Did I do the right thing during the birth?

[birlest]

Hello!

 So my family took in a stray(who took a liking to me) and a few days ago I found out she was pregnant(she was lying on top of me and I kept feeling bumps and kicks from her stomach). I researched and thought  she had a couple weeks to go but this morning she went into labor and then of course, birth(to three beautiful babies, no less!). I was freaking out and hope I did all the right things so please tell me if I did something wrong.

-She wanted me by her little nest so I went and stayed there.

-She dragged my hand to pet her so I did to help keep her calm.

-I didn't touch any of the kittens unless absolutely necessary(and it was a couple times).

-I wrote down the time of each birth, if it had a placenta, if she ate it, what distinguishable markings they had, etc.

-I tried to stay calm during the whole thing and either coo'd her when it looked like she was about to pass out or remained quiet. This part was hardest since I am a worrier and had no idea on what to do.

-I made sure the kittens went up to suckle(although I don't know if they actually did).

-After things calmed down I brought out a small dish with her usual hard kitty food and fresh water that was on standby, and set it near her. 

-A few times I had to pick one of the kittens up so they wouldn't fall off of the edge of the dresser or when the mom sat square on top of one of them and they cried. I always made sure to set them back next to her.

-Her litter box is clean and next to the dresser(close enough for her to use it, far away enough the kittens couldn't get into it).

-Left her alone to rest and relax post-birth but stayed in the room just in case she needed/wanted me.

Is there anything else I should have done or should do? 

I never have helped give birth to kittens and I've never had to deal with kittens so I'm at a loss. I've researched more but I prefer to hear advice and tips from those more experienced rather than more articles that may or may not conflict. 

Also, is there anything I should know about newborn kittens and what's to come within the next months?

 

[mwallace056]

Everything looks right but why they on a dresser? I would move them to where they wont fall and get hurt. Anywhere would do fine as long it calm and peaceful and the mother cat feels safe. A closet would be great. I would also weigh them in grams, a kitchen scale works great to make sure they are getting enough milk.

Expose them to everytthing noises(if the noises is not too loud, remember their hearing is more sensitive then ours) people of different ages, and genders. other animals, hairdyers, vacuum,

How many did she have? Can you post photos?

 

[Norachan]

It sounds as if you did a wonderful job Birlest. Lots of cats like people to be there to comfort them when they give birth, I think you made it much easier for her.

One thing you can do now is get some weighing scales, the kind you use when baking are fine, and weigh each kitten. Weigh them once a day at the same time every day and make a note of their weight. They should be increasing steadily, no weight gain is bad, losing weight is terrible. If you can get some KMR just in case they need extra feeding that would be good, but if they are feeding and gaining weight steadily they should be fine.

Could you make her a bed in a cardboard box with sides to high for the kittens to crawl over and put this on the floor? I worry that they might fall off the dresser too.

Here are a few articles to look at but we're always here to help if you have any more questions.

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/post-birth-complications-in-cats

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/hand-rearing-kittens

Good luck.

 

[anne with cats]

Sounds like you did everything right!  I just don't understand being on top of a dresser - or are they in a drawer?  If those kittens fall, they will go head first! (you know - big baby heads!)  They can't hear or see anything yet, they can only smell where mom is. I would think that the mama trusts you very much, especially because you stayed with her throughout delivery. Think she would be o.k. with moving all to a safer spot. Box ?  Kitty bed? Otherwise, sounds good. The weighing thing is important, and will let you know if they are nursing and getting enough milk. They grow like crazy the first couple of weeks! And be sure mama is getting extra food, as she is using more calories than when she was pregnant!  Keep us posted! We all just luv those baby kittens!

 

[birlest]

Well she has a blanket she loves and it was on top of my desk so one day I moved it to the dresser and she kept lying down there. She chose it as her nest and wouldn't go anywhere else to have her kittens and I didn't want her stressed so I let her have them there. 

I wasn't sure on how much I should touch them or her so I've given her attention when it seems like she wants it and left her(and the babies) alone apart from that. 

She had three pretty babies. 

I'll see if I can get any clear shots but it's pretty dark inside for the camera. 

 

[birlest]

Thanks! I wasn't prepared for them so soon but the little research I had done ahead of time really helped. 

The dresser is low to the ground but high enough that the kittens might accidentally hurt themselves if they fell off the edge.I placed my pillow by the edge of it and a towel by the sides just in case.

I actually don't have anything to weigh them with and money is tight so I can't just go out and buy one. I honestly don't know how I'll afford all these new kittens and vet bills (the mom hasn't been to the vet yet!) but I'm sure if I go to a local shelter and ask for advice, they will help. or find a deal with a vet. I've only had the Momma cat for a couple weeks so this really was a surprise hahah.

