# Taking in a pregnant cat



## dancemagicdance (Sep 27, 2012)

Hey everyone,

I have just joined today as I have just agreed to take on an underweight pregnant cat. My mum's friend found her in the middle of a back road in the countryside, refusing to get out of the way of the car, begging for attention and starving hungry  She is not microchipped and they have not managed to find her owners, she is very underweight and (the vet thinks) due to give birth mid October. They think she might have been dumped because she is pregnant  We're picking her up on Sunday, I haven't met her yet but she is apparently a very sweet and friendly kitty.

The person who took her in is not in a position to keep her however she has contacted the cat protection people who have said that they will pay vets bills for her. Instead of the cat going to them and waiting to find a home I have agreed to take her, at least until she has the kittens, though I know I will most likely end up falling in love with her and keeping her and a kitten... :001_wub: She has had a checkup with the vet who has given her wormers, and I think wormers for the kittens, and I will of course be getting her spayed as soon as I can.

I have grown up with lots of cats but never experienced a cat pregnancy, I've been doing my research and would like to thank you all for your numerous helpful threads  

My questions are, she is currently eating kitten food to try to get her weight back up, is there anything else that I can do to help her? are there any particular foods that are good for this? or that I should avoid? I have gotten a lot of help from this forum and ones like it already, but does anyone have any links to any other useful websites? I have of course looked at the top results on google but I never trust that they are giving correct information as anyone could have written them!

Sorry for the really long post, and thanks in advance for any help that anyone wants to give :thumbup:


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## Ang2 (Jun 15, 2012)

Firstly, its wonderful of you to be taking on this poor cat 

With regards weight building, I would be feeding her four times per day, as it is normal for pregnant cats to need huge amounts of food. Let her eat as much as she wants. 

Pics please


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## catcoonz (Aug 4, 2012)

hi and well done to you for taking this pregnant cat.
you will get lots of advise from everybody and the general rule on kittens born are we like photos please.
you are doing everything right for now, keep her on kitten biscuits and kitten wet food, im sure spid will inform you of raw feeding as i dont have enough experience with this yet and others will also comment on food but i do recommend kitten food to build her up.
any help you need just ask, pregnancy and birth is my favourite posts, had many kittens born and handrearing experience. cant wait for these babies to be born. seems we are both due kittens around the same time, my girls due between 13 and 18th october.


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## dancemagicdance (Sep 27, 2012)

Thanks a lot for your support 

I'll get some pics to post as soon as I have her, and don't worry I'm sure I'll be overloading you with pics of the kittens when they arrive too  

I would feel too guilty about all the animals in rescues to deliberately breed any pet but I'm not going to lie, I love baby anything and am looking forwards to having some wee kittens in the house! 

I just hope everything goes well with the birth, it's timed quite well as I have 2 weeks off work in the middle of next month so if anything were to go wrong, hopefully I will be there and ready to help. I'm just worried that her being underweight will cause problems but I guess I will just need to do the best that I can for her and hope everything goes ok!


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## Guest (Sep 27, 2012)

What brands of cat food are you feeding? There may be much better quality

PS big hugs for taking them on. AND for keeping the mum, when many would want to keep kittens. (I'd keep the mum, but I would keep a kitten, too. If only 2 kits, I'd probably keep both. HELP!!!)


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## cats galore (Jul 17, 2012)

i recently took in a cat that had been dumped with her kittens - she was pregnant again. i had so much help off this forum as like you, i have always had cats but never a pregnant one. it can be quite scarey at times simply because it is a new experience but in the end tabitha, my pregnant cat, did everything herself. she was great. her kittens are now 10 days old and doing brilliant. i'm sure you will do just fine - and there are always people here to help you. well done for taking her. i'm sure you will end up keeping her and at least one kitten. we have kept tabitha and 2 kittens are staying too making my total number of cats 13. the other 3 all have fantastic homes to go to once they reach 12 weeks old. keep us updated - and don't forget those photos


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## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

If she'll eat some raw meat, you can give her that once a day without needing to balance it.

Feed her raw or wet 3-4 times a day, and leave kitten biscuits out all the time. She may also benefit from hills a/d (and I believe there's a royal canin version too), it's made for ill cats or those recovering and needing high calorie food.


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## dancemagicdance (Sep 27, 2012)

Thanks for all the help 

Not sure what food she is on just now, I will find out when I get her on sunday, but I'm going to go to pets at home tomorrow and buy loads of supplies, will get the best quality kitten food that I can for her so even if she's not on it just now I can introduce it to her diet. 

When feeding her raw meat, is there any particular type that I should be feeding her or is it just whatever she prefers?


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

spotty cats said:


> ...She may also benefit from hills a/d (and I believe there's a royal canin version too),
> ....


