LoveToKnow Cats:AllComments

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Comments

Hi Monika,

There is a risk with any pregnancy, but more than likely the kittens won't be too large for her to birth. If she is a particularly small cat, you may want to check with the vet first. He will be able to tell if she might have trouble birthing a litter. We had a miniature dachshund dog and our vet advised against breeding because of her size. Hope that helps!

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

Im trying to breed my Bengal female to a Main coon stud.Will the kittens be to big to be born normally? The stud is twice the size of my Bengal female. I did breed my Siamese to the same stud.She only had 3 kittens.One was born dead and pretty large.But she did not have much trouble giving birth. I do not want to breed my Bengal if there could be any trouble during birth.She is a beautyful seal lynx snow Bengal.The Main coon is a solid black and very large. Thank you for the info Monika

-- Contributed by: monika

Hi Melanie,

Has she shown any other signs of labor, such as panting, looking for a place to nest and so on?

I would watch her carefully for a couple of days. If she appears in any distress whatever, I would take her to the vet immediately. It is better to be safe. More than likely, things will go just fine, but there is always a chance for complications, especially if she is particularly young.

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

Hi, I have a cat who I think is currently in the process of giving birth. I am worried because yesterday around this time she showed a bloody discharge around her vagina, I expected her to go into birth last night but she never did. Today she still hasn't given birth and is still showing a bit of blood. How long should I wait? She is a young cat and this is her first litter, could there be complications?

-- Contributed by: Melanie

Hi Shea,

No, if she has gone this long without her labor progressing, she may very well be in some distress. I'd go ahead and take her and the current kitten to the vet as soon as possible. I hope everyone is okay. Please keep us posted.

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

hello.im very concerned right now.aroud 12:45 this morning my cat delievered one kitten.we expected the rest shortly after.it is now 9:18 am and no sign that she is going into labor.but i can feel the kittens outline.and while im out of the room its hard to get her to nurse the kitten.is the time between birth normal?

-- Contributed by: ..shea..

Hi Heather,

You are right that this was a pretty large time span. However, if you can tell that there are no more kittens in her stomach and she seems to be otherwise healthy (not hemorraging, struggling for breath, not eating, lethargic, etc.), then she's likely just fine. Sounds like the kittens are doing well. Tell your husband to leave them alone for at least a week or two, since she's a nervous momma cat :)

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

I have a stray that chose me as her human. She's just delivered 3 kittens. The first two she had yesterday. It's important to note that my bonehead husband was way too interested in *watching* and greatly upset Mommy to the point that she finally attacked him and ran him out of her *room*. She was still bloated last night. I've just come in from work and discovered that there is now one more baby so a total of 3 kittens. Is Mommy in any danger? I've been able to palpate her belly and there doesn't appear to be any kittens inside. She's nursing and eating and going potty. It's just really odd for her to stop her labor and begin again the next day. I'm not a newbie to cats and labor, I've helped deliver several dozen kittens over the course of 42 years. Just curious if anyone else has had this experience.

-- Contributed by: Heather

Hi Michelle,

It sounds like you are attempting to breed them. If so, you will likely be able to tell in a couple of weeks and should take her to the vet for prenatal care as soon as you suspect she is pregnant. She'll likely put the male in his place once she is pregnant, so that situation may take care of itself. Otherwise, unless he is irritating her, or they are fighting, I would probably just leave them alone. GOod luck!

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

my cat went into heat 3 weeks ago and we are not sure if my male caught her, she has now went into another heat and this time im sure he has caught her should i stop him now from trying again as he keeps doing it 5-6 times a day or should we just leave them how soon will we know if she is pregnant and how

-- Contributed by: michelle

Hi Amy,

If she doesn't give birth to another kitten in the next hour, I'd definitely get her to a vet. I hope everything turns out okay and the kittens are alright.

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

Hi Amy,

If her labor hasn't progressed in the next hour, I would get her to the vet. The kittens may be hung in there or for some other reason she may be struggling. Hope it all turns out okay!

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

My cat gave birth to a single kitten almost three hours ago , she doesnt seem to bo showing any signs of a continued labor ...could the rest of the kittens be dead inside of her? why isnt she giving birth to the rest ..this is her second litter, the first time we woke up to find she had given birth to all of them ....what shoudl we do? we clearly still has a few babies inside , her belly is huge and i can feel them ..help?!

-- Contributed by: amy

Hi Shannon,

There are many reasons for this. Sometimes the kittens are ill and won't survive anyway. Sometimes the mother cat is a first time mother and is nervous and doesn't know what to do. Sometimes one or all are ill.

I would go ahead and take the mother and kittens to the vet and see what he/she has to say.

Also, make sure you aren't hovering. This makes some cats very nervous.

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

My cat just gave birth to 5 kittens and she doesn't want to go near them. What does mean?

-- Contributed by: shannon

Hi Rachel,

It shouldn't, but she'll likely make a nest of sorts before she has the kittens. Be warned, most mother cats like to hide their kittens as well.

