Pregnant Hello Kitty! needs help

[Sarthur2]

There could be more, but I doubt it. Is she having any discharge at all?

She is nursing six babies, and cleaning them, and this is a big job. She is probably still recovering from her extended labor with some after pains. She may feel some stress in adjusting to her new brood.

Her uterus will be distended still, so she will look lumpy.

She may need extra calcium. Are you giving her KMR to drink? You can mix a raw, beaten egg into her wet food for extra protein. Crushing the eggshell and grinding it into a fine powder and mixing it into her food will also give her extra calcium.

Though I think she will be fine, it couldn't hurt to schedule your mobile vet to come when they are available at the end of the week to check her out.

 

[old possum]

Thanks for your quick responses Sarthur and HandsomeKitty. I don't think I'm going to be praying for anymore kittens to be born any time soon.

I can't see any obvious discharge in or around her bedding nor can I see anything wet on her legs when she stretches out and lifts her leg to  nurse them all.   I just brought her supper to her just now so I can go back down and add the egg to her dish. I haven't given her any replacement milk yet, I'd forgotten that mothers should have it as well as the kittens. Thank for reminding me about the calcium it should help with afterbirth muscle spasms. Hopefully that is all it is. 

Thanks

 

[Sarthur2]

Let's hope so! Let us know how she is tomorrow. If it continues she should be seen.

Is it warm enough for the kittens in the room?

 

[old possum]

Oh yes it is very warm for them even though they are still in the basement.  The fleece lined nest is on a blanket and the floor has radiant heat which is set at 77 degrees. We have kept the air-conditioning off so their is no draft. The temperature is pretty comfortable down there but the air-flow could be a little better. In time I will have a spare bedroom upstairs with better light and air flow. 

I think she was just having a bit of cramping when I saw her last, because when I went to add the egg to her food, she had already woolfed it all down, and I had to get more. She seemed calm and all the kids are asleep.

I feel like I did when I brought my own first-born home 

Lovely to have you all to call on.

Goodnight 

 

[Sarthur2]

They tend to have after effects, especially with a larger litter and unknown backgrounds. Glad to hear she was calm. Did you give her the KMR?

 

[handsome kitty]

Please make sure she has enough calcium.  If the kittens deplete the mother cat's reserve she can have serious problems.

 

[old possum]

Hi I gave her the raw egg mixed with her wet food last night and she obviously loved it because there wasn't  trace left early this morning and she only partially ate the other wet food. I have washed the shells and I will grind them into powder today. I think she may be used to eating eggs because there were lots of red-winged black birds nesting at the greenhouse nursery where she came from. I will give her the krp to-day. Today I realized that she makes that panting-purr sound when one of her kittens moved too close to the edge of the little bed that they are all in. At any rate, I see no signs of obvious distress to day. I may be reading too much into things, but better safe than sorry.  I feel a bit stymied as I would love to be more hands on with the kittens, but I can certainly offer the best nutrition. 

Do you think sardines and canned salmon with bones mashed up would be too rich for her? I could also crumble a bit of dried seaweed as this has lots of calcium but I'm not sure if these things are too high in sodium for a cat. I don't want to over do it with too much rich food but I think she has a very strong constitution because when there was no cat food around some of the boys at the greenhouse would share their lunch with her and it was usually Sri Lankan take-out, pizza or ham sandwiches. Apparently she would eat everything. I noticed that the food used to lure her into the trap was dried up garlic bread.  

I was reading that humans need vitamin D to absorb calcium properly and for the past two weeks has been in a dimly lit room.  My eldest will be moving to his own place this week and so I will have a much brighter room with fresh air. The room is much smaller than the basement so babies and mom will be easier to contain as the family grows.

The good news is that today was the first day that The Queen of Sheba did not hiss at me when I brought her food to her. I have been laying it down closer and closer to her nest. I am now to get about 1' closer these days. 

The babies seem good. They were hilarious this morning as one tried to push another away from a coveted nipple. The other kitten pushed right back. Both were blindly swiping each other like a real cat fight only it was in slow motion and their little paws mostly missed each other and were just flailing in the air till one slowly rolled over and found himself another spot to latch on to.

Does anyone have any suggestions about the best way to move a super shy feral mom and babies to a new location in the house. Everyone seems to be able to move cats and kittens to new locations without much ado, but this is not going to be easy for me with the way she is right now. Should I wait another week or two?  The Queen did not choose to come to my house and she is miles away from her established territory so all the smells and sounds are different and she really doesn't know us at all.

Thanks for all the tips on caring for cats. I just love seeing them all together. She loves just like any other mother. Yesterday, while several were nursing, I saw her stretch out her paw and gently stroked the head of a little guy who was sleeping a few inches away.   

 

[handsome kitty]

Moving her could be a problem.  You may need to wait a couple more weeks.  You don't want to lose her trust.  Does she explore the rest of the house?

Before you crush the egg shell, you'll need to remove the thin membrane on the inside of the eggshell.  A little salmon would be ok and sardines. I wouldn't get too fancy, whatever the mom eats, the kittens eat. Cats can't have onions or garlic.  These can make the cat sick. 

