Pregnant cat

Question
Hi

I am looking for some advice my little baby girl is pregnant not sure how far gone she is, as i am not sure when she caught pregnant. The kittens are all welcome so was not a shock to know she was pregnant. I have read alot of articles on pregnancy in cats but alot are different.

She is at the moment eating alot, very big, kittens was very active yesterday but doesnt seem so today, she is sleeping an aweful lot, and not very attentive, when i go to her and stroke her she gets up and moves. Am i doing something wrong where she doesnt want me around her or is it her pregnancy and hormones?

I am not sure how long before she as her kittens but i do want to be there for her just in case she as any problems, so this is why i want to know if she is nearly due or not.

I have the necessaries ready, i bought her a crate with bedding in it but she wont use it, she sniffs around the outside but wont go in. She has also been  cleaning herself lots too.

Many thanks in advance for your help.
Lisa

Answer
Lisa,

It sounds to me as if it can be any day now!!!!!!

I am going to give you an information dump on what seems to occur in the latter stages of pregnancy I expect you know most of this, but it may help:

Cat gestation is normally 65-67 days with 63 days being a normal minimum and 67 days being a normal maximum.  Anything over 67 days would mean a visit to the vet!  You should be able to see and feel the kittens moving in the last week and a half to 2 weeks of pregnancy.

Here is the problem.  Every queen seems to want to do it a little differently, so the best I can do is give you some guidelines.

Anywhere from a week before birth up until the onset of birth or anywhere in between, she will get her milk in.  In this time frame she may also have a mucous/bloody discharge. (Although these events may start at different times during this time frame).

Anywhere from a few days before birth up until the onset of birth or anywhere in between, she may exhibit nesting behavior and restlessness.  Also, in this time frame her kittens will form hard knots and begin to move backward and downward in her abdomen.  This is really the very early stages of labor. (Although these events may start at different times during this time frame).

Anywhere from a few hours before birth up until the onset of birth or anywhere in between, her water may break and she will have what are called positioning contractions where she begins to get the kittens in line for birth.

You will know hard labor when you see it.  Once she starts her birthing contractions, it is usually about an hour before the first kitten is all the way out.  About 50% of the kittens are breech, so although it is a bit tougher, it is normal for the first kitten to be breech.

A couple of things you want to have handy are a roll of paper towels, a bottle of isopropyl alcohol, scissors (in case you have to cut the cords), and a soft face cloth to clean the kitten's face if mama does not do it immediately.

Put he birthing box somewhere you can easily get to, in a warm spot away from drafts, and away from young children and other pets.  You can half cover it with a towel, so it seems more den like. She should be in a room with a door, so she does not get tempted to carry the kittens all over the household.

Make sure your vet knows what is going on, so, in case she has trouble, you have arrangements about what you must do.

Please let me know if you have any more questions.

Also, please let me know how she does.

Best regards... Norm.