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Your top tips for the birth of kittens...

35 replies

SoupDragon · 12/06/2009 08:08

Not for me, for a friend .

Young cat (under 1) due imminently. What help will she need?

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sharkyandgeorge · 12/06/2009 08:25

I would say a nice safe cosy quiet place and leaving her in peace to get on with it.

Our cat gave birth (without us knowing she was pregnant)and all was fine, we came home from work to find she had had kittens.

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SoupDragon · 12/06/2009 09:25

I think that's my friend's dream scenario The worry is that she's still a kitten herself so could have problems. She's is so fat, bless her - no hope of missing the pregnancy

Many potential dark cosy places have been provided, complete with boxes. Favoured position seems to be in full sun in front of the patio doors. On a white rug

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Tabithacat · 12/06/2009 09:55

Ours gave birth in my dds toy pram. However many times I tried to move her, that was where she ended up!

If your friend is about when labour starts, it is worth keeping an eye as my cat couldn't get the sac off the first kitten and I had to help. She managed ok with the other kittens.

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SoupDragon · 12/06/2009 12:46

Thanks - this is reassuring.

I am more excited than she is. I may have to be emergency midwife

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PurpleOne · 14/06/2009 17:02

Only advice I can offer is a HUGE pile of towels at the ready!!!
We put loads down on the bed when she was labouring, and it still seeped through.

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SoupDragon · 15/06/2009 22:05

Oh god... I can't tell my clean-freak friend that!! She's paranoid about the mess already.

Mother-to-be apparently looks like a balloon now. The vet did say a fortnight ago that it would most likely be a large litter. What does large mean??

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SoupDragon · 15/06/2009 22:07

Have suggested she gets a plastic dust sheet in true Home Birth style!

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ilovesprouts · 15/06/2009 22:12

one of my cats gave birth i my ds2 pram befor he was born luckley there was a cover over it but did not end up using it as bit old fashiond for me my mum got it

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ilovesprouts · 15/06/2009 22:15

one of my cats gave birth in ds2 pram before he was born,thank god they was sheets on it .. but in the end did not use it ,as my mum got it for me and i did not like it

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ilovesprouts · 15/06/2009 22:16

oops dont know why its done that

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ravenAK · 15/06/2009 22:24

My cat had two litters. Should've had her done, but she'd originally been a 'look after for a friend for a few months' cat - NO sign of coming on heat until at the age of 7 she suddenly shot past us & out...!

First litter: stillbirth, 2 livebirths, 2 stillbirths . Very nearly lost the survivors - Verity (mother cat) had no interest in them after producing the first dead kit & legged it.

If you do have to intervene, have something to rip the caul (round ended scissors?) - I used my nails - & be prepared for a stressful time - I had a very upset black cat hiding in a pitch-black cupboard & two clueless black kittens. Eventually we got them latched on & they're now both ENORMOUS neutered toms living with my parents!

Second litter (yes, she escaped AGAIN the day before we had her booked in for spaying) she produced another litter of 5 - all alive this time & managed all on her own.

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SoupDragon · 16/06/2009 08:07

My friend is worried about stillbirths, especially as the mother-to-be is very young (discovered to be pregnant at the spaying appointment!). I shall tell her to find some round ended scissors - I can't quite envisage her using her nails. I did tell her she'd have to nibble it off and lick the kitten clean if necessary - she wasn't impressed!

Does the mother eat the placenta(s)? Are there placentas? I have no idea.

I think we're going to have to go to Ikea tomorrow for shed loads of cheap towels!

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BecauseImWorthIt · 16/06/2009 08:15

One of our cats had her litter (4) before she was a year old and all was fine.

Only thing that went (nearly) wrong was that she tried to give birth under the duvet in our bed! I had bought a soft, furry basket for her but she wouldn't go anywhere near that. I had a brainwave - I wore a really big t-shirt to bed one night, and then lined the basket with that - she was happier then because it smelt of something familiar.

The mother should eat all the placentas.

Good luck - how exciting!

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FrogmellaMoonbeam · 16/06/2009 08:45

After we got our cat (approx 6mths old) from the rescue centre we took her to the vets 4-5 weeks later for injections and to book her in to be spayed and got told we would be having kittens within the week. 2 weeks later with her looking like she had swallowed a football she decided to labour and birth in the middle of our living room floor and produced 8 live kittens. One needed a bit of help feeding as it couldnt latch on and was much smaller than the rest and at the time we didnt think it wouuld survive but we gave it some milk soaked bread to suck and then put it back with mum and ecpected it to have died overnight but a week later we could tell which it was and soon had a very traumatised mum and 8 boisterous kittens wrecking running round the house.

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SoupDragon · 16/06/2009 12:42

Thanks

Apparently the cat's bump has dropped.

I'm very excited about it - more so than my friend!

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SoupDragon · 16/06/2009 12:43

Oh god - 8 kittens. This cat looks football sized...

Need to find homes for them all!

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ilovesprouts · 16/06/2009 17:36

dont tell my dd

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SoupDragon · 16/06/2009 17:42

Is she near Croydon/Kenley?? [innocent]

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ilovesprouts · 16/06/2009 20:12

no west yorkshire thank god, we allready have 4 cats ,

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SoupDragon · 16/06/2009 20:54

Damn!

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IroningBored · 16/06/2009 23:34

Cutting the cord
Piles of dirty towels
Removing the sac

Gross.

I am hoping she will have kittens tonight on white washable Ikea doormat/rug and I can simply swap the rug out for another in the morning and let the kids coo at the new kittens.

better scenario still, she will have them tomorrow when SoupDragon is around (and I'll pop down the gym till its all over)

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SoupDragon · 17/06/2009 20:30

5 little kittens! 3 white-and-black, 2 black-and-white.

Text book birth, no still births, no cutting cords or anything.

I turned up at IB's house with a large old towel, put the kettle on and then heard the mother-to-be yowling. She appeared to be stuck in the fireplace behind a toybox so we moved the box and lo! there was a kitten hanging out of her. Towel was arranged under her, kitten helped into the right place and off she went. 1 kitten produced every 15 minutes or so with the mother purring in between. Can't tell you how delighted I was to act as midwife!

IroningBoard even managed not to throw up when the mother ate the placentas

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SoupDragon · 17/06/2009 21:45

Picrures on this thread if you're interested. Thanks for your help BTW.

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ilovesprouts · 18/06/2009 08:54

ooh so sweet ,want one not showing dd the pics

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ilovesprouts · 18/06/2009 09:03

dh has fallen in love whith them ,i remember when i lived at home my mum was always spot on when our cats was going to give birth,she was like an old mother hen ,also wen my cat gave birth my dh watched them been born ,even when they ate the placenta [boak]

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