 

[Sarthur2]

I think you should move her when the babies are about 3 weeks old. This is when they begin leaving the nest to explore, so that would be another week, right?

The room you want to move her to sounds awesome, and everyone can get a bit more fresh air too. The kittens will be regulating their own body temperature at that point as well.

To move her, set up the room fully with nest, food, water, and litter box. Put a kitten-sized box in there too, because the kittens will begin to transition to soft food around 4-5 weeks and will begin having more formed bowel movements.

You will put the kittens in a box or basket and mom should follow you upstairs. I think moving yourself closer and closer has been a great idea! You may want to hold off trying to pet mom until she is well settled in the new room. Put some toys in there for the kittens too - balls with bells and play mice.

Talk softly, slowly and gently to mom and walk very slowly when carrying the kittens. Mom will deduce that you mean no harm.

Food-wise, I would mash up a small serving of sardine or salmon into her regular food. You'll know by her poops if it is too rich for her.

I am glad she is in no distress. She sounds actually very happy, and you are a fantastic cat parent yourself!

 

[old possum]

Hi HandsomeKitty, in answer to your question, no she has not explored any other part of the house except for the time she broke out of the rec room and hid in my crawl space while she was still pregnant. Most days she sat still in a corner under a counter. She only started laying under the pool table (which is in the middle of the room), a day or two before giving birth in her little nest. I' quite sure she hasn't left that nest for more than a minute to relieve herself or to get a bite to eat. I keep the food and water really close to her bed and the litter box is only a few feet away. Her nesting spot is also draped with an old housecoat (familiar with smells of my cat and me). She seems to like the seclusion. The rest of the family has left her alone so that she is not too overwhelmed and I only go in about 3-4 times a day to bring food and clear the litter.

We have another young male neutered cat and they are about the same age, so they need to keep well apart until after a thorough exam and vaccinations, which unfortunately won't be happening until she is spayed.  

I think I'll keep on with the krm as I'm a bit worried about leaving raw egg out in her dish because the weather has been quite warm lately.

I picked up some daily cat supplements called "head to tail" and she seems to like them as I left her 2 of them and  they were gone in no time. She is showing food preferences now but it changes daily. I think her instincts let her know what is best for her. She likes the fancy feast wet kitten food the least, and she didn't care to have tuna 2 days in a row. I usually leave 2 kinds of wet food and kitten kibble down. I think that she was used to lots of variety and of course she must have been hunting for food as well.

I thought the ice was breaking when I went down to see her this morning,  but when I went down at lunch time to drop off a few vitamin treats she actually stuck her head out and took a swipe at me. This was the first time that she did so. I think that gaining her trust is going to take a very very long time given the circumstances. I have hope though, as it seems that many of you were able to socialize a feral into a family pet.

Thanks again for taking interest her welfare. She is quite beautiful underneath all the scruff.

 

[old possum]

Thank you sarthur, the kittens are only 4-5 days old as they were born over a 24 hour period on July 9th-10th. Maybe in 3 weeks times I'll have gained a bit more trust and I can borrow a leather jacket and some gloves for moving day.

 

[jeapa507]

It sounds like the Queen of Sheba is great mother. I think you are doing a wonderful job caring for her.

It is funny how cats can be particular about what they want to eat. Claire has started to show a definite preference for the fancy feast over the other two brands I have tried. I think it will be easier for you to interact with the kittens once you have moved them to the smaller room. Do you have an ideas on how you will move them?

I am enjoying reading your updates as we both experience the joys of taking care of stray/feral mamma cats. 

 

[handsome kitty]

There are some rabbit, duck and lamb cat foods out there.  I have no idea if they are for kittens but The Queen may appreciate them once in a while.  I know one of the brands is Natural Instinct and Blue Buffalo.  they are pricy over $1.50 for a small can.

 

[Sarthur2]

Sheba is being so protective because they are so tiny. New moms are fiercely and instictually protective of their newborns. You will see her relax more as they become more mobile and slightly less needy in the coming weeks .

 

[jeapa507]

How are Sheba and her kittens doing O old possum I've been thinking about you and wondering how things are doing.

 

[jeapa507]

O old possum how are Queen Sheba and her kittens doing? I have been wondering how you are doing with her?

