What symptoms did your cat show right before giving birth?

[nicky nel]

My cat is very small she's not so much a kitten anymore. I couldn't get her spayed in time because she's so small I did not realize she was in heat. But I'm very glad she will have a litter before we spay her. She is probably very close to giving birth and obviously very pregnant. I'm guessing she has a week left since I noticed she was in heat but I am wondering if I'm over estimating the time she has left please can I have some advice on what I can do to make this the most comfortable transition for her she hasn't picked a spot yet but I would like to be prepared as we have a few other cats around two males one very lazy loyal domestic pet and a feral who adopted us. I just want to prevent any problems. And know when to be the most vigilant. I am at home all day and would like her to trust me to help her. She has been very loving but has become very aloof in the last few days not appreciating petting and scratches as much only shows affection when it's time for food, my domestic male gets jealous if I fawn over her not sure if that effects her.

 

[kitty too face]

it is a sighn

 

[vida]

To us has resorted pregnant cat. I took care of her before birth and after. Prior to parturition has become very nervous, lying on his back and wanted to caress her belly. often I was also bitten. Shortly before giving birth she got diarrhea and is throwing up. very nervously looked for place to have her puppies. I made her bed and soon after he began to parturition. In 4 hours, we get 4 puppies

 Good luck, and sorry my English is not so good.

Best regards Vida

 

[catman8]

I agree I had one planned pregnancy that I wanted. I also planned to keep the kittens from that litter. Now if your mad cuz I did not take one of your kittens and wanted my only then guess what stop appecting others your pick up your mess. You brought them into this world you take care of them with out the aid ofothers. if you cant take care of them then dont have them and others to pick up your slack.
now the 2nd litter is unplaned that dose not mean the rule cchanges. I brought them into the world I take care of them.
what I see from the people here is that they are being cared for. so its all good.
lastly I question your preson if all cats everywhere was fixed to not have babies you would kill off all races of cats mean your heart and the love of all cats is kinda twisted and sick for you kill that in switch you claim to love. end of story.

 

[caylith29]

Your babies are gorgeous!! I am also nervously awaiting the arrival of kittens. Miss Midgie has been really really cuddly over the past few days and she has spent a lot of time sleeping in the box that I have made up for her if she not sleeping on me that is lol. Can feel the babies moving heaps. I have a friend who is a vet nurse and she thinks that Miss Midgie might have them either this week or maybe next. 

I have had cats that have had kittens previously but cant say what signs that they exibited as Zola the first time around just hid under the couch and we woke up to kittens the next day and her second time I had a box ready she just got into it and meowed at me a little. 

Juni only had the one litter of kittens and she decided that the best place to have them was on my friends knee as when she went into labour we had a houseful of friends over and she felt safe there.

 

[bellaboo77]

when my cat gave birth the first time she showed no signs of going into labor. other than she hid and we couldnt find her until she came out and then we had kittens! she did the same the second time. She is due again any day now and we cant wait to have little paws in the house! 

 

[mellilove8]

My cat is,pregnant. Unfortunately i am not sure EXACTLY how far she is but today i noticed her stomachis harder than its been. She has been very affectionate her whole pregnancy so I'm not sure when these babies are.coming. i am so nervous and.so excited but i have read so many different things that i am now freaking out. Some one please help!! Also i have the boy cat here and we're all in one room together (and they're both inside only cats) someone told me the male can't be around when the kittens are born so im not sure what to do. I have a small dog cage should i lock her in it or lock the boy in it or what?? Thanks in advance!!

 

[lolasky]

I think it's only if the male is the father he needs to be kept out of the way, good luck! 

 

[eb24]

My cat is,pregnant. Unfortunately i am not sure EXACTLY how far she is but today i noticed her stomachis harder than its been. She has been very affectionate her whole pregnancy so I'm not sure when these babies are.coming. i am so nervous and.so excited but i have read so many different things that i am now freaking out. Some one please help!! Also i have the boy cat here and we're all in one room together (and they're both inside only cats) someone told me the male can't be around when the kittens are born so im not sure what to do. I have a small dog cage should i lock her in it or lock the boy in it or what?? Thanks in advance!!

It depends. Is the male neutered? (my assumption is no since they are both indoor only). If he's not then they absolutely must be separated until the Mom is ready to be spayed. Queens can go back into heat any time after giving birth and if they have access to each other then she will get pregnant again which is a very dangerous situation for her, not to mention a costly situation for you. 

