Pregnat Cat

Question
QUESTION: HI.  My name is Christy and I am hoping you can help me here.  We have a cat which is 3 years old.  She has always been an inside cat until we moved in Oct. 2006  She had got out of the house one night and got pregnant.  We did not know this until about 3 weeks before she delivered her kittens.  Well I am sad to say that they all (4) died with in 2 days of eachother.  When she went into labor she freaked out and had them all over the house.  She was meowing so loud that she woke us all up.  Anyway, I asked around and what I got was that she may be a carrier of Leukemia and the kittens got it and that is why they died.  Sad to say that we did not get her fixed in time and she is pregnant again.  I feel really bad for her because I do not know if she can handle another pregnancy herself.  I have not taken her to the vet. because I just do not have the extra money for them to run all sorts of test on her and ultra sounds and x-rays.  I am concerned that they will not live like the other ones did not.  Is there anything I can do for her?  Oh, one more thing that might be important, her first kitten that was born in May of his year was stillborn.  Could that have caused all the others to die?  If there is anything you can tell me to help with this I would greatly appreciate it.  Thank you for your time and consideration on this matter.
Christy

ANSWER: Christ,

Wow!!!!!  I would expect the reason the kittens in the first litter died is that the new mama did not really know how to take care of them.  It is possible, but not likely, she was a leukemia carrier.  There are many possible causes of young kitten death, so let's assume it was one of the more likely ones, like a first time mama not knowing what to do.

So, how to cope?  First of all, you need to get her a proper birthing box.  We like the cardboard "jumbo" storage boxes (10" X 16" X 26").  It needs to be put in a warm, draft free place, away from small children and/or other pets.  She is best confined to one room with her box, about a week before she is ready to give birth.  The box should have some old sheeting or toweling in the bottom.  You might cover it half way with an old towel to give her the feeling she is in a den.

If there is nothing physically wrong with newborns, the most likely reason they die is that they get cold.  Newborns cannot regulate their own body temperatures and, so, they must get warmth from mama.  If the kittens were not in one place and she could not take care of them all, she probably did not keep them warm.  If she is confined to a quiet place with a suitable birthing box, she will be less likely to freak!

The fact the the first kitten was stillborn may have been part of the cause of the problems, but maybe not.  If this is a first time mama and she did not get the kitten cleaned up immediately (especially the face), the kitten may have gottern fluid in its lungs and died almost immediately after birth.  If it was truly stillborn, it may have caused a traffic jam in the birth canal and all the kittens may have gotten bruised bashing into each other on the way out, but this is just speculation.

One more thing, you want to be in close contact with your vet all during this in case she does run into problems and may require veterinary intervention.

Meanwhile, you should be vigilant, so you can be around when she has her kittens.  You will need paper towels, alcohol, scissors (in case she does not chew through the umbilical cords and you need to cut them), and a soft face cloth (for cleaning the faces of the newborns immediately, if she does not).

Please feel free to send follow up questions on any aspects of the above answer.

Please let me know how it goes.

Best regards.... Norm.



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

QUESTION: Thank you so much for all of that information.  We do have 2 boxes set up for her in the same room.  Well one box and one clothes basket.  She stays on the kitchen floor all the time.  She used to stay in my daughters room but now seems to like the kitchen.  I do believe the first kitten was still born and when the second one came in May she picked it up and was really gnawing at it like she was hurting it.  She did stay with them but they did not eat at all. she did not even try to feed them.  I was thinking that she just had no clue cause it was her first time being a mom.  She is really big now and her nipples are filled with milk for about one week now, is it getting close to her due date? Should I be confining her now to one room?  She goes to her litter like five times a day if not more to poop. I do see the babys move all the time in her belly.  We do have a young Chihuahua should I keep him away from her, I do work and the kids are in school all day.  I just feel mean locking her in one room all day but I guess it will keep her safe.  Ok I will keep you updated on her health, thank you so much for you help.
Christy

Answer
Christy,

It sounds as if kitten birth is imminent.  If the queen feels safe and content where she has kittens with no threats, she will not want to move the kittens.  Excessive moving of the kittens by a new queen can create problems for the new borns!!!!!  The Chihuahua could be problematic for her, so she is better off away from the dog.

Normally, for the first week, mama wants to stay close to those kittens.  They should be nursing pretty quickly and gaining weight from the get go.  They should be nice and plump so that you cannot feel their little backbones.  So, it is not being mean, so much as being practical.  If there are too many distractions, she will not tend to the kittens properly.  We keep ours in one room (out master bathroom) and, once the kittens are born, the queen is pretty content to be there with them for the first couple of weeks.

Best regards... Norm.