That is correct, Kate has had her babies! I suspected last night, when she wanted to hang out in the bed I’d set up for her, that it was going to be soon. I thought about sleeping in the foster room with her, but Fred gave me a Look when I suggested it, so I went off to my own bed.
I made Fred promise to look in on her when he got up, and to wake me up if she had had the babies or was in labor. When he woke me up to say goodbye before he left for work, I said “No babies?”
“Yep! Four!” he said, but he was just kidding. He told me that all she’d wanted to do was hang out in her bed. That was at almost 4:30.
I rolled out of bed around 5:30, and headed up to check on her. She was laying in her bed, and though there were no babies yet, she was very obviously in labor. I ran around in circles for a moment, then went and got dressed and grabbed my cameras and iPad.
All she wanted was for me to pet her, so I obliged, and after a few minutes of pushing, out came baby #1 at 6:21. I could hear it squalling, but couldn’t see it. Finally, after much cleaning on her part, I was able to see it. It looked like it was all black with white “gloves”, but then I saw it roll over, and glimpsed a white belly. Baby #2 came at 6:59, and again looked like it was a black and white tuxie. I actually had no idea that #3 had arrived until I heard the distinctive sound of Kate chewing through the cord – that was at 7:26. This one looked like another tuxie, but I think it’s actually a brown or gray tabby. #4 came along at 8:12. I had decided that there were only (“only”!) going to be 4, so after a while of waiting, I went off to take a shower.
I went into the room to check on Kate and the babies after my shower, and she had that pursed-lip “I’m pushing!” look on her face. A few minutes later out came number five, at 9:24. It was awfully sweet of her to wait until after my shower, wasn’t it?
It’s been two hours and I’ve been up to check on her multiple times. There are still five babies present, so I’m thinking she’s done.
Kate and babies are doing really well. Kate, as I suspected she would be, is a great mother, and the babies are all vigorous and have well-developed lungs. I thought for a while that they were all black and white tuxies, but I think we’ve got at least a couple of gray or brown tabbies. I’ll get up there this afternoon, with Fred’s help, and get a picture of each of them, as long as Kate doesn’t mind.
And now, the pics! It was pretty dark in that room, in that bed, and it’s not easy to get pictures of dark kittens against a dark mother, so they’re not the best pictures ever – but I think you’ll like them! (There will, of course, be more pictures tomorrow!)
Baby #1. Awww, the little tail and foot!
“Why is this kitten climbing on me?” Kate wonders.
“Hey, bartender, you got any milk on tap?”
Two babies!
The first two.
And three!
Hallo, stripey little legs.
Taking a breather.
Sensing that she’s not quite done…
There might be four here, I can’t quite tell.
Baby ears!
The one in front – the one that looks really wet – is #4, I believe.
Cannot wait to get my hands on these babies. I’m trying to be respectful of Kate and not get all grabby with her babies.
Have you ever? Couldn’t you just? I mean, HONESTLY.
Gearing up for the last one.
That one up high is a climber.
Toes, and stripey leg.
You can’t necessarily see them all, but all five are present in this pic.
More pics tomorrow!!!
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Previously
2012: They certainly do love their mama.
2011: No entry.
2010: Meet the Bookworms. (Psst! This is Corbie’s litter!)
2009: No entry.
2008: No entry.
2007: Moving into Crooked Acres.
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.