Hello, - I apologize in advance for rambling a little.
On Friday I became a first time foster to a pregnant cat. All we know is that last week she was an hour away from being euthanized in North Carolina when our NH rescue stepped in and had her brought North. She spent 2 days at the rescue and then I volunteered to take her in. She is understandably terrified and very stressed with all the commotion (and who knows what her life was like before). We have her in a large canvas/netted pet pen in a quiet, self contained room, when she first arrived she would hiss and shake whenever anyone went in the room. When she got out of the pen she immediately ran to an old canvas duffle bag and jumped inside so I filled that with soft bedding and put in in the pen with her litter tray, food and water - she seems so happy to have a "cave." I often go in the room and just sit quietly nearby reading or talking to her - occasionally I will lay down outside the pen. She no longer hisses and if I put my hand out near her she will lay her paw gently on top of my hand and even let me scratch her behind her ears.
She is obviously due any minute, by the size of her, and the fact that you can see and feel constant motion in her belly. The rescue also thinks it is going to be a large litter. My question is given her level of stress would it be better if I was no where near her when she goes into labor, or should I be nearby in case she is too stressed to deal with the babies, or has so many she tires?
On Friday I became a first time foster to a pregnant cat. All we know is that last week she was an hour away from being euthanized in North Carolina when our NH rescue stepped in and had her brought North. She spent 2 days at the rescue and then I volunteered to take her in. She is understandably terrified and very stressed with all the commotion (and who knows what her life was like before). We have her in a large canvas/netted pet pen in a quiet, self contained room, when she first arrived she would hiss and shake whenever anyone went in the room. When she got out of the pen she immediately ran to an old canvas duffle bag and jumped inside so I filled that with soft bedding and put in in the pen with her litter tray, food and water - she seems so happy to have a "cave." I often go in the room and just sit quietly nearby reading or talking to her - occasionally I will lay down outside the pen. She no longer hisses and if I put my hand out near her she will lay her paw gently on top of my hand and even let me scratch her behind her ears.
She is obviously due any minute, by the size of her, and the fact that you can see and feel constant motion in her belly. The rescue also thinks it is going to be a large litter. My question is given her level of stress would it be better if I was no where near her when she goes into labor, or should I be nearby in case she is too stressed to deal with the babies, or has so many she tires?