There is, Lola had it when she ended up at barbara's vet when she had teething pain that stopped her eating. It comes in a foil tray rather than a tin but seems very similar on consistency and colour. I didn't taste it but Lola seemed to like it.


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## dancemagicdance (Sep 27, 2012)

Just an update, we picked the cat up today. The person looking after her named her Pipsqueak which we like so will probably keep 

She is horribly skinny though, with a hollow between her shoulder blades and you can feel her spine  She is also clearly very young herself, the vet said she was probably only 6-8 months old when she got pregnant 

You can feel the kittens moving, which I think means she is due quite soon?

But anyway, here are the promised pictures, as you can see, she is very trusting and affectionate already! :001_wub: I hate that anyone would just dump her.










She loves tummy rubs!










This is our jack russell meeting her, 'What's that mum??'


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## colliemerles (Nov 2, 2007)

_aww shes beautiful, how could anyone dump her, bless her, shes really gorgeous.and looks like shes settled in._


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## dancemagicdance (Sep 27, 2012)

She does seem to have settled in right away which is good! :thumbup: 

Sorry to keep posting but I have another question  She has dry food available to her at all times which she does go and nibble on sometimes, but as soon as I put wet food in she wolfs it down. Should I keep giving her lots of wet food or is she possibly doing this because she has spent a while with no food, so feels that she has to eat as much as possible as she doesn't know when the next meal is coming? I want to get as much weight on her as possible, but I don't want to cause problems by over feeding her!


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## cats galore (Jul 17, 2012)

when tabitha was pregnant i simply left wet food down for her all the time. she ate as much as she needed. don't forget she needs to feed herself and the kittens so she will be hungry anyway, without the fact that she is so thin and neglected. she is gorgeous but what a shame thatshe has had to go through this especially at such an early age.


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## dancemagicdance (Sep 27, 2012)

Ok, I'm just going to give her 1/2 a sachet of wet food every time I go in to see her I think(she's shut in the spare room for now, as I was worried that a free run of the house would be a bit much for her at first), hopefully that will be enough for her, but not enough to make her sick when she's not used to that much food! 

I agree, I wish she had been found much earlier, as much as I hate the idea of spaying while pregnant, I would have got it done for her sake but she's too far on now, for all we know the kittens will arrive tomorrow :/ I'm really worried about complications but all I can do is my very best to get her as well as possible in preparation. It breaks my heart that someone would do this to her, I have never met a sweeter cat! She just can't get enough cuddles and belly rubs.


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## Ingrid25 (Oct 1, 2011)

Pipsqueak is gorgeous!
I dont know how anyone would dump her, and how anyone could just dump a cat and let it starve
Good job for taking her in, and good luck with the kittens
And it is fine for her to want a little bit of dry and a lot of wet, its same with Leo.... and one things for sure- hes not pregnant


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## Paddypaws (May 4, 2010)

Well I can't claim to have masses of experience, but have recently started fostering and currently have my second (emaciated) mum and her kittens in my spare room.
TBH, half a sachet of wet food wont even touch the sides....and just wait till they are born and she is nursing! I think they should be allowed to eat as much as they want, so stock up on big cans of food!
I feed my own cats a fair bit of raw and so far have found that both the mums have eaten this readily...I think instinct tells them it is nourishing.
Best bet is the Natural Instinct cat food so you know she is getting all the nutrients form bone and organ meat. She may even eat chunks with bone in so you could offer her chicken wings etc.
Other than that I feed Grau....the 800g tins offer good value once the kittens start eating too.
Got to go, time for second breakfast with my gang.....


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## catcoonz (Aug 4, 2012)

well done for taking this beautiful girl into your home.
feed her as much as she wants, she needs to get enough for herself and growing babies.


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## Tamiyamumma (Sep 13, 2012)

I am beginning to worry a bit as I keep reading on here that pregnany mamas should eat kitten food to increase the calorific and protein content of her diet. I tried to get her to eat it but she turned up her nose and only wanted her normal wet food and biscuits.

I have been boiling up chicken for her to give as treats to increase what she is eating but she is a smaller girl and didn't have a huge appetite before she become pregnant but now I am stressing that Tamiya and the kittens aren't getting enough? X


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

If she won't eat kitten food she won't eat it. Let her eat as much as she will of what she will eat. Raw mince is a good treat if she will eat it.

I've lost track - has she been wormed?


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## Tamiyamumma (Sep 13, 2012)

She was wormed and fled before she went missing. Vet advised me to do it again once she has had the kittens and she will advise me when and what's best x


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## dancemagicdance (Sep 27, 2012)

Paddypaws said:


> Well I can't claim to have masses of experience, but have recently started fostering and currently have my second (emaciated) mum and her kittens in my spare room.
> TBH, half a sachet of wet food wont even touch the sides....and just wait till they are born and she is nursing! I think they should be allowed to eat as much as they want, so stock up on big cans of food!
> I feed my own cats a fair bit of raw and so far have found that both the mums have eaten this readily...I think instinct tells them it is nourishing.
> Best bet is the Natural Instinct cat food so you know she is getting all the nutrients form bone and organ meat. She may even eat chunks with bone in so you could offer her chicken wings etc.
> ...