I was reading some threads here about how that special milk is made from goats milk. My grandma actually has goats that have their own babies so is raw goat milk ok? 

 

[birlest]

I'm actually cleaning out my closer as we speak.

There is a kennel gate thing outside that I'm going to clean, bring inside,take apart, and attach to the wall on both side of the closet so they have extra room aside from my small closet.

It'll be a great little place for when they start jumping around as they get older, too. 

Exposing to noises is a really good idea! I probably wouldn't have thought about that so I'm excited to make them into great little kitties. 

 

[birlest]

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• birlest
• Mar 24, 2015

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• birlest
• Mar 24, 2015

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• birlest
• Mar 24, 2015

I hope those came out ok.

This is where I'm trying to move her too.

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• birlest
• Mar 24, 2015

To my surprise she left the kittens to jump on the bed with me and snuggle and I pet her briefly before leading her back to the kittens. Of course I sat back down by the nest while she went back to tending them. What is the best way to get them all out? I don't think it'd be a good idea to drag them all out...

 

[catapault]

Birlest, it sounds like you are a natural at this birthing kittens business! Well done, you.

One of our experts, @StefanZ highly recommends raw goats milk for mother cats, and for supplementing kittens BUT ONLY if they need supplementing.

You can pick the kittens up to move them, should not be a problem. Just let mom watch as one by one you place them in the new nest in the closet.

If she likes the blanket she gave birth on so very much why not wash it -  if necessary - and put that on her new nest for comfort / reassurance.

Happy days ahead for you and the new furry family.

 

[birlest]

Ok quick question. 

Is it normal for the mother to growl a lot? I don't know if it's at her kittens or what but I'll be sitting on my bed and often hear her growling.

She just jumped up on here with me again to look for attention then they started crying and she growled again while running back over to them.

 

[anne with cats]

That is so sweet! She truly loves and trusts you! She is new to this mama stuff, but when she heard her babies crying, I think that was just instinct to scare away or protect from any predator. She will soon nursing n schedule, understand their cries for food. Do you have some sort of large dog or cat bed that you could put on your bed so she could be closer to you with the kittens? Those kittens won't be going too far yet, but they soon will start scooting around, and need some sort of containment. I just love how she totally trusts you! Yes I agree - YOU are a natural!

 

[birlest]

One of the babies started crying and hasn't stopped. It went off by itself and didn't feel so warn so I heated up rice in socks and put under the blanket by it. I saw it vomit so I started panicking and called an emergency vet but they won't see me unless I have all the money at once (which I don't).

When I came back in the room it was with the mom again but still constantly crying. I tried to guide it to a nipple but either it'd not hungry or can't find it So I don't know what to do. Is this fading kitten syndrome? How am I supposed to fix it?

At first the mom was stressing over it and kept coming to me since she doesn't know what to do but I don't know what to do either

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

One of the babies started crying and hasn't stopped. It went off by itself and didn't feel so warn so I heated up rice in socks and put under the blanket by it. I saw it vomit so I started panicking and called an emergency vet but they won't see me unless I have all the money at once (which I don't).

When I came back in the room it was with the mom again but still constantly crying. I tried to guide it to a nipple but either it'd not hungry or can't find it So I don't know what to do. Is this fading kitten syndrome? How am I supposed to fix it?

At first the mom was stressing over it and kept coming to me since she doesn't know what to do but I don't know what to do either

the baby that had gone off by itself and didn't feel warm, the one you heated up the rice in socks to warm, had that baby nursed while not feeling warm? if i'm not mistaken, kittens who are cold/too cool aren't able to digest what they nurse/the milk. that would be one reason a young kitten would vomit. what did the vomit look like? was it clear liquid or did it look like the baby had vomited up momma cat milk? i'm wondering if that baby may be suckling but not actually nursing/taking in milk. or possibly momma cat's milk hasn't completely come in, like not from all her nipples?

do you have any KMR (kitten milk replacement) on hand? very young/newborn kittens are so very delicate, and can "go downhill" very quickly. you may need to do supplemental feedings for that baby for a while, in addition to the baby nursing from momma cat.

have you weighed the babies? do you have a scale that weighs in grams?

young kittens aren't able to keep themselves warm, regulate their body temperature -- i'm very sure i've read that from some of our experts who've posted. by the way, great thinking on your part to use the rice in socks to warm the baby!

i see that our two experts have been 'paged' -- @catwoman707 and @StefanZ.

 

[birlest]

I read about the technique here, actually. Anything and everything I've done so far is thanks to this great community.

I tried to determine the vomit when it happened but it was done on a dark towel so I couldn't tell. I know it wasn't white or milky, though.

I don't have anything to weigh them with and spent my money on replacement milk, a bottle, and evaporated goats milk for the mom.

She keeps leaving them unless I'm right there by her so I've removed myself from the room.

I think it's tummy is bloated....bad sign?

