# HELP - ADVICE NEEDED please!



## sallyburdett (Jul 19, 2005)

hello all i am totally new to this board and was hoping for some advice? 
my beautiful cat "sheba" (a lilac cornish rex) was supposed to go to stud this month - however while hanging my lil girls nappies on the line (yes - shock horror i use cloth!) she got out last month mid season and i am positive she is expecting (hangs head in shame for being so stupid!). there are 3 "swellings" in her slightly expanded waistline. now i have a hnd in animal care and lots of experience with c sections in cats (from working at a vats) however i do need help in preparing for heir arrival? what do i need to do. sheba is getting used to my dog cage - to allow her n kittens pricacy and safetly from my toddler, and i have a huge supply of towels and the basic first aig equipment. i also hve a bottle of lactol n some syringes just in case. what else do i need to do? what are the signs on labour? as you can imagine the only cats i have seen have been c sections or have done it on their own during the night at college so i missed it!. from dates i expect her to be due around the 29th august! - i know the date isnt set in stone and she will have them when she is ready!. please please help. i was hopefully starting up my own cattery but all this has been put on hold due to this unexpected pregnancy! - the studs owner was going to talk me thru her pedigree birth but i feel to embarrassed to phone her now!


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## emma_pen (Nov 2, 2004)

How sad that your beautiful queen has been caught by an unknown tom - I would get her tested for FIV & FeLV. 

How old is she? Don't be scared to contact that breeder - just be honest and explain your problem. You sound like you are pretty sorted, and you should still be able to get wonderful homes, even if they are cross Rexes.

Make sure you post pics, and keep doors firmly closed in the future!


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## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

Beautiful cat!! So graceful!!


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## Sol (Feb 20, 2003)

A lilac tortie, now that's something I don't get to see very often  She's beautyful.

Be ready to start watching her closely after about 60 days pregnancy, she can givet birth any time between 60 and 70 days pregnancy.

Even though I'm sure it feels embarrassing, call the stud owner and explain the situation. Any sensible person can understand that mistakes to happen (it happens even the most experienced breeders). Give the cats breeder a call to, they can probably help you through your females pregnancy and delivery. It's always nice to have someone more experienced to talk to.

Also contact your vet and ask her/him to be prepared for the delivery (if something should happen and you need a vet).

What she needs is peace and quite (and lots of love). Prepare the dog cage well on time so she's familiar with it before the delivery (however, cats tend to find their own places to give birth at  ). 

She will excrete a mucus plug about 24 hours before giving birth, sometimes one notices the plug, sometimes not. She will be probably be nesting a few days before delivery and being a Rex I think she will be VERY social and cuddly close to the delivery. My Devon Rex-female gave birth in a blanket one metre from my head (yes, I fell asleep) :roll:


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## sallyburdett (Jul 19, 2005)

hi all - i had her blood test results through yesterday - sorry should have put that on my original post - everything is clear, but she will need testing in 3 months again just to be sure.

i have phoned the stud's owner who thought it was hilarious!!! - only because it happened to her on her first breeding with her first queen!

i will contact shebas breeder too and explain what has happened - she was a lovely person so i am sure she will help, i feel better now about owning up to my mistake just because of the response i got from the suds owner. 

here is a photo of the tom - i took one when he was hanging around after i had caught sheba and put he back indoors.

sally


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## emma_pen (Nov 2, 2004)

He's laughing internally... :lol:


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## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

He's a handsome looking big boy!!


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## EmmaG (Jan 7, 2005)

Oh look at his pink nose 

I bet your kittens are going to be soooo cute ..


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## emrldsky (Aug 31, 2004)

timskitties said:


> He's a handsome looking big boy!!


I was just going to say something to the effect of, "Well, at least she chose a kitty who is *almost* as gorgeous as she is."


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## sallyburdett (Jul 19, 2005)

thanks for all the support people! i personally would have rather had a pedigree mating but they should be lovely kittens!

sally


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## ForJazz (Dec 30, 2003)

He looks like he's coming back for more! Look out for that little stud muffin.  I'd take a cornish rex/domestic shorthair oopsie daisy baby anyday! I'm sure you'll be able to find good homes for them regardless. 

