# my cat has had kittens advice please



## emzywemzy (Dec 14, 2010)

hi all, im new to this, i dont want to become a breeder, my cat got pregnant and so i am now going to keep the kittens, anyway she started labour at 4.30pm today and stopped at around 6pm, she has had 3 kittens, but i gently felt her belly and it feels like she may still have a couple in there? how long should i wait before calling the vet? this is the first time i have experienced cat labour so am a little unsure. Any help and advice would be appreciated, thanks


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## lizward (Feb 29, 2008)

There's no cause for alarm, unless she is actively straining and there is no kitten coming, it will be perfectly safe to leave her until tomorrow. Often you think there is a kitten left inside but it's just uterus that will contract back, and delays of hours or even a day or more between kittens are by no means unusual.

Liz


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## emzywemzy (Dec 14, 2010)

oh ok, she seems to be resting with the kittens now, purring everytime i come in to see her, shes lying on her side and is really pushing for me to stroke her belly lol how long should i wait to see if theres anymore? and will her stomach go flat straight away? thanks so much for the advice x


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## alisondalziel (Oct 8, 2008)

Wow hope she doesn't have many more or you will have a house full!

There can be large gaps between kittens, even as much as 24 hours.

You need to call the vet if:

*she is straining and pushing for more than 20-30 minutes and not producing anything.
*if she pushes for more than 10 minutes with a kitten partially out.
*if she is bleeding profusely (more than a few drops).
*if you can see she has become so tired she loses energy.

Basically, if in doubt call the vet. it may not result in her needing to be seen but it's always best to err on the side of caution.

I wish you all the best of luck. Hugs to your girl too.


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## alisondalziel (Oct 8, 2008)

forgot to add, if she still has kitten(s) inside they should be moving and you will either see or feel it.


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## emzywemzy (Dec 14, 2010)

ok thanks so much for the advice, i will keep an eye on her, luckily i have tommorow off work. Yes a house full but hey, i love cats :thumbup: and have the room and money for them. Thanks again for the help x


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## alisondalziel (Oct 8, 2008)

That's great to hear!! 

What colours are the newborns?

My queen went started her labour at 9am in the morning sunday, and had her last kitten at almost 4am on monday morning. I was up the entire night i was SHATTERED!!! 

Get the coffee on lol. Good luck


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## emzywemzy (Dec 14, 2010)

2 are tabby and one is ginger marmalade  i just felt her tummy and it feels as if a kitten is still moving inside but she is showing no signs of labour, just purrs everytime i touch her, do you think she may be having a rest? is there a vet emergency advice line like nhs direct? lol x

EDIT: Just phoned my vet lol cant help but worry! he said everything sounds fine if she is relaxed and to just keep an eye on her. Its going to be a long night i think! x


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## alisondalziel (Oct 8, 2008)

Oh i love a ginger!! My girl has a red in her litter 

Everything sounds fine. If she is relaxed and happy then she will be ok. It's very common for mums to rest between kittens!

Try to count a placenta after each baby born.

Hopefully it will be over soon and you will have a healthy, happy litter


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## lizward (Feb 29, 2008)

Keep calm, just check on her periodically. I am sure, from what you say, that there is absolutely no cause for alarm, and I have done this many many times!

Liz


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## emzywemzy (Dec 14, 2010)

thanks so much for all of your help! just a last questions, she is long haired and there is a lot of muck on her back end and tail, will she clean all of this or can i maybe give her a little wash down there and on her tail? and also there is a little blood on her bits, is this ok, im guessing so as she has just giving birth but just double checking lol x


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## Guest (Dec 14, 2010)

emzywemzy said:


> hi all, im new to this, i dont want to become a breeder, my cat got pregnant and so i am now going to keep the kittens, anyway she started labour at 4.30pm today and stopped at around 6pm, she has had 3 kittens, but i gently felt her belly and it feels like she may still have a couple in there? how long should i wait before calling the vet? this is the first time i have experienced cat labour so am a little unsure. Any help and advice would be appreciated, thanks


Personally if I were a first timer I would not rely on any replies from a forum! I would CALL my vet and ask his opinion!
Just my views guys!
Hope all is well 
DT


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## staceydawlz (Jun 8, 2009)

dont know much about cat breeding but good luck pikkys when u have the time  xx


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## staceydawlz (Jun 8, 2009)