If you do want them to be able to be around each other than the best thing you can do is go and get him neutered ASAP. However, they must still be separated for at least two weeks as active sperm can remain in the tube even after the surgery. To be on the safe side I would plan on at least a month of separation following the procedure. If he is neutered (or if you get him done and a month goes by) it really just depends on the cats if he can be around the kittens. Some males will try to harm them while others are very loving and attentive. Even if he is okay around them some Queens are overly protective and don't like anyone around their babies while others could care less. When the time comes to introduce them go slow and only do so for short periods of supervised time. When you get to this point post it in your thread and we can advise further. 

To receive further advice I recommend you start your own thread (if you haven't already) and use that one throughout the course of the pregnancy/kittening period. That way people can read all the background information and see what advice you have already received all in one place. It also helps if you can be as specific as possible on what you need help with. You can read further rationale as to why here. To get you started in the meantime be sure to read through the labor and delivery articles as well as search through other threads. This will help give you a good overview of what to expect and you can form more specific questions from there. Here are some of the links to get you going: 

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/pregnant-cat-what-to-prepare-for-the-birth

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/80724/all-about-pregnancy-labor-delivery-in-cats

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/249018/...regnant-cats-kitten-care-articles-and-threads  (the main link just in case you want to look through the other kitten care articles) 

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/cat-pregnancy

Finally, as to how far along she is, a good rule of thumb is once you can see/feel the kittens moving you are about two weeks away from delivery. So, if you are at that point make sure you have your birthing box and birthing kit all put together. Also, now is the time to figure out a way to separate them and get them used to being apart. 

So, look through the articles and start your own thread if you haven't already. 

Vibes for a safe and healthy delivery! 

 

[scruffyone]

hi.
my cat is close to having her first litter and i am wondering if her behaviors are signs of labor...
she is kinda restless, walking into her box, staying for about ten mins. then leaving again. she has a yellowish discharge and meows before going into her box again. are these signs? how long until she gives birth?

 

[tombraider74]

I have now had 3 cats that have successfully delivered some beautiful kittens over the years. Each mum have been different in size characters and coat length but I have found that most tell tell signs of expectant cats have been the same. The day before each of them have "nested". They all looked for quiet dark and warm places throughout the house to deliver sometimes in the most extreme of places i.e the electric metre box. On the day they are due to deliver they act very strange and meow for no reason with a very weird toned meow. This is the best sign that a cat will deliver that day.Even the most affectionate of cats become extra affectionate and tend not to leave your side and want constant fuss and cuddles.I assume this is their hormones kicking in their mothering instincts.

I have always recognised the signs based on these facts and sat with the mum until the 1st kitten is delivered. I like to be there to make sure mum is not alone and can cope with the birth. On some occasions I have interveined and helped to clear the airways of the new born as the mum is tired and also removed the sack and gently rubbed the kitten to ensure the baby breathes. I have delivered nearly 30 kittens and never lost one.Always be close at hand to monitor mum and babies and make sure each kitten suckles upto mum as soon as to ensure each kitten gets their first vital feed of mums milk which is full of the nutrients each baby needs at the start of their life.

Having kittens is just a huge responsibilty to the cats owners as it is to the cat giving birth to make sure each kitten is delivered safely and that mum and babies do well. Make sure that mum and babies are in a safe warm place because if the new mum feels her babies are threatened she will move them to another place to protect them. Sometimes this can be a place outside the home and no matter how many times you move the babies back she will move them again and again to ensure their safety so a quiet dark warm place, preferably a large box with bedding is an ideal place for her to comfortably feed and raise her babies with no threats.

If mum does move her babies because she feels they aren't safe where they are she will always return home at feed times and try to follow her when she finishes eating as she will always return to her offspring to feed and nuture her babies. If this happens make sure she is around when you move her babies,let her smell and see where you are moving them too and place both mum and babies together in a safe warm place that is protected so she feels her babies are safe so she won't try to move them again.

Be patient and good luck with your new litter. They are hard work but rewarding !!!

 

[eb24]

 
I have now had 3 cats that have successfully delivered some beautiful kittens over the years. Each mum have been different in size characters and coat length but I have found that most tell tell signs of expectant cats have been the same. The day before each of them have "nested". They all looked for quiet dark and warm places throughout the house to deliver sometimes in the most extreme of places i.e the electric metre box. On the day they are due to deliver they act very strange and meow for no reason with a very weird toned meow. This is the best sign that a cat will deliver that day.Even the most affectionate of cats become extra affectionate and tend not to leave your side and want constant fuss and cuddles.I assume this is their hormones kicking in their mothering instincts.

