Getting ready for kittens

[jjbutterfly]

I have had animals and cats my entire life, however, I have never had the experience of being responsbile for a kitten birth. My chow chow had puppies on my bed with me when i was little, thats about as far as my experience goes. I have been reading the site, and I feel fairly confident I have everything I need - I just wanted to start a thread so that in the event she has any issues, I can quickly access the wealth of information ya'll seem to be able to provide.

My cat (named kitten, elsa, anna, or catness depending on who you ask - i call her kitten my kids and neighbors kid have other ideas, not that it matters much, she only responds to a can opening anyway..)

I originally got her for my (neutered) male cat who mothered my newborn when i had her almost 4 yrs ago, I had gotten him and his mom together and his mom disappeard on my daughters birthday last year, perry, the male, became very clingy to me (hes 20 something lbs and not awesome to have sleeping on your rib cage) so i thought given how much he mothered my daughter as a very loud newborn (including getting into the bath with her when she would cry) that maybe a smaller female kitten similar to his mom would help him cope. NOPE.. he hates her and has now chosen to only come home at feeding times and thats it. (my cats are indoor outdoor, we have a cat door on our very large screened in back porch that lets them into the main house)

Well - kitten is just under a year old, and we missed the signs for her first heat (I was in the PROCESS Of making her spay apt. and planning a wedding.. i slacked, and now kitten is pregnant.. and no, I do not need the bashing of irresponsibility, I am taking responsibility, the cat door is now locked, she cant get out, and she will not be allowed back out until after her kittens are weaned and she is spayed and they are spayed/neutered.

I can tell the last pairing (as im sure there were multiple) was june 9th (my dads bday) up to that point, she didnt want anything to do with the male cat that was coming around (and this is one of the reasons we missed it, he is a regular visitor in the evening anyway as he'll grab a few bites and head on his way) well i walk out on the 9th and boom apparently she didnt dislike him anymore. 

so here we are today - about 2 weeks away from when id expect (based on 65 days from june 9th) her to have her kittens. My biggest concerns here are that she is a tiny cat, but her belly is big. I know there are at least 2, i could feel them moving on opposite sides of her stomach independently the other day as she was laying on my lap. I have had her on kitten food and wet food since I relized she was preggers. I have kitten milk standing by in case first time kitten mom doesnt know what to do. She is a beautiful tortie and typically very verbal - the last week shes been much quieter (she usually talks non stop from the time i get home from work till I put wet food down for her.

I have set her up a nest in our master shower (its a shower only has a lip to keep small kittens in and has a plug available for me to put a heating pad under the blankets close by. everything she needs is in there and she inspects it occasionally and i know that she may not decide to have them there but its there or my closet floor - as our bed is a platform bed so she cant get under there and my kids keep their doors closed almost all the time (i think they are too loud anyway. )

Soooo basically.. I am here to have access to advice once she goes into labor and starts popping the kittens out incase she has any issues being a first time mommy.. I do think her litter is smaller shes not very big yet but given her small frame you can definitely tell shes preggers. 

 

[magiksgirl]

Hi and welcome to TCS!

What's done is done so no need to fret on it.

Do make sure that she has unlimited access to food and water, a quiet place without a lot of traffic that she can feel safe. Below you can find some articles you may want to look at if you haven't already.

 [article="31414"]Help My Cat Is Having Kittens​[/article]  

 [article="31379"]Pregnant Cat What To Prepare For The Birth​[/article]  

 [article="31481"]Post Birth Complications In Cats​[/article]  

 [article="32740"]Kitten Development Stages Illustrated Guide​[/article]  

 [article="29721"]The Essentials Of Kitten Nutrition​[/article]

 [article="22475"]Tis The Kitten Season​[/article]  

Also, If you plan to find them homes, this is a good article to read:

 [article="0"]Kittens To Good Homes​[/article]  

Thank you for taking responsibility for this new family on the way and do keep coming back in case you have any questions.

 

[handsome kitty]

Just keep using this thread if you have any questions.  You will get better advice if people see the whole story.  Assuming they read everything and not just the last couple of posts. 

 

[jjbutterfly]

Yep, I am anxiously awaiting the arrival - and then imminent destruction of my house by little kitty terrorists I am also anxious to see how my dog reacts to them. He wants so badly to play with the cats, and kitten (the pregnant one) plays him like a fiddle.. she head boops him when she cant get pets from anyone else and swats at him when shes getting pets.

I know I still have some time a head of me, but given that I have read that they can mate multiple times, I don't think she did, but I know its pretty likely she did.. on the offchance that it happened a few days earlier than the one I witnessed, id like to be here early!

I have an interesting next few months a head of me! so excited for it though. I know I still got some time before they arrive but I have read through so many posts on here and have seen so many get great advice.

I have an emergency vet phone number handy but the community seems very supportive. I will try to get pictures of her later and probably post tomorrow. right now shes sulking. bc I wont let her outside to catch lizards.

