Kitty is almost ready to birth kittens...now how do u kno when she is done having them?

Question

Many thanks to all of the kind people who have answered my kitty question so far...she is definitely showing "nesting signs" and searching out a dark quiet spot to deliver. We put a large box (with a notch cut for easy access) with some towels in a small hall closet and left the door open a bit, she has been in there twice so far sniffing around this morning. My next question is, how do we know when she is all done birthing...I mean all the sites I have been to so far say a young mom has 2-5 kittens on average. She keeps wanting to go into the cellar but we don't want her to go, it is dark but very damp and cold...not good for newborn kittens. We are keeping the cellar door shut for safety, and we moved her litter box upstairs to the kitchen so she won't have to go to the cellar at all now. She has used the box several times today...peeing a LOT. Is that another sign of impending birth? Thanks again for all of your kind help...I may be emailing a few of you later for moral support!

Answer 1

well, the other answer is pretty much what you need to know. but you can also tell if she is thinner and if she wants to rub around you legs a lot. it wasn't as good as the other answer, but i hope it helped you a little bit.

Answer 2

Sounds like she's about to give birth.  Frequent urination is a sign.  Start keeping an eye on her, though don't fret too much around her.  Cats prefer peace and quiet when they have kittens.  Make sure that the notch you have cut down isn't letting too much light.

You will know when she's done birthing kittens when she is completely calm and nursing her kittens.  The contractions will stop, allowing her to rest.  If she still has kittens yet to be birthed, she will continue to act a bit nervous by shifting about in the box and maybe meowing when you come up to her, and you will also see her stomach muscles contract with pushing (also a bit of grunting perhaps).  It could be 15 minutes to a couple of hours between kittens, depending on her energy.

A word of caution -- if she still acts nervous for several hours after having a few kittens and producing no kitten from said nervousness, you may need to take her to the vet to see if she has a kitten stuck in the birth canal.  It's very rare -- but it can happen.  Just keep an eye on her.

I wish you and your kitty the best of luck!