Expert: Ali - 5/16/2009

Question
Hi

My cat is pregnant. I don't know how far long she is. The last time she was in heat was in march or the begin of April. I was not home a lot do to a family member was sick and I was helping out.

But she has a very big belly.When I feel her belly I can feel the kitten moving around and I can see them moving too.when she stands up she her belly is not tight but when she lays down it hard. She is having a hard time just trying to clean herself.  

She is eating cat food mixed with kitten food. But I have noticed she has got sick a few times. But it has stopped. She sleeps most of the day and at night she seems to be looking for something. I have three boxes for her with towels in them. One on each floor of my house.

Her nipples are longer and pinker. I notice that they have a little bit of white stuff at the end of some of her nipples. Is this normal? I felt them to see if I could feel the milk in them but I can't.

My cat and I are very close. I want to see if you could tell how far along she is? I would like to be really when she dose have the kittens.

Thank you

Jessica

Answer
Jessica,

I really can't tell you for sure how far along your cat is. This is an instance where the vet has to come into the picture if you want to know for sure how far along your queen is, the vet will be able to determine an estimated fetal age based on a thorough physical exam combined with an ultrasound, x-ray or both. If your vet takes an x-ray and s/he can't see the kittens' skeletons it will provide vital information, because a kitten's skeleton is only visible by x-ray at a certain gestational age. The time that you can feel and see the kittens moving inside their mother really does vary depending on the queen. It's similar to human beings because different women show obvious physical signs of being pregnant and feel fetal movements at different points in their pregnancies based on physical build, pre-pregnancy weight and genetics. A feline pregnancy lasts between 60-68 days, most queens will deliver their kittens at about 63 days into the pregnancy. If you want to know for certain just how far along your queen is into her pregnancy you can have your vet perform a physical exam. The vet will decide which tests are necessary after the exam, it's possible that your vet will want to take x-rays and/or perform an ultrasound. The vet will then be able to give you an educated guess as to when the kittens are due.

Since your queen is pregnant it's very important that you keep her indoors, this will help to minimize her chances of delivering her kittens in an uncontrolled environment outdoors or having accidents that might harm her or her kittens such as being hit by a car. As your cat gets closer to her due date you'll notice that she has an increased appetite and her activity levels decrease somewhat. This is nature's way of preparing mom for the hard work of labor and making sure she has the energy levels to deliver her babies, of course that's if there aren't any major complications with her labor or delivery. Mom's milk will often come in a few days before she delivers and it can be tough to judge when this has happened for someone that isn't experienced. It's not unheard of for a queen's milk to leak from her nipples shortly before or during labor and delivery.

Most cats prefer to give birth in a quiet, private, dimly lit room so I recommend providing an appropriate place for queens to labor and deliver their offspring. I would recommend getting ahold of a large cardboard box or plastic storage tote with sides high enough to discourage kitten escape artists and keep them safe, but the sides also have to be low enough for mom to come and go with ease. The box or bin should be lined with old towels or a blanket so that the kittens and mom can settle down in a warm, comfortable place to cuddle and nurse. Before mom goes into labor you'll want to consider lining the box with disposable incontinence pads or newspaper to absorb the fluids that are a normal part of the birthing process. If you choose to use disposable incontinence pads you can purchase them in packages containing multiple pads at retail outlets like Walmart, home health care outlets or your local pharmacy. I prefer disposable incontinence pads for lining the bottom of the birthing box because they're more absorbent than newspaper and they have the added appeal of being hygienic and easy to dispose of.

