Firstly i'd like to say "hi" I've been looking through your messages on the board but have only registered today.

My mothers ragdoll girl is due to give birth this week. This will be Lucy's first litter (and mums first too) She's doing really well, the babies are moving constantly and Lucy seems content to just lie down and rest.

I'd ordered a birthing kit and some Dopram (hoping we won't need it!) so we're all set for the new arrivals. Lucy's temp has dropped a degree today, so it's looking like we're right on track for lil kits shortly. How long before labour starts does the temp drop?

I have been appointed "lead midwife" lol, I've always had animals and have been present for the births of foals and humans ... but cats giving birth is something i've never dealt with.

What can I expect? What are the signs of labour?, how long can she labour before we start thinking "aarrgghhh we need the vet"? How long is the gap between kittens (before there could be a problem)? Do we take the kittens away while Lucy's giving birth to the next or do we leave them with mum? If Lucy doesn't break the membranes / cord herself, how long should we leave her before we assist? I really want to be prepared but am aware that intervention can cause more problems than it solves ... Soooo many questions!!

I suppose what i'm really looking for is for somebody to talk me through the whole process from the start of labour until after delivery (hopefully with healthy strong kits and a happy Lucy).

Hoping you can give me some pointers

Sootisox

stolen from the net i'm afraid

As with human pregnancies, cats don't necessarily give birth exactly on cue. At some time between 60 and 65 days from the time of conception, your cat will begin to become restless in preparation for the birth. At this stage, you should remove the blanket from her bed (it may hide a kitten later) and carefully place your cat there. The next stage is up to her - you're probably more nervous than she is!

Once her contractions start, she should lie down on her side, though she may get up and move around at any time during labour. With the birth of the kittens about to happen, you will probably not need to do a thing - unlike human deliveries, cats are usually very capable of looking after themselves. A few reassuring words as she gives birth will help keep her happy.

The arrival of the first kitten may come at any time between 10 and 60 minutes after the contractions start. The kittens will be delivered one at a time, emerging along with the placenta. Most kittens are born head first, but around one third are born legs first. Whatever the case, a healthy cat should not usually have problems.

On extremely rare occasions, a kitten may not be fully born five minutes or so after first emerging. This is not usual, but if the mother shows some signs of distress at this point, you should contact your local Veterinary Surgeon. Remember: this is unlikely to happen; most cats experience no difficulty in giving birth.

Immediately after the birth of each kitten, the mother will bite through the umbilical cord and attempt to eat the placenta, which should emerge after each kitten. This is quite normal. Some Veterinary Surgeons and breeders remove the placenta before the mother eats it, as it may cause indigestion later on. If your cat doesn't mind you removing the placenta, you might like to take it out of her way. Otherwise, leave well alone. Mother knows best.

Normally, the sac which contains each kitten in the uterus will break as the birth is taking place. If a kitten is born with its sac still sealed (which is very unlikely), and the mother shows no interest in breaking it, you should tear it with clean hands and encourage the mother to lick the kitten.

The time between the birth of each kitten may be a matter of minutes, or over an hour. Much more than this, and the cat may be having difficulties. If in doubt, call your local Veterinary Surgeon. Usually, the birth of all kittens takes place without a hitch.

This time is extremely important to the newborn kitten. Vigorous licking from the mother immediately after the birth of each kitten clears any liquid from around the nose and mouth, encouraging the first few breaths of air.

After this, the mother encourages each kitten to suckle - giving them their first vital meal. This first milk is Colostrum, and passes on important nutrients as well as antibodies to protect them in the first few weeks after being born.

If you hear a kitten squealing at this point, it may be because they are not suckling. Have a quick check to make sure that each one is suckling properly - there could be an infection of one of the mother's nipples, meaning that one of the kittens is missing out on this important first feed. If this is the case, your local Veterinary Surgeon will be able to advise you.

Colostrum: The first secretion of the mammary glands immediately after birth, lasting for a few days and consisting of serum, white blood cells, and antibodies.

