Cat sitting a pregnant cat

Question
QUESTION: Sunday---I am taking care of a very pregnant cat for a friend while she is on vacation. I noted on June 19 that she was pregnant (while visiting the house) as, to me, it seemed her tummy was quite big compared to what I had seen previously.
*For the past week my friend has been keeping me updated and has said that the cat has been hiding quite a lot as well as having accidents (she doesn't seem to be able to make it to the litter box) she is still eating and drinking.

* Since the cat has been at my home I too have noticed she has been hiding. Mainly under my bed or dresser, although she has been staying in the large crate (with a lot of blankets on bottom and a quilt over the top) today. Last night I was holding her in my lap and I can easily feel the kittens moving, some are light touches one in particular was strong enough to lift my hand off her belly. I can also see some movement. Her nipples are pink, enlarged (not a lot though), and the hair has receded but no leakage. I notice today her respiration seems to be increased. She has been rolling onto her back and wanting me to pet her belly as well.

Today, Wednesday, I noticed she was walking through the house as if she's looking for something. Poking her head under my bed, dresser, my son's bed, and under my vanity cabinet. She then went into my bathroom looked around and even jumped into the tub. She's since resigned back to the crate and is just laying around looking as if the whole world hates her.

How long do you think she has until she delivers? Thanks!"

ANSWER: Ashley,

OK, I am going to give you a bit of an information dump on what to expect during the very later stages of pregnancy.  I suspect you know most of this, but there may be some things that may help you:

Cat gestation is normally 65-67 days with 63 days being a normal minimum and 68 days being a normal maximum.  Anything over 68 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.

I like to use a "jumbo" cardboard storage chest (10" X 16" X 26") as a birthing box.  Put some old sheeting or toweling in side.  Put it 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.

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.

Best regards... Norm.




---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: So given the date of movement as July 11 (I'm not sure this was they day they began moving, oh well), she'll be delivering quite soon then.
My question now is; is it common for queens to jump up onto places and still play around when she is so far gone? Withint the past 2 days she has been jumping up onto my bed, up onto window sills, on counters,etc. Is this a common case? Obviously, if it was detrimental to her kittens she wouldn't be doing it, but it just seems that she's not being as careful as I would assume a very pregnant queen would be.

Answer
Ashley,

Yes, it is normal for the queen to be active until just before birth, and, in actuality, this is a good thing.  Thus, they keep their muscle tone which helps in the delivery of kittens.

Please feel free to come back with more questions.  Also, please let me know when she delivers and how that goes.

Best regards... Norm.