I'm glad you decided to tell the owner of the stud and your breeder -- they will be a huge help I'm sure, and then you maintain your good relationship with them. This isn't your fault -- horny cats are slippery! :lol:


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## sallyburdett (Jul 19, 2005)

lol @ comming back for more! he still pops over the fence to have a look thru the window occasionaly!

i'm gonna keep a kitten (only saying it now cos i know i wont be able to resist!)

and i have found a fantastic home for 2 as a pair. 

so any others i am still looking for good cat friendly homes. i can guarentee they will be pretty bomb proof! - with a toddler, their nutty mother, a guitar playing partner and the comming and goings of any "normal" household.

they will be staying in the dog crate until 6 weeks, then start to be allowed a little more roaming and toddler socialising (all strictly supervised of course)

they will have free insurance and a kitten pack. along with full worming n frontlining. 

i will also be asking any new owner to sign a contract stating that they will have the kitten neutered and if they cannto for any reason keep it to return it to me (or at least get my consent before rehoming it).

they will also be 12 weeks old before they go to their new homes.

this is how i would have treated a pedigree litter and i dont think it matters a jot that they are an "oopsy daisy" litter. they still deserve the best start.

sally


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## emma_pen (Nov 2, 2004)

You are such a great cat mum, despite this being an accidental mating. Do you know who the tom belongs to? If you can, you could call the CPL or RSPCA about him. Both organisations will likely come and pick up him up, castrate him, and put him back out. I help with these neuterings every day, and its perfectly legal in the UK


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## sallyburdett (Jul 19, 2005)

what a good idea! i never thought of getting the cpl to castrate him! lol. i used to work in an vets and an animal sanctuary too! - he's certainly a well fed buy so he must have a home here somewhere. i will contact the cpl tomorrow and ask about castrating him! - if they wont i may catch him and then have him done myself.


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## ChiliBean (Jun 17, 2005)

good ideals


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## emma_pen (Nov 2, 2004)

Goof dor you. I have an entire tom spraying in my garden the past week or so, I haven't touched him yet but I have told him from afar that his days of fun are numbered :lol:


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## ForJazz (Dec 30, 2003)

I think it's a wonderful idea to treat these oopsie daisie kitties like a purebred litter -- they will be wonderful and DO deserve the best start to life. Good luck.


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## sallyburdett (Jul 19, 2005)

ok phones the cpl. they wont neuter him only give his owner a voucher for reduced cost neutering. as i dont know his owner (i assume he has one as he is a well fed little thing) i cannot take him myself without strict legal issues. the pdsa and the rspca feel the same.

on a good note - due to it being an accidental litter the cpl are sending me voucers to have my kittens neutered before they go. i wont be able to spay the females as my vet prefers them to be at least 4mo, but the boys will be done at 10 weeks. so good news!

sally


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## emma_pen (Nov 2, 2004)

I don't know why the rspca/cpl are saying you would have legal issues, when they do EXACTLY what you are wanting to do! Every single day, the RSPCA bring in entire toms to castrate, then they just take them back the next day. And these cats are NOT feral :lol:


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## sallyburdett (Jul 19, 2005)

emma - its cos if i take him there as a stray they can keep him for rehoming! - if i take him there as a pet and he isnt mine his owners can sue me!

on another topic - how much should i be feeding sheba now? she is seemingly always hungry and is allready eating twice her usual amount. she is on kitten dry food and kitten meat too.


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## emma_pen (Nov 2, 2004)

sallyburdett said:


> emma - its cos if i take him there as a stray they can keep him for rehoming! - if i take him there as a pet and he isnt mine his owners can sue me!


How frustrating! Especially seeing as he is probably impregnating loads of other girls!



> on another topic - how much should i be feeding sheba now? she is seemingly always hungry and is allready eating twice her usual amount. she is on kitten dry food and kitten meat too.


I free-fed Isis throughout her pregnancy & rearing, though I didn't have her until she was quite late on. I say free feed dry and give her meat meals.