I agree with everything else you wrote (and think it is all great advice) with the exception of this piece. While the signs you mention are certainly the most common, all Queens are different and react to impending labor differently. I agree with you that almost all will go through a "nesting fit" where they are trying to find just the right spot, but not all become overly affectionate (especially if it is not a cat that has been with you long such as a foster). Also, while many share that their Queens lose their appetite prior to labor I have heard of some Queens to continue to eat normally right up until delivery, and some who eat through it! The bottom line is there is no set definition of behaviors that a Queen will display so it's important to be ready at all times. (For ScruffyOne Setting her up in a private, quiet room with a nesting box and all her other essentials tends to work best, and once she is getting close sleeping in there with her to ensure you don't miss the big event is usually necessary. Hopefully she will be a girl who is pretty obvious in her behaviors but being prepared is critical just in case she isn't! 

Overall excellent advice Tombraider74.

I'm happy to welcome you to TCS and look forward to seeing you around the boards, especially in the Pregnant Cats and Kittens section! 

hi.
my cat is close to having her first litter and i am wondering if her behaviors are signs of labor...
she is kinda restless, walking into her box, staying for about ten mins. then leaving again. she has a yellowish discharge and meows before going into her box again. are these signs? how long until she gives birth?

The above post (as well as others in this thread) provides some really great advice on what to look for/expect in the majority of situations. I would also refer you to the pregnancy and delivery links posted above (and reposted here). In order for us to provide you with the best advice it is really helpful if you start your own thread and continue to use it throughout the delivery and your time with the kittens. Starting a new thread allows you to write some background information so that other users understand the situation, and allows everything to be in one place to avoid repetitious questions and answers. You will also get more views because it will show up as a new thread as opposed to this one (which is older and very long). It also helps if you can be as specific with your questions as possible. People tend to shy away from open ended questions as it's just too much to write. The more specific you are the more helpful we can be! 

So, as soon as you get a chance, start your own thread and give us a little background information. In the meantime, be sure to look through the articles and older threads- these can answer a lot of the basic questions that you may have and help get you oriented! 

Vibes for a healthy and safe delivery. Welcome to TCS! 

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/pregnant-cat-what-to-prepare-for-the-birth

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/80724/all-about-pregnancy-labor-delivery-in-cats

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/249018/...regnant-cats-kitten-care-articles-and-threads  (the main link just in case you want to look through the other kitten care articles) 

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/cat-pregnancy

 

[mollomint]

When my cat was about to give birth this is what happened. It's a really weird story.

23rd February 2014 - my cat was just sat down bored of being so fat (pregnant) she then went to the litter tray, but on her way she screamed and fell to the floor. She then got up and ran to the litter tray. She must have thought she was gonna have a poo. She tried to have a poo and a kitten popped out then she had three more.

Hope this helps,
Kind regards
Mollomint

 

[eb24]

When my cat was about to give birth this is what happened. It's a really weird story.

23rd February 2014 - my cat was just sat down bored of being so fat (pregnant) she then went to the litter tray, but on her way she screamed and fell to the floor. She then got up and ran to the litter tray. She must have thought she was gonna have a poo. She tried to have a poo and a kitten popped out then she had three more.

Hope this helps,
Kind regards
Mollomint

Queens delivering in the litterbox is actually not that uncommon, especially for very young mothers. Same as with human women, sometimes labor can last for hours and other times it happens very quickly. And, when the latter happens I think it's easy for them to mistake contractions for having to go to the bathroom. 

 

[jjmarie]

Alright so I stumbled upon this whilst waiting for my cat to give birth. So I figured why not share my stories and I might be able to help someone along the way. I'm going to tell you about my two recent babies pregnancies.

I've had and seen many cats have birth but never really paid that close attention to them as I did with this one. Two of the cats I had got preggy even while I kept them inside all winter! Yes, I know I need to get them fixed but it costs about 100-200 to get just one fixed and not only that but takes 3-6 months to get them in to do it. They got pregnant during that time!

Anyways, my first cat Cysta that had kittens has had 3 litters now. The first litter she had all died.. She had three and it tore me up.  She had them outside during summer and I figured I'd leave her out there in a box. I was constantly checking on them making sure they were alright. I'm not sure what happened but she kept dragging them under the porch and I had to crawl under my porch which is only 2ft of space..through spiders and cobwebs and dirt and yeah... I had to do this three times. The first time I got them out and took them inside and she threw a fit..wouldn't feed them and etc so I had to put them back outside. Second time I got them she finally figured out that I wanted her and them in the box. Well one of them died that night. It had yellow fluid coming out of its nose and mouth ;/.. The second one that died she dragged under the porch again I had to crawl under there to retrieve the dead kitten.. and again it had yellow fluid coming out of its nose and mouth. The third I finally took away from her and decided to raise it myself since the other two died. I kept it alive for a day.. I went to the store and was gone 5 mintues to get more formula and came back and it was gone...that kitten killed me when it died because I was so intent on keeping it alive... I cant believe how fast they can turn for the worst and pass away. I was only gone 5-10 minutes...