Thanks  I have since learned that you are right and half a sachet doesn't even come close to the sides  So she has been getting a sachet when I get up at 7, a sachet when my boyfriend leaves around 10, then when I get home at half 3 I give her another sachet, and I have taken to sitting in our spare room with her at night so she gets some form of meat like chicken and ham and a few more sachets spread over the course of the evening, she always has a bowl full of dry food too. I have read good things about Hills Science Plan stuff so that's what she gets and she seems to enjoy it  I have also been giving her kitten milk as she doesn't seem to touch her water and I was worried about her getting dehydrated. I'll have a look into Natural Instinct food too though, sounds like something she'd enjoy since if you hold a piece of meat near her face she will slash it down with her paw and shake/'kill' it with her mouth!


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## Paddypaws (May 4, 2010)

I should think the mums need a lot of fluid on board to help the milk flow  so I add a good few splashes of warm water to whatever food I feed either canned or raw and that seems to go down well.
My first foster came here when the kittens were only a week or so old and barely left the nesting box for the first 2 days.....so I brought her 'soupy' food right to her and she lapped it all up.


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## dancemagicdance (Sep 27, 2012)

Another update - we think she'll be having her babies any time :thumbup: the movements in her tummy have slowed down and the 'rugby ball' seems to have dropped down underneath her, rather than being at the sides. You can now see how depressingly skinny her back is 

She has been eating less and exploring the house, paying particular attention to places like the space at the side of the fridge, and the cupboard under the stairs, though seems to have settled for the dog's bed, which is between a sofa and a wall. Keeping an eye on her though, don't think the dog would be too chuffed with a bed full of kittens  and she is kept in her room at night Fingers crossed we'll have kittens soon, I'm going crazy with all this waiting! I have my birthing box almost ready so it's just a waiting game now!


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## cats galore (Jul 17, 2012)

any news yet?


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## Guest (Oct 5, 2012)

My lot LOVE heart and try chicken necks. They are cheap, have little vertebra bones, so easy to cut up, if you want to, great for calcium, etc. Look erky...

PS everything crossed. How many did you think you felt?


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## dancemagicdance (Sep 27, 2012)

No kittens yet, but she lost her mucus plug last night and seems to be having contractions now(I think, looks like kittens kicking but more smooth, less like pokey out arms and legs, more like, um, a mexican wave? :001_huh so hopefully tonight is the night! :laugh:

I think she did have her heart set on the space between the dog's bed and the dog's dishes as she kept going back there last night and didn't want to leave the living room but managed to persuade her up to her specially prepared kitty room and she is settled in there with her nesting box etc, still isn't eating much food but she is drinking lots of water. I have a feeling that I won't be getting much sleep tonight 

Edit, forgot to say, the vet felt 5 but thought that there might be another one hiding. For Pip's sake I hope she has less but her tummy is huge so we'll see!


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## catcoonz (Aug 4, 2012)

oooh babies are definitely coming then, cant wait to hear how they all are.
hope its not a 2am for you and glad she is in her nesting box.
just get a warm flannel to wipe over the kittens face if mum doesnt wash them and have everything ready to cut cords, again just incase but mostly the mums do it themselves. good luck. xx


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## Lulus mum (Feb 14, 2011)

Feel all excited for you
,Just wanted to say thank you for what you are doing and please DONT apologise for a long post or another post
We are all here to help and advise you and will be with you all the way through this.
I cant give any more advice than has been given but I know that 
she is certainly a very lucky girl, as you have come on here and are prepared to give her whatever love and care she needs 
You should be VERY proud of yourself-wish everyone were as kind
Please keep us updated
God bless
Maureen


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## catcoonz (Aug 4, 2012)

do we have one kitten born yet? i cant wait any longer xx


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## dancemagicdance (Sep 27, 2012)

Still nothing  Thanks for the support, I think she is just trying to keep us in suspense, she's clearly very uncomfortable and her bump has moved even further underneath her, it's not as round any more either, it's quite lumpy. She's still asking to be petted but not purring any more. I don't know if it was a contraction that I saw earlier on, might have just been wishful thinking  The kittens have been having the biggest party yet so maybe they're sensing what's coming.

Should I phone the vet if there's still nothing by morning?(Going by the signs I'd be very surprised if there was nothing!) Her "lady bits" are very swollen too, I wish she would hurry up, don't know if my nerves can take much more!!


