Preparing the Nest

The first thing we needed was a “nest” for Kita in a dark, quiet area, where she would feel comfortable queening her babies. It is also how we are able to tell they are getting close to queening, as they will go in and out of the nest, fixing it to their liking.

Kita Preparing for Her Big Day

When Kita came home, it was discovered that not only was she painfully thin, she also had a terrible URI (Upper Respiratory Infection), so Saving One Life had me put her on a dosage of meds and nebulizer treatments to help protect her unborn babies.

We also discovered that Kita, even though she is young, only has one tooth, a top front canine. I took her to the vet for a check-up and he told me that I would need to assist Kita during delivery because she wouldn’t be able to chew off the umbilical cords and eat the placentas. He instructed me on what would need to be done, and I was ready to help her!

This is when my real adventure began, as I wasn’t comfortable leaving her alone for long periods of time, knowing that it was critical Kita and her babies would need help during delivery. I moved some pillows and a blanket into her room and started to sleep on the floor with Kita every night. She loved it!

Kita is the sweetest and friendliest cat I have ever met. She and I began to build the bond we would need, as we approached her delivery date. I whispered a prayer that her babies would stay inside her longer, so Kita would be on the meds for a longer period of time. One week passed, and still no babies, but I could feel and see them moving in her tummy.

On the second week, I took out my old stethoscope to listen for heartbeats. Kita is a little purr machine, so all I could hear was her purring!

A few days passed and I started to notice some slight changes in Kita’s behavior. She was more tired and went into her nesting box more often. The anticipation was building, as I knew she would soon start queening.

Kita’s belly was large and hard and she had put on a pound since she arrived. Her hip bones were still protruding out and you could feel every vertebra, but she was getting stronger and healthier. I listened again for heartbeats and could hear her beautiful babies! I was getting more and more excited to meet them.

Sometimes, Momma Needs Help

The Kittens are Coming!

Over the next 4 ½ hours, Kita delivered four more kittens and we repeated the procedure for each kitten.  Kita and I made quite the team!  I couldn’t get over the amount of trust she had in me during the most intense time for a momma kitty.

All of her babies were very healthy and latched onto her for their first nutrients outside of her womb.  Tears still come to my eyes as I relive this experience.  It was like nothing I have ever experienced before in my life.

Watching Kita and her kittens bond with one another over the past week has been so beautiful to witness.  And the best part is knowing that Kita will no longer have to do this ever again, thanks to Saving One Life.  And,  her and her kittens won’t either.  As beautiful as this experience has been, having the knowledge of how many homeless cats and kittens there are on the streets, suffering, I am happy that Kita and her 5 kittens will never have to deal with that life.

Please watch for Kita and her kittens, as they become available for adoption in the next couple of months. Kita is such an amazing cat and will need a very special home who loves a cat that loves them. It’s one of the great things about adopting an adult cat, you already know what their personality is, and Kita has one of the best personalities out there! She is calm, loving, quiet, and friendly to everyone she meets. Who could ask for anything more!