Premature labour

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Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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Hi everyone,

I’m new to the forum and I’m looking for some advice or to hear from anyone who’s been through something similar to me.

First off, I’ve done a lot of reading on various forums and I’m really not looking for any judgement, just some help or reassurance if anyone has experienced this.

I bred my female Ragdoll with another Ragdoll and she was due between the 17th and 20th.

We had an X-ray on the 11th to find out exactly how many kittens to expect; there should be 4 or 5.

Then the nightmare started...

At 12:30 am, Mystik started meowing and wouldn't leave me alone until I followed her into the bathroom. I realised she was about to go into labour, so we got her kittening box ready.

At 1:15 am, she pushed a kitten out just like she was going to the toilet... it was stillborn, but she still looked after it, cleaned it, and ate the placenta. It weighed about 0.15 lbs.

At 1:45 am, she properly delivered the second kitten. It’s very small but lively. It’s trying to suckle and is quite wiggly. It weighs 0.12 lbs.

I should mention that I’ve called two different vets about the prematurity, and they both told me there isn't much to be done and that I just have to let nature take its course.

I haven't slept since; I'm staying right by them because my girl needs some help and encouragement to look after her kitten.

What I’m worried about, and my main question, is that it’s been nearly 18 hours since the second kitten was born and nothing else has happened... no contractions, no visible pain, and she seems to be acting normally.

I don't know why, but she growls when she goes to eat her dry food...

I called both vets again.

One told me that kittening usually lasts 12 hours at most and that I could bring her in tomorrow for hospitalisation.

The other said if nothing happens by tomorrow morning, I should bring her in for a scan to see if the babies are still alive and then decide what to do... but neither of them seemed particularly alarmed, and I just don't understand why?

My theory is that Mystik wanted to get rid of the stillborn kitten to protect herself, but another one came out with it... and she’ll carry the rest of the litter to full term? Is that even possible?

Many thanks

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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Breeding a pedigree cat doesn't excuse anything – quite the opposite! Your cat is nothing more than a bundle of genetic defects selected by humans, who have only preserved the physical look of a cat. Ragdolls feel little to no pain and don’t even have a righting reflex... If humans hadn’t interfered, your cat’s breed wouldn’t even exist, as there’s no way a Ragdoll is suited to a cat’s life outside of a home. By breeding your pedigree cat, you’re contributing to animal cruelty by allowing genetic deformities that are harmful to the cat to persist.
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    Tania28
    Tania28 Icon representing the flag French
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    I’m with you there; let’s hope for a happy ending for everyone.
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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    I agree, sorry if I came on a bit strong. It’s just a shame when people refuse to re-evaluate things just because their cat is a pedigree and the basic health tests have been done :/ But anyway, I’m not going to start a row over it, that would be completely pointless. Best of luck to the OP and the kittens, I hope they all find lovely forever homes. :)
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    Tania28
    Tania28 Icon representing the flag French
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    But what’s done is done, and we’ve just got to deal with the aftermath now (even though I’m not one for backyard breeders). Perhaps Netoile will see things differently now and certainly won't risk her cat having another litter, as it could have cost her her life.
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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Pedigree cats are nothing more than cats with more pronounced genetic issues. They don’t offer anything more than moggies in terms of looks. And if you saw the staggering number of pedigree cats that end up in rescue (and are usually taken back by their breeders, thankfully), I think you’d change your mind. People who pay up thinking "oh, it’ll be fine" and then dump their cat because they can’t cope—that’s a reality, not a myth. (By the way, I never mentioned money. Obviously, having a litter is expensive, and doing it just once is bound to be a loss-maker; I don’t believe I said anything to the contrary.) But anyway, since the people here "tire" you, so be it. You probably won't reconsider your position, no matter what I’ve said about rescue cats; that’s your choice :) I just hope that one day you'll admit that adding to an already overcrowded cat population—moggies or not—and doing so selfishly (since, once again, it was you who made that decision for your pet), isn't the most responsible way to be a pet owner. There’s nothing "extremist" about that; it’s just the truth.
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    Tania28
    Tania28 Icon representing the flag French
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    Anyway, keep us posted on how things go, please :)

