My cat is pregnant too!

My gorgeous little girl Paris is an indoor cat, especially after she got out before Christmas and went walkabout for a few days. We were worried that she might have got herself in the family way (we hadn't got around to fixing her yet because she's strictly an indoors kitty and both our boy cats are fixed), but she was fine... that time.
She must have got out again recently (I think she might have plucked out the flycreen on the cat door in the laundry and disappeared for a few hours, there's been a boy who looks just like her hanging around attacking DD every time she goes near him) because I noticed the other day that her little nipples were red, swollen and sticking right out..
Now her belly seems to be growing at a ridiculous rate and when I patted her yesterday I felt a big kitten-sized lump in her gut, so I know she's definitely expecting.

I've never owned a female cat before (my parents always got male cats because they were cheaper to fix), so this is an entirely new thing for me!
I'm buying a new baby gate tomorrow so that I can set Paris up in our wardrobe with some towels and sheets to nest, while keeping the dog well away from her, and I'm pretty sure she'll be dropping the kittens within a week, tops.
I've done a bit of research and from what I can find, I should be feeding her kitten food instead of regular food (not sure why, but that's what 'they' say), and obviously provide a safe, private and warm place for her to have her babies.
Does anybody else have any experience with helping their cat give birth? I know she could well do it in the middle of the night but if I'm around I'd like to help her if I can...
can anybody give me any advice, give me tips on what to expect, and while I'm at it, does anybody want a kitten?? :D
Thanks in advance :D

OOH!! how exciting! lol

I have only ever had one pregnant cat, and that was when I was about 4...I wont mention here what mum to to the kittens nobody wanted :(

Sounds like you are doing a fabby job though! She would love her own little nesting spot on your wardrobe too :) Perhaps cal la vet and ask them for advice - what to look for if something is wrong? Otherwise I would say that she can birth just fine on her own

Let us know how it goes!!

haha i had the same thing happen, i have a doll faced persian and she got out for ONE NIGHT! well she gave birth to 4 very fluffy but tabby looking kittens 4 weeks ago, i knew something was up when her little nipples were all pointy. so me and her were preg together for about 4 weeks and i said to my DH i hope she gives me baby dust! well she did! once i realised she was UTD she had her bubs about 3 weeks after in the arvo her water broke on my bed haha ewww and she was sort of running around meowing and she had this look of disgust on her face and stopped dead in her tracks which i think was a contraction i popped her in the box i had got which i filled with soft towels and she just started poppin them out, i just watched she did it all by herself ate the placentas ewww and then chewed their chords off, she will pant alot! and breathe real fast and mine was purring! but i have read they purr when in pain as a comfort thing too, she didnt seem too distressed took 4 hours all up but it was a fun experience.

It sounds like you are on the right track with the things you are doing. The reason it's good to be feeding her kitten food is because the kittens are taking a toll on her body and kitten food is more densely packed with energy than adult cat food. So she gets more energy without having to stuff her belly with food.

I also think it's a good idea to confine her towards the end of her pregnancy, as some cats will tend to try to avoid humans (although others go to the opposite extreme and become super clingy). It's better for you to know exactly where she is in case she has problems during birth.

In the 24 hours leading up to labour your cat will probably stop eating and her temperature will drop a little. She'll go into the first stage of labour, but you may not even notice. It involves contractions of the uterus, but no visible straining by the mother.

The second stage is when you will notice the mother straining. The kittens will usually be born still contained within a membrane layer which the mother will most likely tear open and then she will start licking and cleaning around the kittens face to help clear the fluids so the kitten can breathe. She'll also usually chew through the umbilical cord and eat the afterbirth (the placenta is a greenish black color). Generally a mother cat will do a much better job looking after her newborn than a human can so give the mother a bit of time for her instincts to kick in. If she doesn't seem interested in the kitten at all then you may have to help out. You can break the kitten out of the membrane and put it in a towel. Open the kittens mouth and hold it face down for a few seconds to drain any fluid in it's mouth. Then start rubbing the kitten vigorously. Don't be afraid to rub it quite hard and vigorously to get the kitten to breathe. And be persistent. It can take quite a while before a kitten is breathing regularly. The amount of times I've had clients tell me that they thought a kitten was dead and put it in the bin only to hear it crying much later would amaze you! Once the kitten is breathing well, then keeping it warm is the next step. Hopefully you can just pop it back with mum and she will take care of it after that.

