Kitten Labour

Question

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Hi again, sorry to be a nuisance but 3 out of the 4 kittens eyes have opened, however, one kitten has one eye partially opened and the other fused shut.  Is this normal?  Also for the past 2 nights honey has been bringing all of the kittens upstairs into the airing cupboard, again, is this normal?  I won't be able to take them to the vet until Friday
Followup To

Question -
Hi again...well Honey My Queen) has had her litter, four beautiful kittens during the night!!  My question is: I read that there should be a placenta for each kitten, however, on awaking this morning, i have not been able to find any.  Do you think she has consumed them?  If so, is this dangerous?  Also are there any tips you can give me on helping Honey or should i just leave her be?  Thanx
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Followup To

Question -
My kitten is approx 10 months old and is in the last days of pregnancy.  How will i know when she is in labour?  Will she start meowing like crazy?  Are there any sign that will let me know that she's about to have her litter?  Thanx

Answer -
Amanda,

The problem is that there are no hard and fast rules, especially on the first litter!

First off, have you set up a kittening box for her?  I like the cardboard "jumbo" storage boxes (about 10" X 26" X 16").  Put some old sheeting in it for bedding and partly cover it with a towel so that the queen thinks of it as her den.  Make sure her litter pan, water bowl and food dish are near by.

About 24 hours before labour, her eyes should go greenish and she should get a pinched look in her face.  Also, her milk should be dropping at this point.  The kittens will "drop" and become very hard when she is about to begin labor.  Her body temperatur will drop if you are any good at taking her temperature.

Try to keep her comfortable and try to keep her in her box.  She may start out with some mild "positionong" contractions before she really starts to push.  When she begins pushing in earnest (what we call "birthing" contractions), she shouydl produce a "bubble" in about 45 minutes to an hour.  Usually, another 15 minutes to half hour of pushing and she will have the kitten out.  At this point it is vital that she be encouraged to clean the kitten around the face and get the kitten to cry.

Once the kitten is born, she may setlle in and encourage the kitten to nurse.  The kitten should root around looking for a suitable nipple and attach itself.  The first kitten may be a bit lethargic at the beginning because of the length of the labor.

Usually, once the first kitten has been passed, the next kittens may come out quickly or slowly, depending on all kinds of things.  The subsequent births should be easier than the first birth.

It is important to count placentas.  There should be one placenta per kitten.  Mama will usually chew the umbilical cord once the kitten's face has been cleaned up.  If mama is too busy chewing the cord, you may want to use a soft face cloth to clean the kittten's little face and make sure it cries.  If mama wants to eat a placenta, by all means let her eat one.

If mama does not chew the cord you will need to pinch it cut it away from the pinch (about an inch to inch and a half away form the body).  Use an alcoholed pair of scissors.

I would have lots of paper towels and alcohol handy.  Also, make arrangements with your vet so that, if she runs into trouble you can get ther to the vet any time of day or night.

When she appears to be finished, you will want to have her to the vet for an Oxytocin shot and long lasting Pennicillin G shot.

The best book I have ever read on the subject is out of print, but available through Amazon.com.  The book is called "My Cat's In Love" by Frank Manelsen <sp?>.

Good luck and I hope everything comes out all right.

Best regards... Norm.





Answer -
Amanda,

Congratulations to Honey and you.

She probably ate the placentas (which is a good thing as they contain oxytocin, a hormone which helps with conditioning the uterus after birth and with milk production).

I would get Honey to the vet and have the vet do a post natal check up.  It would also be a good thing for the vet to give her a shot of oxytocin and also a shot of long acting penicilin.  If you take her kittens along with her, I would put them in a separate container (like a shoe box with some bedding).  If they are all in the same carrier, she could accidently roll over on the kittens.

For the first three weeks, I would leave them be.  Honey should know what to do. The kittens should be gaining weight and should be fat little things as they get more and more milk. They should double their weight within a few days.

I would leave them alone for the most part, but handle them a bit each day so they get used to human contact.  We usually let mama do all the work the first 3 weeks and then look at weaning them around week 4.

You really want to find that "My Cat's in Love" book!!!!!

Best regards... Norm.  

Answer
Amanda,

It is not good for Honey to keep carrying the kittens around.  She will, inadvertently, kill them by doing this.

If you can stand it, let her keep them in the airing cupboard as that is where she feels safest.

Otherwise, you will need to confine her so she will not carry those kittens from one place to another.  If she gets frantic with a kitten in her mouth after you have confined her, lock her away from the kittens for an hour or so.  She will be so glad to get back to them, she should forget about moving them around.

As to the kitten with the partially opened eye.  If the eyes are not open on their own within a day or two of the other kittens, you can try taking a clean soft cotton rag with a mixture of boric acid and warm water and gently dab the eyes until they open.  If the one "fused" shut is full of greenish grayins gunk, you have an eye infection and you need to get some ophthalmic drops from the vet.  Tobradex seems to help with most eye infections. Your vet can tell you the frequency of treatment.

Please let me know how it goes.

Best regards... Norm.