Postpartum Cat Problem

Question
My cat gave birth to a litter of five kittens 5 days ago, and since day three she has been gagging a lot.  She doesn't look well, her eyes are not as bright as usual.  She sounds as if she is gagging up a hairball but nothing comes up.  She doesn't look all that well and I am worried that she won't be able to take care of her litter.  Is there anything that I can do for her?  Perhaps she ate something that has become stuck in her system?  She still has an appetite and I have not wittnessed her vomiting, but in the past she has eaten her vomit so I can not be too sure.  Thanks  for your time.

Answer
Your cat needs to get to a vet quickly. This is not something you can take chances with. She may have an infection from a retained placenta. If so, she can go downhill very quickly and then she won't be able to take care of the kittens at all.

If you are comfortable taking your cat's temperature (which should be done rectally, with a digital thermometer) you can get an idea of how urgent this might be. The normal temperature for a cat is 101 to 103 fahrenheit. If her temp. is under 103.5 you might be able to wait until morning (personally I wouldn't) but if it is over 104 call your vet right away. If they can't help, ask for a referral to the nearest emergency clinic. I'm afraid this will probably be very expensive but if you don't take action, you could very well lose both the mom and the kittens.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news and hope I got back to you in enough time so that you can do something quickly.

iris