take the risk it isn't enough for any of them.

Also, the fact the male cat is around might make her feel threatened, and that could be another reason a queen might kill a kitten.

I would recommend you keep them apart for at least a few weeks, and try to supplement the feeding. And don't feel guilty about the kitten, what she did was an instinct, and how they survive in the wild.

Good luck with them!

Originally Posted by miyah12

I had the male cat fixed about 5 or 6 weeks ago.

Click to expand...

Oh..and I just wanted to add THANK YOU for getting your male fixed.

Katie

Thankyou for the responses. I am glad to have some advice as to what I should be doing. Yes getting the male fixed was a must, I am almost 7 months pregnant myself, and my husband was in Iraq, I was overwhelmed with the three kids that I have at home and thought "oh I will wait till my hubby gets home that way he can take the cat to the vet." I guess this is what I get for being lazy. I did just leave the cats alone as soon as I thought she was through giving birth. I knew mama was going to be exhausted after giving birth to all those kittens. In fact I have only been in there twice since she has finished delivering at 12 and it is now 7pm. I want to make sure that all is alright but I do not want to bother mama either. I just put a bowl of food as well as some water outside of the queening box. i hope that this is the right thing to do. also one more question. I changed all of the bedding in the queening box and tried to clean up the mamas behind without bothering her to much, but her behind is still really gross. Do I need to clean that soem more for her or is that something that she will do herself. Oh and she is a longhaired cat.

Thanks Again Melissa

Oh and I wanted to add that yes I did remove all of the stillborn kittens as they were born. Mama wanted nothing to do with them anyhow so I figured it was best to remove them as soon as possible.

Sorry this is so long, but I've tried to include a lot of info.

A few things. You need to keep food out for her 24/7, and she needs kitten food. If you feed her regular canned food once or twice a day, at least keep a bowl filled with dry kitten food for her at all times near the box along with her water. Nursing (especially all those kittens) takes a lot of energy from her, and she needs the extra calories and protein. And keep the litter not too far from where she is for now, because she might be stressed by having to travel too far, and out of the sight of her babies.

Just make sure the area she's in with the kittens is warm and not in direct strong light (a simple cover over the box she's in is perfect, even if it's cardboard).

The first few days she will stay with them most of the time. She probably doesn't want to leave her babies just yet and she's exhausted. She'll know when she needs a break. (if you're really concerned, for today, put some of her food in a small bowl and put it next to her. When my cat had hers, the first day I did that and she did eat a little just laying there. After that, she came out to eat when she needed to.

There is a chance one of the reasons she is not wanting to leave is because there is a Tom in the house. Please try to keep them separate for a week or two, it's a lot better for Mom, who won't be as stressed.

You can give her a quick wipe up with a paper towel dampened with warm water if you want to, but if she's always been able to clean herself, when she gets some strength back, she'll take care of herself and the babies. I chose to not bother with Deja Vu because I figured she was uncomfortable enough after 5 kittens, and she did eventually clean herself up. But with the longer fur, it might be different.

You might consider getting a pair of baby scissors (dull at the tips) and trimming the fur around her bottom area to make life a bit more comfortable for her these days.

It was a good idea to give her some fresh bedding. After the first change, what I did worked very well for me, and was not very difficult, so perhaps it might be a good idea for you. Fold a couple of towels up to fit in the bottom of the box (if the area is too soft, the kittens will have a harder time moving around. I found the towels perfect). Then I covered those towels with 3 layers of paper towels. All i had to do each day was change the paper towels once (lots less laundry and bending). Just wait until the Mom leaves the box to eat or use the litter and take that opportunity to quickly remove the kittens from the box, remove the old paper towels, and replace them with the fresh ones). Mom is going to be licking them to make them go to the bathroom, and ingesting it, so she will keep the area very clean. Chances are you will not have to change the cloth towels at all if the paper towel layers are there and changed once a day. It was very easy.

And do wait until she leaves, especially since she seems to have some problems and so many kittens. You want her as calm as possible, and moving them around while she's in the box could have a tendency to stress her a bit.

Just watch her to make sure she eats by tomorrow and that the kittens are nursing well. They should be sleeping peacefully after they eat. If they seem to be crying a lot and not sleeping well, that's usually a sign they are not getting enough food, so you will probably need to supplement with KMR (which I recommend having on hand just in case. With 8, you'll probably have to help a bit, even if its once a day (I had one litter I had to do twice because Mom had been very weak and had 6 kittens -- she took care of most of it, and I gave them a little with the bottle in the a.m. and p.m. It was a perfect partnership and the kittens thrived).

After reading your situation, I am wondering if maybe the whole thing is too much for you right now (for no other reason than you being pregnant and your hubby being away, and you having so much responsibility and work to do).

If you feel this is the case, you do have an option of calling a no-kill rescue group. They can take Mom and the kittens, they will have them all checked by a vet, and they will place them into a good, checked-out foster home until they are ready to be given to good homes.

I'd even bet that they would work something out with you that they return Mom to you spayed once the kittens are up for adoption (which would be at 8 weeks old).

If you feel that it's not too much for you, contact them anyway. They can take the kittens and get them into good homes for you once they are 8 weeks old, and still most liekly will help you by having her spayed, and with shots and s/n for the kittens too. They are great, these groups and are very picky about the homes they send the babies to.

