Hello!
While I am a long-time cat care taker and am quite familiar/ comfortable with most elements of cat wellbeing, this is my first time helping a kitty through pregnancy and birth.
She was rescued from an outdoor colony and after initial vetting + wellness check, she is now living with me until she and her kittens are ready for their future homes (and yes, she will most certainly be spayed before leaving my care
She is as sweet as can be and though she was raised fully feral, she has adapted seamlessly to indoor home life and absolutely loves meeting new people and melting under anyone's kind touch. Her gentle and affectionate personality will make for a wonderful mother, I have no doubt.
But as a first-time pregnant cat "mom" myself, I am finding it difficult to get certain questions answered through Google alone. So hopefully this community of knowledgeable and experienced people can help weigh in!
My main and most pressing question is about her obsessive tendency to lick and chew at the area where her protruding stomach meets her lower ribs. It is clear to me that there is a kitten positioned there, but I can't tell if her obsession with that specific spot is 1) because it is uncomfortable having the baby intrude into her ribcage so she is attempting to keep it positioned correctly or 2) is because there is something wrong with that specific baby, maybe a struggling fetus or worse, one that has already died or 3) the baby in that position is closest to her senses, so she has identified it as a favorite and is giving it motherly love in whatever way she can, or, last of all, 4) this is entirely normal behavior among most pregnant cats and is so common that no one thinks to mention it in all the pregnancy education guides circulating out there
I'll attach a photo of her in this favorite position to help describe what I am referring to, and also to show off how adorable this soon to be little mamma is
I am calling her Moma, since she is housing some amazing works of art in there (pronounced like Moe-mah for the famous museum of modern art in NYC) and also because she is a literal Mom-a
)
While I am a long-time cat care taker and am quite familiar/ comfortable with most elements of cat wellbeing, this is my first time helping a kitty through pregnancy and birth.
She was rescued from an outdoor colony and after initial vetting + wellness check, she is now living with me until she and her kittens are ready for their future homes (and yes, she will most certainly be spayed before leaving my care
She is as sweet as can be and though she was raised fully feral, she has adapted seamlessly to indoor home life and absolutely loves meeting new people and melting under anyone's kind touch. Her gentle and affectionate personality will make for a wonderful mother, I have no doubt.
But as a first-time pregnant cat "mom" myself, I am finding it difficult to get certain questions answered through Google alone. So hopefully this community of knowledgeable and experienced people can help weigh in!
My main and most pressing question is about her obsessive tendency to lick and chew at the area where her protruding stomach meets her lower ribs. It is clear to me that there is a kitten positioned there, but I can't tell if her obsession with that specific spot is 1) because it is uncomfortable having the baby intrude into her ribcage so she is attempting to keep it positioned correctly or 2) is because there is something wrong with that specific baby, maybe a struggling fetus or worse, one that has already died or 3) the baby in that position is closest to her senses, so she has identified it as a favorite and is giving it motherly love in whatever way she can, or, last of all, 4) this is entirely normal behavior among most pregnant cats and is so common that no one thinks to mention it in all the pregnancy education guides circulating out there
I'll attach a photo of her in this favorite position to help describe what I am referring to, and also to show off how adorable this soon to be little mamma is
I am calling her Moma, since she is housing some amazing works of art in there (pronounced like Moe-mah for the famous museum of modern art in NYC) and also because she is a literal Mom-a
)
Sorry.... I think I have been spending too much time in cat duty over here and not enough time in human conversation 
she’s a super star 
