She is so huge (7-8 kittens) and is extremely uncomfortable. She is also battling an upper respiratory infection for which she is being treated. She is exhausted from both not feeling well and being pregnant. I checked her as per advice, and yes you are to express milk from her.

Gestation period for cats is normally at the most 70 days, so if you can figure out when you first started noticing her acting picky, then you will know about when she will have her kittens. Of course, don't 'count your kittens before they are hatched' because, unless your vet has given her an ultrasound, you won't know there are 7 or 8 kittens in there. All kittens may not survive, some may be born dead. When she starts looking for a comfortable place to nest, then you will know she is about to have her kittens. Unless you have provided a box and blankets.

On top of all of this, she can handle her pregnancy on her own.

As for the expressing your milk, you will not have to do that because if you feel she cannot handle the feeding schedule, then you can buy already prepared milk for this purpose, or you can go on line and pick out any number of formulas you can make from scratch; multiple sites on Google for learning how to feed newborn kittens. There is a lot you have to know. Or, I am sure your vet will be able to give you some great advice.

Keep in touch with us and let us know how you are progressing.

Tick

Unless you know when she got pregnant, it's really hard to pinpoint when she'll have the kittens. You may be able to narrow it down to within a week or two, if you can remember when she started showing.

Cats are pregnant for about 9 weeks, and start showing around 4 weeks.

Is she showing any signs of wanting to nest, yet? Do you have boxes set out in dark, quiet places she likes to frequent? If not, then then you should get a couple set out. Fill them with newspaper for her to shred (and it's easier to clean up than blankets). Make sure the box is big enough for her to spread out in all directions, or she won't use it.

When she does go into labor, just let her be. Keep a discrete eye on her, but don't hover or crowd her. Cats can stop their labor for up to a full day if they feel uncomfortable or unsafe. If that happens, don't panic. As long as she isn't contracting and doesn't seem to be in distress, then there's no reason to worry.

If she is sick and weak, then she may stop labor or have a harder time delivering. If she seems to be having a hard time or is in distress, then you should call a vet and see if they want you to bring her in. keep in mind, that cats tend to deliver in the middle of the night.