If you want to look into the places in your area, go to www.petfinder.com In the upper right hand area click on shelter and rescue groups, then put in your state, and you'll get a list of all the rescues and shelters near you. Really, the rescue groups are very dedicated. I do fostering myself for the one who helped me with Deja Vu and her kittens.

I wish you luck, and I give you credit for all you're taking on.

Yes, you certainly have a lot on your plate right now!

Good luck in whatever you decide, Charm's post was very informative.

And good luck with your upcoming new arrival, and with your hubby as well!

A little addendum ... (Gee I wish I could be there to see the babies, I love watching them) ...

Although I generally tend to recommend not removing the kittens from the mother unless absolutely necessary, and I believe that we should be grandmothers, not mothers, to the kittens (meaning let her do the work, that's what she's made for, and she knows what to do -- they've been doing it fine for thousands of years -- we should only love, enjoy and spoil them ). That's why I say to only step in when it's really needed (although I think with 8 kittens it probably will be).

However what I wanted to add was that even though I believe these things, I also believe that interraction from day one with the babies is important to help raise kittens that are very friendly and people oriented.

What I used to do with Deja Vu and her babies was I'd lay down on the floor (you'd have to do it on your side though, lol), pet Mom, just talk gently to them all to get them used to my voice, and get Mom used to me being there in a positive, non-threatening way so if I did have to do anything, it didn't freak her out.

I would touch the kittens (not pick them up unless I absolutely had to, but I would touch them). I'd pet their little heads with my finger, and their sides and and bellies while I talked gently to them. They would grab my finger with their tiny little paws and I'd move my finger up and down, and they seemed to enjoy the playing. I'd roll them over so I could see their bellies and make sure they were rounded and full and seemed to be growing (some suggest weighing a lot, but if you can see them growing and thriving, I personally don't think the extra stress is needed -- only if there's something wrong). I'd sit and watch as they nursed, and if a kitten or two (and the two small ones often had this problem) were pushed from the nipples and cried because they couldn't find them, I'd use my finger to gently slide their heads over a nipple so they would feel it with their lips and nose (which is how they find it when their eyes are still closed). Once they felt it, they grabbed on and went at it.

Once they open their eyes, which will happen around 10 days (some more, some less, some half and half -- I had some start to open one eye, then not get the other opened until the rest had done it completely -- each is different) -- but once their eyes are open, that's when I feel is the time to start taking them out of the box to play with them, interract with safe toys, holding, petting. By then they can stay away from Mom more, and she won't be as stressed. They'll probably be wanting to explore more once they open their eyes.

If you have interracted with them a lot before they open their eyes, they'll know who you are and they'll be thrilled to see you! I had one so bonded to me by the time she opened her eyes, that the second she heard me she'd pull herself up to greet me, even though she could hardly stand. In fact, I have a picture of her doing that in the "show me your tux" thread in pictures, Rocky, the little one sticking her sweet little white cheeks that I want to pinch all the time over the edge of the box.

Rocky by the way is still with me, as is Mom, and the rescue helped get them all great homes. One was even adopted by a vet's daughter. I don't think I could have had a better testimonial than that!

One thing I would suggest is once they open their eyes to not lift them off the ground too high -- when they can see the little ones can get scared of the height and you want them to have only good feelings when they're with people -- that makes them friendlier in their future forever homes, which makes them easier to adopt out.

Good luck again. I know I have rambled on, but hope some of my experiences can help you.

13 wow. I never heard of that...

13 Wow!
I'm glad at least some made it, you are doing a great job. Please don't forget to get lots of rest yourself too.
Good luck

Oh, goodness...I have never heard of a kitty having 14 kittens! I'm sorry you lost some . I agree with most of what Charmed posted, except I do like weighing them. And do pick up some kitten formula and a tiny bottle or syringe, so if it looks like anyone needs a little extra boost you can give it. The kitten formula comes already mixed or in powder form. I like the powdered kind, because you can mix up just what you need.

Best of luck with your remaining kittens!

Charmed, Wow Thankyou so much for all of the info it was great. Thankfully my hubby is home now, well he has been for 1.5 months and that is when I got my male fixed. Myiah is doing great, she has eaten and she is starting to clean herself up so I think I will just leave that up to her. Also so had some litter stuck in her fur so I am sure that she has been to the litter box. So all seems like it is going very well with her. She actually delivered a 14th kitten but that one was stillborn as well Hopefully that is all. I really think that she must have been caring two litters because all of the stillborn kittens were much smaller that the kittens who are all doing well. I will post pictures of her so that everyone can see how very large she was. It seriously looked like she ate a soccer ball. Oh and I did also buy some kitten milk replacement stuff. Ot was the only thing that I could find and I am assuming that is the same as KMR. It says on the side that I can also give it to the mother for extra nutrition when she is nursing. Is this a good idea? Any way her are some pictures of mama and babies. They are not the best but I didnt want to interfere so I was trying to stay a little bit away.

Here are a few pictures of Miyah at 6 weeks pregnant

<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h94/mellisa1101/Picture104.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a>

<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h94/mellisa1101/Picture100.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a>

This is Miyah just a few days ago

<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h94/mellisa1101/Picture219.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a>

And here are some pictures of Miyah and the kittens

<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h94/mellisa1101/Picture100.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a>


<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h94/mellisa1101/Picture239.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a>

Okay will someone tell me how to post pics please?????