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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    I won’t admit I made a mistake because, in my opinion, it wasn’t a mistake to have a litter with my 18-month-old pedigree queen and a male of the same breed. FIV blood tests, vaccines up to date, blood group compatibility, and genetic health screening too (I can’t remember the name of it). I’ve clearly fallen in love with my Ragdoll, which is nothing like a common moggy. (I had one once that was spayed after her first season and one day she just never came home.) As for the prejudices about making a quick buck off the back of animals – that’s the funniest part... I was able to pay about £1,000 for my cat, not including vet fees and gear. I don’t need the money. And it’s completely ridiculous to think like that when you consider I spent around £430 on the stud fee, that I’m going to have my kittens neutered and spayed, and that I feed them high-quality dry food. She had four kittens, but she could have just as easily had one. Oh my god, what a financial disaster!! You need to stop tarring everyone with the same brush... you’re all extremists. If we’re talking about the proliferation of moggies being given away to just anyone, then I agree, but pedigree cats are a different story; it’s controlled... I doubt someone who is willing to pay for a pet is going to be reckless with it. (I’m not saying it’s impossible, because there are idiots everywhere.) So go and judge the people who let their females get knocked up by any old cat at any age. You lot are exhausting...
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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Nothing more to add; Soucaille has perfectly summed up what the majority of people here think.

    I’d also point out that no one on this forum is a vet, and you really need to be one to give medical advice. Even if someone has been through the exact same thing before, their experience won’t necessarily apply to what’s happening with your cat. So, this whole approach isn't really very helpful.

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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    You can say you’re "not looking for judgment" all you want, but you’re always going to get it.

    Why?

    Because there are hundreds of people just like you. Private owners who feel this selfish need (and yes, it is selfish to decide the life of an animal that never asked for it; the difference between this and a human pregnancy is that you chose to get pregnant, but for your cat, you were the one who made that decision for her) to breed their pet just because they’re "cute" or whatever. Where do you think the kittens from these so-called "well-planned" litters end up? (If you’d actually thought about it, you’d realise that human and feline pregnancies are different, and therefore the resulting complications are too, and can be much more common in animals). In your opinion, where do they go? They end up with people who, 50% of the time, realise the cute kitten has grown up, is getting into mischief, doesn't suit their lifestyle, and—bang—it’s off to a rescue (or just dumped in the wild).

    Even assuming the people you’d given the kittens to had kept them all (or even if you’d kept them all yourself), that’s one less home for the rescue cats waiting patiently for someone to give them a chance. And given the number of cats in shelters today, yes, a place in a home—just one—is worth a huge amount.

    You can get offended if you like, but the reason people are angry here is very simple: most of us see animal suffering every day; we live and breathe it. Our hearts break for the cats in rescues, and yes, it’s revolting to see people still trying to mate their cats when there are so many miserable ones out there without owners. You can choose to bury your head in the sand and tell yourself "boohoo, everyone on this forum is so mean", or you can open your eyes, own your mistake, and accept that, yes, other people are going to be annoyed by such irresponsible behaviour. Nobody is saying these things just to be nasty. Everyone here cares about the welfare of these cats, as well as their fellow cats in rescues, and if pointing out mistakes means upsetting an owner or two, then so be it.

    At least you’ve done the right thing regarding the vet now, so that’s something. I hope your pets will be okay and that you’ll have her spayed after this litter; it’s the best thing you can do, both for her well-being and her health. Best of luck to her for the future.

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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    I'm playing with my cat's life? Honestly, the things you hear on here.

    It's just like a human pregnancy – do you stop having children just because there are a million things that could go wrong?

    If something does go wrong, that's what doctors are for...

    So, as I said before, that’s a rubbish argument and I’m not asking for your opinions on my cat having a litter.

    It’s people like you that make people like me, who are actually in "distress", end up leaving this forum without getting an answer to their original question...

    The mating was planned and controlled; it’s just bad luck that there’s been a problem.

    During my first pregnancy, I had twins, but unfortunately, I suffered from pre-eclampsia and gave birth at 28 weeks... and I lost one of my daughters.

    Sadly, life is unpredictable, even when you’re trying your best. No matter how much you research every possible scenario, there are always exceptions.

    Anyway, that’s not the point and I’m not going to keep justifying myself.

    To give an update on the situation, in case it helps someone in the future... (this is meant to be a support forum, after all).

    The vet checked for heartbeats; two are definitely beating, but if there is a third, he’s not sure yet.

    My cat is doing okay. He gave her an injection to induce labour because the kittens can’t stay in any longer. She’s staying at the vet's, and I’ll have more news later this morning or during the day.

    Translated from French

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