Check out some similar questions!

hheath541 · Aug 28, 2010, 03:02 PM

well, at least the mess will be easier to clean up ^_~

ashleycam · Aug 30, 2010, 05:32 AM

Labor started about 5am. We have 3 so far. 2 black and 1 white. Mommy n babies doing well. Will post updated and pics later.

ashleycam · Aug 30, 2010, 07:27 AM

Ok, had to go into work for a bit, still the 3 and I believe she is finished. She ate right up until her water broke and did not choose to have them on any towels lol, just the doggie/ kitty bed. They are all in the bed, which kind of concerned me since it was wet. I raised the window to help the room stay warm and will be back home in about 2 hours. Yeah!

ashleycam · Aug 30, 2010, 07:29 AM

How do I add the pics?

hheath541 · Aug 30, 2010, 01:07 PM

Click on the little picture that looks like mountains, and you can post them really easy if you've uploaded them somewhere else. If you haven't, then click on the 'go advanced' button to post and use the paperclip icon to attach the images to your post.

ashleycam · Aug 30, 2010, 02:27 PM

Well she's a bit mad at me now, I am washing the birthing bed. It was still soaked through 9 hours later. I used a towel she's been laying on the past week to move babies while she was eating, put them on the other towel she's been using last week inside a large laundry basket. She's in there nursing them though. Will post in morning from work.

tickle · Aug 30, 2010, 03:45 PM

Originally Posted by ashleycam

Well she's a bit mad at me now, I am washing the birthing bed. It was still soaked through 9 hours later. I used a towel she's been laying on the past week to move babies while she was eating, put them on the other towel she's been using last week inside a large laundry basket. She's in there nursing them though. Will post in morning from work.

She must really trust you. I always advise not to move mom or babies because that makes it a problem if the babies have a human scent on them. It deters them from nursing some of them, the ones that smell the strongest of human.

Barn cats, as you know and I do, are the closest to maybe racoon, skunk in their birthing habits as far as scenting goes.

But, you know, ashleycam, barn cats make the most wonderful pets because they don't expect so much from us but what we are willing to give. My pickle is a barn cat and she is just wonderful,but spayed, and just little herself even at seven.

Tick

ashleycam · Aug 31, 2010, 05:14 AM

I was careful not to touch them hun. I wrapped mom's towel over my hands and scooped them up. They never touched anything mom had not aid on. I am very much aware of mom not nursing if you handle too much. Her brother was neutered last Monday and IF I can catch this little wild tom he will be too. She will be going in in 19 days as per vet orderers. After She is spayed we will move them outside into the garage them the barn ( bed and all)'
Is it normal for mommy to growl at her babies? When she hops out to eat and they start meowing for her, she growls then gets back inside lol. I kind of thought it was like a new mom groaning at the 2am wake up feeding...

ashleycam · Aug 31, 2010, 05:20 AM

Starting a new thread with new questions. Thank you all so very much for all of your advice and support. I will upload the pics from work in about 3 hours! : )

hheath541 · Aug 31, 2010, 08:17 AM

My mommy-cat grumbled and growled when her babies would cry for her every time she got up. After the first few days, maybe a week, they realized she would be coming back and she realized it was OK to leave them for short periods.

ashleycam · Sep 1, 2010, 05:42 AM

She has runny poo again. Will be getting kitten food for her this morning and praying that helps. Still growls deeply growls at the babies. She is restless. Wants to be in the tub alone again. Please don't let her reject these babies!

hheath541 · Sep 1, 2010, 12:39 PM

It she was going to reject them, she probably would have by now. She went from being an independent barn cat to having 3 tiny lives that depend on her for everything. She probably just wants some time by herself.

Give her all the love and attention she'll let you. If she wants to sit in the bathtub, let her, as long as she goes back to the babies when they need her. Praise her and pet her and give her treats when she's with the babies, more than when she's on her own, and she'll learn to associate the kittens with good things.

As for the runny poo, giving birth messes with human hormones. I can only think it does the same for cats. Try adding more protein to her diet, since she's used to hunting for food. It may help, and it will definitely help her produce more milk for the babies.

tickle · Sep 1, 2010, 01:22 PM

Originally Posted by hheath541

as for the runny poo, giving birth messes with human hormones. i can only think it does the same for cats. try adding more protein to her diet, since she's used to hunting for food. it may help, and it will definitely help her produce more milk for the babies.

Yes, her body is eliminating, healthily from the other end, what her body doesn't need now that she is not carrying extra weight, extra vitamins, extra proteins. It would be negative if she was eliminating anything from the end.

ashleycam · Sep 1, 2010, 01:35 PM

Got her kitten food today, she seemed to like it. Also bought a few toys, since there are no flowers and shrubs and birds to chase indoors. I have never given cat-nip, but one of the toys did have it inside. I let her out when we are home, when we are gone however she is stuck in the room with them. The dog seemed to help out some, she loved on him and followed him around lol. New pics on other thread.

tickle · Sep 1, 2010, 01:46 PM

Cat nip is good for cats. You probably have some growing around the barn that you haven't found and the cats have. Has a distinctive scent when the leaves are rubbed between fingers. It looks like mint. Take a look and dry some or give some to her fresh.

God, another job to do, eh, mom.

Tick

morgaine300 · Sep 2, 2010, 03:41 AM

Just a note on the runny stool - You said "still" but I never saw anything about it, so don't know if that's been going on, or just started after she had the babies. But a change in food can cause that, so it might be related to her being used to eating critters outside and then suddenly getting commercial food.

ashleycam · Sep 2, 2010, 06:03 AM

Morgaine, I started a new thread with it mentioned. She has always had the same food, just had critters also. She pooed on my quilt yesterday. I am calling the vet today just in case it is a reason to bring her in.

hheath541 · Sep 2, 2010, 07:19 AM

Sounds like she's blaming you for her being trapped inside and saddled with babies. Either that, or your quilt just looked like it needed a little something extra.

ashleycam · Sep 13, 2010, 05:12 AM

Update time : One little kitten has one eye open all the way and the other about 40% open. The white one still has both closed, and the calicoish one has one eye about half way open with the other closed still! Growing incredilbly fast!

Emily94 · Sep 13, 2010, 05:22 AM

I want your calico kitten it is sooo cute!