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

I'm fostering nursing mother cats, what if she has her kittens on hard ground instead of her soft box? Will it affect the kittens or the mother? Thanks- Rachel

-- Contributed by: Rachel

Hi Sue,

You'll notice her "nesting" just before she has the kittens. She will hunt for a safe and quiet place to have them. She may choose a closet, for example. This is the best way to tell when your cat is close. You'll want to keep a close eye on her, so she doesn't hide the kittens where you can't find them and check o them, but try not to disturb new mother and kittens any more than absolutely necessary for that first week or two.

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

my cat is going to have here firsr litter {I hope}but she is not acting like she is going to have any she has no signs like every one talks about but she did pass what i thought was a plug 4 days ago but she is up playing and every thing she is giving clear stuff from her nibbel and to day she is acting like she is in heat help

-- Contributed by: sue

Hi John,

Just keep your house at a normal temperature. As long the kittens seem to be doing fine, I wouldn't disturb them anymore than necessary. Mama Cat might get nervous and attempt to move the kittens and hide them from you. Her instinct is to protect her babies. It is also hard to milk a cat in the way you described. If the kittens are not getting nourishment, they will mewl pitifully. Also, the queen will often walk away from her kittens if she is unable to nurse. It is actually pretty rare. Good luck with the new babies. They sound cute.

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

My 1 year old cat just had four kittens last night and they seem quite healthy. She stays with them most of the time but leaves for only a few minutes to eat and drink. Will she keep them at the consistant heat they nead or should i lay warm towels or a heating pad in there with both the queen and the kittens? Also, i tried squeezing the nipple a little to check for milk and i couldnt really tell if anything came out or not, but the kittens seem to be doing well, any suggestions. thanks a bunch ..dooley yankton south dakota

-- Contributed by: john dooley

Hi Shawna,

You can find your answer on the Ask the Expert page.

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

hi , my cat is pregnant and been pregnant for atleast her 9 weeks, she has yet to have her babys , she is leaking milk and showing all the signs of giving birth , but instead she has picked up on going to the bathroom and popping realy smelly yellow dierrea , really watery its stinking up our house though i clean it , it still lingers , is there something I can do to stop it ? or is there something wrong with her?

-- Contributed by: shawna

Hi Diana,

You will see some signs such as:

Stomach drops and seems to be hanging low
You can see kittens moving
She loses her appetite
She becomes more affectionate that normal
She seems to be looking for a place to nest
Discharge and/or grooming vaginal area

If you suspect she is anywhere near her due date, I'd go ahead and bring her inside. Hope that helps.

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

My outside cat looks like she will have her kittens any day. The problem is that I know she will go way off into the woods to have them like she did last time....and none ever made it back home. Is there anything I can do??? I have brought her inside the house a few times....and she hates it and just wants "out". If I knew how to tell when the day was, I could just keep her locked up in our play room....how can I know??

-- Contributed by: Diana

Hi Meshari,

There are a couple of signs you can watch for. First, cats are in gestation for usually around 65 days, although this can vary a bit. Signs that will let you know she may be getting ready to give birth include:

Meowing
Pacing restlessly
Grooming her genitals more than normal
Searching for a quiet place, such as a closet
The nipples sometimes get larger and darker
Abdomen drops
Discharge of fluid or blood

The cat may not experience all of these symptoms. The cat will probably be in labor for about six hours. Good luck!

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

hi i just bough a pregnant cat and i just dont know which month is she in ,, and i dont know if what are the signs befor giving bith please .help!

-- Contributed by: meshari

Hi Selena,

If she has milk, the delivery is likely in the next week or so. I would make up a nice box for her with a soft blanket. Do not let her outside, as cats like to hide their babies and move them and you may never find them again. She may get a little distraught if you are moving the trailer. Cats tend to not like change, so watch her carefully during this time. Maybe you'll get lucky and she will be mellow about the whole thing. Every cat has a different personality.

If there is any way you can delay the moving by a few weeks, that would be preferable, but if not just watch her closely. She may try to sneak out or hide her kittens.

Good luck!

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

hi my cat has milk in her niples but she has not had her baby's yet when do you think she will have then she just got the milk today..?? she was a barn cat andgot pregnant some how but we are traeling and i am affraid if we trael i might hae to do something with them but i dont no what i need to do with them becouse i am in a trailer do i have to do anything important..??

what should i put them in when when we start moving the trailer again.??

thank you sooo much

-- Contributed by: Selena Riggins

Hi Laramie,

How big did your cat look before the spotting began, and does her tummy look smaller now? I don't know how close she was to delivering, but there's a chance she had the babies in a secret location, or expelled one or more dead kittens someplace.

I recommend you do a thorough search throughout the house, and around your yard and foundation if she goes outside. If you notice any more bleeding, then by all means, take her to the vet for an examination.

My best wishes for a happy outcome.

-- Contributed by: Kelly

Our house cat is showing all the signs of being pregnant. But yesterday I noticed blood drops over the house. Then i saw blood on her back end. I haven't noticed any blood today, but what does the blood mean? Did she mis-carry?

-- Contributed by: Laramie
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