can you help

Question
hi. i just found out my cat is pregnant and is due within the next couple of days. she is sleeping nearly all the time and doesn't like having her belly touched. the last couple of days she been having discharge and i don't know if that means she is having the kittens soon or not can you help?

Answer
Discharge does indeed mean that your cat is nearly ready to deliver! I would expect your litter within 72 hours. Be prepared for mom to become a lot more vocal and active. If she does not, you may need to have her seen by a veterinarian to make sure her labor is not causing complications.

Here are a few helpful pointers to deal with your new arrivals!

- Make sure you have a kittening box ready for mother and babies. She will likely have the kits somewhere other than the box, but you should immediately transfer the kittens and their mother to a big cardboard box, or failing a box, the floor of a closet in a quiet room. The floor or box should be lined with a soft, fluffy blanket and should have plenty of room for mom to stretch out.

- Kittens are unable to regulate their body heat for the first three days of life. Make sure all the kittens stay close to mom, and if they do not, get a heating pad underneath the blanket set to the lowest setting.

- Make sure that the kittens are eating. If one is not, or more are not, you will need to bottle feed them with Kitten Milk Replacement, available at WalMart, PetsMart, PetCo, and most small pet shops. Also, use an eyedropper or kitten bottle to feed.

- If your mother cat spends most of her time with the babies, is feeding and warming them, and seems healthy, don't worry too much. Her instincts will tell her what to do.

- Begin to socialize your kittens at 4 weeks. This means taking them from the box, when they are awake and not feeding, and petting them for five minutes a piece. This will help them gain a lifelong trust in humans and make them excellent companion animals.

-Starting now, switch mom over to a high quality kitten food. Purina Kitten Chow is great. It contains more minerals and fats that mother and babies will need for the next 10 weeks.

If you have any other questions, please ask!