Once you've prepared mom's birthing box leave it out in the open or in a room that's normally quiet, dimly lit and private so that mom can get accustomed to it. It's important to realize that cats are quite independent and you never can tell just where they'll decide to have their babies. It's possible that mom will reject the birthing box in favor of a closet, under a bed or piece of furniture while she's actually in labor, but it's not uncommon for queens to move their litter after they've given birth. I don't recommend adding a heating pad or heat lamp to the birthing box because newborn kittens aren't able to maintain their body temperature on their own so too much heat that the kittens can't escape from is just as dangerous as having the kittens get cold. Mom will usually provide enough warmth with her body heat so that her kittens are comfortable. If your home is quite chilly the kittens may require a bit of special care to stay warm in the hours after they're born. You could use a small heating pad set on low. The heating pad shouldn't take up more than 1/3 of the birthing box and it should be positioned so that the kittens can easily move away from it to avoid the possibility of the newborns getting overheated and causing heat stroke. If you happen to be present and aware that mom's in labor you'd be better off to fill a small hot water bottle and cover it with a small towel, in my experience it's the safer way to go.

During the process of labor cats don't want to be in a noisy area where there's lots of activity and movement. Although you may be tempted to video tape the delivery or take pictures it's best that you don't, stressing a queen out when she's giving birth can cause her labor to stall which can be quite a serious problem. If you want to be present during the birthing process it's important to be as quiet as possible and avoid being too intrusive. If a queen is stressed out or doesn't feel secure after the births she may move her kittens repeatedly. Anywhere between 6-24 hours before the actual delivery your queen may start pacing, panting, shivering or being more vocal than normal. I understand that it's difficult to see a much loved cat go through that whole process, but it's important to remember that what's new and upsetting for you is instinctive for your cat. There's nothing wrong with providing some quiet words of reassurance or encouragement, but things really should be kept as low key as possible. In general it's best if you maintain a hands off policy during the delivery, you may be tempted to play the role of midwife, trying to help during the delivery when it's not needed can cause all sorts of complications. It's quite normal for mom to yowl loudly when she's delivering her kittens, this isn't a sign of trouble and first time moms can be quite loud and dramatic during the birth process. It's not uncommon for cats to deliver kittens in a squatting position similar to the one they use when defecating.

In any labor and delivery there are potential risks and complications. If your queen passes a dark green colored fluid before delivering kittens that can be an indication that the placenta has separated prematurely. The problem with this is that the placenta is attached to the kittens' umbilical cord and it's a lifeline providing nourishment and oxygen. If a placenta separates before it's time there's a good possibility that the kitten will be stillborn.

If you notice that mom has been straining hard for more than an hour without delivering a kitten that could be a sign that she needs help from a qualified vet. Sometimes this happens because a large kitten gets stuck in the birth canal and acts somewhat like a cork preventing the other babies from being born. In some cases the vet can deliver the kitten using forceps, but if a large kitten's stuck many vets will opt to perform a caesarian.

If your queen starts trembling in the days after she gives birth it could be a sign of eclampsia which is a potentially fatal deficiency in calcium and magnesium. This situation requires emergency vet care as soon as you notice what's happening to give your cat the best possible chance to recover. If mom seems weak, nervous, restless or she's neglecting her kittens it might be a sign that someone's been left behind, so it's important to have her assessed ASAP by a vet.

If your vet recommends a c-section it's important that you realize that anytime you give an anesthetic (even to people) there are risks involved for mom and the kittens. While mom's under anesthesia the kittens are too, that means it can take longer for them to come around after surgery and they may have to be stimulated quite vigorously before they take a breath on their own. If your queen delivers by caesarian I'd recommend that you have her spayed at the same time, this prevents further litters of kittens and obstetric problems, it also means mom undergoes one anesthesia and surgery rather than two. If mom has delivered one or more kittens prior to having difficulty during the birthing process it's important that you bring the babies along when you go to the vet so that you don't risk breaking the maternal bond.

When cats give birth it's completely normal for them to eat the membranes around each kitten. Shortly after birth the queen will lick the kitten to stimulate breathing and start drying the baby off. It's not uncommon for queens to eat stillborn kittens, but if you don't want mom to do so you can remove the kitten from the nest and dispose of the body as your local laws allow. Queens also routinely eat the placenta from each kitten, this is nature's way of providing mom with a nutritious energy boost and the placenta contains a hormone that helps to stimulate contractions, this hormone also facilitates bonding between mom and baby which makes it less likely that mom will reject her offspring.

