Is My Cat Done Giving Birth? I'm Also Concerned About The Kittens Health.

[yoonbum]

This might be a long shot since it's Easter but I need help or some advice.

Last night my cat, Yoonbum, started giving birth around 9 PM in the litter box in the kitchen. We tried to move her to a big box with blankets but she didn't take to it. We tried to put blankets on the floor because we thought maybe she just didn't like the box and she didn't take to that either. She gave birth to the first kitten in the kitchen and the second kitten in the living room. She eventually settled herself into an empty bottom shelf we have in the living room. She had her first two kittens about half an hour apart. She seemed to be done but she seemed rather disinterested in the kittens when we took them to her. She tried to cover them up with the blanket we had placed under her like they were poop.

We cleaned them up with towels since they were still wet. We did this in front of her and placed them with her again. This seemed to kind of give her an idea of what she should be doing and groomed them for a bit. An hour passed and everything seemed to be okay so I hopped into the shower while my sister hung out in the living room. When I came out of the shower, one of the kittens was in the middle of the hallway bleeding and struggling to breathe. It was around 2 AM at this point and my sister had dozed off so she didn't realize what had happened. We rushed the kitten to Emergency Care and they said that because it was so young there wasn't anything they could do and that the best recourse was to put it to sleep since it was suffering. We took her other kitten with us because we were afraid she might end up hurting it too and there also seemed to be blood on it. They had a look at it and said that it looked like it was doing fine. They said that sometimes first time moms accidentally hurt their young because they don't know their own strength.

When we came home Yoonbum was sitting in the litter box in the living room. Eventually, she came out but kept going back in. Around 5 AM she gave birth to a third one inside the litter box.

It's around 3 PM now and she hasn't given birth to another one but she still looks pudgy. Less pudgy than before but like there might still be one or two in there. Also, we moved the kittens to my sister's room because it's quiet and private and have them in blankets and we tried to bottle feed them but they don't really seem to be taking to it. They'll drink a tiny tiny bit but I don't think they understand how they're supposed to be going about it. Earlier this morning I let Yoonbum in so she could be with them (we didn't want to leave her alone with the kittens since we don't know if she might end up accidentally hurting them again) and she tried to grab them, but I don't know what exactly she was trying to do. If she was trying to take them somewhere or what? Later we tried again to lay her down on a blanket and tried to latch the kittens on for nursing but the kittens still don't quite seem to understand how to do it. She also doesn't seem to be lactating? We tried rubbing her nipples to stimulate them but nothing seems to be happening. Additionally, she keeps trying to bite down hard on the kittens. So I don't know if she's trying to groom them or do something motherly but just has no idea what she's doing or if it's something else. She does seem to be distressed by her kittens' cries.

I called our vet's office for help and were told that they would send a message to a vet so we should get a callback. But I don't know if we'll really get a call today since it's Easter and everyone is probably with their families and we're just very concerned with our cat's and the kittens' behavior and health. Any advice would be so welcomed!

 

[Sarthur2]

Y yoonbum

Oh my! This is an emergency! The kittens have now been quite some hours without food. They won't last long this way.

You need to supplement them hourly with kitten formula using a tiny syringe or dropper. They need 1mL/hour.

Do you have formula and a syringe or dropper?

They are fed tummy down, head up as they would feed from mom. You go drop by drop initially in the side of the mouth. Let the kitten swallow and breathe in between.

If they are lethargic, smear honey on their gums for quick energy, then feed. Formula needs to be warm and kittens need to be warm.

They need a heat source, such as a heating pad set on low under a blanket, or a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel and placed nearby. They cannot regulate their own body temperature for 3 weeks, and mom is not with them.

They need to be stimulated to pee and poop by rubbing their genitals gently after feeding, though they are likely dehydrated at the moment.

I'll write more but wanted to get this to you immediately so you can spring into action.

 

[Sarthur2]

Y yoonbum

Give us an update as soon as you can, and we'll go from there.

