Expert: Ali - 9/30/2008

Question
I have a cat that we rescued from some terrible people. They say he isnt even
two years old (they have had her since she was a kitten) and is on her 4 litter
of kittens. They let her wander the streets even after 3 previous litters! They
have to have figured out that wandering unspayed cat = pregnancy, but they
didn't.  Her first litter was 1 kitten, second was 4 and her third was 6
according to them.

I asked them just how pregnant they thought she was and they said "not even
a month yet."

I know this to be inaccurate for sure- but I was wondering if you could help
me establish an approximate time when she will give birth.

This cat is very small I would say only 5-6 pounds now. She is very skinny
aside from her HUGE mommy bump. I can see the kittens rolling around and
kicking and can feel that they are very strong. We have had her a few days
and for the first couple she was very sweet. Today any little noise or the
kittens moving is ticking her off. She is in a corner occasionally growling to
herself. She is alway in the same spot behind the bookshelf when we come
into the room. She comes out and greets us, but unlike previous days has no
desire to be petted. Yesterday she a all over me, purring not wanting to be
alone- and today she is very cranky.
She has only eaten a little over the past couple of days- I'd say maybe 3/4 a
cup of dry food and half of a 5 ounce can of the wet food we got her.
Like I said these people seem to be clueless about their cat's pregnancy even
though they had already been through it 3 times before.

At what point do cats start showing? (she is REALLY showing. I'd say her belly
sticks out 2 inches on either side. and shes a VERy small cat.

how far into the pregnancy do the babies start moving to the point where we
would be able to see and feel them- (like I said we've had her 4 days and have
noticed this the entire time and the people we got her from said they could
feel the babies moving for "a couple of weeks")
I dont trust these peoples judgment at all after my experience with them- but
I want to be prepared to be here in case there are any problems with the
labor since she is so small.

Can you give me a timeline or help me out?

Oh and we took her temperature this morning and it was 100.6.

Help!

Answer
Jessica,

My first recommendation would be that you have this kitty examined by a vet as soon as possible. The normal gestation period for a cat is between 60-68 days. Given the fact that this kitty hasn't been properly cared for and your description of her general condition I am very concerned about the potential for complications with the upcoming birth of this litter. Unfortunately in cats who haven't had adequate medical care there is a risk that things can go badly and there can be life threatening complications with labor and delivery for mom and her babies. I would suggest that a pre-anesthetic blood panel be done just to assess this little girl's general health. It's also a good idea to have your vet perform a complete physical exam, check the expectant mom's urine to make sure that she doesn't have any sign of an infection that could potentially cause early labor and threaten the survival of her kittens. Your vet may be able to determine the gestational age of the kittens having an x-ray done. Veterinarians routinely use x-rays to check on pregnancies, this can also allow your vet to see if there are any exceptionally large kittens that may get stuck in the birth canal and cause complications during labor and delivery. It's unfortunate that this kitty has likely not had any routine health care such as vaccines or treatments for internal and external parasites prior to becoming pregnant. At this time the only thing that can be done is to have a vet monitor your new feline friend closely for what remains of her pregnancy - based on your description I don't think you will have long to wait for the little ones to be born, my guess would be roughly between now and 1 1/2 - 2 weeks from now, assuming of course that mom is naturally a tiny cat and that she is at a healthy body weight. If mom is malnourished you will have to speak with your vet about a diet to help build up her strength and body condition before giving birth to her kittens so that everyone has the best possible chance at surviving and being healthy. This little girl's temperature falls right within the normal range, normal body temperature for cats is between 100.5-102.5 degrees Fahrenheit.