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

I read about the technique here, actually. Anything and everything I've done so far is thanks to this great community.

I tried to determine the vomit when it happened but it was done on a dark towel so I couldn't tell. I know it wasn't white or milky, though.

I don't have anything to weigh them with and spent my money on replacement milk, a bottle, and evaporated goats milk for the mom.

She keeps leaving them unless I'm right there by her so I've removed myself from the room.

I think it's tummy is bloated....bad sign?

do you know, have you seen momma cat stimulating that baby to pee/poop? needing to urinate/defecate and not getting stimulated to do it might be a reason that babies tummy is bloated. it looks like the babies are just about one day or so old now, so they may not have had time to eat enough to need to pee/poop yet.

i've read, from our experts (again), that pretty much all kittens get worms. and since your momma cat had been a stray (at least temporarily, she may have had a home and family before that), i would think it's a good possibility that she has worms. that might be one reason for that babies tummy being bloated.

i really wish i had experience, to be able to help you. i'm sure one of our experts will be here soon to help though.

 

[catwoman707]

Hi Birlest, and you have done a wonderful job, you are very conscious of everything, this is good.

First of all, the baby would have choked or gagged out milk or colostrum actually is more likely.

They don't have vomit reflexes yet.

Perhaps it was left overs from the birth too.

They need to be on the floor, just in a quiet corner where there's no traffic, fairly isolated area.

You can use 2 bath sized towels, fold them over together just once, and in a corner, you will put the towel down but roll the edges up the wall a few inches on both sides of the corner.

This is to prevent a baby scooting it's way around and getting stuck between the towel bed and the wall.

Just like a crib bumper pad idea.

I would sit there on the floor with mom, close enough so she doesn't get up to get closer to you.

You can talk to her, pet her and pet the babies, at this point she is on high alert so she's rather you didn't pick babies up just yet.

I know money is tight, but if you can offer her a can of friskies canned food?

Sorry I am on an important call, will be right back!

 

[birlest]

@catwoman707

I have them on the closet floor now- two towels and a makeshift crib bumper, too.

The momma cat is eating kitten food that I bought but I didn't think to use soft food.

Currently the other two kittens are draped across the one that keeps crying. It seems to me that she's leaving them alone too often too soon. 

I went ahead and am sitting down beside them all.

@mickNsnicks2mom

I have been watching and she licks their bums and everything although I haven't been able to witness anything come of it. I've tried stimulating the little crier but I haven't been successful.

That's actually a good point....I'll save up for a vet soon as I can so that I can know if they have worms or not.

The little crier goes through a pattern . Loud, alerting cries until it weakens to nothing, then steadily cries more until it's loud. Then there will be small cries between small bouts of silence until it starts all over.

I just made a bottle, put a little bit of the warm milk on the nipple and set it close to see if there was any reaction, but, nothing...I tried gently letting the taste go on it's gum but still no reaction. 

 

[catwoman707]

Okay I'm back.

The baby is crying because it's hungry, and won't stop until it wears down and naps until the next time it wakes and is even hungrier, and weaker each time this happens.

Is he/she smaller than the others?

Sometimes for some darn unknown reason a baby will not latch on to mom in the beginning. This may be the case but regardless, you are going to need to get some formula into his little tummy.

It's not going to use a bottle though, so you will need a needle-less syringe or an eye dropper now.

You can not squeeze milk from the bottle.

Feeding when newborn is VERY tricky and takes patience and know-how.

Are you sure you can't get the baby latched on? How long ago did she give birth?

I'm not going anywhere so I will be happy to give you steps on how to syringe/supplement feed until the baby is nursing from momma.

Also meant to say earlier, when I was describing the towels in the closet thing, that sometimes when you can, to sit right next to them all with mom so she won't get up from them.

But most of the time she needs to not be distracted from caring for them, so you will want to close the door and leave her alone with them so she doesn't keep leaving them.

She should be with them nursing all the time except to use her litter box and eat.

She's just inexperienced and clinging to you basically.

 

[birlest]

@catwoman707

Even if it suckled in the beginning?

Kittens are mysterious!

I will rummage through and try to find a syringe since I know one was recently used for the kids when they needed meds.

She gave birth yesterday morning at around 10 AM and finished with the third at 12 PM. The first two came out very quick and easy but it took over an hour for the third. I think the third one is the kitten that's having trouble.

I put some of the milk on the mom's nipple and put the kitten's face by it, trying to get the kitten's mouth on it but it kept refusing. 

I would very much love all the advice you can give! 

I also have goat's milk for the mom. Any particular time I should give that to her?

 

[catwoman707]

Yesterday morning?? Wow, okay the baby is starving literally then, it hasn't eaten since when? You said baby was sucking on mom in the beginning, for how long do you know?

Se if you find a syringe.