How to help my cat give birth

Well, I haven't written comments on this blog for a long time, which I love.
Returning to my stories, and starting from the fact that I picked up 2 female cats from the street, that they both had babies and that I could not give them because of the affection I took for them, I continue.

Of these "babies", 3 were males. I consulted the vet when I should have them neutered. He told me that they were not fertile until 12 months, to come at 8. I told him to make sure because there were 6 cats living with them ...

She insisted that I not come to neuter them until they were 8 months old, even emphasizing that she did not want unwanted pregnancies, and even less when the kittens were so young.

Even so, I had the 3 males castrated when they were 7 and a half months old, because they had been riding at home for a long time… and I couldn't wait any longer.

Result: 3 pregnant "girls" females.

I communicated it to the vets, they are 2, more than anything so that they would not make the same mistake again. Everyone is wrong, but now, apart from the 9 cats I have, there are 16! babies more.

There have been 12 whites, I imagine they will be like their "grandmother" who is Siamese / Balinese. They are born white and after a few weeks their ears, tail, hands and feet darken. And 4 are striped black, gray, and white chunks.

I have already attended 4 deliveries and I will comment here on my experience so that I can serve others.

I bought them houses of those clothes, so that they would have privacy. It was a mistake because the "companions" would jump on top and sink them.

I tried large flat beds, so they could stretch well, and with a wall so that the babies did not come out easily. They also did not work because they did not have privacy, and also the rest slept in them.

I tried large leaky "buckets", the kind to put the dirty clothes, they worked well because the cats jumped on and did not sink, they had privacy and ventilation, but they were a bit uncomfortable to help them with the birth because of their narrowness.

I bought simple, large cardboard boxes. We made windows / doors for them, and they used them a lot… everyone. Nothing about privacy, besides they also sank them. Although in the end it was the best option. We put one box inside another to reinforce the walls. We put them lying on their sides in a manger plan. I used as a blanket absorbent cloths of those to drain the dishes, new and colorful, but those cloths do not work well because they slip and come out of the box. The best as soil, are the sheets to change babies, and on top of that paper napkins that go on a roll.

The boxes have been great, I have put them in an L shape and the cats can see each other. It is impressive to see how another black and white cat sister has acted as a midwife, and apart from comforting, hugging and having the breasts on her lap in the first pains, then she has cleaned both the breasts and the babies from top to bottom. Even now, after a week, she does not separate from the mothers and acts as a “babysitter” protecting and caring for all the babies, without being their mother.

Childbirth:

- After about 60 days of pregnancy, the tummy becomes very low in the body because of the weight.

- When it is time to give birth, they begin to meow repeatedly and look for the person they trust the most.

- They are looking for a comfortable and sheltered place, they made themselves comfortable in the cardboard boxes when their time came.

- As the contractions arrive, they begin to be restless; they meow, purr, sit, get up, lie down ...

- They will expel a little mucus, it is the cervical mucous plug, and then maybe some liquid, very little.

- It is known that the baby arrives because the placenta filled with liquid will appear through its parts, it is like a balloon. Although if the placenta has ruptured, for example because it is born on the feet, not on the head, it is possible that you have broken it with your fingernails. In this case, even if only the feet are sticking out, if they also move, you have to act quickly and help him expel it with the next contraction or he will drown. The legs must be gently but firmly pulled while the cat pushes and takes it out the first time, because after the contraction / push, it will go back in until the next contraction.

- When the contractions come, he will open his mouth as if he were very hot, it is his gasping for pain, and especially when expelling the first baby, which normally comes head first and has to expand the birth canal. You will also contract your belly as you do the expulsion work.

- We will help her, during the entire labor, by caressing her belly, because it seems to help her with contractions, it relaxes her and she likes it.

- As soon as the baby comes out, still inside the placenta, in case the cat stands up due to the logical discomfort, we will hold the fetus so that it does not hang, and as soon as possible we will break the placenta a little around the face, to do not drown. A paper napkin can be gently passed through his nose and mouth to remove the mucus that is preventing him from breathing well, and his little head can be gently rubbed to make him react and begin to breathe. We have to do this because the cat does not reach him easily due to the volume of her belly, and she cannot do it until the placenta has completely exited and that takes a few minutes.

- Once the kitten breathes and moves, it will still be attached to the rest of the placenta retained within the mother by the umbilical cord.

- The mother will try to clean the kitten by licking it, but until the rest of the placenta comes out with what is left of the umbilical cord, nothing can be done other than wait for everything to be expelled with the following contractions, an act that will also hurt. We don't have to pull the cord, or cut the cord or anything. Just try not to step on the kitten due to its movements due to nervousness.

- We will keep track of whether the kitten + corresponding placenta has come out.

- After a few minutes of waiting, the rest of the cord will come out along with the placenta. We must bring everything together, without modifying anything, that is, kitten + placenta still with the cord, to the mother, so that she can easily cut the cord and eat the placenta. If the placenta is not eaten after 5/10 minutes, we can cut the cord, away from the kitten, the surplus will be cut by the mother later, and if not, it will dry out and in a few days it will fall on its own.

- Newborn kittens will look for the cat's rock to start sucking, this goes well to stimulate the following contractions. Be careful not to step on them when moving to give birth to the rest.

- It may happen that the last kittens were somewhat squeezed due to lack of space, and they take longer to come out.

- If after opening the placenta a little near his face to breathe, and clean his nose, in the end he does it but with difficulty. It has to be stimulated / revived. We will clean his nose of snot, we will blow into his nose / mouth, we will caress his head, his ears, everything, we will change his position, belly up, down, etc. We will try to get the mother to wash his face, like that for a while until react and meow by unclogging your airway.

- During the course of delivery, we will remove the paper napkins that have been stained, replacing them with new / clean ones.

- After a few hours, if everything has gone well, especially that as many placentas have come out as cats, sometimes one placenta can come out later intertwined with another. You have to pay attention because you can eat it very quickly, slowly, or not eat it, after the second they no longer want to eat more and they can be thrown away, as long as the mother has cut the cord first.

- The mother cat, after all the effort, will lie down and purr will breastfeed her newborns.

- Cats really enjoy suckling their kittens, this action must be facilitated by placing their babies close to their nipples.

- The first 2 days are key for the kittens to survive, it has to be watched, almost constantly, that their mother does not step on them or put them to sleep on them and suffocate, because they do not realize it, and I lost one of the previous litters as well.

- The mother cat can also be helped by bringing some quality wet food (can) near her head, while she is nursing and is tired to get up. And for later, have water, food and a toilet nearby.