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## catcoonz (Aug 4, 2012)

not another tabitha, i waited 3 weeks on this laptop for her kittens to arrie i was shattered when they finally did come and shes not my cat.
anyway back to you..... dont worry, the kittens will be moving into the birthing position, my girl lost her plug at 7.30am and didnt have any contractions until 4pm so this is normal, they will arrive when they do.
you need to phone the vet if you see any smelly discharge or if she is pushing for 30 minutes as a kitten is stuck.
dont worry about any of this just yet as you are in the early stages, labour goes in 3 stages and you are on the 2nd, plenty of time yet. she may have them at 2am when you are completely knackered and you miss the birth.


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## dancemagicdance (Sep 27, 2012)

Still nothing  

She seems to be acting normal again too  the only thing is that she has become determined to get out of the room that she's in. Could she be trying to halt the process until she gets back to the place that she wanted to be in the living room? I'm tempted to cover the area with puppy training pads and let her out just in case, as she wasn't interested in her nesting box when I put it there, of course!

Checked on her every hour too, I'm very tired :thumbdown:


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## Guest (Oct 6, 2012)

If she is that upset, and seemingly not worried about your dog, then maybe don't mess with the pregnant lady... Have you got a playpen to put around her?


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## catcoonz (Aug 4, 2012)

are you sure it was th mucus plug?
maybe let her go where she wants for now you can always move her later.


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## dancemagicdance (Sep 27, 2012)

She's only been here since Sunday and is the boss of the dog already, but the Pixie(the dog) doesn't use her bed much anyway. My mum's a dog walker so she takes Pixie during the day as she enjoys being walked with all the other dogs more than by herself so she won't be here until later on, but can be shut out of the room if necessary. 

I think we are all in agreement then, I asked my mum and boyfriend and they agree that we should let her have her babies in the living room if she wants, my boyfriend's just made it clear that I've to cover the area in puppy training pads and newspaper as he put a new carpet down not long ago 

I was sure that it was the mucus plug, but I'm doubting myself now! It was a big yellow gooey string coming out of her "lady bits" and going maybe an inch or 2 down her leg, I got a good look at it as she's not great at cleaning herself :001_unsure: I googled for ages and everywhere seemed to say that it was the mucus plug, could it have been anything else? I know that the babies should be max 48 hours after the plug so if she's not showing signs again by this afternoon then I will definitely be at least phoning the vet.


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## catcoonz (Aug 4, 2012)

thats the plug for sure. keep a watch out for panting and when she keeps going round in circles and keeps going to the litter tray. i wouldnt worry just yet but i think you will have kittens tonight.
put puppy pads down on the carpet as newspaper leaves a print.
if you can try and get her to use the nesting box, once she is in labour she wont care where she is.


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## dancemagicdance (Sep 27, 2012)

Thanks for all the help  Moved all her things to the living room and she seems happier, she has just eaten the majority of a bowl of food and is going between the sofa with me for cuddles, and the place where I think she still wants to have her kittens  

She looks so uncomfortable, bless her! Hopefully we will have some kittens tonight. I can forsee another bad night's sleep and me sleeping on the sofa! :Yawn:


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## catcoonz (Aug 4, 2012)

i know the feeling, my girl made me stay awake with her for 3 nights, then just as i fell asleep and nothing would wake me up i found a litter of kittens.


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## MouseyMoo (Sep 5, 2012)

Ahhhhh im getting excited for you. Makes me even more excited for my kittens to come along (obs not actually mine, but my cats)  
Hope everything goes well for mummy and midwife, she looks adorable. Look forward to seeing photos of the kittens too, wonder what colours she will have.


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## dancemagicdance (Sep 27, 2012)

Haha I have a feeling she will wait until I have just drifted off too!

For now she is just lying like this as much as she can -










I think she is only comfortable on her side but as you can see, she looks veryyy fed up!!


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## lymorelynn (Oct 4, 2008)

Poor girl - she does look as if she's had enough 
You'll be lucky if you're allowed to sleep - my girls expect me to be at their side constantly even before contractions start  I set a duvet on the floor next to the next area but I'm not allowed to sleep - if I so much as turn over, I get a paw poking me in the back 
Good luck and I hope she doesn't keep you waiting for too much longer.


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## cats galore (Jul 17, 2012)

when tabitha had her kittens after it seemed we had all waited forever she didn't pant once. she circled each time a kitten was about to be born then lay down and cleaned it. she had 5 in less than an hour. they day she had them she kept lying in the litter tray then pacing up and down. she wanted me with her all the time. she was in and out of the nesting box constantly. then when she finally started to have them i noticed what i can only describe as a big 'bogey' (sorry) coming away from her. she immediately had a contraction, then 4 minutes later another, then 3 minutes later another contraction then she suddenly let out a cry that i have never heard before and the first kitten was born. after that the was no murmur from her. she just simply got on with it. can't wait to hear that your girl has had her kittens and we need to see photographs


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## dancemagicdance (Sep 27, 2012)

I'm starting to get a bit worried now, it's been just over 48 hours since she lost her mucus plug, aren't there meant to be kittens by now? :/ Should I phone the emergency vet or leave it overnight? She can't seem to be able to get comfortable, she's getting up, lying down, getting up, moving, lying down etc etc, but she isn't showing any other signs of distress, no discharge or anything. 

