The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Pets & Working Animals => Cats => Topic started by: plumseverywhere on March 31, 2010, 12:38:48 pm
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well, after attempting to keep my siameseX in while in season, a rampant tom managed to get in through catflap but as it was locked for getting out he was stuck with her all night! guess what? yep, I'm going to be a granny by the looks of things ::)
she's about 5 weeks going by the date of her season (and the night that Tom spent here) and has a bigger belly than before and nipples are more pronounced. we used to breed maine coon cats (years ago) so its been a while.
last night snowball (she's a black siameseX, hence the daft name) climbed onto my ironing board and then tried to get ontop of the wardrobe, after failing miserably she climbed over the TV and tried to nestle down behind there. Its almost like she's nesting early? does that make sense?
have found a large drawer for her and made it into a bed, a quiet room away from the 4 children (all aged 8 and under, you can imagine th noise sometimes!) so hopefully things are in p lace and ready for her in about 4 weeks time.
Is there anything else I should be doing really? don't want to take her to the vet for scans etc unless its totally necessary
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I would not worry too much .....the deed has obviously been done!! I assume this will be her first litter? I am expecting my farm cats to have kittens, as they were visited by tomcats around the same time as your Snowball. The only thing I would say, is keep an eye on her nearer the time as cats are funny creatures, and may already have planned where to have the kittens, and it probably won't be the drawer you have kindly sorted out.
Most of my cats produce 5 or 6 kittens, so get really enormous, and the last few days can hardly walk. I watch for their tummy "dropping" which means the birth is pretty close, and then shut the cat inside. In the past, I have had them go off under sheds and have the kittens, and there was nothing I could do until they were three weeks old, and came out themselves!
It would be better if you could put your drawer somewhere quiet away from the children, at least until the kittens are born. You will be busy with a litter of kittens and the children too.
I am sure your cat will be fine, and there is no need to have scans etc. You will have to post a pic of your kittens!
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Ah thanks for that Roxy. I was hoping you'd see this post as I knwo you have experience with your farm cats.
I've put the drawer in our 'dressing room' so it will be well away from the kids and luckily my 5 year old seems to have some instinct as yesterday she said "when snowball has her babies we need to be quiet and not touch them" so that's a start (the 7 year old is not so quiet mind you!!)
will keep an eye for the belly drop.
she seems quite barrel bellied and sooooo clingy to me! is this normal or just a siamese trait d you think?
thanks again xx
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If you stil need help, try the "HELP" post, further down the list, i was given lots of advice :cat:
Good luck
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Thanks Cameron - I'll look that one up now because I am feeling a bit unsure, especially as the cat is acting so weird but not due for 4 weeks (unless I missed a season?! no couldnt' have...)
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Some female cats do start plannning their place to have their kittens early. I have watched my female outside cats, and they tend to go in outbuildings and have a look round, as if trying to decide which would be best. I prefer them to be where I can see them though!!
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I had a Siamese cat who decided to give birth on my bed with my OH rubbing her tummy, now he never did that for me when i had our children ;D
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;D Sabrina that's made me laugh!! I have a feeling snowball might give birth on my daughter's bunk bed because she loves sleeping there - I hope not though!
I have started to put a box together of stuff I might need (having seen a 'kittening box for £50 on ebay :o that was basically flannels, iodine and scissors lol!) and am now worrying that she might have contracted more than kittens due to the fact that this rampant Tom could have been with a million other girls. she has had her jabs but I guess I better get her checked by the vet ..fingers crossed x
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Try not to worry - I am sure she will be fine. All my farm cats have had their kittens in the night. They do like dark corners, cupboards, drawers etc. So do remember to check before closing drawers, that she has not climbed in to make a nest. Oh, and the washing basket - thats a good place for a nest. Don't want her going round in the machine with the washing, do we!!
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well, a week and a half (ish!) to go and today Snowball (who is now known as 'cannonball' due to her belly!) has spent the morning trying to climb up my leg and being very clingy. Earlier she was found under 8 year olds bed (so at least I'll knwo where to look, have a feeling she's eyed it up for her kittens!)
MIL been over to visit with loads of comfy bedding for cat nest box but am pretty sure it will all happen where I least expect, or want, it to! ie. the washing basket or top bunk bed ;)
will let you know when the big event happens!
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Good luck, hope all goes well. I have 4 cats and adore them.....
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well EDD (if I go by the 9 weeks gestation idea) is tuesday coming. so far Snowball is acting normal, still stalking butterflies and chasing goats.
now the race is on to see if she or the lionlop bunny give birth soon!!
I think i better start keeping cat in from now at night esp as she didnt' come in last night and I actually lost sleep worrying ::)
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Lillian our white cat (or one of the white ones!) is due any day. She is enormous. She waddles off each morning over the fields, and returns as night falls, walking very slowly. Some nice nights she stays out, but like you, I have now decided to keep her in the caravan where she lives with the others, at least I will know where the kittens are!! Its not easy keeping her in, and letting the others out after they have been fed though.