DoubleTrouble said:


> Personally if I were a first timer I would not rely on any replies from a forum! I would CALL my vet and ask his opinion!
> Just my views guys!
> Hope all is well
> DT


Shes called the vet xxx :thumbup:


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## lizward (Feb 29, 2008)

emzywemzy said:


> thanks so much for all of your help! just a last questions, she is long haired and there is a lot of muck on her back end and tail, will she clean all of this or can i maybe give her a little wash down there and on her tail? and also there is a little blood on her bits, is this ok, im guessing so as she has just giving birth but just double checking lol x


This is all perfectly normal. I would be inclined to leave well alone. They can drop blood for several days after birth. Provided that 1. it's not a lot of blood 2. it is just blood (not a funny colour or bad smelling) and 3. mum and babies are happy, there is no cause for concern.

Liz


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## emzywemzy (Dec 14, 2010)

yes doubletrouble i DID call the vet if you read the whole thread, was just asking the opinion of experienced breeders!! thankyou so much for all of your help, mum is doing fine.
















hope the pics work, the best i could get lol


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## staceydawlz (Jun 8, 2009)

picks havent worked  xx


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## emzywemzy (Dec 14, 2010)

havent they? i can see them? hmmmm... not sure what to do then lol x


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## Biawhiska (Mar 28, 2008)

i can see them. isn't mum in a nest/box? did she just have them on the carpet? :scared: they are cute.


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## emzywemzy (Dec 14, 2010)

well i had a box ready but she decided to have them there! she hadnt showed any signs of labour before work and as i got back, she was then having the 1st kitten so couldnt really move her  but if its safe to i will move her maybe tommorow to her box where she will be clean etc x


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## Biawhiska (Mar 28, 2008)

i'd try move her to the box on blankets just to keep them warmer and to stop your carpets getting covered in blood. maybe bring the box to where she is now. my cat had hers in a tiny hooded cat bed, night mare!


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## emzywemzy (Dec 14, 2010)

its not too bad as its a small patch of carpet in the hot water cupboard in our bath room lol so not too bad if it gets ruined, but yes if it wont disrupt her i will move her to the box xx


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## Biawhiska (Mar 28, 2008)

aww that's ok then. 
anyway, congrats x


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## emzywemzy (Dec 14, 2010)

thankyou


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## lizward (Feb 29, 2008)

emzywemzy said:


> well i had a box ready but she decided to have them there! she hadnt showed any signs of labour before work and as i got back, she was then having the 1st kitten so couldnt really move her  but if its safe to i will move her maybe tommorow to her box where she will be clean etc x


It's quite safe to move her. I have one little darling who likes having kittens on the armchair. I do insist on moving her afterwards! Just move the kittens, Mum will most certainly follow. A box is a very good idea, kittens can crawl and you would never forgive yourself if you accidentally trod on one. I have heard of it happening (admittedly it normally happens when they are older and mobile, but there's no point in taking unnecessary risks). If you are able to partially cover the bow for the first few days, Mum will feel more secure.

Liz


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## lizward (Feb 29, 2008)

emzywemzy said:


> its not too bad as its a small patch of carpet in the hot water cupboard in our bath room lol so not too bad if it gets ruined, but yes if it wont disrupt her i will move her to the box xx


Actually, that sounds perfectly OK - just as long as there is some sort of barrier so they don't crawl off too far.

Liz


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## emzywemzy (Dec 14, 2010)

UPDATE! about half an hour ago she had another kitten! i knew there was one more in there lol, but the kitten is fine, another tabby one, and she had it in the box i moved her to lol so looks like another blanket change haha x


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## Biawhiska (Mar 28, 2008)

excellent news. hopefully she's all done now.


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## rachael (Jul 30, 2008)

That's great news-- congrats


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## momentofmadness (Jul 19, 2008)

Thats great news.. and how quick were you with them pics.. must be a very exciting time..


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## GeordieBabe (Apr 7, 2009)

aw nice to see everything turned out fine.
my daughters cat just had kittens last night only had 2 both stillborns she is devasted

good luck with your bundles of fun


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## Taylorbaby (Jan 10, 2009)

make sure you keep her inside until she can be spayed or she will become pregnant again right away.

put them in with her and weigh every morning and keep a chart of weights you want 10g -ish a day gain,


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## lizward (Feb 29, 2008)

She was very considerate, producing the last one before bedtime! Congratulations.

