Hello, I'm new to posting here but have stalked this site for quite a while!
I have very specific questions that google search doesn't pick up on, nor did I find here. Of course, there are thousands of answered questions here, I likely didn't search correctly but I'm sure someone somewhere has had this going on, hoping I can get some insight from your experiences.
As title states, my Persian is 60 days pregnant and I'm nesting 100x more than she is, of course.
I have 3 nesting boxes set up, a brand new xl litter box full baby blankets of various textures, a cardboard box covered with muslin with one soft throw folded into a mat, and 1 jumbo triangle litter box lined with more blankets in the closet. I've closed her off into one bedroom with all amenities and its down to the waiting game.
Although I've had cats give birth before, I very occasionally breed purebred persians on the request of many people begging for a kitten, deposits given before birth kind of situations.
This little lady, Barbara, will be having her first litter and I'm so very excited I can't contain myself. No seriously, I can't. I spend every waking hour with her in her room, my vet is exasperated with my phone calls (can't blame the poor man) and I'm on google more than any sane person should be trying to catch Key words like hard belly, purring, eating, 56 days, 57 days, 58 days, 59 days... you get the drift. I'm babbling, sorry!
Okay so to the point, I'm hoping I can get some insight from you more experienced folk on the unexpected signs of pregnancy. Out of my 3 queens, one waits until I'm fast asleep before even showing signs of labor. She's had 3 litters over 3 years and every time, I'll stay up till 3am or more from day 58 and up. She insists on delivering herself. FINE.
Queen 2 is the opposite, she knows my schedule and waits until I'm home before starting the meowing, licking genitals, will stop eating about 12 hours in, and even wait for me to grab a fresh cup of coffee before even considering having a contraction.
Well this little lady is at 60 days. Her belly has been going from hard to soft all day, she had diarrhea yesterday (vet assumes it's because I put kitten formula into her wet food to make sure she's hydrated; yea that backfired)
She's grooming herself leisurely, sleeping/resting lots, not licking her vulva at all, but has nonchalantly scoped 2 out of her 3 nesting boxes. She is eating like a glut, and otherwise calm other than getting cozy next to me and flopping from side to side as her belly gets hard but then softer it doesn't feel like contractions, but I haven't had a litter in over a year so maybe I forgot what they feel like? Or maybe I never felt prelabor contractions?
I'm a mess and it's my own fault for obsessing over every last detail, but outs get first litter, she's a bit younger than I hoped, was trying to keep her away from my tom for atleast another 2 months but THANK GOD I had my aunt come over who heard and saw my poor, helpless tom trapped in the cat room and let him out "just for a little while to stretch his legs" because apparently an 8x10 room with a cat tree isn't enough room!
I'd like to reiterate that I do have preplanned homes for all kittens, with contracts stating the kitten comes back to me if anything were to ever come up. So far, I get updates on all my kittens and none have ever been brought back. (Knocking on wood furiously here)
Again, i'm sorry for babbling. Im a hopeless crazed wreck the closer I get to having kittens!
Also, thank you all for any advice, experience, and stories you share!
I have very specific questions that google search doesn't pick up on, nor did I find here. Of course, there are thousands of answered questions here, I likely didn't search correctly but I'm sure someone somewhere has had this going on, hoping I can get some insight from your experiences.
As title states, my Persian is 60 days pregnant and I'm nesting 100x more than she is, of course.
I have 3 nesting boxes set up, a brand new xl litter box full baby blankets of various textures, a cardboard box covered with muslin with one soft throw folded into a mat, and 1 jumbo triangle litter box lined with more blankets in the closet. I've closed her off into one bedroom with all amenities and its down to the waiting game.
Although I've had cats give birth before, I very occasionally breed purebred persians on the request of many people begging for a kitten, deposits given before birth kind of situations.
This little lady, Barbara, will be having her first litter and I'm so very excited I can't contain myself. No seriously, I can't. I spend every waking hour with her in her room, my vet is exasperated with my phone calls (can't blame the poor man) and I'm on google more than any sane person should be trying to catch Key words like hard belly, purring, eating, 56 days, 57 days, 58 days, 59 days... you get the drift. I'm babbling, sorry!
Okay so to the point, I'm hoping I can get some insight from you more experienced folk on the unexpected signs of pregnancy. Out of my 3 queens, one waits until I'm fast asleep before even showing signs of labor. She's had 3 litters over 3 years and every time, I'll stay up till 3am or more from day 58 and up. She insists on delivering herself. FINE.
Queen 2 is the opposite, she knows my schedule and waits until I'm home before starting the meowing, licking genitals, will stop eating about 12 hours in, and even wait for me to grab a fresh cup of coffee before even considering having a contraction.
Well this little lady is at 60 days. Her belly has been going from hard to soft all day, she had diarrhea yesterday (vet assumes it's because I put kitten formula into her wet food to make sure she's hydrated; yea that backfired)
She's grooming herself leisurely, sleeping/resting lots, not licking her vulva at all, but has nonchalantly scoped 2 out of her 3 nesting boxes. She is eating like a glut, and otherwise calm other than getting cozy next to me and flopping from side to side as her belly gets hard but then softer it doesn't feel like contractions, but I haven't had a litter in over a year so maybe I forgot what they feel like? Or maybe I never felt prelabor contractions?
I'm a mess and it's my own fault for obsessing over every last detail, but outs get first litter, she's a bit younger than I hoped, was trying to keep her away from my tom for atleast another 2 months but THANK GOD I had my aunt come over who heard and saw my poor, helpless tom trapped in the cat room and let him out "just for a little while to stretch his legs" because apparently an 8x10 room with a cat tree isn't enough room!
I'd like to reiterate that I do have preplanned homes for all kittens, with contracts stating the kitten comes back to me if anything were to ever come up. So far, I get updates on all my kittens and none have ever been brought back. (Knocking on wood furiously here)
Again, i'm sorry for babbling. Im a hopeless crazed wreck the closer I get to having kittens!
Also, thank you all for any advice, experience, and stories you share!