Its our Dales pony spring show on Saturday - two years running she has had her kittens on that day, so we will see!!
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that would be funny if she did have them same day!! this is snowballs first litter and I got snowball not long after I lost my gorgeous molly to liver cancer. I'd had molly since I was a newly qualified nurse in 1994 and she died 2009. so, Snowball sort of helped fill a gap by having a huge personality too! our other 3 live out mainly but snowball is pampered and sleeps on my bed all night ::)
oh well, fingers crossed for lots of healthy kittens over the next few days then!
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Lillian had six kittens the first time, and then five, so am expecting a similar number this time. All white, with black and white striped tail, and black marks on head, same colour every time.
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the lionhead bunny has pipped the cat to the post - just nipped out for an hour and returned to 7 baby rabbits! all look fit and well, 4 dark and 3 pink :)
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And Lillian has pipped your cat to the post too ....looked in this morning, and she has some kittens. Could not see how many, but numerous. She is 5 days earlier than usual.
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aw lovely!! well snowball is 9 weeks tomorrow so we'll see if she is on time, or like 3 of my 4 daighters goes over!
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Well, she came out of the cupboard in the caravan for food tonight, so I had a peep in. Expected to see 7 kittens, going off the size of her. But just 4 enormous ones. And two are black and white, the other two are grey and white. One of the other white ones looks prenant too .....oh dear, hope it does not try and go in the cupboard too!!
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excellent ;D sounds like the maternity unit where I had my eldest - all of us preggy women queuing for one cupboard ::) hope your others go well too.
snowball has spent the night being very restless, on and off my bed and in and out of her litter tray. eating for england still though.
might have to get vet for poorly goat today so will be s*ds law that I get her kittening all at th esame time!
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You bed could become a nice place to have her kittens!! Usually born either middle of the night or early morning, or at least in our house.
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and now the other lionlop bunny is nesting but still no kittens from snowball!
hows your kittens doing Roxy?
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Yes, the four large ones are walking round the cupboard, they will be climbing out in a couple of weeks I expect. But there is more news ..... and its not the other white cat.
Last night, went to the caravan, and all the cats were there except the fluffy black and white one. You can never tell if she is in kitten, as she is so long haired. Shouted her, walked outside, and looked in the dark to see if her eyes were showing in my headtorch. Went back in and she was in the caravan. Very odd, had not seen her go past, so where had she come from?
This morning, went in the caravan, and fed the cats, and lo and behold, out of the cupboard above the sink, emerged the fluffy cat!! She must have stood on a shelf, pushed the door up with her nose and it fell shut, and then when she came out do the same. Only one reason cat was in a cupboard.......yes, can see some little black and white bundles in the corner. Doing better this time, last couple of times, she had them on the floor of the caravan, and could not care less. After two weeks, she forgot she had kittens at all, and I reared one in the house, and he is still here.
just the white one to go now. Not sure there is a spare cupboard though.
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ah bless, how lovely!! well snowball produced 5 black and white fluffballs this afternoon, I was there to see the last one come out. she's done a great job and is purring her head off!
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Well done, Snowball!! And where exactly did she choose to have these kittens ....not your bed!!!
I have had a peep in the cupboard, and there are three black and white kittens. Its an awfully small space, and once they start walking around, they will fall out. I suppose she thought it was safe up there. I have propped the door slightly open, so she can get in and out easily.
Not sure what it is with my cats and cupboards. There are plenty of cushions, and cat beds in the caravan!!
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rather surprisingly, she chose the nest box that I'd put in for her the day before (my cheese making kit arrived from Ascott and it was the perfect size and shape!!)
I arrived in time to see the last one born. she's been a really good mummy considering she's still so young herself. the children are besotted and friends are texting to pop round for a quiet peep later.
must be something very special about cupboards - perhaps its like the side room rather than the main ward on a maternity unit!!
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Congratulations to all on the new arrivals!
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Betsy my tomcat (called him betsy before we realised he was a tom!) arrived down the lane from our other farm last night, for a look in the caravan. Unfortunately, a bit of a war started, as Tom and Lennie, who live here, were already at the caravan, believing they were the dad......I think Lennie won visiting rights, as he was in the caravan looking at the new arrivals .....he likes kittens.
Seriously, once the kittens arrive, the tom cats come. They seem to know they have been born.
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That's really funny!! I don't think we better let this Tom back anywhere near snowball - he's a mean little dude!!
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Little white cat has a belly bigger than her whole body .....she is waddling along. Cannot go much longer I am sure. Its hard keeping farm cats shut in, they like to be off hunting, and she has been out all day with the others. Really need to keep her shut in, but it will be hard trying to stop her going out once she has had her breakfast.