If your queen has a kitten and doesn't open the sac and clean the baby off after 30 seconds or so you'll need to wash your hands thoroughly in hot, soapy water and dry them on a clean towel before you start helping the newborn. Once your hands are clean and dry you can go ahead and remove the amniotic sac starting at the kitten's nose and mouth and working towards the tail. You'll need to gently clean the mucous from the baby's mouth using your fingertip or a bulb syringe made for babies (you can buy these cheaply in the baby aisle of your pharmacy, they're designed to clear mucous from a human baby's mouth and nose). Once you've cleared the kitten's airway you can rub him down with a rough hand towel. After you've done this you can place the newborn near your queen and try to gently encourage her to take over, cut the cord and clean her kitten off. If mom doesn't start cutting the umbilical cord in a minute or so you'll need to cut the cord yourself. To cut a kitten's umbilical cord you'll need two pieces of thread that you've cleaned by dipping them in alcohol. Tie a length of thread about 1 1/2 inches from the kitten's belly, the other should be tied 3-4 inches from the placenta. Once you've tied the cord off you'll need to snip in between the pieces of thread with sterilized scissors. After the cord's been cut you'll have to dab the end with iodine to prevent a serious infection. When you're finished dealing with the umbilical cord you have to rub the kitten down vigorously while holding him so that his head is facing the floor, that's so the mucous can be removed from his nose and mouth. You'll need to check if the tiny newborn is breathing, you can do this by watching him closely, if your kitten squeaks then you know he's breathing well on his own. Once the kitten is breathing on his own you can put him by mom's tummy so he can start nursing.

There are a number of opinions about how old kittens should be when they leave their mother and move into adoptive homes. I've cared for many kittens over the years and in my experience kittens who stay with their mother for the first 12 weeks are less likely to have certain health and behavioral issues. It really is best if mom cares for her kittens until they're at least 12 weeks old, at that time they're less fragile, they've been eating solids for awhile, they won't usually suffer from low blood sugar (can happen quite suddenly in kittens 9 weeks old or younger and it can be fatal if not discovered in time) and by the age of twelve weeks kittens have learned some basic etiquette in terms of how they socialize with other cats and their human caregivers.

Although kittens are cute it's important that you play the role of helping to properly socialize them with people. Proper socialization is very important, a well behaved, properly socialized kitten has a higher chance of living in a permanent adoptive home. It's very important that nobody ever allows any kitten, no matter how adorable to chew on their obsessions. It's also important that nobody allows any kitten to bite, scratch or attack any part of a person's body - this includes hands, feet, fingers and toes under the blankets at night. Kittens should learn that they can play with their mom, siblings and toys. The stakes are incredibly high, if a kitten thinks that biting or scratching people is a game it can cost them their life. People don't want a cat that bites or scratches people and many cats are euthanized, abandoned or admitted to shelters every year because their adoptive family is worried that their cat may hurt someone. In North America the leading cause of death in cats is euthanasia due to behavioral problems, some problems are completely preventable by properly socializing cats from the time that they're tiny kittens, other issues are prevented or reduced in intensity by spaying/neutering kittens as early as possible.

Newborn kittens have very little resistance to infection so it's important to keep mom and her babies away from other pets in your household. Anyone who handles mom or her kittens should take time to wash their hands thoroughly in hot, soapy water to reduce the likelihood of passing along viral or bacterial infections. Some viruses and infections show minimal symptoms in adult cats, but kittens can become seriously ill from a relatively minor infection. In my experience I've learned significant things about how queens discipline and teach their kittens about the world, I think it's very important for kittens to stay with their mother for at least the first 10-12 weeks of their life. The first 10-12 weeks in a kitten's life are when they're growing most rapidly and they're also learning many important skills such as how to defend themselves, how to stalk, pounce on and kill prey, how to interpret feline body language and respond appropriately. The early weeks of a kitten's life also include milestones including potty training, eating solid food and mastering special skills like bite inhibition and not using their sharp claws/teeth on any part of any person's body. The more time mom's had with her kittens, the more she's able to teach and socialize them, this will help to ensure that these baby predators are as adoptable as possible.

