In Labor?

[gsholup]

Hi everyone! Our cat Artemis is in the late stages of pregnancy. Not positive on date of conception but we've been feeling movement for a little over 2 weeks.
Yesterday morning, I noticed a bloody splotch on my pillow. I didn't even think of the cat then, I just thought it was weird cuz I don't have bloody boogers when I sleep, and that's what i thought it was! Today I noticed more blood on another area of my bed and checked her lady parts, and sure enough, there was blood there. There's also a dark hard thing. I don't know if it's the mucous plug or just dried blood? What color is the mucous plug? If she is having bloody discharge, does that mean the mucous plug already came out? She's not licking her lady area a ton like I thought she would, but she hasn't been eating much the past few days. When she's laying down, she doesn't meow and is breathing heavily. I keep trying to go to the kitchen to cook dinner, but every time I do, she follows me and meows incessantly! Any ideas on how close she might be? Thanks!

 

[abyeb]

The mucus plug is white, pink, or clear according to this article: Help! My Cat Is Having Kittens!, but cats will have some bloody discharge before giving birth. (See this thread: My Cat Has been Pregnant and today she had a bloody Discharge???). Cats usually give birth about two weeks after you start seeing/feeling movement. Changes in behavior, including becoming more vocal, are also signs that a cat is approaching delivery.

 

[gsholup]

Hi! My soon-to-be mama cat is nearing 8 weeks of pregnancy. About 5 days ago, I noticed a brownish colored discharge and initially thought it was coming from her vulva. First reaction: She's in labor! Yay! That was Monday. Yesterday I took her to the vet because i was worried something was wrong. Ultrasound revealed healthy kittens with heartbeats - 5 or 6, vet thought. I left relieved and excited. Today she had more discharge, but I think it's coming from her anus and had just dropped down before (ew). I know diarrhea is common before labor, but is this leaky stuff normal? It's not a ton, but enough to be gross, especially since she's too fat to clean herself properly!

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
Can you get some earthbath wipes - these are safe for pets, or some makeup removal Micellar wipes?
Also, ask your vet if adding some plain pumpkin to her diet would be ok, to add some fiber and maybe help with the runny poo.

 

[StefanZ]

Yes such plain pumpkin should be harmless.

 

[gsholup]

Thank you! I think the problem was actually that she was constipated. She began having her kittens this morning and a few hard turds came out with the first one. She had two stillborns first (one looked like it passed away more recently than the other) and one live one so far. She's resting but I felt at least one more moving inside. The live kitten was born about an hour ago and has not eaten yet. When do I worry/intervene? I do have some KMR on hand but don't want to intervene if it's not necessary

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! There are a couple of kitten specific sites that may help;
www.kitten-rescue.com, and Saving Kittens

 

[StefanZ]

If the kittens isnt super weak, its no danger yet. You can always smear some water with a some glucose sugar on the lips and gums.
In practice it will be water with honey or white caro syrup - both do contain glucose sugar. Glucose sugar will keep the kitten going for some while.

But good you are prepared.

The question is, how is momma doing? If she is ok, no visible troubles, you can wait and see. Pauses are common.
But if she is visibly straing with delivery or in other troubles, it is more alarming, and contact your vet immediately.

 

[gsholup]

I thought the mama wasn't done yet, but it's been about 4 hours since the live kitten was born. It does seem pretty weak and doesn't try to nurse even when I put it right up to a nipple. I put a little KMR on its mouth and some honey too, but it doesn't seem interested - doesn't open it's mouth. It seems chilly so I tried to move it to the heating pad but mama moved it back. She seems clueless about how to feed it

 

[gsholup]

This little kitty is so sweet and perfect but I can't get her to open her mouth to accept the nipple and I'm scared she won't make it

 

[StefanZ]

Red alert yes. You must fight on if you want it to have any chance.
If necessary separate from momma, but its a big advantage if momma helps with warm, cleaning, purring...

Its a weak kitten and weak suckler.
So. 1. Be sure its warm. An IR-heating lamp is good - perhaps some neighbour has it? Many rheumatics have those. And now during the high summer they wont need theirs. Or people having leguana aquariers.

2. Smear some water with honey on its lips, to give extra energy. If you can get it to swallow some, its just good. Open the mouth and put the fluid on lips and gums. Perhaps even a free drop or two inside.
Its enough it can swallow.

3. Feed it with a dropper or a little syringe (1-1,5ml). Train some for yourself so you know how to control.
This way it doesnt matter much it doenst know how to suckle, or if it is a weak suckler. Its enough it manages to swallow.
The handfeeding is a little tricky and not without dangers, but its your best chance.
Or the least bad possibility if you want.

OK, tummy down, head diagonally up. You can hold it in a little towel, or even wrap it up if it wriggles.
In the corner of the mouth, and slowly, patiently, drop by drop, so it manages to swallow. After a while both you and kitten will hopefully get the idea.

Raw goats milk is very good. Pasteurized or powdered goats milk good but not as excellent. KMR in powder is good, the premade liquid KMR not so good.
Hartz kmr is uneven quality, see it as inferior.
Most other brands are OK...

The need is about 25 ml goats milk or kmr a day, every two hours or somewhat more often. So count with 2 ml at a time.
Wait, I suspect your kitten is smallish, so it will be somewhat less.

Please come back with reports.

Ps 2. you can have some honey with the KMR mixed in. Even if kmr does typically contain some glucose sugar. But if its easier, begin with just honey with water.
Also, if the kitten is chilled out, OR you suspect its dying, have just water with honey and a trifle salt... No kmr to cold or dying kittens - their digestation has stopped. but water with honey may buy you time.

I thought the mama wasn't done yet, but it's been about 4 hours since the live kitten was born. It does seem pretty weak and doesn't try to nurse even when I put it right up to a nipple. I put a little KMR on its mouth and some honey too, but it doesn't seem interested - doesn't open it's mouth. It seems chilly so I tried to move it to the heating pad but mama moved it back. She seems clueless about how to feed it

 

[gsholup]

Update. I brought mama and baby to urgent care. They were backed up but took them to the back and put the baby in an incubator. About an hour and a half later, someone came to tell me the kitten didn't make it. I'm kinda frustrated because I don't think they were paying attention to it. They're going to do an xray on the mama because our regular vet thought there were 5 or 6 at an ultrasound on Thursday and she only had 3. Frustrating all around because it's getting very expensive and the worst part is that we probably won't even get one live kitten to make it all worth it. Thanks so much to everyone for your advice and support.

 

[gsholup]

One more update. Xray showed one more fetus, no heartbeat detected. Surgery is recommended but very expensive for me so they are giving her some meds to try and induce labor again so she passes it naturally. I'm kind of frustrated because since we went to urgent care, there were people ahead of us and I don't think they ever performed an exam on the kitten, they just put it in an incubator to wait its turn. I noticed they didn't charge me for the kitten's exam, which they had said they were going to, so I don't think they ever paid any attention to it after incubating it. Gr

 

[talkingpeanut]

How is she doing now?