The intervals between the arrival of each kitten can be around 10 minutes to an hour. If it's over an hour between kittens, or the mother has been straining for longer than around 1/2 hour, then she may be having complications. At this stage I would recommend calling your local vet and possibly taking the cat in to be checked. Actually, once labour starts it's probably a good idea to call you vet to let them know just so they have a head-up in case any problems arise.

Once all the kittens are born it's a good idea to have both them and the mum checked over by a vet within the next 24 hours. The vet will check mum over to make sure that she is doing well and that there are no more kittens stuck inside her, and can check over the kittens for things like cleft palates.

Hope that helps a bit! Good luck!

Thanks girls :) Sorry it's taken me so long to get around to getting back to this thread, I almost forgot about it!! But yes, the kitten food does make a lot of sense now.

Anyway, an update: Paris went into labour at around 8pm tonight after acting a bit strangely for a couple of hours... we stuck her in the 'nest' we prepared for her, but she wouldn't stay in there unless DH or I stayed by her side, so we took turns watching DD (who knew something exciting was happening and refused to go to bed) and sitting by the wardrobe encouraging her...
Big contractions started at just after 8:30, by 10pm I was panicking and considering paying the huge fees to contact a vet after hours, then DH told me a part of a sac and a placenta had popped out... the kitten was stuck though but eventually it slid out. First one was stillborn, I rubbed it for a while to no avail, and the next one arrived while I was attempting to revive it so we gave up and focused on that one.
Two healthy kittens in quick succession, then another one that I'm sure was trying to breathe inside its sac but Paris ignored it and by the time I got to it, it was too late. Then another 'good' one, and we thought it was over - we left Paris to bond with her three new babies and went outside for a cigarette.
When we came back inside, Paris had left her kittens and come looking for us, and she'd dropped another one in the hallway. I thought it would be dead, but somehow DH managed to get it out and rub it awake (what a champ :D!)
She seems to be a bit confused about what to do with them, they're crawling all over her mewing and trying to latch on, but she keeps growling at them... after sitting with her for a while to make sure she doesn't leave them, she seems to have accepted them and they're just bumbling around trying to get a feed.

I'll keep you guys updated, thanks for the info and advice :D

I must be growing up lol, I wasn't grossed out about touching all the icky stuff that came with birthing kittens, and I'm not absolutely devastated at the two we lost... circle of life, yada yada ya, I guess. DH buried them out in the yard with the aid of a torch, the neighbours just bought the house a week ago so I hate to think what they must think of us weirdos next door, digging holes in the backyard at midnight!!

Having kids helps us get used to touching gross stuff hun :lol:

Congrats on 4 beautiful kittens! I am sorry to hear about the 2 that didn't make it, but I agree with you, they had the best chance and wouldnt have made it in the wild. Paris is learning the whole mummy thing (remember how that felt for you?) and will soon be a champ with them.

Glad it all went ok for you. And as awful as this will probably sound- at least that's two less kittens to find homes for...
Hope you enjoy the next 6 weeks or so, once they start opening their eyes at a couple of weeks they are just amazing, and to watch their personalities grow and develop, not to mention watching them play!

Sounds like she did okay for a first time mummy. She also sounds a bit stressed. Maybe take her & the surviving kittens into the vet this morning to do a check and make sure they are all out. Personally, I think cats birth beautifully... its amazing to see them in action.

I hope you have success finding homes for all of the kittens. Your vet will be able to help you on when to give them their first vaccinations (6-8wks) and when to start worming them (from 2 wks). she will come on heat again as soon as the kittens are weaned so desex her straight after that. Perhaps your vet would also do a deal with you so you can sell the kittens with a desexing voucher or something of the sort. Always sell kittens - don't give them away. Then they have a value attached and are less likely to be a throw away item. I hate to say it but giveaway kittens can also attract people with other motives (especially if they are unvaccinated, unwormed and therefore suitable as a food source IYKWIM). HTH

awww how sad 2 didnt make it :( i read some cats dont take to mother hood, i didnt even have to touch my cats babies i was fortunate enough she did it by herself, but i did panic a bit! i was going to sell our little ones as they are half persian with squished in faces and would prob get a little bit of money but then they may not be desexed or vaccinated or anything so rang the pound and they said they would rehome them and desex my cat for free! was going to pay anyway but hey! they also microchip them desex them and vaccinate them and ppl who really want a kitten and are willing to adopt from a shelter and pay for them are more likely to look after them, so after alot of thought im taking them there on sunday at 8 weeks old as it seems the best option. good luck with rehoming!