Edited to add: She went into labor not long ago, and as of right now (almost 6 pm central time) she’s had 4 babies – looks like two dark (tabbies or tuxies, maybe) and two orange. I’m updating at the FB page, and will post a final tally here later.
Updated: She has delivered a total of 7 – 4 orange or buff, 2 dark (black or tuxie or brown tabby, it’s hard to tell), and one who looks very much like Ruth from Khaleesi’s litter. We’re going to bed – I’ll check on her a couple of times tonight, but so far, everyone looks great!
Over on Facebook yesterday, Clare asked which mama has made me wait the latest for her kittens. I had to go back and look, because it always feels like forever, and I figured since I was looking anyway, why not do a post about it?
Our very first litter born here was Kara’s. We got her on April 16, 2008. She looked like this:
The evening of the very next day, she had four little ones.
You can read her birthin’ story here.
Our next pregnant cat was Mary Margaret, immediately nicknamed Maggie. She came to us on March 11, 2011. She looked like this:
THREE WEEKS LATER, she looked like this:
“1000% done with you people.”
On April 2nd, she went into labor and had six kittens.
You can read her birthin’ story here.
Next up was Emmy. We got her on February 17, 2012 (she was one of a group of about 40 cats abandoned at a house in the country, and was feral.) She looked like this:
12 days later, she looked like this:
That was the same day I made the Emmy’s Alien Belly video and shared it:
The very next morning (March 1st), Fred went in to check on her when he got up at 3:30. She was in the middle of labor, and made it very clear that she didn’t want us around. She ended up having four kittens:
You can read her birthin’ story here.
Our next pregnant cat was Catherine (who immediately became Kate). She came to us on February 24, 2013. She looked like this:
A week later, she looked like this:
A couple days later, we got the view from above:
Finally, when she’d been with us for 3 1/2 weeks, Kate gave us the Royals on March 19th. She had five wee kittens.
You can read her birthin’ story right here.
And our most recent pregnant cat was the loontastic Khaleesi. We got her on April 14, 2013. She looked like this:
For some reason, I never did get a picture of Fred holding her up to show her belly, which is a bummer. I imagine, since I still had Kate in the other foster room (siggggh, remember when I had two foster rooms? Grrr, Fred.), I was busy and just didn’t think to do it.
Two and a half weeks later, on May 1st, she had four little Dragons, and adopted the little orphan Norbert.
You can read her birthin’ story here.
So, in summation:
Kara – waited approximately 30 hours – birthed 4 kittens.
Maggie – waited 22 days – birthed 6 kittens
Emmy – waited 13 days – birthed 4 kittens
Kate – waited 23 days – birthed 5 kittens
Khaleesi – waited 17 days – birthed 4 kittens, adopted 1
I got our current mama on March 19th, which means it’s been 13 days. I don’t know how much longer she’ll go, but as far as I’m concerned ANY TIME NOW, MAMA. ANY TIME.
This list would feel incomplete if I didn’t at least mention our two fakers, who came to me under false pretences – I was told they were pregnant, and they WERE NOT.
Maura, in 2010. She came to us on March 15, and I wrote about the fact that she was a fakeypants on April 6th, so it took us 22 days to come around to the realization that we’d been hoodwinked.
And Lilybet, in 2013. She came to us on February 4, and I posted about how we’d been bamboozled by her on February 19th, so it took two weeks to get that confirmation, despite the fact that she never even LOOKED pregnant and was a pretty small cat.
“Whatchoo want, lady?”
“I see what you’re doing, and you are exceedingly RUDE.”
“Stop. It.”
Mama loaf.
“What you MEAN I still got food on my plate? I don’t want THAT stuff, it’s like 10 minutes old. I want the fresh stuff!”
::glare::
“RIGHT HERE is where the food goes, lady!”
Her appetite had died off quite a bit toward the end of last week and over the weekend, but the last couple of days, she’s been absolutely voracious. Yesterday, she finished off 6 cans of food and ate a ton of kibble. Usually, in the day or two before they give birth, their appetite tends to drop off drastically. With this one, I have no idea what’s going on. I’ll give her as much as she wants to eat, and just hope that SOME DAY she sees fit to give me those babies.
Listen. If YOU were hugely pregnant and had just eaten a large snack, you might find yourself a little belchy, too. DON’T JUDGE.
Archie, son, you need yourself a pedicure. Those are some dirty feet you’ve got there.
“Don’t be touching the toes, lady.”
Previously
2014: Eventually, both gum balls ended up at the bottom of the stairs, where I stepped on them.
2013: “Don’t you go riling up my babies, lady.”
2012: “Do NOT boop my nose, lady!”
2011: Ohmygod, SO RUDE, taking pictures of the pregnant lady from behind.
2010: “I! HAZ! A! COMPLAINT!”
2009: Fred thinks Beulah is ugly.
2008: No entry.
2007: No entry.
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.