I did try to phone the vet a few times earlier but they didn't answer, and I didn't want to bother the emergency vet if I'm just being overly panicky(as I tend to be sometimes) :001_unsure:


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## catcoonz (Aug 4, 2012)

why are you so keen on having an emergency vet bill.
48 hours is only a guide, cats have their kittens when they are ready and no matter what you do it wont make them arrive any quicker.
she looks perfectly fine in the photo although she does look like shes swallowed the pumpkin bless her.
i take it this is your first litter, if so i can honestly say i was exactly the same as you and felt such a fool afterwards when everything was done.

are we having bets on how many kittens born and when, if so i guess 4 kittens to be born tomorrow afternoon. (tabitha let me down so please just for once can i be right).


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## dancemagicdance (Sep 27, 2012)

I just want to be sure that I'm doing the right thing for her! 

Still no kittens  I've been attempting to sleep on the sofa and she's just been walking about sleeping in different places! Her appetite has come back too. 

Yes, it is my first litter, how did you guess  I think I will feel silly too once it is all over with, I just wish she wouldn't keep us in such suspense! 

I was rather hoping it would be tonight but apparently not, my bets are this evening and I think 5 kittens


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## cats galore (Jul 17, 2012)

catcoonz said:


> why are you so keen on having an emergency vet bill.
> 48 hours is only a guide, cats have their kittens when they are ready and no matter what you do it wont make them arrive any quicker.
> she looks perfectly fine in the photo although she does look like shes swallowed the pumpkin bless her.
> i take it this is your first litter, if so i can honestly say i was exactly the same as you and felt such a fool afterwards when everything was done.
> ...


in a way catcoonz you may be right about tabitha. i am taking in a 2-3week old kitten who was found - do you think tabitha would be ok to look after it with hers. that would make 6 then


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## Notnowbernard (Jul 31, 2012)

I read through all of this thread last night and keep coming back to check for updates. Hope everything goes well and the babies come soon


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## catcoonz (Aug 4, 2012)

cats galore said:


> in a way catcoonz you may be right about tabitha. i am taking in a 2-3week old kitten who was found - do you think tabitha would be ok to look after it with hers. that would make 6 then


i am sure tabitha will be fine, just scent the new kitten from her kittens, do not pass scent from new kitten to tabitha's kitten just incase.
ive done this once i rubbed the existing kittens with a blanket then rubbed the new kitten and gave the mum the blanket to smell, then i placed the new kitten with mum and she took to her instantly with no problems.
hope all goes well, if not you are going to be handrearing.


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## catcoonz (Aug 4, 2012)

dancemagicdance said:


> I just want to be sure that I'm doing the right thing for her!
> 
> Still no kittens  I've been attempting to sleep on the sofa and she's just been walking about sleeping in different places! Her appetite has come back too.
> 
> ...


i knew this was your first time as its exactly what i was like, i kept perstering the breeder shes doing this and that and i did feel so stupid when i told her i had spend 3 nights on the sofa only to miss the whole thing, so i do understand how you are feeling.
you also cant go by if your girls eating as my queen was sat eating her dinner when she had a kitten.
if i was you i would go to bed and get some sleep, if you do miss kittens the sound of chirping will instantly wake you, im sure kittens will be today, just relax all will be fine.


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## dancemagicdance (Sep 27, 2012)

Thanks so much, you've really reassured me! 

I will just leave her to it, I think it will be today/tonight too, she keeps trying to lick herself but she's so small and her belly's sooo huge that it's just not possible :huh: Poor thing, her only option at the moment is to lie on her side and demand belly rubs  

I think I'll spend tonight on the sofa too, she likes to follow me about but if I leave the living room then she just waits at the door for me to come back so might ask well stay here with her  It will probably end up another night of nothing though, I bet I come home from a day of trying not to fall asleep at work tomorrow to a living room full of kittens....


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## sharonchilds (Jul 7, 2011)

Fingers crossed that she has them today, so you can get some sleep


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## Guest (Oct 7, 2012)

This is killing me. I'd have moved in with my vet.


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## dancemagicdance (Sep 27, 2012)

Stillll waiting... I think she's just trying to see how much my nerves can take :001_huh: 

It can't be long now, her big bump couldn't really move any further back if it tried without pushing out a kitten or two! She must be waiting for that moment when I finally fall asleep, or for me to go to work tomorrow. 