 

[jjbutterfly]

Well kitten had diarreah yesterday - a few times it seems. would stress from being stuck inside cause that too? she is NOT happy about it and shes a smart little thing - she has realzied the red knobs on each side of the cat door are whats keeping it from opening. (originally we had it set to not let out but still let in, but she figured out how to pull the door open) so now we have it set to not allow in or out. well last night while watching her I relaized she was biting at and scratching at the red knobs. my husband put double sided tape across the cat door (keep her from scratching and deter her from continuing to try)  well she decided that she was just going to make us feel horrible and climb the door and look at us out the window meowing.

also I need tips on getting her to use the natural Pellet type of kitty litter - she is uninterested in it, and will opt for pooing on the floor instead - which at current moment with it being diarreah is not awesome.

I know she is anytime now within the next week-ish, she did drop yesterday she looks less like she swallowed a ball and more like shes just a little chunky. I can still feel the kittens being VERY active.

 

[jjbutterfly]

http://www.petsmart.com/cat/litter-..._id=36-18347&_t=pfm=category&pfmvalue=faceted

This is the type of cat litter I got as we typically use clumping but I read that if she choses to have her kittens in the litter pan that this would be bad for them.

 

[Sarthur2]

She's due anytime now really. The diarrhea is probably from pregnancy changes in her system as she gets closer to giving birth.

She wants to go out to find a place to have her babies outside. Lots of cats try to do this. It's good you're not letting her.

You may want to switch back to her old litter. The kittens will not be using a litter pan for several more weeks, and their litter in a kitten box can still be different from what she uses in her big box. It might be one less headache for you right now to not have to worry about cleaning poop off the floor.

 

[jjbutterfly]

I read not to use it because its clumping and if she has the kittens in the litter box will have an issue cleaning the kittens as they are born as the litter will stick to them?

 

[Sarthur2]

Do you have nesting areas set up for her in places such as a closet? And is she aware of them?

 

[jjbutterfly]

Yes I have our walk in shower set up with blankets a litter box that is where she is fed - it will be hers for the next few months - and i have a place in my closet cleared out with a box and some blankets. She is interested occasionally in the shower one she goes in and digs around in the blankets here and there, and shes wondered into the closet one a few times no digging in that one though. more often than not she digs in my bed covers, she sleeps with me so she'll probably have them on the bed. 

I have boxes as well as a large pet keeper (not a cage more of a pop up 2x4 pet keeper that has a closeable door on it in the living room - although due to my dog i do not forsee her trying to have them in the living room or the dining room, my kids playroom is way too loud for her, my kids rooms are too loud for her, (I am going to put some blankets down in the bottom of our pantry (no doors) as she goes in there and inspects in there occassionally - but our kitchen is too small that our cabinets are FULL so she wont be able to do it there... she really is limited to the shower we cnverted for her ((we put masking tape over the drain to prevent little paws getting stuck in the event the blankets get moved around and uncover the drain cover)  or my closet or bed if she is going to do it quiet and secluded. 

 

[Sarthur2]

It sounds like you're well set, and if she doesn't pick the shower, you can always move her and her kittens when she's done delivering. It always seems to work out!

 

[jjbutterfly]

Well, I was wrong she can get under the bed. I don't know how but she shot up and ran, looked for her for 15 min before I could hear her purring under the bed. Had to remove my drawer to get her out. (All I did was remove the drawer and let her come out when she was ready.) Also got her using the other litter box by adding just a little of her normal litter to it.

 

[Sarthur2]

Good news on the litter box usage! Cats are so unpredictable sometimes - I think that's partly why we love them!

 

[jjbutterfly]

Just kidding again, she used it once, back to the floor. i cant set up a litter box where she is using the floor bc my dog tears into it like its a tasty treat. :/ its actually less of a mess to let her go on the floor and clean it up. that sounds so nasty but if its not in the litter box he leaves it alone. I guess my carpet cleaner is going to be put to the test over the next few months. I know i can go back to her regular litter after the kittens are born so its really just till then. few more days hopefully.

 

[jjbutterfly]

Kitten is starting to have contractions I think. I can't see it or feel it, she makes this weird meow every once in a while its not consistent, but it seems things may be on their way.

 

[LotsOfFur]

Sending positive labor energy to kitten and (hugs) to you!

 

[handsome kitty]

keep the updates coming if you can,

 

[jjbutterfly]

She escaped while we were trying to let the dog out. I'm freaking out.

 

[Sarthur2]

So your pregnant cat got outside when you let your dog out, and now you have no idea where she is while she may be in labor?

This is not good at all. I hope you can find her, I thought we had this angle settled already. Good luck to you.

 

[jjbutterfly]

I have her locked in the house not one room. She put a jet pack on or something when I let the dog out. Took me a while to realize I was stupid.. Opened a can of food, she came running. Short of locking her in a room there will always be that potential for her to bolt when I let the dog out its the only time the doors open wide enough.
It appears whatever she was doing with the weird meows is over she slept on my bed all night, no more of it and she's now inhaling food like I don't ever feed her.