 

[yoonbum]

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I just fed them a 1mL of formula. I'm so relieved that they finally ate. Last night we did go out and buy some formula and a bottle after the technician at the Emergency said that we should in case the mother doesn't nurse them. And we've been trying since then to feed them but I think that the nipple was just too big and hard and it was all they had so we were trying our best with what we had. I completely forgot about an extra syringe we had that came with some antibiotics the vet gave us a couple of weeks ago for one of our other cats. It worked like a charm! I'm so happy that this worked!! Thank you so much! I also rubbed their genitals. One of them didn't pee so I'm going to try again in a little while. But it stopped crying and is asleep now. The other one did pee but it seems to have blood in its urine. What should I do???? It also pooped earlier. I had tried earlier rubbing their genitals since that's what other threads in the forum mentioned doing and the poop came out a darker brown and firm. And a lot came out. What else should I be doing right now?

 

[yoonbum]

Oh! And the one that seems to have blood in their urine seems to be the runt of the litter so I think she (I say she because she looks like she's a tortoise shell just like her mom) is probably weaker and is going to need extra care.

 

[Sarthur2]

Y yoonbum

Thank goodness!

Okay, continue feeding hourly for now. Wake them if necessary, because they have some catching up to do.

Feed a minimum of 1mL, but 2mL if they will take it. Once caught up you will feed every 2 hours.

*** You will need to feed through the night. They cannot wait 8 hours to eat. ***

Mix the powdered KMR with clear pedialyte instead of water to get electrolytes back into their systems.

You can add a drop of olive oil to the formula to help with constipation.

The poop should be light brown and toothpaste consistency when they are finally hydrated sufficiently. The other kitten will pee once hydrated - hopefully soon!

Do you have a heat source?

Do you have a kitchen scale that weighs in grams to weigh the kittens with?

They need to gain 6-10 grams or more each day. Weighing is the only way to know how they are growing, and I will be able to give you the amounts of formula they need based on their weights.

How is mom doing? Is her milk coming in? Is she showing any interest in the kittens at all?

Please post pictures of the kittens when you get a chance!

 

[Sarthur2]

Y yoonbum

Blood in the urine can be caused by different things. Let me know if it continues once the kitten is more hydrated. If it continues, the kitten will need antibiotics.

 

[sunshineclare]

Aw hope they all make it xx great advice and you're doing great too xx

 

[Sarthur2]

Y yoonbum

How are things going now?

 

[yoonbum]

Okay so the big one is taking the 2mL happily, but the runt seems to be getting lethargic. I don't have any honey, but I do have white corn syrup and I read in one of the threads that in case of no honey try that so I tried that to try and stimulate her for her third feeding. I did manage to get her to take 1mL each time so far, though, so at least that much! Also, how long before the runt no longer has blood in her pee if everything is going well? She had blood in her urine this last time too but it was only her third feeding. For her third feeding I also replaced the water with Pedialyte. I'm so worried that she won't make it. My sister says all we can do is keep trying and that maybe it'll just take her longer to recover since she went without proper feeding for few hours more than the other one. I'm just hoping that's true and that it all works out. Yoonbum seems to be doing okay. She's eating and drinking fine and she doesn't seem to be showing any signs of labor so maybe she only had those three since it's her first time ever? She also calls out to her kittens if she hears them crying. I really want to let her in there with them but again, they're in such a fragile state that I'm scared she might mishandle them without realizing it and accidentally kill them.

And I'll definitely post pictures as soon as I can! My parents are over for Easter and we're having a cook-out so I'm running back and forth between the kittens and cooking/grilling. And the funny thing is, I was in the kitchen last night getting things prepped for today and washing dishes so I could have an easy Easter when she started giving birth. Man, did things turn out completely different than what I thought they would be!

 

[yoonbum]

I also forgot to add that we have a hot water bottle under their blankets and the bigger one is also peeing. It's a yellow color. He did also poop earlier and it was dark brown and firm. I'm guessing that it's because it was his first poop since the proper feedings began?

 

[Sarthur2]

Of course everything happens at once!

