Really OT but I need help....
Lynne and Joe
Bouche...now this cat is ready to drop any minute now...I haven't a clue as
to what to do...should I be boiling water??? Getting the towels and
sheets??? HELP ME!!!!
--
Geri and Brian
>to what to do...should I be boiling water??? Getting the towels and
>sheets??? HELP ME!!!!
First of all, it isn't like human labor, they can do pretty well by themselves.
:-) Usually the mother cat will start nesting behavior and will find a quiet
out of the way place to have her babies. I am presuming this is an indoor
kitty (if not, keep her indoors or you may not find the litter - also the
babies are very vulnerable to being caught by predators), so just watch her so
you can see where this is.
What I found helpful was to prepare a large box and I lined it with the Attends
bed pads that have the water absorbent bottems. Then you can throw it all out
when you are done. (I used to use the large diapers before they started
putting elastic in the legs.) You can use several, because the mom cats like
to dig around and "nest". If you have a large Vari-Kennel, you can take the
top off and just use the bottom for labor and the first day. It is easy to
clean that way, and once the babies are born you can put the top back on and it
makes a nice "cave" for the mom and babies. I have left the tops off for the
first day or so until I am sure the mom is ok with the babies and doesn't lay
on them (or eat them).
She will probably be glad to have you there with her when she goes into active
labor. Just like a person (I presume) they like it when you gently rub their
tummies during labor, but mostly just sit with her. Interestingly with cats,
breaking their "concentration" can stop contractions. Usually you will be able
to tell when labor is going to start because she expels a bloody mucus "plug"
and you can also see the vaginal area appearing to enlarge. There will
definitely be some discharge (which is what the pads are for).
When a baby comes, the mother should take it out of its sac. She will lick the
baby briskly and that will tear the sac and stimulate the baby to breathe. The
placenta is delivered after the baby abd sometimes it will come with the baby.
Always make sure you have the same number of babies and placentas. A retained
placenta can cause a bad infection. You have to keep an eye on this, because
it is natural for the mother to eat the placenta and membrane around the baby.
(The mother tears the umbilical cord with her teeth and eats the placenta.)
This is ok - it is actually full of nutrients. If there are more than three or
four babies, after that I would take the placentas away (unless it upsets the
mother too much), because they are very rich and could cause her to vomit.
It is a good idea to have one of the the infant nasal suctions handy, and some
clean, dry washclothes. If the mother doesn't clean the kitten for some reason
(and sometimes they come too fast - not enought time in between), you can take
the baby (be careful, they are slippers) and use a washcloth to gently take off
the membrane. This also stimulates them to breathe. You can use the suction
to clear out their mouths in case they have swallowed any amniotic fluid.
Also, if a kitten is not breaking or seems "rattly" not breathing well, you can
gently wrap the baby in a washcloth, and hold it securely in your hand. Then
you basically "swing" it forward with your arm briskly. This helps clear out
the airways. (Don't let go of the kitten.) This sounds funny, but I have saved
two or three kittens over the years with this trick - it really works.
After the babies are all born, the mother will rest and let the kittens nurse.
They should be vigorous and want to get up to the nipples. (I once even had a
kitten trying to nurse before he was completely born - it was funny.) At that
point she may not want people around. I would especially keep any kids that
are not over ten or eleven years old away at first. The mothers don't
particularly like people handling their babies, though will usually tolerate
family members. Make sure everyone washes hands well, before and after
touching them.
Leave the soiled bedding in with the mother for the first 24 or so hours. It
is kind of a security thing. (Unless she vomits or poops on it.) Then it is
ok to change it. Keep food, water and litter box near by so the mom will not
have far from her babies to go. During labor, offer her water frequently.
That is all I can think of right now, off the top of my head, but if you have
other specific questions let me know. I have helped mom cats deliver lots of
babies over the years, so have seen a lot.
(P.S. After the mother has had time to recover and this was not a planned
breeding, I would have her spayed and require anyone who takes a kitten to
spay/neuter them also as soon as they are old enough.) :-)
~~~~~~~~
Geri ^ ^
> ' ' <
"Whistling women and cackling hens
always come to no good end."
~~~~~~~~~
Geri and Brian
time. Evidently too complicated for me ...
>(be careful, they are slippers)
They are slippery.
>Also, if a kitten is not breaking or seems "rattly" not breathing well,
If the kitten is not breathing or the breathing seems labored or makes a
rattling noise.
Karla
Hmm...maybe she should be named Vicky instead of Bobby? ;)
Unless there is serious distress, cats will find a "safe" place and drop
their litter in their own good time. It is usually somewhere slightly
out of the way (where she and the kittens won't be disturbed) and
comfortable. If you boil water, you may want to make yourself a nice
cup of tea and take a deep breath...it can take a while.
--
karla
I never expected there to be a blue light special on enlightenment -
Greg Brown
Nikki
BTW I never knew this about cats. I'm almost sad mine were spayed now...
Nikki
lilblakdog
news:20010625144708...@ng-mf1.aol.com...
> First of all, it isn't like human labor, they can do pretty well by
themselves...
I don't even like cats, and I found this fascinating. :-)
lil
http://lilblakdog.tripod.com
---
"It's hard when you discover what keeps you going keeps you all alone." --
Blue Rodeo
Anne Robotti
Leave the cat alone. Seriously.