Nursing queens don't require any human help to wean their kittens, this normally happens some time in the first 12 weeks, most often in the first 8 weeks of a kitten's life. To prevent tragic accidents involving tiny kittens and suffocation I recommend against ever allowing mom or her kittens to sleep with any human being in bed. Kittens as old as 8 weeks can unintentionally suffocate if someone accidentally rolls onto them. Sadly many kittens have died this way, in fact I recently had a person asking for help because her kitten (who managed to sneak into the bedroom) was in the bed and nearly killed as a result of suffocation.

Ideally a nursing queen should have access to as much fresh water as she likes, she should also have as much of a high quality cat food as she wants, I usually recommend an appropriate homemade diet or commercially available holistic cat foods made from human grade ingredients. If you're interested in preparing a high quality homemade diet for your queen and her kittens I'd suggest that you check out catinfo.org. This site was created by a veterinarian who wanted to educate kitty caregivers about the unique nutritional needs that cats have and the common health issues that can occur when a cat's nutritional needs aren't properly met over a long period of time. This website was recommended to me by my family vet after the Menu Foods pet food recall a few years ago. My oldest cat went into acute kidney failure and almost died as a result of eating tainted food. At that point I lost all faith in the majority of commercially produced pet foods because I was feeding an expensive cat food that was said to be high quality, and was recommended by many vets. This food was pricey, but I was willing to pay the price to ensure that my cats got the healthiest, most wholesome food I could provide.

Over time I've done extensive research into commercially produced foods because I realize that not everyone has the time or money to begin making their own cat food from scratch. The foods that I've found to be the highest quality are Wellness and Spot's Stew by Halo, they're both high quality, holistic cat foods and they're made from human grade ingredients. Wellness is meant to be fed as a combination of canned and dry food which can be a bit pricey. I feed my cats Spot's Stew Sensitive Cat by Halo, a 6 lb bag costs roughly $25 CAN and lasts my 3 resident cats about a month. That works out to a cost of 28 cents per day per cat to eat food made from human grade ingredients that are wholesome and meet a cat's unique needs. With Spot's Stew you can choose to feed canned food, dry food or any combination you like.

It's important to be aware that it's completely normal and to be expected if your queen's food intake doubles, triples or even quadruples while she's nursing her kittens. The reason for this is because mom has to meet her own nutritional needs as well as those of her rapidly growing family. High quality foods may initially appear expensive when compared to brands sold in grocery/discount stores. When cats are fed a high quality food they usually eat less because their nutritional needs are being adequately met. Some cats fed poor quality foods actually overeat in an attempt to meet their nutritional needs. Any cat lover will appreciate a bonus: cats fed high quality diets don't make as many litter box deposits and when they do make deposits they're less pungent. In today's tough economy most people would agree that anything that saves us money is important, high quality cat foods save you money over the long term because cats who are fed high quality foods have fewer health problems, that means you spend less money at your vet's office. It's obvious to me that you love your cat very much and you would want to make choices for her that will extend the length and quality of her life, feeding her a high quality diet means that she'll likely live a much longer, healthier life.