Now the second litter she had was indoors and when she was going into labor she kept meowing at me over and over until I finally figured out she was going to have them within the hour. So, I found a box and put her in it because she was trying to have them under the couch. Once I got her in the box she was having them. She had three once again and I still have them to this day.

The third litter she had which was about 2-3 months ago she again meowed persistently while I was trying to sleep and then crawled under the blankets with me and tried to have them next to me! No matter how hard I tried to get her to have them in the nesting area I had set up for her 1 week before she refused to be anywhere but next to me...One of those kittens is black and white and he has a heart on his side!

1j0rr9.jpg

• jjmarie
• May 2, 2014

Now to the cat that I have had to most problems with ever! She is only a year old and is from Cysta's second litter. She was the runt of the litter and I named her Runt and it stuck. I didn't even know she was pregnant until a week before she gave birth to her first kitten. I walked into my kitchen and saw fluid with blood in it and figured something had happened to one of my animals and out of the corner of my eye I thought there was puke (the light was off) but then I saw it move. I knew right away it was a kitten. I ran to it and turned the light on. The kitten was still in the sac, was extremely cold and was barely moving. My instincts kicked in and ripped the sac off of him, cut his cord and ran to the bathroom to hold him under warm water as he was already starting to stiffen. I tell you what this kitten WANTED to live. After I warmed him up I tried to find Runt to make sure she was ok because I have never seen a cat have a kitten and leave it on the floor still in the sac. I found her but she was in bad shape. She had blood all over her and was barley moving herself. I grabbed her and put her in a box to where I could keep an eye on her and went back to the kitten. I dried him off, warmed him up and had my father drive me and the kitten to our farm store to grab some formula and other things. Once I got back Runt was still in the box, aware but not really moving. She wasn't in any serious condition but was obviously in pain and had no energy so I had to keep my eye on her as well as the kitten. She wanted nothing to do with the kitten by the way. He wouldnt suckle the nipple/bottle I got him but he was eating because I was able to get him to use the bathroom. I named him fighter because of how he fought for his life. He only lived for about 2 days though. My stupid self went to sleep with him in a box, with a heating pad next to me and Runt at this point was starting to bond with him so she crawled in there with him. I woke up to my alarm 2 hours later and he was dead. I think she laid on him and smothered him...This broke my heart.. This happened only 10 dayish ago. I fought sooooo hard to keep this kitten alive. I was SURE he would live because he went from not moving to meowing his little heart out to crawling all over the box.  It was my fault he died...

After all this happened I made an appointment to see my vet the next day because I thought Runt was still pregnant. She was. They gave her fluids, an enema because she was constipated and did an X-Ray to find out she still had a kitten left. I asked how it was possible for her to give birth to one but not the other. I guess it's rare sometimes a cat will get knocked up then a few days later will get knocked up again. It took her about 3-4 days to go into labor again. I kept my eye on her 24/7 because I did not want to find another kitten almost dead on the floor again. She showed no signs of labor at all. The only reason why I knew she was going into labor was because she started to discharge a brown fluid and while I had her on her back cleaning her up she was having contractions and thats when I knew. I was actually about to go to sleep and have my husband watch her because I had only gotten 2 hours of sleep the night before. Yeah, that didnt happen..It took about an hour for her to have the kitten. I put her in a box and stayed with her the entire time. She didn't meow, she acted normal and kept wanting to get up and walk around. Not only that but she also was eating.. not as much but she was still eating. When she had him he got stuck and that's when she started to scream. Gosh I felt bad for her! I had to put gloves on and gently grab him by his shoulders and pull his head out. After that she ate the sac, cleaning him and took care of him. I thought she was going to be a good mother to this one! Nope, after she did that she left him. So I had to continue to clean him up, cut his cord a bit more because she left 5in of it and bottle feed him. He had no problem adjusting to the bottle and ate like a champ. I decided to name him Spirit because I was thinking of his brother fighter and said he had the spirit of both of them. After I cleaned and fed him I went to find Runt who was with the other kittens feeding them. I took them all out of the other box and hear a soft cry. I knew I had gotten all the kittens out and was like wth?~! She had another kitten! I was only expecting one because the X-Ray only showed one kitten. Thank god I found it in time before the older kittens thought she was a plaything~ I named her ghost since no one saw her ; )

They are 6-7 days old now and I have to get up every 2-3 hours to feed them every night. Now, Runt does take care of them but not like she should. I have them 80% of the time taking care of them and she has them the rest of the time. I'm just thankful that she does atleast spend that time with them to feed them so they can have their mother's milk, get all the bacteria they need and etc. They are doing very well!