Any more bets on when or how many? Since the current bets haven't worked out 

Edit: Also, if there's no sign by tomorrow morning, the vet will be phoned at 8, just to check if they think she needs looked at.


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## MouseyMoo (Sep 5, 2012)

I'm going to go for 5 kittens and you will arrive home after work tomorrow when she has just had her third. She gets her way of waiting till your out but u don't miss all the action. Fingers crossed everything goes ok. X


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## dancemagicdance (Sep 27, 2012)

I think these kittens have taken up permanent residence in Pip's tummy!

She had a check up with the vet this morning, who said that the kittens have grown a lot in the past week and a half, since the last time she saw her :thumbup: she thinks that it may be because Pip is so small and the kittens have grown so much that they may have pushed the plug out  but her cervix is still very much closed. Has anyone heard of this happening before?

The vet was also concerned that Pip wasn't producing any milk yet, so gave us some milk powder just in case, though I'm sure I read that it's normal for her not to have any milk until kittens are born?

At least she's had a check up and all seems to be fine  Looks like it might be another few nights on the sofa for me though...


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## catcoonz (Aug 4, 2012)

i thought she would have had them by now, ok so you cant go by the plug as its already gone but im glad you have had a vet check.
dont worry about the milk just yet, we can cross this brodge when we come to it. one of my girls had milk 3 days before she had kittens, my other queen had no milk until she went into labour.
im changing my bet obviously as ive lost the first one again..... soooooo
4 kittens to be born wednesday evening. 
and depending on where you are located, if you need a foster queen for your babies give me a shout, looks like we are both due around the same time. x


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## MouseyMoo (Sep 5, 2012)

Well I lost my bet then! 
I'm glad everything went ok with the vet check. My kitty looks like she's Going to pop. Maybe we will have same day arrivals. Ive just double checked my dates and Wednesday is her 60th day!!!!! Exciting.


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## dancemagicdance (Sep 27, 2012)

Thanks catcoonz, that's so kind! Hopefully she'll be fine, I think for the size of her that I'll need to at least supplement feeding but I'm off work next week and the week after so at least I won't need to worry about fitting it around work  I'm expecting to spend my 21st birthday feeding/playing with kittens which is probably better than anything else I could plan  For the record, I'm on the west coast of Scotland, which is usually far away from everyone!

My new bet is that if I go to bed and get a good nights sleep, then I will almost definitely wake up to kittens in the litter tray or some other awkward place, however if I keep sleeping on the sofa, she will probably manage to hold out 'till thursday, and I still think 5 kittens :laugh:

She has started taking frequent trips to the kitchen tonight, maybe I'll be curled up on the kitchen floor next 

It would be lovely to all have kittens at the same time! It's so great to have people to talk to about them, all my friends/family/colleagues switch off as soon as I start to talk about it because I have already kitty-talked the ears off them


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## lymorelynn (Oct 4, 2008)

This is becoming another one of those threads where I have to keep checking to see if there are kittens yet 
Glad to hear that the vet is happy with Pip but tell her to get a move on


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## catcoonz (Aug 4, 2012)

you are a very long way from me which in a way is good else i would be sleeping on the kitchen floor with your girl.
my girl is 63 days saturday, last litter she had them 63 days at 3.30am so not expecting any sleep from friday onwards.
all will be fine, your girl will have a beautiful litter of kittens then i want lots of photos please.


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## Rolacolacube (Aug 21, 2012)

Oooooooh this thread has got me all excited !! Hope Pip has her precious babies soon xx


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## cats galore (Jul 17, 2012)

i spent the time sitting on the kitchen floor when tabitha had her kittens - very uncomfortable believe me i waited for what seemed to be an eternity for them to arrive with plenty of false alarms. when the time came i instincively knew. they are 3 weeks old today (between 6 and 7pm). the day she had them i knew all day that they were coming then at 5.50pm approx everything started and it all happened so fast. it's an experience i am glad i had the priviledge to watch and be part of but in 3 weeks time she will be spayed so that she will never have to go through it again. poor girl was dumped with one litter then got pregnant again before i had her. hope everything is ok with your girl this morning. can't wait to hear some news


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

dancemagicdance said:


> ...I think for the size of her that I'll need to at least supplement feeding...


Not necessarily. If you don't have a set of digital scales that weigh in grams now is the time to get one. They are cheap and readily available from a well-known chain of catalogue shops.

Weigh each kittens at about the same time each day, and they should usually gain 10g per day. (ounces leaves you having to deal with decimal points)

The odd day with the odd kitten below that isn't a problem, but the first sign of problems is usually failure to gain weight. It's also quite common for kittens to loose a bit of weight in the first day or two, just as it is with human babies.

