Stray giving birth. Have no clue what to do. I think labor paused.

[PrestonDiggs]

2 kittens were born. One at 5 AM and another at about 6:30 AM.

I can still see heavy movement in her stomach. It's been 10 hours since the first.

She seems to be in panic. She won't eat or drink water when she usually loves it. I have her in my shower. She has not gone to the bathroom because there's nothing in the box nor the shower nor the litter box I set up for her. I saw her eat one placenta.

She keeps moaning when I go there, and she basically wants me to keep petting her. She gets wild and her balance is screwed, so she keeps falling on them and they start screaming. I'm taking heavy muffled screaming, so I have to keep running in to check and move her off them.

I don't think she's properly nursing them either. I think this is her first pregnancy. She just sat there normally for like 3 hours not exposing nipples while the kittens were trying to get to it. Eventually, they made their way to her nipples and fed, or so I hope.

I'm trying not to show myself because she goes into a frenzy and I feel like she's risking hurting them.

Please help someone. I'm so overwhelmed.

 

[Furballsmom]

Do you have anyone, a rescue or shelter, who has a mother cat who just lost her kittens? I really think that's the best thing to do here, but in the meantime, you need to yourself, or find someone who will be able to handfeed those kittens.

 

[Furballsmom]

I would take them from her unless (can you set up a camera?) she calms down and allows them to feed, but three hours without milk is a long time. You could use some slightly warm slightly diluted honey rubbed on their gums to help them temporarily.

Also, talk to a vet as soon as you can about the mama cat and her situation, behavior et al.

Plus they need to be kept warm - a heating pad set on low with a couple towels over it will help.

These websites could be of help in hand feeding them;

Kitten-Rescue.com

Kitten Care - View All — Kitten Lady

 

[PrestonDiggs]

Hi, thank you so much for your reply Furballsmom

I'm trying to get either my brother to get me some formula or him to come here and keep an eye, because I don't want to risk going out myself. I'm alone and with traffic, it's probably a 1-2 hour affair. Nearest place with kitten formula seems to be Target and a Petco in the same center.

I don't know any vets or shelters, but I'm gonna call around right now.

I've only ever dealt with cats a decade ago. It was another stray and a few months having known her, she just brought her kittens over, who already seemed a few months old. That was entirely outside.

 

[Furballsmom]

I'm sending you all tons of love and good thoughts!! Let us know how things progress...

 

[Sarthur2]

She sounds like she may still be laboring. She should calm down eventually. Try sitting with her and gently petting her. Any more kittens yet?

 

[Sarthur2]

As long as the kittens are nursing mom they should be fine.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. You should stay with the mama as much as you can - let your brother go to the store. Pet her and console her, try to get her to eat if you can. With you being there, she is apparently more comforted and you can ensure the babies are repositioned as needed and to suckle. My most recent incident with a mother cat was that she gave birth to two babies (sadly, one still born), but it was a whole 24 hours later when she delivered her third and final one. Keep us posted, and our more expert members will hopefully look for posts from you and offer advice - by far much better than I can offer!

 

[StefanZ]

Does she become nervous and panicky when you go into her room, or does she want you there to pet her? You wrote both...

Anyway, if she wants you there, try to be there... Perhaps have a pallet there, so you can sleep or use smartpone.... Or read aloud to her...

If she panics from your there, it becomes more difficult... Soft, calming music on, perhaps??

 

[Furballsmom]

How are things with you-all?

 

[PrestonDiggs]

Thank you every one for the advice.

Here's an update.

She started going insane on the litter box. She was flinging it everywhere. You could feel her aggression.

I ended up taking her from the bathroom and put her on my lap and gave her a pretty good rub. She loved it and that ended up causing her to not want it to stop, and it made her go even crazier. The panicking is definitely because she wants to be petted. She does that roll on her side thing whenever I'm there.

Anyway, I took her back and this time I put the water and her food right in her face along with a cat tuna soup packet. She smelled it and started munching down. I stayed with her for about an hour and then she went and snuggled with them and then I saw both feeding on her nipples at bit later. Read about their bodies looking packed when fed and it was. I still have the formula and dropper in case anything.

It's been about 6 hours, and not a peep. They're all snuggled up with her.

Anyway, when I was rubbing, I definitely felt one more kitten by the bottom of her stomach. I'm gonna see if I can get her to a vet tomorrow.

 

[StefanZ]

Belly rubs works as a massage of sorts, and helps things going. That is why many high pregs wants belly rubs.

 

[PrestonDiggs]

Hey guys. Quick update.

I ended up calling a friend that used to be a vet's assistant. She came over and checked and everything is going great. There is no other kittens. It just might feel like it after birth. She's too small anyway. She recommended to take them to a vet in a few weeks because it's been in the 20s here with rain and snow.

I had to do the belly rub and singing trick a few times and sit with her for several hours to get her to get the hang of nursing and now she's always with them.

One weird problem though. She keeps taking one of the kittens to the litter box with her. The kitten obviously starts getting it all over itself and starts screaming. I have to manually move her back.

I think I've identified the sexes, one boy and one girl. They obviously look like different parts on each. At first I just saw the girl in the litter box and thought it was some female bonding thing or worst, detecting sickness, but then later, she would take the male too. Leaving the other all alone in the box.

What can I do here? Don't want to bother my friend for every question unless it's major. It's a double problem because one is left alone and the other is flopping about in filth even if I keep cleaning it.

 

[Furballsmom]

now she's always with them.

Good for her, and you!!

Ummm. The only thing I'm coming up with is maybe to move the litterbox? Or, try moving them and see if she'll accept a new nest?

 

[FeebysOwner]

I hope someone with more experience can offer some insight. The last stray I dealt with would put one of the kittens in the litterbox too, but we just always moved them out and finally she stopped. She took very good care of her two, so if it is like the case I was involved with, it didn't seem to mean anything in the long haul. I will be keeping an eye out here to see what others say. I hope they agree with me!

 

[fionasmom]

You are a wonderful person for helping this little family.

 

[PrestonDiggs]

It's thanks to all of you wonderful people that helped. Honestly speaking, I was really losing hope and in hindsight, if I didn't do the things you guys suggested, I don't think they would have made it. Things are totally different now. She's always with them now, either feeding or with them just sleeping on top of her aside from the litter box thing, which is decreasing because I intervene. You'll hear an odd mew here and there when they're trying to find a nipple, but the first two days, the kittens and her were just crying nonstop, which some online articles made it seem normal.

I just can't thank you all enough. This is one of the most profound experiences of my life. The miracle of birth. The intelligence of animals.

I'll update as weeks go on and if anything pressing happens I need more advice on, which will be likely, I'll definitely post. I'm already thinking about how hard it will be for me to give them up for adoption. I'm gonna end up crying. My intention is to keep the mom, but I don't think I can handle all 3.

 

[Sarthur2]

You’d be surprised what you can handle when you get attached! Glad all is well!

 

[Furballsmom]

I'm so glad we were able to help you and them. Go You and Go Team!!

 

[Uncled]

I never had an animal give birth,I would be completely over whelmed too! Good luck to you I hope everything works out beautifully for you.