She'll find a place to have the kittens and take care of the whole thing
without you.
Good luck Grandma!
Anne
Geri and Brian
>
big kiss, because she was the last of the kittens I "helped" a mom cat along
with.
Actually, after 18 years of raising and showing cats, I think I have seen most
of what you can see as far as kitten births - from the type where the queen
(mother cat) does it all herself, to the type where the she would come and find
me and meow at me if I didn't sit by her, pet her and talk to her while the
babies were being born, to trips to the vet for labors that failed to progress
(and administering oxytocin), stuck kittens and emergency C-sections. (My very
first grand champion that was of my own breeding was the result of an emergency
C, - all kittens in the litter granded, and the queen went on to become achieve
a Distinguished Merit award - one of only six or seven in the breed to do so.)
I had one girl who gave birth so rapidly to her kittens I had to sit by her
when she delivered or she couldn't keep up with taking the kittens out of their
membranes and they would die. (I found this out the hard way.) I only ever
had an incident of a mother eating a kitten once and she was a novice mother
(and I think there was something wrong with the kitten), but knew of some
people who had problem queens with that. (They ended up being spayed, as that
seems to be a trait that is somewhat hereditary.)
Anyway, I always liked to be present when my queens gave birth to make sure
there were no problems and to see what sex/color kittens I was getting. I did
have one female who wanted no one around her babies and would chase you out of
the room (and mean business about it) if you came near them. I would have to
trick her (when she left the room to eat, I would shut the door behind me and
go in) to check on the babies.
James and Lacy W
a stench though, she will crawl off put out a box with some old towels in
it. watch the birth process, its' beautiful the way her instinct takes
over. If you see any problems, please, call a emergency vet service
immediatly. Other that that advice, don't touch the kittens until the mommy
is ready for you to, she'll let you know when she needs your help. She may
sound like she's in pain, and trust me she is, but she'll pull through.
E-mail me back and let me know, i'm excieted for you, whether it be an egg
hatching, cattle giving birth or an actual human, New life is just
so....refreshing...
Let me know how she does okay.
Lace
"Lynne and Joe" <lpaq...@together.net> wrote in message
news:fqKZ6.100$du.3...@nntp1.onemain.com...
Melody R Baugher
wrote:
>(P.S. After the mother has had time to recover and this was not a planned
>breeding, I would have her spayed and require anyone who takes a kitten to
>spay/neuter them also as soon as they are old enough.) :-)
I've heard this can be done at a few weeks old now - not sure how many
weeks just that it is short enough to be counted in weeks & not
months.
I had my girl done at 6 months & the boy at 8 months. He was done so
late due to vet's advice to let his "personality" develop. Apparently
the part of his personality that needed to develop was the part where
he has to wriggle his backend anytime he gets near a vertical surface.
:) I could have lived without that. :)
The last time I was around a critter having babies I was too young to
be allowed around said critter. :)
Take care of yourself,
Melody
Caitriona Mac Fhiodhbhuidhe
See if Emancipet has a mobile spay/neuter clinic in your area. It cost
me $30 for Freyja's spay, plus $10 for them to give her a shot of pain
meds after she came out from under the anesthesia.
--
Kitten
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
I'm a bitch, I'm a lover; I'm a child, I'm a mother
I'm a sinner, I'm a saint; I do not feel ashamed
I'm your hell, I'm you dream; I'm nothing in between
You know you wouldn't want it any other way
-
- - Meredith Brooks
Melissa
>me $30 for Freyja's spay, plus $10 for them to give her a shot of pain
>meds after she came out from under the anesthesia.
Here the North Shore animal league will send you a coupon to get it done for
free. That way you get take it to your vet whom you're comfortable with.
They made me wait until 8 months before I could get my kitten neutered. It was
a one day procedure and despite him coming home still a bit dizzy from the
drugs he was fine.
Love,
Melissa
"Being a Grown up is a bitch sometimes."
-V. Robinson
jane
>From: laa...@aol.comspamfree (Melissa )
>Newsgroups: alt.support.step-parents
>Date: 26 Jun 2001 15:23:13 GMT
>
>
>
>>See if Emancipet has a mobile spay/neuter clinic in your area. It cost
>>me $30 for Freyja's spay, plus $10 for them to give her a shot of pain
>>meds after she came out from under the anesthesia.
>
>Here the North Shore animal league will send you a coupon to get it done for
>free. That way you get take it to your vet whom you're comfortable with.
>
>They made me wait until 8 months before I could get my kitten neutered. It
>was
>a one day procedure and despite him coming home still a bit dizzy from the
>drugs he was fine.
>
to be active and lean and a hunter. Since the surgery, he's pretty much slept
and eaten.
jane
Melissa
>to be active and lean and a hunter. Since the surgery, he's pretty much
>slept
>and eaten.
>
>jane
The vet told me Chester would calm down once he was fixed. Since he's the most
hyper cat I've ever known we were looking forward to it. We got him fixed in
March but I have yet to see any evidnece that he's calmed down. In fact I
think he might be even more hyper.
He has stopped exposing himself in my sink though. His pride about that area
of his body has disapeard.