I first posted this over in the Pregnancy section since Marigold had kittens near three weeks ago, moving it here for more responses.
OK, to start it has been hellishly hot here lately. However, there is an air conditioner going in my room and while it's not as cold as I'd like it's cool enough in here for me to be comfortable.
Marigold, who gave birth about two weeks ago, has been panting all day... like almost as bad as she was when she was in labor. Shes also been crying at me quite a bit and constantly moving her kittens into the middle of the floor. (I keep putting them back in their nesting box.) She just seems very restless and a little upset. She won't lay still to nurse them for more than five or six minutes. (The kittens seem fine since she does repeatedly lay down, but normally she lets them nurse for closer to fifteen minutes.)
She has a large fresh bowl of water and some chilled cat food. her litterboz is freshly scooped and cleaned. I can't figure out why she's all upset.
Could she be sick? Or is this normal for a momma cat? I'm afraid of getting up in the middle of the night and stepping on a kitten because she's moved them to the floor again. Should I lock her and the kittens up in the large dog crate overnight?
I hate to even think of this, but could she have retained a placenta and be getting infection now? There's no discharge from her vagina as far as I can tell. I thought I counted all of the placentas, but it was kind of dark, so I could have been mistaken. And if it could be that, what do I do? She is a stray we rescued from the streets on Mother's Day (she was laready pregnant when we got her.) and we have nearly no money to go to a vet with. (My appointment to spay/neuter her and the kittens will be free because I'm on public aid, but they are not a full service vet clinic. They ONLY do spays and neuters.)
As a bit of an update, the weather has brken and it's pretty cool in here now (I'm almost too cool). But she's still panting. Not as restless, but panting. Is this maybe a sign of fever in cats? I don't have a thermometer unfortunately, so I can't take her temp accurately. Are there any other aigns of fever in cats that I might be able to see?
What do I do?
Rose
OK, to start it has been hellishly hot here lately. However, there is an air conditioner going in my room and while it's not as cold as I'd like it's cool enough in here for me to be comfortable.
Marigold, who gave birth about two weeks ago, has been panting all day... like almost as bad as she was when she was in labor. Shes also been crying at me quite a bit and constantly moving her kittens into the middle of the floor. (I keep putting them back in their nesting box.) She just seems very restless and a little upset. She won't lay still to nurse them for more than five or six minutes. (The kittens seem fine since she does repeatedly lay down, but normally she lets them nurse for closer to fifteen minutes.)
She has a large fresh bowl of water and some chilled cat food. her litterboz is freshly scooped and cleaned. I can't figure out why she's all upset.
Could she be sick? Or is this normal for a momma cat? I'm afraid of getting up in the middle of the night and stepping on a kitten because she's moved them to the floor again. Should I lock her and the kittens up in the large dog crate overnight?
I hate to even think of this, but could she have retained a placenta and be getting infection now? There's no discharge from her vagina as far as I can tell. I thought I counted all of the placentas, but it was kind of dark, so I could have been mistaken. And if it could be that, what do I do? She is a stray we rescued from the streets on Mother's Day (she was laready pregnant when we got her.) and we have nearly no money to go to a vet with. (My appointment to spay/neuter her and the kittens will be free because I'm on public aid, but they are not a full service vet clinic. They ONLY do spays and neuters.)
As a bit of an update, the weather has brken and it's pretty cool in here now (I'm almost too cool). But she's still panting. Not as restless, but panting. Is this maybe a sign of fever in cats? I don't have a thermometer unfortunately, so I can't take her temp accurately. Are there any other aigns of fever in cats that I might be able to see?
What do I do?
Rose