With several hungry mouths to feed, your cat will naturally need to keep eating well. Make sure she has plenty of water, and carry on feeding her on demand - four times a day, or perhaps even more. Let her eat whatever she wants - some feeding mums like energy-rich snacks such as cheese - as feeding kittens is the most energy consuming time in a cat's life. Now is the time to add some kitten food to her diet, if you haven't done so already, to build her own reserves back up and pass the best nutrients on to the kittens. You should also leave her alone to get used to her new family, looking in just occasionally to check that everything's okay.

She should stay indoors for a few days - and it's important to keep the Tom away (if he is still around). Toms have been known, to take a dislike to newborn kittens and, in some cases, cause them harm.

If any of the kittens seem neglected or are crying more than the others, you may have to help out, feeding it yourself with an approved milk substitute, taking over from the mother. If this happens, your local Veterinary Surgeon will be able to recommend the right milk substitute and equipment to use.

After about a week of life, the kittens will see the world around them for the first time their eyes open; a week or so after this, they will begin crawling around. By four or five weeks of age, the kittens will be playful, excited and keen to explore.

In the meantime, at the age of around six weeks they will start eating solids - ideally, a kitten food which contains all they need during this period of rapid growth, and which is made for small mouths to be able to eat it easily.

They will still need the support of their mother's milk until they are about two months old, along with their regular solid meals. You take care of the solid food mum will soon let them know when she thinks they've had enough of her milk! Kittens should stay with their mother until this age, and kept in the house to avoid picking up infection.

You should encourage them to use a litter tray (see: Toilet Training) by placing them in it after meals - the new owner will certainly thank you for starting this particular piece of training before the kitten moves into its new home! These first few weeks of a kitten's life are extremely important - each kitten is vulnerable and learns trust, affection and playfulness that it will carry through its life.

Hope it helps.

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Thank you! thats great. I notice you're in Scotland, where abouts are you? We're in Glasgow

Sootisox

im sure the breeder you bought cat/s from would be happy to offer advice how old is she?(the cat)

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Ooooo Your mum is very lucky to have a Breeding Queen Ragdoll!

I have one but she is not registered. I would ideally like a GCCF registered one though.

Would you mind me asking where your mum bought her one from?

Spid gave you everything you need to know. Nearing the date I would set/or your mum could set her alarm for every 1.5 hours (during the night). If not she may miss the birth.

The next/box you make for her, I would also put this is your/mums bedroom so she can be there at all times. It is also useful for after the birth so you can check on kittens.

To totally prepare you could watch the birth of kittens of Youtube. Although you will still be nervous at the time, well, I was. Don't go for the clips with the 2 headed kittens though, that can make you a tad worried.

To totally prepare you could watch the birth of kittens of Youtube. Although you will still be nervous at the time, well, I was. Don't go for the clips with the 2 headed kittens though, that can make you a tad worried.

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oh my gosh please tell me there really isnt a clip like that im thinking of starting a breeding programme (i have an experienced mentor) please remind me not to look up this on you tube!!
julie xx

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Yes there really are clips like that!!! terrified the life out of me.

We had Ragdolls kittens on Monday, I have 2 girls and 3 boys.

1 Seal girl, I think the others are possibly bi-colour, although I could be wrong and they may be colourpoint/blue-mitted!

Just to let you all know - Lucy gave birth to 5 healthy kittens early hours of Sunday morning! She had 3 boys and 2 girls (we think). All are doing well and Lucy and babies have had a clean bill of health from the vet.

Labour was pretty quick and she called once - as she started to give birth to baby 1. The only other signs were a "show" the day before and Lucy being much more clingy a few hours before. Baby 1 was born at 11.10 and baby 5 at 2.50am. After providing her with a "luxurious" birthing box ... she decided the only place to give birth was in her "igloo" bed she'd had since a kitten. We had to cut the sides to make sure we could see her incase of problems.

Shes a fantatsic mum and looks so pleased with herself!

J