I think you should let mom in with the babies, but only under your supervision. If she will nurse them and lick them that would be good. Her milk should be coming in. It definitely sounds like she wants to see her babies.

You'll still need to supplement the babies initially if they do begin to nurse, especially the runt.

The runt needs to see a vet tomorrow for an antibiotic for the blood in her urine. Getting 1mL in her every hour is fine for now.

I wrote in an earlier post that urine should be clear, and poop should be light brown and toothpaste consistency. Yellow urine is from dehydration.

You guys will need to set clocks and take turns feeding through the night.

Do you have a kitchen scale to weigh the kittens?

Also, do you plan to spay mom after this litter?

 

[yoonbum]

So an update. A lot of things have happened.

Last night, we took the little one to the Emergency because it seemed to be struggling and just getting progressively sluggish and lethargic even after feeding it every hour. The vet had a look and said that it wasn't going to make it through the night so putting it to sleep would be our best option and so we did.

The third one is still alive and strong and with quite a pair of vocal chords on it.

Yoonbum went back into the litter box last night and we thought, "Uh-oh." So we took away the litter box and tried to create a little nest for her that would kind of mimic the litter box but with blankets. I think that was too disruptive for her so she settled herself under the kitchen table. So instead I just placed this big cushiony blanket there and she spent the rest of the night sleeping on it. This morning when I got up to give the kitten his feeding, I looked in on her and she had given birth to two more (two orange ones). And they seemed to be doing fine so I took the black one to her and she seemed to be okay with it. She then gave birth to a third orange one but I couldn't get a good view of it but she was licking it and eating the placenta so I thought it was okay. I didn't want to disturb her too much because I think maybe us fussing over her might've been what caused the delay in labor. I think we stressed her out by trying to decide for her what and where her nest should be. But we couldn't let her keep trying to give birth in the litter boxes. I went back a little bit later just to check in on her and make sure everything was still okay and saw that the little orange didn't seem to be moving. I grabbed it and it was limp. I got a towel and began rubbing it and cleaning it but it didn't seem to be breathing. I don't know if it was a still born or if it suffocated because she didn't clean the stuff on its face right or what might've happened. And I've been trying to revive it but I think it's too late now: its little belly is purple, its tongue is lulling out and it's a gray-brown color and so is its nose. I don't know what to do with it since someone said on here that they knew someone who had a stillborn and didn't bury it right away and it revived on its own but in the end it didn't make it. And I keep thinking if I bury it will it revive underground and then just die buried alive? And I know that's probably me being dumb but the idea just... Is this little one really gone? Is there really nothing I can do for it? She also gave birth to another one (I think it's the last one), a calico. She's now just resting and the kittens are all snuggled with her. I still don't know if she's lactating but the kittens do seem to be suckling on her. Well, right now just one because the others are sleeping. I want to change the blankets or relocate her to my sister's room but I just want to let her rest and spend some time with her kittens for the time being.

And we were planning on spaying her before all of this. This is all on us, we completely dropped the ball on this. We took her, her sister, and her brother (who I'm assuming is the father since she's strictly indoors) in when they were a few months old in September. And we've been planning on getting them spayed and neutered since then. And usually, any cat we take in we get it fixed a month or two (depending on their age) after we take them. This time around though, we just kept getting busy with work and family that we kept pushing it back and saying, "Next Friday, for sure." And my Mom even offered to, at least, take the boy to be neutered since we were too busy, but we didn't want to bother her and since we were gonna do it "that Friday" anyway, we told her not to worry about it. So this is what we get for just letting things slide and not just accepting help when we need it. But yes, after this she's definitely getting spayed and we're taking the other two this week.

 

[Sarthur2]

My goodness - alot did happen! I'm sorry about the struggling little one. It's best it was not left to suffer.

There are numerous reasons why mom may have been acting the way she was, including her hormones and, as you say, interference. It's not at all unusual, however, for there to be hours or days-long delays in between delivering kittens. Happens all the time!

Do I understand correctly that there are now 4 live kittens? One of the original 3, 2 orange, and 1 calico?