Beyond the obvious need to monitor mom's health and well being now and throughout the rest of the pregnancy, labor, birth and throughout the time that she is nursing her little ones (birth to between 6-10 weeks of age, depending on mom's level of tolerance and her health) If mom is severely underweight you will need to have your vet provide you with advice on supplementing mom's diet in order to allow her to gain weight and stay as healthy as possible. Beyond the serious medical concerns that you have with regards to this kitty there is also a need to prepare for the new arrivals. I would suggest that mom be given a quiet room to live in until her kittens are somewhat mobile. Mother cats generally need to be in a quiet place with a minimum of commotion and interference while giving birth. In this case I would strongly suggest that you peek in on mom at set intervals throughout the night - given that you describe mom as being somewhat thin and neglected by her previous caregivers I am concerned about the possibility of serious complications during labor and delivery. If you notice that mom is pacing, seems anxious, is digging or circling like she wants to use the toilet or she seems to be looking for a place to make her nest she is most likely in early labor or will be soon. In order to provide the best possible environment for mom to labor, give birth and care for her young family it's a good idea to set up a birthing box. I have found that using disposable blue pads (the kind used in hospitals to protect bedding) usually found at home health care stores to line the bottom of a fair sized cardboard box and using clean, old towels to provide mom and babies with soft, warm bedding works well. It's very important to make sure that you change the bedding and the disposable protective pads underneath it after mom has finished giving birth to her litter so that everyone stays warm and dry. Providing mom with a clean, quiet, dimly lit place to have her babies should encourage her to feel safe enough to deliver. Given the fact that mom may not have had adequate food throughout her pregnancy I would suggest that you have a few supplies on hand just in case there is a problem. Having a few basics that can be found in the baby section of the pharmacy will be helpful in the event that complications arise. A bulb syringe (the kind used for suctioning mucous from a baby's nose or mouth) is useful to clear a newborn kitten's airways if mom doesn't do so promptly on her own. A supply of powdered kitten milk replacer is a good thing to have on hand - it can be used to provide nutrition for the kittens in the event that mom's milk doesn't come in or isn't sufficient to feed all of the little ones. Several new oral syringes (usually used to give liquid medicine to babies) will allow you to be prepared so that you can give a kitten milk replacer in case your new mom's milk supply isn't enough. A kitchen scale measuring in grams up to two pounds will allow you to weigh the kittens at birth and keep track of their weight gain so that you can spot any potential issues early on and correct them. You may want to consider how to identify kittens with similar appearances, some people use different colored ribbons as collars, I have seen mother cats attempt to or succeed in removing makeshift collars and it's always been my fear that a kitten could become accidentally injured this way. If mom seems anxious about having anyone handle the babies it's best to leave well enough alone because if you stress out a new mom she may move her kittens or in more extreme cases she could potentially reject or harm her newborns. It's not a bad idea to have a hot water bottle on hand just in case mom rejects one or more kittens so that you can keep them warm and give a rejected kitten a chance at survival by feeding the little one formula.

During labor and delivery it's a good idea to either have the person that this kitty is most comfortable with check in on the progress periodically or sit quietly in the birthing room to watch for any signs of trouble. If someone is able to sit with the laboring mom for the duration of her labor that will mean that any complications are caught fairly early on. If mom strains for more than one hour without a kitten being born then she will need to be assessed immediately by a vet as this may mean that there is a kitten stuck in the birth canal or in the wrong position across the opening of the uterus. If this is the case mom may require a caesarian section, if this medical intervention is necessary I would strongly recommend that you allow the vet to spay mom at the same time to prevent any chance of another pregnancy or complicated delivery. If mom passes dark greenish fluid it may mean that the placenta is separating too early which could potentially cause death for the kittens if medical care isn't provided promptly. If mom seems weak or restless for more than half an hour after labor stops it may mean that there is a kitten remaining inside so it's important to get medical attention promptly. If you find that mom has muscle tremors, anxiety or a stiff gait within days or weeks of giving birth it may mean that she has a condition called eclampsia, this is a calcium deficiency which is extremely dangerous and requires urgent medical treatment.

If you can see or feel mom's ribs or spinal vertebrae it may mean that she is a victim of starvation. I would recommend that you allow your vet to report the previous caregivers to the local animal cruelty investigators so that they can be prosecuted for neglect if this is the case. After all, there really isn't any good reason to allow an animal to become so severely underweight. I am a bit concerned about the relatively small amount of food that you estimate that this little girl has eaten since she has been in your care combined with the fact that you describe her as being an exceptionally tiny kitty. I'm not sure if this cat is naturally small boned with delicate features or if she is skinny. A skinny kitty may have medical issues so it's important to have a full medical assessment done to be sure that there isn't anything serious going on. The time when you can see and feel kittens moving really depends on the build of the mother - the thinner she is the sooner  you will see the babies moving about. I would suspect that mom is nearly term or even in early labor based on the sudden behavioral change you describe, but it's also possible that she is anxious within her new environment so a vet exam is going to be the most accurate way to determine what to expect in the next while. I would also like to stress the importance of seeking vet care in the event that you suspect a problem with the pregnancy or birth process, the sooner a delivery happens in an emergency situation the more likely it is that everyone will survive and be healthy.