I'm wondering if the reason why she won't really take care of these guys is because she thinks the other kittens are hers? Maybe she is confused? I'm not sure but all I know is I have two little ones to take care of and they WILL make it!

I know this is a long post and I am sorry about that but I needed to talk about it somewhere because it makes me feel better.

Here are some very good links/tips for anyone who has to take care of orphaned/newborn kittens without a mother.

http://www.safehavenforcats.com/newborn.htm
 

http://www.angelfire.com/il/kimlance/development.html

http://www.feralcat.com/raising.html

 

[minximom]

JJMarie I kind of felt compelled to say something after reading some of the tragic events you have described. Good luck with your two little kittens..
Wishing them well.however your post highlights (to me) the importance of spaying.

 

[jjmarie]

Yes, I'm working on getting them spayed right now. I live out in the boondocks so we only have one good vet IMO. The other one only cares about money and they are VERY expensive.
It costs about $100-200 for one and takes around 3-6 months to even get them in. The two that got preggy did it during that time > <!
Trust me..even though I love kittens very much I hate having to have them and give them away because I grow so attached to them!

Oh! Another thing I would like to point out is when your kittens are running around please please please watch when you close your doors! When I was around 8 years old I was going to school and one of the litter of a previous cat I had owned was following me out the door and I shut the door on it and broke its neck. It still haunts me to this day.

I've actually been thinking about volunteering for my local human shelter for taking care of motherless kittens. It's a horrible shelter and they kill animals within 1-2 weeks. This is another big reason why Im trying so hard to get mine fixed. But Im sure that if they ever get kittens without a mother they just instantly put them down rather than deal with them. It's so horrible.....

Anyways, back to the forum topic! I'd have to say all the cats I've had and have seen get pregnant will very noticeably show signs of it. One of the biggest signs I think is when they start nesting or finding a place to have them. They will also stop eating and drinking or eat very little. Not all but some of them do have the discharge and if they do they give birth within 24hrs I believe it is? They will get contractions just like a human too. Once they start doing that they usually have them within 4 hours. Make sure they are comfortable and laying on their side. I've had a cat try to give birth sitting up and she didn't understand that it wouldn't really come out if she is blocking the way haha

 

[dfkittens]

JJ parts of your story truly scared me.... But I am happy to hear they are all being cared for by you since momma cat won't good luck with your kittens

Hey everyone!(: I have 2 cats they were both strays when I got them around a year ago... We first found Fitzgerald he's our Tabby male and then our downstairs neighbors came to our door one day with a beautiful black and white cat we named her Daisy she's the female. we kept them both unspayed because we knew from the get go if they were ever going to have kittens we'd like to keep them all... I just don't trust people that say they will care for a pet, you don't know for sure... Anywho here we are at just a little past 8 weeks pregnant... My cats actually mated on the day my pet ferret passed rip. Idk if they can sense that stuff or something but it happened just hours after his death.... Sorry getting off topic... So Daisy has been acting super affectionate like most of you explained .We gave her our closet to share with the kittens when they arrive her stomach has become increasingly more firm and those babies are moving like there's no space in there lol. We are super excited to welcome them the whole family is pumped ans ready to help. I've gone to the library and gotten the cat bible and other books.I am wondering how Daisy can disharge only a tiny bit a day ago but there has been nothing since... Is this normal or does the discharge continue on ...? Sorry books wouldn't help me here.. Thanks in advance!

 

[jjmarie]

Im honestly not sure about the discharge but I do know that its from the ' mucus plug holding the cervix closed has come away '. I would call a vet and explain the situation to them. With my vet if I have a problem all I have to do is call and ask and they will tell me what to do. I don't always have to take my animals in.
I only noticed the discharge with Runt an hour before she gave birth. But since they usually lick it away as soon as it shows it could have been there longer and I just never noticed?

Also, yes, that experiance honestly scares me to this day. I check on my kittens all the time and make sure they are moving and breathing because I am scarred to death I will lose one again. I never want to go through something like that again! Now I just have to pray they do not get preggy AGAIN before getting fixed > <!

I wish you the best of luck!

 

[sarah super]

When Harvey our cat had her litter, she let me know she was going into labor by biting my arm - not hard, she didn't draw blood or anything - just to let me know that she was calling the midwife and needed her attention....

I ended up spending the next 12 hours with her while she produced five beautiful kittens, which are now all gone to their forever homes.