Pregnancy Diary – Lady Arwen Evenstar

Lady Arwen Evenstar will be four years old on the 15th December 2020. She had her first litter on 22nd January 2017. Her second litter was born on 22 November 2018, and her third litter was born on 25 September 2019. Now, nearly exactly a year later, her fourth litter is due.

I took her to her gentle, good-natured handsome, many-times show champion stud – Cherie-Finesse Dreamer of Cherie-Zelle – on 16 July, after the winter dormancy period. Lady Arwen had had her annual inoculations and de-worming in advance, on 18 May. She was in good condition and ready for her next pregnancy.

A feline pregnancy is usually 63 – 65 days in duration, so I calculated Lady Arwen’s first due date to be 17th September. I started feeding her on Royal Canin baby mousse with a little water added, just as she likes it – morning and evening, as well as her regular pellets. As an experienced mom-to-be, Arwen started researching safe birthing spaces as early as half way through her pregnancy. I know that she has chosen a low built in cupboard in our bedroom for her last two deliveries, and so I have had that cleared and prepared for a few weeks, with her birthing box nearby.

You will see a heating pad on which I will place the kittens after delivery and once labour for the next kitten is underway. Sterile gloves and F10 to sterilise my hands. Sterilised scissors in case I need to help with the umbilical cord. Paper towel and clean towels and face cloths, to clear the membrane from babies’ faces if mom spends too long working on the umbilical cord. Linen savers to place under mom if she moves around during delivery. A scale to weigh the babies on, and a printed sheet ready to record time and weight of each baby’s birth, and to take note that the placenta has been delivered as well.

I don’t sleep well the nights before the kittens are born. I’m up and down, checking on the mother. She is often restless – scrabbling in the birthing box, going to the litter tray or to have a snack. You may wonder why I feel the need to play midwife – a) both of my queens want me there at the birth. Arwen actually called me loudly last time, while I was washing up in the kitchen b) kittens can be needlessly lost if the membrane is not cleared from their mouths and noses. I wait and watch, and only assist if the mother doesn’t get to it reasonably quickly. c) There may be complications – if the birth takes too long the mother may need a caesarean. d) It occasionally happens that an exhausted mother may be confused and think she needs the litter tray – only to give birth in the litter. This happened with Princess Bella’s second litter. Fortunately, I had been forewarned this sometimes happens and I caught the baby as she delivered it.

So – tonight is the end of Day 64. Arwen has had a lovely day – spending a bit of time in the herb-garden and quite a few hours sleeping on a garden chair in the sunshine on our patio.

This evening she seems a little restless. She came upstairs at about 8 p.m. instead of remaining downstairs with us. However, she has eaten a good supper, and she’s grooming herself although she hasn’t started to wash her ‘birthing region’ which queens do to ease discomfort. I have been observing her and I don’t see her stomach or flanks tensing up. She hasn’t started to lie on her side and stretch her body – so perhaps not in the next few hours. Maybe not tonight. I do prefer a day time delivery! I’m going to bath and get myself ready for another wakeful night – or the arrival of our long-awaited treasures!