Need cat advice!

[Ryuukokoro]

I'm in need of advice from people who have had kittens born in their home before, because I never have! I recently took in a stray female that my friend found trapped inside his house's wall (I assume she found a hole and crawled in to get out of the cold). She's been staying with me for a week or two. I made her a bed in the back room by putting an old towel in a cardboard box turned onto its side.

Well last night I went in to feed her and found she had completely shredded the bottom of the cardboard box to tiny cardboard bits, and has made a nest of the pieces with the towel. Can anyone tell me if this is her getting ready to have kittens? She's been eating a TON but I dunno if that's because she was a stray before and didn't get to eat for a while.

If there IS going to be kittens, can someone please advise me how dangerous it will be for them since I also have a male cat in the apartment? He's six years old and has been my constant companion since he was a baby. He's been fixed for a long time, but I have heard male cats might kill kittens? Should I make sure to keep them separated?

Any advice for a person who does not know much about female cats is appreciated. ^_^

[PonyMama]

if you think this is maybe nestign and you can get hear her I woudl say get a hold of her and pet her, to keep her calm and feel around hr belly.  If she is indeed pregnant you shoudl be able to feel definded lumps that can not be mistaken for anything but kittens.  if you do it correctly you can usually feel how many there are in total.

As for your male cat, it is always better safe then sorry.  Even if you feel he may be fine it is best to keep him away, she may find him to be a threat and become a threat herself (to him and humans) or turn him into a threat.  Best to keep them apart if you think she is nesting.

I wish I coudl be more help but only had one female cat and she is not even 1 yet, however I have rescued many strays who have had kittens, and wether they have kittens or not some can nest to be warm, as this is something they feel comfortable doing

[indigowulf]

My girl, Nala, was a stray. Hardly more then a kitten herself when I got her. Interesting story, my male, Cocoa, was constantly bringing home strays who were in bad shape. id get them healthy and find them a home, and he'd bring home another. When I decided to keep Nala, he's never brought home another stray since. I think he just wanted one of "his own".

Anyway, when I got Nala, she was barely old enough to be preggers, but she was. She had worms, fleas, ticks, and was in generally bad shape. I didnt realize she was preggers, so I treated her parasites. Sadly, the medication caused her to miscarry (Im sure her health had a part in that). I was going to get her fixed as soon as she had her babies, but 2 days later, she ran outside and got knocked up again.

This time, she lost all but 1. Her body simply wasnt strong enough to go from bad health to miscarriage to another pregnancy. I still have the 1 that survived, and they have a very strong bond. This time, I got her fixed right away. Ive had her a few years now.

Best thing to do, and no advice will ever top this.. get her to a vet.

After that, nesting behavior could be due to pregnancy, or stress, or the scent of what she shredded was interesting to her, or any number of things. Nala in fact didnt nest. Her first litter, that she lost, were delivered under a dresser. For the second, she did find a lot of hidey hole places and skulk around in them, but when the time came, she had her babies on my bed while I was sleeping in it.

I don't know how wild she is. If she is afraid of you at all, I would advise against rubbing her tummy or handling her much during this time. Stress can cause her to do something that would be risky to try to hide her nest from you, or early labor. However, if she purrs and seems welcoming to touch, just watch for when she's tired of it, and respect her space.

It could also be that she's eating a lot because of intestinal parasites. Those little buggers take as much as a belly full of kittens.

As for the male, how do they act around eachother normally? If they cuddle, groom eachother, play nice, ect. they will most likely be fine. Male cats kill kittens because of the breeding instinct. A mother cat who loses her litter will come back in heat, giving him a chance to pass on his genes with her. Neutered males usually don't have this instinct. She may become territorial and hurt him however. Whereever she decides to welp, make sure its her space. Keep everyone else out. Male cat, company, even yourself. Wait until she welcomes you in. Purring when you get close to the nest, meowing for you, circling your legs and walking towards nest, these are all invites. The only reason to come uninvited is medical. Do your check to make sure theres no medical needs, then let them be until she wants you there.

Ive had cats all my life. Ive had litters born under the house, on the back porch in a nesting box, in the barn, and on my bed. Every mother has her own way of doing things, and her own "annoyance buttons". Some get stressed and move thier kittens any time they are touched, some carry thier newborns into your lap and ask you to babysit. Just follow her cues, and your vets advice, and you'll be fine

[Ryuukokoro]

PM- I have felt up the girly's big belly but I can't feel any distinct lumps, so I'm thinking maybe she is just being a pig and scarfing all her food, haha. Time will tell!

indigowulf- She is indeed very friendly, loves sleeping next to me and jumps in my lap for pettings. But if I make quick movements she scoots under the couch and regards me from her safe cover, haha.

I've been watching her carefully, her fur is smooth and soft and she keeps it groomed, she has a good appetite, she doesn't have any bad smells, and she uses the litterbox well. She seems very healthy in all aspects. I am saving up for a vet checkup. I had the same thought you did, that she might just be eating a lot because she has worms. (Bleck!)


She and Kohaku (my boy kitty) are getting used to each other. They like to chase each other back and forth through the apartment, but since there is no hissing or growling, I believe they're just playing. (This is amazing because Kohaku has been terrified of every single other cat he's come across in his life--match made in heaven??)

I'll keep everyone updated on kitty-progress. XD