Kitten birth emergency

This little cat was brought in a few weeks ago, she was a stray and living out in a garden. It was obvious from her bulging tummy and huge appetite that she was pregnant and yesterday she looked imminent.   We checked on her first thing this morning and even before we peeked inside the nest we heard a distraught meowing.  Tiffy was in trouble.

Even though she’s a small youngster she’d given birth to five kittens.  That part was good but the cord was still attached to some of them and they were all tangled up and still attached to her.  An experienced mommy cat would have chewed through as the kits were born but Tiffy is a first timer and obviously didn’t know about this.  When cats live in families they see how to do everything, mousing, hunting, birthing, looking after their babies – but for Tiffy it’s all new and no mom or aunties to help her.   We force unnatural lives on our cats because we want them as pets.

It only took a few seconds to free the babies and as soon as we put them in the nest box this good little cat went straight in and started fussing and nursing them.  We don’t normally like to handle new born kits because our human scent can put the mother cat off caring for them.  We’ll disturb Tiffy as little as possible and let her have privavcy.  Hopefully all will now be well.

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