Sunday morning, The Comedian elephant-footed down the hall at 6am. This is an everyday occurrance, ususally followed by "I'm awaaaaake" or "I'm reeeeealy hungry mama". But on this day the sweetest, softest voice came through the door tingling with excitement. Her sing-song tones couldn't hold the big news anymore. "The babies are out of Sally's belly!"
Thanks to dedicated and intelligent readers I knew her gestational period was 2 months and that she would 'pick' her labor location. I cringed slightly thinking of a messy birth in my closet or under the desk in the office, but the idea of her delivering outside in the cold, rainy weather was even more disturbing.
And then, I realized. I had no control over this - none. The nice big box lined with a cumfy but disposable piece of extra carpet we put in the upstairs bathroom remained empty. Sally was in complete control of her pregnancy. There had been no pre-natal vitamins for cats prescribed. She didn't ask us to bring her for a nuchal-scan or her four week ultrasound. We didn't time any contractions or gather her courting cat and bring them to a birthing class.
This was uncomplicated, natural birth. She lived her life - eating, sleeping, chasing mice and birds for her two months of pregnancy, only slowing down near the end as we ooooed and aaaaahed at her massive belly watching little legs poke and stretch in the night. I would put my hand on her stomach, and she let me; the miracle of feeling babies kick just as powerful for me regardless of their feline beginnings.
Sally never stressed about her kittens. About whether they would live or die. The kids wondered, but she didn't. She was a first time mother, blissfully ignorant, and it was a beautiful thing.
Sally took complete control of her labor - pre, during and post.
This is where she chose:
tucked away against the furtherest wall of the seldom used bed in The Comedian's room.
And here is her brood:
24 hours old. Alone for the first time since birth - wildly independent, regardless of their current disability.
I don't know if she mewed all night. I don't know if she was in pain. I don't know how long it took. I don't know how much they weigh or measure. I do know there are five kittens. Five perfectly alive kittens.
What a miracle. Nature is miraculous.
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14 comments:
Oh how cute! I love baby kitties.
Oh my,I love kittens!!
How sweet, glad all is well.
Oh my goodness. I've had cats, but only ones that were "incapable" *cough* of reproducing. That must be such an amazing thing to witness growing inside her. Incredible.
Oh I want one! Go Sally!!!!
Awwwww!
What a feel-good post.
It's nice to remember that most of the time, Nature works just marvelously.
They are so cute, Cara!
Thanks for posting on Perfect Moment Monday!
Awwww! Congratulations!
Thy are so cute. I had a cat who had kittens and I thought the whole thing was amazing. She did have one die but she just pushed out of the cubby hole she was in and went on with the rest of it. It just amazed me!
Yes, nature is so wondrous. I wrote similarly a month or two back, when we took the little yellow fluffy chicks of mummy hen. I looked out the window at her, my heart broken for her. She clucked around abit, and sat down for a bit. I wondered what she was thinking. And then remembered that even though she was looking for them now, and maybe she was a little 'sad' or equivalent, it wasn't going to shape her life. She was not going to need antidepressants. Same as the sheep at lambing time, who sometimes leave their babies because they know they will die. Yet I pick them up and try to keep them alive, and cry when I can't, and nurture them, spoil them, when I can. But the sheep get on with their lives, in amongst all the other mummy sheep with lambs at foot. No envy or jealousy, no crying and kicking and sitting in the corner, refusing to go out because there are babies in the world (note: I don't exactly do that myself, but I do feel like it sometimes!)...
xxx
Awwww! So precious!!
So cute! I'd love to see more pictures as they grow.
How cute!
Truly amazing.
In November my cat had kittens... on my couch. I walked in on her giving birth.
I'm glad your kitty's babies are fine and the birth went smoothly.
A stray(who is now our own) found us when she was pg, probably her first litter, had her babies right on my daughters bed, while she was in it!! All 5 kittens were fine and my daughter was thrilled to have a litter of kittens on her bed when she woke up in the morning for school. I, on the other hand, was not as thrilled, given it was a brand new quilt but it survived, unstained, and is now part of our kitten lore...
Good luck with the bebes and finding homes for them!
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