This was a large first-time litter, so she must have mated more than once with her brother.

Are you sure her sister is not pregnant now too? You'll need to keep brother away from mom for a month after his neutering, as cats can remain fertile for 2-4 weeks after neutering (just in case she goes into heat).

It's best if the kittens nurse mom and she takes care of them. They get colostrum first, then milk. The more they nurse the more milk comes in. The better mom's diet the higher the quality milk she will produce.

I think leaving her be for now is best, though when you do replace bedding and move her nest she will probably be okay with it now that she is done delivering.

Give mom a dish of KMR a day to help with her calcium needs.

The third orange kitten sounds like he is more than gone. It sounds like you did what you could to revive him but it was not to be. He can be buried when you are ready.

I asked before but I do not think it was ever stated: do you have a kitchen scale to weigh the kittens with? This is the best way to ensure that the kittens are getting enough and growing properly.

Thank you for the update. We would love to see pictures at your convenience!

 

[yoonbum]

Ah! Let me answer the kitchen scale first because I keep meaning to but I keep forgetting. We don't have one. I think my Mom might so I'll ask her to look through her stuff. I'm sure she bought one a few years back but I don't know if she still has it.

Yes! There are currently four live kittens and the total size of the litter was seven. Oh God, I can't believe we let that happen. And I thought we were doing pretty good keeping them separated when she would go into heat. At night we had him stay in my sister's room and in the day when we would let him out to stretch his legs (he would go stir crazy and start tugging at the carpet and crying) I would keep an eye on him. Well, that certainly didn't work so a cautionary tale for anyone else that might be reading this, chaperoning your cats is nowhere near as good as spaying/neutering them.

Her sister (her name is Kenma and their brother's name is Mochi) doesn't seem to be pregnant. She's trim and shows no bulge so I think she's okay. And I think what we'll do for the next month or so is send Mochi to stay with his grandma just to ensure that nothing more happens.

And I changed the bedding. I tried putting her and the kittens in my sister's room but she didn't like it. So it looks like she wants privacy but she doesn't want to be cut off from the rest of the household so I cleaned up under the table, moved the new bedding there and right now she's lying with them. They do seem to be nursing and she seems to be getting the hang of this mommy thing so that's a relief! Earlier, after I had just changed the bedding, she walked away and all the kittens were curled up together in a little kitten ball but I guess, eventually, they got hungry or they sensed Mom was gone and they started crying which called her back. She tried to move them at that point. I don't know where she was trying to take them but there really is nowhere else to take them to so I put them back (I was also scared that she might still accidentally hurt them). She eventually took to it and lied down with them.

She does seem a little bit hot but I don't know if it's because she just gave birth or if it's something else. She is eating and drinking fine. I gave her wet food earlier which she gobbled right up. As for the KMR, do you think if I mix a tablespoon of it (I have the powder one) with wet food if that would be okay?

Okay... It's going to be such a tiny grave. :C

I did get a picture of her and her babies. There's a spot where it looks like there's blood so I went and checked the babies and her and it looks like the camera just picked up her brown spot as red so whew!

 

[Sarthur2]

Mom will spot blood for 7-10 days, so do not be alarmed. It should turn pinkish, then brown, then stop. This is her uterus healing.

Walmart sells electronic kitchen scales fairly cheaply, so you may want to pick one up.

If mom likes it under the table, then just let her be. I am so relieved that she is taking over!

Glad you're getting the others done, and that her sister is not pregnant.

I know you never meant this to happen, but since it did, try to enjoy it!

 

[yoonbum]

Okay! Awwww! Poor baby! Her poor uterus. But now I know what to look out for and what not to freak out over. This is my first time seeing a cat have babies and everything freaks me out. lol

And will do! They're so tiny, I just want to scoop them up all the time but no, must let mom do her job and let them grow big and strong!

 

[Primula]

Okay! Awwww! Poor baby! Her poor uterus.

That's why you're going to have momma spayed when her babies are 8 weeks old so she doesn't have to go through this again.