If you supplement don't do so at first - the colostrum contains lots of antibodies - and remember that milk production is demand driven so if you satiate the kittens with a bottle milk production will drop. I've seen someone somewhere else advising feeding enough to prevent weight loose to avoid that issue.


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## Rolacolacube (Aug 21, 2012)

Any news yet?? xx


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## dancemagicdance (Sep 27, 2012)

Still waiting 

I don't know if she'll be able to walk if her tummy gets any bigger, please everyone, send good vibes for it to be tonight! 

OrientalSlave - thanks for the advice  My plan is to weigh them every day and if they aren't gaining then I will supplement. My main worry is that she's so skinny, she might not be able to make enough milk, especially if there are 5/6 kittens like the vet thinks. Hopefully she'll cope, just she doesn't seem to be gaining any weight despite the huge amount that she's eating, it all seems to be going to the kittens, so she has no fat reserves or anything. Hopefully she will be eating enough to produce enough milk once they're born though!


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## Rolacolacube (Aug 21, 2012)

Oh the poor thing. Sending lots of good vibes that she will deliver her precious babies tonight and that both mom and babies are healthy xx


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## catcoonz (Aug 4, 2012)

she better not have them tonight....my bet is wednesday please.
and another thing....you could have told me how many the vet said before i placed my bet....so i now bet 5 or 6 xxxxx


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## Staysee (Oct 19, 2009)

I hadnt read this for a few days so had missed the 'mucus plug' bit but then reading i thought '7 pages, she must of had them then....so went through each post waiting and waiting and still nothing!

Come on pip, everyones waiting for you to have your babies!


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## dancemagicdance (Sep 27, 2012)

I'm sure I mentioned what the vet had said before! :aureola:

Still no news today! Though she is following me everywhere I go so hopefully that's a good sign


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## Notnowbernard (Jul 31, 2012)

Come on, Pip!


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## catcoonz (Aug 4, 2012)

im sure you did mention the vet check lol, its most likely me going mad having 13 kittens up my curtains.

well its wednesday so where are the babies.


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## dancemagicdance (Sep 27, 2012)

13  Looks like I have nothing to worry about with my potentially 5 or 6! 

She's sprawled out on the sofa just now and I can see the kittens moving about, probably trying to shout at her to let them out  

If you lose your bet then I really hope my bet of tomorrow is right, I am starting to worry about the mechanics of huge kittens 'fitting' out of a tiny cat :001_huh: though I'm sure she'll manage. I just hope she doesn't hold out too much longer!


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## Guest (Oct 10, 2012)

This is killing me. I've been constantly revisiting, I 'm close to moving in to my vets surgery, and I don't have the cat. I think I'll have to get some anxiety meds for me.


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## sharonchilds (Jul 7, 2011)

Come on Pip, we are waiting....


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## lupie (Sep 1, 2012)

Just read all of this thread, expecting the kittens to have come by now, gosh! :yikes: Come on Pip!


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## catcoonz (Aug 4, 2012)

well i have lost the bet yet again with kittens due but at least my horse came in first yesterday.

im beginning to think my girl will have her kittens before you now unless anybody elses babies have arrived and havent had time to post.


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## Rolacolacube (Aug 21, 2012)

Any news yet??


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## dancemagicdance (Sep 27, 2012)

FINALLY!!! We have kittens :w00t::thumbup::lol:

5 healthy babies 

Pip was amazing! Though we had to tear a few cords as she didn't seem to know what to do, she tried to walk around with with kitten still attached. She's curled up with them just now 

My mum was sitting with her as she's been doing that in the afternoons just in case, and for the first time she went into her birthing box and literally 5 mins later she was having contractions, I got home just in time to see the first one being born, I'm over the moon! 

I was going to weigh them but I was weighing the first (and biggest) one and Pip got upset so I'll leave it till tomorrow. The one I weighed was 122g though  

Yay! :biggrin: Pictures to follow when I get them onto the computer of course


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## catcoonz (Aug 4, 2012)

omg, 5 beautiful babies.....well done mum and midwife.


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## lymorelynn (Oct 4, 2008)

Well done Pip and midwife :thumbup::thumbup: Hope mum and babies are doing well


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## MouseyMoo (Sep 5, 2012)

Yay at last.  well done Pip. I'm glad it all wet ok. 
So who's next?......  no signs this end!!


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## Guest (Oct 11, 2012)

Thank dog for that. I am so relieved!!!


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## Notnowbernard (Jul 31, 2012)

Hooray! Well done pip and co! Can't wait to see pictures


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## Rolacolacube (Aug 21, 2012)

Yaaaaaaaaay so exciting. Hope mom and babies are all happy and healthy xx


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## auspiciousmind (Sep 2, 2012)

Yay.. I've been checking and re-checking this thread everyday..

