Help with cat in labor

[Sarthur2]

It's so interesting that she came inside your house today. She knew it was time. She edged closer and closer to your house the last couple of weeks. She knew what she was doing. She knows she needs food and shelter for herself and her babies. She learned to trust you last time.

 

[lms192327]

image.jpg

• lms192327
• Sep 9, 2015

 

[lms192327]

My husband is concerned with how she will act in the house once the kittens are up and moving. Plus she's never seen a vet so we don't know if she has worms or fleas or even rabies. I'm not sure how vaccines work with nursing cats and if she can get them. She is in the laundry room and it seems petty but...if I do a load of laundry tomorrow will that bother her I wonder? I can't afford to fall behind on the wash for 7 people!

 

[nansiludie]

So happy to hear all the babies are doing well and mother cat handled everything, I'm very glad you were able to get her inside and now can see to it all are alright.

 

[Sarthur2]

Aww! She's still panting in the picture, and the babies look wet still. Love the Christmas blanket .

I'm so glad her babies don't have to grow up feral.

 

[nansiludie]

My husband is concerned with how she will act in the house once the kittens are up and moving. Plus she's never seen a vet so we don't know if she has worms or fleas or even rabies. I'm not sure how vaccines work with nursing cats and if she can get them. She is in the laundry room and it seems petty but...if I do a load of laundry tomorrow will that bother her I wonder? I can't afford to fall behind on the wash for 7 people!

With worms, most likely but if you use handwashing and normal cleanliness, you should be alright. Sometimes, a Vet will give you a dosage of flea medicine, but I am hesitant to use it on a nursing cat. With rabies, its actually quite rare and she'd be very aggressive, with her eating and acting normal, I think she is fine. Especially with her having had a live litter.

 

[Sarthur2]

Vets do not vaccinate nursing moms. Believe it or not, feral cats can be amazingly healthy. She does not have rabies. She probably has worms because she lived outside, but most strays have worms.

If she has fleas, you'll be able to put a tube of Advantage on her neck. That's okay for nursing moms.

She may be surprsingly friendly once her babies are bigger. She'll be protective for awhile though.

You can do your laundry. Is she away from the washer and dryer? I sure would not try to move them right now.

How many kids do you have?

 

[lms192327]

She is about three feet from the washer, I can probably hold off until tomorrow night but after that the dirty laundry may take over! She is resting now but if I move close she puts her head up and ears back very quickly so I'm backing off. I think my part in this is over. She has food water, a litter box and I picked up everything off the floor incase she goes to the bathroom there. She ate three placentas and I took the last one away. I will be honest I thought they would all be still born again. I am so happy. Last time there was hardly blood. I kept thinking she was chewing a kitten but my husband thinks last time they had been dead for a while since there was no bleeding. The placentas were very healthy looking compared to last time.they were shriveled and very dark and this time they had great color and size. The sacs and the fluid of the last three was very clear so I'm not sure with the first if maybe it's because he was orange that it seemed so brown. She's resting, she hasn't eaten or drank yet but she ate the placentas. These kittens are much smaller than last time but very active and they are all suckling away. She is still breathing pretty fast and she doesn't feel totally "empty" so I'm just good to hang out for a while and see if she gets up.
We have four of our own kids and we are fostering a girl who's 6 who if everything goes smoothly with the courts we will adopt and I am actually expecting another in January. Full house!

 

[Sarthur2]

Wow! Kudos to you! That is a full house . I hope the fostering turns into adoption for you!

She may have another kitten to deliver, or it may be after pains and nursing kicking in. Cats frequently breathe heavily for a day or two after delivering.

I would start a load tomorrow and see how she reacts. You can always stop the washer if you absolutely have to. If it works out, you'll be in there with her a lot and that could be a good thing for further trust building. When you're not washing, she'll have the room to herself.

If it doesn't work out, I guess Plan B is she gets moved. She's not going to like that, so hopefully Plan A will work out .

I became worried too when you mentioned dark blood, but I was hopeful because things seemed to be progressing better this time.

I'm so relieved this went well and the babies are here and healthy. And we're not doing this in the middle of the night this time .

 

[lms192327]

She is well, except she is still pregnant I can feel another kitten moving. Unless maybe it's her bowels rumbling around. She had been eating. She is still breathing rapidly which makes me think she is still pregnant. The kittens are all active, and drinking. I don't want to weigh them because I don't know how she will react to me touching them

 

[lms192327]

All four are different! It's really funny. I have never seen an orange cat around here ever.

image.jpg

• lms192327
• Sep 10, 2015

 

[Sarthur2]

She will eventually deliver the last kitten if there is one.

Do you have any KMR to give the cat? It will help her calcium level and maybe calm her down some.

Good to hear the kittens are latched and nursing.

Keep us posted today.

 

[lms192327]

I have been mixing the formula with her food. She doesn't seem to want the water, so I alternate between mixing food with water and then mixing food with kmr

 

[Sarthur2]

That works too!

 

[nansiludie]

Such beautiful kittens! I'm really glad it went well this time. Such a good outcome.

 

[lms192327]

Well still no other kittens. She seems okay. Hasn't really tried to get up and go anywhere. She went to the bathroom on the floor. I guess I'm just waiting to see if there are any others. No peculiar discharge. She is still breathing very rapidly

 

[Sarthur2]

Hopefully her breathing will calm soon. Do you have doggie pee pads you could put down for her?

I guess she'll learn the litter box when the kittens learn it .

How are the babies?

 

[lms192327]

Today she delivered a fifth kitten while I was gone picking up the kids from school. It wasn't alive. I didn't see any blood anywhere and when the others were delivered there was a lot of blood, so I don't think it was born alive. I rubbed and rubbed and swung the kitten but nothing. I wasn't home so I wasn't there to see the placenta come out but I don't see any discharge and she is no longer panting or breathing rapidly anymore. I've called our vet and she thinks given the situation it may not be best to bring her in but to watch and wait she said she can call in antibiotics for me just in case I need them. She is still being a great mom and the kittens are all nice and plump.

 

[LotsOfFur]

This kitty is always full of surprises! Glad to hear she's being a good mama and the babies are plump. Can't wait to see more pics of the babies & hopefully no more surprises

 

[lms192327]

This morning I was able to get a really good look at the kittens. Mom was meowing at me to come see her so I sat next to her and she purred so I pet her head and she let me. So looking at the kittens at least two of them have extra "toes" on there back feet and there front paws. Is that okay? It doesn't seem to be bothering them and I think she has the normal amount