Liz


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## Amethyst (Jun 16, 2010)

Taylorbaby said:


> make sure you keep her inside until she can be spayed or she will become pregnant again right away.


Great advice, speak to your vet sooner rather than later about this, then you can plan a good time to take her and budget for the costs 

While it's unfortunate your cat has had kittens, don't feel you MUST keep them all. Keeping cats is not cheap if done properly these days (was it ever!)
You'll have (is it three?) kittens all needing vaccinations and later, neutering at same time for example ...

If you do decide to let the kittens or some of them go, please don't sell them or just give them away, contact a good reputable cat rescue for help. Sooner rather than later, to help them plan a foster place or home for them.

If the cost of neutering mum is problematic, ask your vet surgery if any cat welfare/rescue groups are able to help you.

Hope mum and kittens are okay!


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## alisondalziel (Oct 8, 2008)

Congrats on your beautiful litter. 

Don't worry TOO much about weight. Sometimes it takes a couple of days before they start really gaining.

I disagree with Amethyst saying it's unfortunate your cat had kittens, im sure you will really enjoy the experience, it really is amazing and wonderful!

I do agree with you making arrangements for having mum speyed as soon as it's possible. I wouldn't let her out at all until this is done.

Whether you keep the kittens or not is your choice, good for you if you choose to keep them!! :thumbup:


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## emzywemzy (Dec 14, 2010)

thanks, i went to bed around 12am and woke at 8am to find she had had another kitten! so theres 5 in total! she keeps walking out of the box and meowing at me though, is that normal? I keep putting her back in the box, iv tried moving the box near us but she then started trying to move the kittens so i put the box back. Do they normally wander around or are they supposed to just sit in with the kittens and only come out to eat etc? i cant stop worrying lol


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## Kiwi (Nov 18, 2010)

I'll leave the excellent midwives on PF answer that (I've never had kittens ) but just wanted to say congrats! They look adorable


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## Biawhiska (Mar 28, 2008)

prob just wants company, sit with her where she is comfortable.


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## rachael (Jul 30, 2008)

emzywemzy said:


> thanks, i went to bed around 12am and woke at 8am to find she had had another kitten! so theres 5 in total! she keeps walking out of the box and meowing at me though, is that normal? I keep putting her back in the box, iv tried moving the box near us but she then started trying to move the kittens so i put the box back. Do they normally wander around or are they supposed to just sit in with the kittens and only come out to eat etc? i cant stop worrying lol


The first night after Molly gave birth she kept hopping in my bed (the birthing box was on the floor next to the bed) and I'd keep putting her back in the box because I was concerned that the kittens would need her and would need to keep warm. By the time it was morning I woke up with Molly in the bed with me as well as 4 of her 6 kittens. She had brought them in one by one! My body was creating a barrier so the kittens couldn't fall off- I lifted up the other two babies and let them sleep in the bed with me, molly, and their siblings for the rest of the morning 

It is normal for the mom to be moving them. This is what they do in the wild to avoid predators. And on that note I think it is also normal for the mom to wander around-- both moms did this with the past two litters I've fostered.


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## lizward (Feb 29, 2008)

emzywemzy said:


> thanks, i went to bed around 12am and woke at 8am to find she had had another kitten! so theres 5 in total! she keeps walking out of the box and meowing at me though, is that normal? I keep putting her back in the box, iv tried moving the box near us but she then started trying to move the kittens so i put the box back. Do they normally wander around or are they supposed to just sit in with the kittens and only come out to eat etc? i cant stop worrying lol


Some queens take a couple of days to settle. She probably wants to be with you. The nightmare scenario comes if she wants to bring them into your bed! Five kittens will keep warm without difficulty (assuming you have heat in your house) so as long as she visits them at least every couple of hours and spends some time cleaning and feeding them, all should be fine. I have had queens who won't leave the kittens for any more than food and water and a quick dash to the litter tray - and then only once a day - until the kittens are a month old, and at the other extreme I have one who will even get up fopr a snack between giving birth to one kitten and the next, btu she still manages to raise perfectly healthy kittens.

Liz


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## rachael (Jul 30, 2008)

lizward said:


> The nightmare scenario comes if she wants to bring them into your bed!


This is exactly what happened to me! Luckily my bed is up against a wall, and my body created a barrier


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