Can't wait to see photos!!


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## sharonchilds (Jul 7, 2011)

Congratulations Pip, you clever girl


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## dancemagicdance (Sep 27, 2012)

Pictures as promised 



























(Please excuse the afterbirth nails... :blink

I will try to get better pictures later as I'm going to weigh them all. As you can see, it looks like 4 will be tortoiseshell which should make sexing a lot easier :thumbup:


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## lymorelynn (Oct 4, 2008)

Gorgeous :001_wub: They all look good sizes :thumbup:


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## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

Woooo hooo - loads of torties! Looks like Dad was a ginger tom!


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## lupie (Sep 1, 2012)

oh my gosh so lovely! well done pip! :001_wub:


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## auspiciousmind (Sep 2, 2012)

Oooo gorgeous!!

LOVELY torties too  I want one!!!!


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## dancemagicdance (Sep 27, 2012)

Thanks everyone, I will pass your comments on to Pip  

Weighed the kittens today, the heaviest is 132g and the lightest 111g. Though they are very approximate because as soon as I lifted them onto the scales, Pip picked them up to put them back in their bed  Even the food-distraction technique didn't work very well, at least it shows that she is a good mum that cares about her babies! 

I have to say that I'm relieved that they're mostly tortoiseshell after reading about the difficulties of finding homes for black/black and white kittens, I think we will keep the black and white one, his(I say his... I don't have a clue, I just feel like he should be because the rest are very likely girls) markings are beautiful, though if I could I would keep every one of them in a heartbeat :001_wub:

Also, Spid, I'm very impressed that you can know that! How likely is it that he was?


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## lymorelynn (Oct 4, 2008)

My Mai Tai is the same when it comes to weighing them  You have to do it as quickly as possible - any hesitation and she's there taking them off the scales 
They sound good weights :thumbup1:


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## auspiciousmind (Sep 2, 2012)

dancemagicdance said:


> though if I could I would keep every one of them in a heartbeat :001_wub:


I'd be exactly the same 

Where do you live Dance?


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## Rolacolacube (Aug 21, 2012)

Omg I love them. I adore torties. I want them all !! xx

Hope mom and babies are all well xx


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## katscat555 (Jun 12, 2009)

Well done Pip!!

Absolutely gorgeous.

Have never seen a litter with mainly Torties. Make the black and white stand out a bit more.

So cute!


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## dancemagicdance (Sep 27, 2012)

I'm quite glad that the kittens all have very different markings on their faces or I'd never be able to tell them apart 

I feel a bit sorry for the black and white one though, I wonder if he/she will feel like the odd one out  That one's the smallest one too.

auspiciousmind I'm on the west coast of Scotland, suspect it's just a _bit_ too far from Cornwall but where there's a will there's a way


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## Guest (Oct 12, 2012)

OOOh Scottish accent meows!!!!

Anyone who says they want one and doesn't really mean it, as in stepping up, pays a 10 pound forfeit for desexing, shots, etc.. from now on. NO TIME WASTERS PLEASE!!!


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## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

Very cute.

I find weighing the kittens right in front of their bed means mum doesn't worry as she can see I've got them and they're just inches away from her.


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## MouseyMoo (Sep 5, 2012)

Sooooooooooooooooooo cute. Pip looks a little like my Mouse. Pip is a little whiter but has the same cute little pink nose. Mouse mated with a Black cat so i think i will be getting all black and white. :001_unsure: but i have sold 2 already so im not too worried....unless she has 7!!


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## colliemerles (Nov 2, 2007)

*Congratulations,.Beautiful babies, well done*


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## Notnowbernard (Jul 31, 2012)

Gorgeous babies! Just out of interest, where on the west coast are you? Spent most of my childhood holidays there, achiltibuie and further north. I have a huge soft spot for that area


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## dancemagicdance (Sep 27, 2012)

Thanks everyone, Pip says thanks too 

Spotty cats - the scales were literally right in front of the bed but she still wasn't keen, hopefully it'll get better as she gets used to it being done every day and realises that I always put them back! 

Notnowbernard - I'm much further south, in between Glasgow and Greenock. Nowhere near as nice here as it is up north!


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## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

dancemagicdance said:


> Also, Spid, I'm very impressed that you can know that! How likely is it that he was?


*100% likely.* To be a tortie you need a red gene - mum doesn't have one so could ONLY have come from Dad and you can't 'carry' red - you either are red/ tortie or you don't have a red gene. And you don't get male torties so Dad was a ginger tom.


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## dancemagicdance (Sep 27, 2012)

That's interesting to know, thanks a lot


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## cats galore (Jul 17, 2012)

how did i miss this so glad all went well and i have to say - they are gorgeous. well done pip on your beautiful babies. a lovely handful of naughty torties and a lovely little black and white one


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