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## sallyburdett (Jul 19, 2005)

she is on dried, i am free feeding her now so that she gets what she wants! and once a day i give her a packet of kitten meat!

i am also gonna be a mum again (not a human lol), rex rescue has a lovely boy who is getting on a bit who needs a home. his owner (and breeder) has a terminal illness and has got to let all her babies get new homes. so bo is coming to live with me! he is a black smoke devon rex, with a slight kidny problem which is controlled by diet alone. cant wait for him to get here. he is having blood tests as his last ones showed no kidney prob at all so they have put him back on normal diet to retest to see if he still has the prob (and the diet controlls it) or if it has resolved! 

i'm feeling all excited - kittens and a new pet! not the best timeing i know but hey! - he needs a new mum and i want to be it! - sheba loves her dog pen so much she spends most of her time in there (door is always open!) and is happily making early signs of nests! i bought another litter tray for her pen and feed her there now so that she is used to it. she spends nearly all day either in the pen or alseep on the bed in the same room. (she is in the spare room at the other end of the house - so v quiet!) 

anyway enough rambling! 

sally


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## ForJazz (Dec 30, 2003)

Congrats! I would be super excited as well. As you can see, I love black smokes. I am also a huge Devon Rex fan, so to me that sounds like a great combination. And I know those kitties aren't going to be pedigreed -- but they will be super cute and you know that already! So I don't blame you at all for rambling or being excited.


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## sallyburdett (Jul 19, 2005)

waiting for his breeder (the poorly lady) to contact me re his next round of blood tests i cant wait!

on another note- where do u guys get your sig strips from? i really really want one!

sally


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## ForJazz (Dec 30, 2003)

I made it.


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## Megan1216 (Nov 28, 2004)

> if i take him there as a pet and he isnt mine his owners can sue me!


That is Exactly right. It's risky which is .


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## sallyburdett (Jul 19, 2005)

hi guys - well sheb is really starting to show now - cant believe its only 4 weeks to go!, bo will be comming to live with us end of next week - cant wait!. it seems we will have a housefull!

i am free feeding sheba dried kitten food and 2 meals a day of wet kitten food. she is wolfing everything down i put infront of her. i know cornish (if not monitered) are supposedly prone to obesity so i dont want her getting fat which could cause complications!

she has always been a skinny little thing and now just looks plump around her belly where she should be but nowhere else, so i'm not really worried atm.

sally


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## sallyburdett (Jul 19, 2005)

spoke to shebas breeder again today - she's gonna give me loads of support to with the babies! cant wait!

sally


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## Megan1216 (Nov 28, 2004)

Well, I'm glad things are working out.  Keep us posted....also congrats on Bo. I want pictures of the kittens when they are born and pictures of Bo.  
Understand? :lol: :lol:


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## Stephie (Feb 4, 2005)

> i am free feeding sheba dried kitten food and 2 meals a day of wet kitten food. she is wolfing everything down i put infront of her. i know cornish (if not monitered) are supposedly prone to obesity so i dont want her getting fat which could cause complications!


Hiya 

Regardless of the circumstances its lovely that you have kittens on the way 

My girl had kittens recently and like you I was a surprised at her appetite - I have always free fed my cats but Willow literally ate everything I put in front of her. I wouldn’t worry about obesity - remember she is pregnant and needs the sustenance. Willow increased her intake from about 2 kitten pouches a day as well as dried food to 5-6 when she was pregnant and also for the first four or five weeks when she was nursing. Only now that the kittens are weaning is she cutting down a little. Still there is nothing of her - In fact I have also been supplementing her diet with kitten milk formula and her condition has really improved. She needs the nutrients for the pregnancy and later on for feeding the kittens - I would suggest a slightly higher intake than she is currently getting. It may seem like an awful lot to feed one little girl but believe me she needs more rather than less right now. 

Hope everything goes well for you - going through Willow’s pregnancy, birth and kitten rearing with her for the first time has been one of the most special things I have experienced.


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## sallyburdett (Jul 19, 2005)

have just given sheba an extra 2 packs of kitten meat and they dissapeared in 10 min! lol


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## sallyburdett (Jul 19, 2005)

here she is with her new belly! lol


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## Stephie (Feb 4, 2005)

awwww bless, she is boooful! Poor things begin to look so uncomfortable for the last few weeks but they always cope so well. Is she being very affectionate? Willow couldn't get enough cuddles in the last few weeks.


