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Pregnant Kitty

15:03:49

Question
I have a pregnant kitty(we got her from someone already pregnant on sept 6th but are unsure about conception date) and her last owner said that with the her other 2 litters that she didn't take the sacks off or clean the kittens.  so I'm trying to make sure the cat doesn't have the kittens without me and have to come home to dead kitty fetuses so I havent left her alone... or gotten quality sleep for the last 5 nights.  She's meowing and purring galavanting around the room... then laying down.  Over and over until morning.... then sleeping all day.  We're giving her some red raspberry leaf on her food to help... but I dont know what else to do.  Please help!?!?  Is this normal?

Answer
Lacie,

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 69 days being a normal maximum.  Anything over 69 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. Usually, once the face is cleaned, the fetus will survive.  If mama does not clean off the rest of the sack, you may have to, but I would make sure they arfe nursing first.  Mama knows theya re her kittens because they smell like her. If people clean the kittens up too much, sometimes the mama rejects them as not being hers, so you should leave some mess on the kittens.

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.