MY CAT IS PREGNANT!

Question
MY CAT GOT PREGNANT MID TO LATE DEC. AND SHE HASNT HAD HER KITTENS YET SHE WAS THROWING UP YESTERDAY A WHITE FOAMY SUBSTANCE AND SHE WAS ACTING REALLY TIRED BUT CONTINUOSLY GETTING UP AND DISSAPPEARING AND THEN SHE WOULD COME BACK AND LAY IN THE SAME SPOT SHES EVEN STILL IN THE SAME SPOT NOW. BUT SHE CANT BE TRYING TO HAVE HER KITTENS THERE BECAUSE ITS A FOLDED GAMERS CHAIR THAT HAS NO SECURITY AT ALL. SHE ISNT THROWING UP ANYMORE IM JUST WORRIED ABOUT HER I THINK SHE SHOULD HAVE HAD HER KITTENS BY NOW AND I KNOW THEY ARE ALIVE BECAUSE I FEEL THEM MOVE EVERYDAY. I JUST DONT KNOW WHY SHE HASNT HAD THEM YET THIS IS HER FIRST LITTER AND SHES A YOUNG CAT AT THE OLDEST A YEAR AND A HALF SHE EATS AND DRINKS NORMALLY SHE IS AN OUTDOOR CAT NORMALLY BUT SINCE SHE GOT PREGNANT IVE KEPT HER INSIDE SHE HAS NOT HAD IMMUNIZATIONS YET WE WERE GOING TO DO THAT WITH THE MONEY WE JUST GOT BUT WE WANTED TO WAIT TIL THE KITTENS ARE BORN. DO YOU THINK SOMETHING IS WRONG OR IS SHE JUST TAKING HER TIME?

Answer
Hi Ariel,

If your cat got pregnant in mid to late Dec, then she is definitely due to have those kittens now!  The normal gestation period for cats is 60-68 days--with 65 days being the norm.  That would mean she should be delivering any day now.  

When cats are pregnant and it's nearing birth, they will frequently get up and make beds for themselves.  This is called "nesting." Your cat may be looking for a bed or nest for her to have the babies, but because she's so close, she can't expend the energy or get comfortable.  The labor pains (if she's having any), could be causing her to be uncomfortable, so while she has every good intention of making a "nest", she just can't do it, so comes back with the intent to try again in a little bit.  If you haven't already set up some cardboard boxes covered with newspaper, or a fairly big bed with lots of comfy, soft blankets, you need to do that as your cat will need that place to go to when she's ready to deliver.  She may "redo" the nest as well, but give her the tools and materials to redo it.  She needs a safe place to go have her babies, and if she doesn't have that, her getting up and down may be her way of telling you that she needs you to set that up for her, so she can then arrange it the way she wants in preparation for the birth.  

Lastly, I am concerned about the fact that she should have had the kittens now if it was mid Dec, and if it was late Dec, then it should be any day now.  The vomiting could be a sign of something else going on, or it could just be a rxn to labor.  I strongly advise you to keep a close eye on her, don't let her go outside, and if she hasn't delivered by the time you get this message, then take her to the vet, or get the vet to come to your home.  She could be not progressing with labor, and if that's the case, then that is a medical/veterinary emergency, and she will need medical intervention--likely a C-section.  When you feel her belly, (if she'll let you), if it feels intermittently hard, then soft, that is probably the contractions you feel when her belly is hard.  That would tell you that she's in labor, but isn't progressing.  In that case, those babies will need to get out ASAP, or you run the risk of losing the mom and the babies.  I think if when you get this from me, if she's still not had the babies, I would highly recommend bringing her to the vet.  It's no longer about "well, maybe later she'll deliver", or "maybe tomorrow."  It's about her life and the life of those babies.  

As for the vaccinations, you can get her vaccinated after she's delivered and after she's done nursing.  But I would definitely recommend getting her vaccinated if she's going to be an outdoor cat.  AND, you need to get her spayed!!!  There are too many unwanted cats and kittens out there as it is, and her having babies is contributing to the problem.  Keep her inside, vaccinate her, and get her spayed.  Also, if she ends up having problems delivering, she may not be a candidate for another pregnancy, so you'd want to get that done anyway.  

I wish you the best and I genuinely hope she's doing okay and has some beautiful kittens!

Savannah