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## sallyburdett (Jul 19, 2005)

yeah very affectionate - but she is v affectionate anyway - more like a dog than a cat at times! lol


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## ForJazz (Dec 30, 2003)

She is sooo cute, I want one of her babies so bad!


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## sallyburdett (Jul 19, 2005)

very excited albeit unplanned!

mr tom is also currently at the vets today having his kitten tackle removed! have to pick him up at about 5.30 ish then can release him. havent told anyone nearby i have done this and as he was in my garden and it isnt overlooked they wont know either. at least then he wil be prevented from becoming a father again!

he is also being tested too. its costing me a small forune but worth it i think.

sally


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## sallyburdett (Jul 19, 2005)

hello all!

i am very very pleased to annouce the safe arrival of shebas kittens.
labour began properly at 3.30this morning and the first baby arrived
at 5.25 - everything over and cleaned up by 6.30! - i am shattered as
she gave birth on my lap!!!!!!!!!!

1) black n white - 69g, normal delivery - mum not sure what to do so i
dealt with the cord and gave it a rub down

2) cream - 75g, breach delivery - mum did everything!

3) tabby - 86g, breach delivery - mum to knackered to deal with it, so
again i did all the necessarys!

mum and babies al doing well! mum has had something to eat but has yet
to venture out for a wee! will put a link to my photobucket on in a
bit when i have finished uplloading photos. no gory birth ones as she
was on my lap and i diddnt have time!

sally


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## EmmaG (Jan 7, 2005)

Sally congratulations!!!!, glad to hear mum and babies are all ok. I cannot wait to see pictures of them


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## sallyburdett (Jul 19, 2005)




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## Sol (Feb 20, 2003)

Oh, wow... they're just the cutiest little things :luv


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## Katten Minnaar (Mar 18, 2005)

:yellbounce :wiggle Congratulations :yellbounce :wiggle 

I am so glad it went well and that mother and babies are doing well. The photos are great and the babies are so cute...can I have the ginger one please?!

I bet your exhausted so I'll keep this short and sweet,

Take care and I'll speak to you soon

Eva x


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## DylansMummy (May 23, 2004)

Awwww the lil darlings! And she looks likes she is adjusting to motherhood well! Congratulations!!! arty


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## EmmaG (Jan 7, 2005)

OMG!!! they are gorgeous!!! the tabby one looks just like daddy!!! :love2 

they are all adorable


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## AllergyCat (Aug 7, 2005)

Congrats!!!

They all look wonderful!


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## Stephie (Feb 4, 2005)

Gorgeous teeny tiny bundles of lovliness! Congratulations to Mum, didn't she do well


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## Jas (Aug 26, 2005)

What cute babies! 

My one cat looks like a rex cross, we're convinced that someone's stud got out and impregnated a local alley cat - he looks a bit like a shorthaired selkirk.


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## emma_pen (Nov 2, 2004)

I am squealing with delight, much to Dave's distaste....he keeps reminding me I'm not allowed...  

They are utterly ADORABLE! Are they male/female? Pleeeeease keep us updated with piccies, I want all three! Do you think they will be curly haired?


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## sallyburdett (Jul 19, 2005)

hiya

no i dont think they will be curly! - but they are still just lovely!

mum is doing a great job of looking after them! am very pleased with their weight gain so far - about 15g each which for 48hours old is good as kittens tend to loose a little at first!

will keep you all updated as they grow!

with sexes i am still a little unsure

i think the cream is a boy
the tabby a girl

and its anyones guess on the tiny black n white! he/she is still so little that it looks very much like a lil rat! lol - but a cute rat of course! he is also the liveliest! he goes for a wander - gets lost so screams for help! he he he !

sally

sally


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## sallyburdett (Jul 19, 2005)

with regards to your selkirk cross - i may be wrong but i think both straight and curly kittens can be born in each litter so u may well have a selkirk! with the cornish and devon both parents must either carry the rex gene or be full rex's to produce curly kittens.

sally


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## ForJazz (Dec 30, 2003)

Sheba looks SOOOO sweet in that picture with her kittens. Congrats on the little sweeties!


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