 

[old possum]

Hi Jeapa and  everyone else who cares for cats. I haven't had much to say lately because my Queen has been very shy and protective of her kittens and I have been too nervous to aggravate her. This week we had family from out west come and stay with us. While I was trying to fashion a cardboard shield for moving in a little closer to the kittens, my stepdaughter simply walked downstairs wearing a heavy parka, ignored the hissing and picked up all of the kittens. Poor mother was too frightened to do anything like lunge or scratch. I was upset at first as I have been trying desperately to gain my Queen's trust and did not want to do anything that might jeopardize our relationship. I am glad now though as I was not really making any headway and I need to start socializing these little guys within the next few weeks. Yesterday my daughter brought the entire nest up with all the kittens in it. We got to examine them and it was amazing. The kittens did not cry out as long as we petted them while they were in the confines of the nest. One little guy had a bit of crust at the corner of one eye, but we could see no other cause for concern. I will wipe his eye and see if the crust returns, although his eye is not closed up or anything I will talk to my vet and have the ointment handy just in case, There were little grains of cat litter on the bedding and I suddenly realized that the litter I have been using is a scented / clumping one and I am worried that this could affect the kittens if some is getting tracked into the nest I think that I should probably switch to non-scented as soon as possible. I will have a spare bedroom by the end of next week and I will move everyone upstairs were there is more light and fresh air. I will get some good pictures and post them. The kittens will be three weeks by then and probably moving around a lot more so a smaller room would be best.

I have been watching videos and reading information on taming feral kittens, but I feel like I am not getting anywhere in socializing my Queen. Perhaps once she is spayed and the kittens are gone she will be able to relax a little.  No one in my family is hopeful that The Queen of Sheba will tame and feel happy with us, but I draw hope from all the stories on this site, plus I have time on my side. Also there is no other choice for her as she cannot be released back to her old stomping grounds as it would be a death sentence.

I am hoping that myTommy, will help in the socialization. He is a neutered male about the same age as the Queen, he loves to play, has a male feral friend but has screaming matches with the domestic male next door. She has only heard him meow on the other side of the door, but when she does she sort of perks up and seems to enjoy his voice. Tommy is the sort of cat that  will sit outside the bathroom door and meow until you let him in---it is somehow a lot of fun for him.

I hope that once the Queen is spayed and the kittens are gone, that she and Tommy will at least tolerate each other and maybe become pals. I know that dogs will socialize each other but I don't know if the same is true for cats.

 Everything is unfamiliar for her  here and even though her life has never been better, I know that this is unnerving for her. I think that the fact that we cannot rush the introductions and must wait for another six weeks will work to our advantage (at least I hope so). 

Ideally, I would like to have the kittens neutered before they leave for their forever homes as our Humane Society will do it for a minimal charge. 

The kittens are cute and healthy and easy to love. They will be fine. It is their mother that I worry about.  I wonder if she can tolerate such a change in her life.  I guess we shall see.

Cheers to all,

 

[Sarthur2]

Well, that is a very interesting report!

I think the combination of moving Sheba upstairs into the house, and especially into a spare room, and the kittens turning three weeks old, will begin to make all the difference in the world. The only way to socialize Sheba is to put her around people so she learns to trust. She may be secretly relieved to get out of the basement and into the house!

For that matter, you could bring her up now and put her in your bedroom if you'd like. Or is that your dog's territory? I would definitely keep the dog away from Sheba and her babies until they are much older though.

If it makes you feel better, I did not begin handling my kittens until they were three weeks old, and then under mama cat's supervision. She was a pregnant stray I took in, though she was clearly domesticated. But she was very strict about her babies, so I left them alone until she moved them from the spare bedroom into my bedroom the day after they turned 3 weeks old. Even then, she was nervous, so I sat on the floor and let them smell me and climb on me. I began handling them slowly for very short periods of time. When I would try to take pictures with my iPhone, she would run up to my hand thinking I was holding a baby. I always showed her I wasn't.

She relaxed even more when they began weaning to solids, and when they were around 8 weeks old she began leaving me to babysit while she headed upstairs to nap on my bed! She returned the favor by herding them all downstairs to play when it was my bedtime!

I upset her when they were 12 weeks old by taking two of them for neutering. She saw me put them in the pet carrier, and followed me to the door. When I returned from dropping them off, she parked herself on the rug in front of the door and never budged, all the while watching to make sure I did not take her other two babies. She relaxed later that day when I brought them home.

The next week I took the other two to be fixed, but I snuck them out so she wouldn't see me this time. When I returned she proceeded to look all over the house for those two babies, and she became depressed until I brought them home. It was a very discernable difference in her demeanor.

These kitties are now 5 months old, and she's finally completely weaned them from even comfort suckling about two weeks ago. Of course it's gone on this long because I've kept them all. I tell this story to emphasize that it's not just Sheba and her semi-feral ways, or anything about you, but rather the mothering instincts of many mama cats.

I am going to take the attitude that Sheba can be domesticated, and can grow to trust you, but she may never be a lap cat due to her previous experiences. All you can do is try. But I truly believe moving her upstairs is a step in the right direction!

Thank you for sharing the news! I look forward to hearing more soon .

 

[handsome kitty]

I have been wondering how things were going with the kittens and Sheba.

 

[jeapa507]

Thank you for the great update O old possum . It is good that you have been able to see the kittens up close and pet them.
Claire is very protective of her two and gets very nervous when I hold them. She won't leave the room for more then 5 minutes.

I hope that the change to a smaller room will help Sheba feel more comfortable around you. Kids are very brave and often just go right ahead and do things. I am glad that she did not get scratched or bitten.
I'm looking forward to the photos of your kitten family. Thank you for saving Sheba and having so much patience in gaining her trust.