Took in a queen, have no background on her so Im blindsided by when she will give birth. HELP?!?

[shannon rae]

Hi everyone

I recently rescued a pregnant mama cat from being euthanized along with her kittens. She has pink nipples along with hair loss. She is definitely pregnant I can feel her babies and see them move. She has been nesting since we got her about a week and a half ago. Today I walked in on her having weird movements in her lower abdomen. They almost appeared as contractions but she stopped shortly after I walked in. Could she have been nervous or scared so this caused her to stop? Ive been very loving to her and making her as comfortable as possible. Her rectal temp is 99.6 and has been under 100 all day. Yesterday it went above 100 once (100.4) I need advice because I'm not sure when she will give birth I just know she is ONE BIG MAMA she looks like she is about to pop. Yes i have been giving her kitten food, and bottled water only.

 

[DreamerRose]

Yes, she could have gotten scared and stopped labor. She should start again, but maybe putting her nest in a dark, quiet place like a closet will make her feel more secure. You are very new to her, so she is bound to be apprehensive because she doesn't know what to expect. If she strains and strains and no kitten comes out, you need to call a vet.

Welcome to the Cat Site, too! There are many very knowledgeable people on the site, and I am sure others will follow up with more information.

 

[talkingpeanut]

It does sound like she's close. It could also be pre-labor, which can start and stop. I would recommend that you stop taking her temperature. It is not a reliable indicator and will only stress her more.

Thank you for taking this girl in! Do you have supplies for when the kittens arrive, like a scale and kmr?

 

[shannon rae]

No I don't. Im keeping one kitten I have found very reliable homes for the rest. Of course I will allow the 8 nursing weeks with their mama. And she is very calm when I take it. She doesn't strain she just sits there and lets me do. I only have been taking it 3  times a day only to see if there is a pattern but Im gonna give her a break today. What is a KMR? And I'm a mom to a rescue cat also he is a guy. He was almost dead when I found him now he is a fat, spoiled inside cat. Lol.

 

[shannon rae]

Thank you! I look forward to any kind of feed back. I have her in my spare bedroom I have a blanket down a heat blanket and a big comforter for her an empty laundry basket laid on its side plus a piece of my clothing for my scent. She seems content only thing is I have to shut her in there because I have a male cat that isn't too fond of her coming into our home. She looks like she is about to pop.. Thats why I'm wondering. Yesterday she had little to no appetite but over night it looks like she ate some of her food. I have her on science diet kitten food so i always keep the bowl full. I never let it get empty!

 

[talkingpeanut]

It's best to allow 10-12 weeks with mom so kittens can learn all of their important cat manners.  Leaving earlier can lead to behavior issues.

Keeping her separate from your resident cat is wise at this point.  She needs her own space to settle in and get ready for labor; no need to stress her with a dispute over territory.  I'm glad she seems calm with the temperature, but I still wouldn't recommend it.

Kmr is kitten milk replacer.  We recommend powdered over canned, and PetAg is a great brand.  It's good for mom to drink a bowl of while she's nursing, but it's also what you would feed kittens if they needed supplementing.  Definitely good to have in advance in case of emergency.

 

[shannon rae]

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• shannon rae
• Mar 27, 2016

how far along do you think she is?

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• shannon rae
• Mar 27, 2016

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• shannon rae
• Mar 27, 2016

 

[StefanZ]

She isnt that big as some may be.  But she has perhaps dropped now?

Am I wrong, or is she shaved over whole belly?

 

[handsome kitty]

What a beautiful cat.  Thank you for saving her.

In another thread the OP (original Poster) was in the same situation and finally covered the nest with a blanket or sheet and left a small opening.  The cat gave birth pretty soon.

 

[shannon rae]

Lol. You are not wrong. When I rescued her she had ticks and fleas. I immediately wanted to make sure that she didn't have any openings, wounds, or hidden ticks. She had very fluffy hair and it was kinda dirty also the reason being is she was hanging out in the dirt all the time. It was for health reasons only that i had to shave her and it was harmless also. I went to the vet and got her flea meds (save for queens bc i checked). 

 

[shannon rae]

No problem. And she is beautiful.... I couldn't imagine her being killed bc someone was irresponsible 

  and my fiancé just did that so hopefully she gives birth. Im not in a rush at all but I'm worried about her. She has everything she needs to be comfy a room to her self, heat blanket, litter, food, etc..... Waiting game. Lol. I've had her for a week and a half she was showing on Mar. 14th. So its the 27th. Its been almost 2 weeks and they start showing around the 5th. She is ATLEASt 7 weeks. She may have been showing longer.

 

[shannon rae]

UPDATE: We had her door closed and we changed her nest to a cage with blankets covered but cage is open onto a big palette. I heard her meowing very loudly only to walk in and she meowed until I walked up to her and just wanted to love on me. Purring very loudly babies moving also. I loved on her closed the door and walked out again. When i opened it a few minutes later she was behind the door and ran to her palette. She has NEVER done that before. She usually sticks to her little nest 24/7 only gets up to use bathroom or eat or drink.... 

 

[DreamerRose]

Awww. She misses you!

 

[Sarthur2]

It sounds normal to me. Just give her time and hang in there! [emoji]128522[/emoji]

 

[shannon rae]

She's just sending so many mixed signals.. I hate not knowing lol. Will keep y'all updated and post pics when they are FINALLY born.

 

[handsome kitty]

She may want you with her when she gives birth.

 

[shannon rae]

Well I'm not sure she's not having contractions.. the meowing and getting me in the room and all she does is rub all over me and purr. This has been ongoing the past week maybe 4 times.

 

[Sarthur2]

You'll know when she's actually having them! [emoji]128522[/emoji]

 

[shannon rae]

Okay so i noticed her vulva was dark with a discharge she has a brownish discharge but its always dry. Ive never seen it dripping out of her or on her blankets.

 

[handsome kitty]

How much is there and does it have an odor?  Does it feel like dried buggers or dried blood?