Help needed with a pregnant stray

[buddabun]

Hi!

We have been adopted by a stray pregnant kitty. I was wondering if anyone had any tips to help ease her along and if anyone also could guess at just how pregnant she is?

I am not confining her to the house but I live in Brunei and she is likely to crawl off and have her kits in a storm drain where they could easily be killed by stray dogs, monkeys etc so we let her in the house on and off during the day. She likes to toilet outside however and we have given her a few 'nesting' type boxes in various places that she has shown interest in, just in case she fancies having her litter there.

We are feeding her a combination of canned food and dry food meant for kittens (I read this and she was so skinny when she first arrived I wanted to get her strength up).

As far as the pregnancy goes, I have had a little look online but would really appreciate any advice on this. She has very visible nipples (about 1cm long), has been licking her genitals more than usual and is almost constantly looking around our house for dark places. Which makes me think that labour is imminent. She has been behaving like this for the last 3 or 4 days.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me. I have only ever adopted a neutered Tom before so she is a bit new for me.

Here are some photos of her - she is suprisingly photogenic!

The belly

Aerial shot of belly

[tilly]

Sorry I can't be of any help. But she is gorgeous and hopefully will have her kittens with you where they will be safe.

Hope it all goes well she look like she has a huge tummy.

I bet she is glad she found you.

Tilly

[yola]

Hello and welcome. Thanks for taking care of this beautiful kitty. I can't help as I've not had any experience, but we have both breeders here and others who have raised accidental litters successfully who I'm sure will help with loads of practical advice.

Do you have a local vet who can also help; albeit by phone initially but with the possibility of intervention should things get tricky?

Poor little kitty. She looks so tiny . . .

[angieh]

Do so hope all goes well with this lovely little kitty. She does look like she's due any minute.

[Elaine]

Poor baby, thankyou for trying to help her, she is such a pretty little thing. As some one has already mentioned, we do have a few breeders here who will be able to give you advice and support.
Would you consider having her spayed after she has her kittens? Is there any sort of cat rescue places in Brunei that can maybe help with this?
Wishing you and the dear kitty all the very best. xxx

[buddabun]

oh I shall be getting her spayed as soon as it is safe to do so. And the 'big-black-tom-with-the-dangly-danglies' too if I can catch the little beggar!

She is very small and skinny - which is pretty much the only reason we started feeding her. Plus she was so persistent.

I have been advised by another forum to keep her inside now and we had our first night i last night. She was completely unfazed by it all so there i s hope that she won't be going crazy stuck in our house.

I have problems getting to vets as my car exploded last week and will be in the garage for the next fortnight at least (TYPICAL timing eh?) but I managed to get hold of some kitten milk and a proper litter tray today.

There are vets in Brunei but only 2 that I know of. One of which volunteers for the only rescue operation in the country. Luckily i know the women who head it so will most probably be able to get her spayed (and the boy castrated if I can get him) with him.

Do you have any tips on making her more comfortable? She seems to only want to sleep on a chair in the hall - she is not interested in any boxes we put down for her - like I say we have tried many cupboards etc and I don't really know what else to try. The box is currently in the hall with her food bowl inside so at least she is getting used to going in there.


Thanks for your help guys, will let you know when the babies arrive

[angieh]

Do so hope all goes well. I very much suspect that as the lovely girlie has come to you for support and food, she is finding you being there reassuring and comfort in itself. I can't think of anything else really that you can do - a box, maybe an old blanket or something soft and a litter tray, food and water. Don't really think there's anything else you can do until the kits start coming. Let's hope that the birthing is straightforward. My Smudge gave a dreadful scream when her first kit was coming - there was nothing wrong, so I just tell you this in case it alarms you as it certainly did me. This was years before Catsey and members support! Good luck.

[meep]

What a beautiful kitty! How lovely of you to take her on, and good luck with the imminent birth! Take lots of photos of the little kittens. She really is a lovely wee thing.

[buddabun]

she is a cutie isn't she. We fell for those eyes (the voice is less endearing lol).

I have read up on the birth and was told it is not uncommon for awful screaming (who wouldn't?!) so am semi-prepared.

She currently has a box with an old blanket in it and her food bowl in it, next to her water bowl with her litter tray nearby although I think she is still going outside to poo.

I am just waiting here as I want to get the birth over and done with so I can get her better and spayed!

[calismum]

Hope all goes wel. Only help I can offer is that when my friends cat was a couple of days off having her kittens her belly dropped so she looked much deeper as well as wide.

Good luck
CM