In the first 6 weeks of life kittens learn about things like litter training, using scratch posts and how to interact politely with people from their mother. When the kittens start being more mobile (2-3 weeks of age) it's a good idea to make kitten sized litter pans available - a cheap, easy and disposable solution is to use aluminum pans with low sides from the grocery store, the ones meant for baking are best, the lower the sides are the sooner the kittens will begin to explore their litter pans. I would recommend that you use a non toxic kitty litter such as one made from wheat or corn to ensure that the kittens won't become sick if they eat the litter because many babies try it out, at least initially. As the kittens see mom using a litter pan they will eventually copy her in most cases. Sometimes it's easiest to gently get the little ones using their paws to scratch and dig in the litter and then you or mom can gently stimulate them to urinate/defecate by using an all natural, perfume and dye free baby wipe to gently stimulate the kitten from genitals to bottom which will help reduce the likelihood that the little one will develop a urinary tract infection. Once the kittens are able to smell urine/feces in the temporary kitten litter pans they will usually start heading for the litter rather than squatting where they happen to be when the urge to relieve themselves happens.

There is an incredibly serious pet overpopulation issue that affect shelters and rescue organizations. Unfortunately many animal loving staff working for animal welfare organizations are forced to euthanize healthy, adoptable animals simply because they don't have the time, space or resources to devote to each animal until their forever family comes along to adopt them. The euthanasia rate for cats tends to be much higher than that of dogs, possibly because cats are seen as disposable pets. Another heartbreaking possibility for the higher euthanasia rates for shelter cats could be that pet parents aren't taking the simple step of spaying or neutering their pets to help control pet overpopulation. It's very important to keep the mom indoors and away from intact male cats after she gives birth because queens have been known to become pregnant as early as 24-48 hours after giving birth. It's not a bad idea to discuss spaying and neutering with people who want to adopt these kittens so that the cycle of pet overpopulation can stop more quickly. In my opinion it's important for potential adoptive parents to be prepared to accept the serious responsibility of providing their kitten with loving, responsible care - spaying or neutering kittens early is definitely a part of ethical pet parenthood.

There are many good behavioral and medical reasons to spay/neuter our cats. Cats that have been spayed/neutered are prevented from getting uterine, ovarian or prostate cancers. The earlier in life that a cat is spayed/neutered the less likely s/he will be to develop prostate or breast cancers. Unspayed female cats are at risk of developing a potentially life threatening uterine infection called pyometra which causes the womb to fill with pus, if the uterus ruptures and spreads infection throughout the abdomen the cat's chances of survival are pretty low. The only treatment for pyometra is to perform an emergency spay, this procedure is much riskier than a routine spay because the cat is already quite sick which is associated with higher risks of anesthetic death and post surgical complications. The emergency spay is more complicated and time consuming so it tends to be quite a bit more expensive than a routine spay.

The leading cause of death in cats living in North America is euthanasia secondary to behavioral issues. This statistic is heart breaking because many behavioral issues can be prevented or minimized by spaying/neutering our cats. Common behavioral problems including inappropriate elimination (urinating or defecating outside of the litter box), fighting with other cats (the resulting injuries from cat fights often require medical care because bite wounds tend to get badly infected forming abscesses which must be drained under anesthetic, flushed with sterile saline and treated with antibiotics), queens howling to advertise their availability to mate, tom cats caterwauling and fighting to win the right to mate with receptive queens and wandering over a large area are all issues which can be prevented by having the cat spayed/neutered before they reach sexual maturity. Behaviors like house soiling or fighting can sometimes occur with cats that have been spayed/neutered however these behaviors are often related to things like improper introductions to new cats in the household, poor litter box hygiene, scented litter, and other issues which can be easily solved.

Ultimately spaying and neutering our cats is a responsible and ethical choice which saves countless lives each year. For pet parents that are having difficulty getting the money together for routine vet care I may be able to help find a solution to those issues. I keep an ever growing list of resources that may be willing to cover part or all of the cost of routine care like kitten vaccines and spay/neuter procedures. The only information that I ask for in these cases is that the pet parent provide the general area they are writing from - in Canada or the US the province or state is fine. Spaying and neutering helps cats to live longer, healthier lives and as kitty caregivers that love our pets we all want to have as much quality time as possible with our furry friends.