| *Kelda Khronicles* |
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| The Birthing |
| This is a follow up on my article “When Kittens Have Kittens”. I took a lot of heart from readers in the article, which was about my kitten, Socks, becoming pregnant. I was called irresponsible for adding to the cat over population of this country, among other things that would make any self respecting cat owner cringe. I then wrote another article defending my decision not to have her spayed as soon as she was able to undergo the procedure. I argued that because of Socks’s traumatic first months of life, I had to weigh the emotional aspects of spaying against the physical and social repercussions. Being a future mother and a mother of two cats, Sock’s emotional well-being was my first priority. I also stated that I thought motherhood would be good for Socks. That article didn’t receive as many hits as the first article- only a measly twelve. The Birth Story Being pregnant left Socks vulnerable. Suffering from the abuse she did months before her pregnancy made that a scary concept for her, as it would any animal. Gradually she learned that her vulnerability did not lead to more mistreatment only love. She discovered that the new popularity she gained from being pregnant was enjoyable. She was given lots of treats and peace when she needed it. She was dotted over, played with and loved like she had never been. She would even purr on occasion. She still wasn’t completely an affectionate cat, but she was certainly coming around. My family and I often spent our dinner conversations talking about Socks and the kittens to be. The kids had a fun time trying to guess how many kittens she would have and learning all about pregnancy. We adults tried to guess where she would choose to have the kittens and when. We had a running joke that Socks would choose to have the kittens on my sister’s and brother-in-law’s bed. This was because my brother-in-law was always giving Sock’s treats, like tuna. Plus, he has a certain way with animals that reminds me of something out of Dr. Dolittle. We had many belly laughs over the bed birthing theory, but my brother-in-law did not really want that to happen. Socks finally did have her kittens. Early one Friday morning, I got up to get my nieces ready for school. My brother-in-law told me before he left for work that he thought Socks had been acting out of character. He was certainly right. The minute Socks laid eyes on me, she meowed, rubbed her body against my leg, dropped to the floor, rolled around and meowed some more. It was definitely not the norm for her. Yes, I decided, today had to be the day. My oldest niece was thrilled that a cold was keeping her home from school on the day that Socks was going to have her kittens. Being ten years old and having so many questions about pregnancy and birth, I thought this would be good experience for her, so I filled her in on what to expect and what the ground rules were. I got my disappointed younger niece off to school, reassuring her that the kittens would be here when she returned home from school. I then went about my normal morning routine, this time with Socks in tow. Finally, I decided to join my oldest niece on her dad’s bed to watch TV. I was surprised when Socks leapt up there with me. Socks snuggled up next to me and I began to pet her. It wasn’t long after that I noticed her belly was contracting. I decided to time the contractions, even though they didn’t seem to be strong enough to cause Socks much pain. This was the first time in many, many years I’d been around a laboring cat. I had read up on the birthing process to refresh my memory. I had certain precautionary procedures printed out just in case something was to go wrong. Up until I noticed the actual contractions, I was not worried. After they started, I become a bit nervous. I was pregnant, too. This was my kitty and my hormones really started to kick in. What if something were to go wrong? The contractions started to pick up. I realized that Socks WAS going to have her kittens on my brother-in-law’s bed. I also realized that she wanted and needed me there with her. I couldn’t go to the bathroom without her crying out for me. She needed me to stroke her and tell her she was a good kitty. The fact that she needed me so much brought tears to my eyes. I instructed my niece to bring me some towels so I could place them under Socks. I told her it was any minute now until the first kitten came. Socks was starting active labor. My niece brought me the towels and I quickly slipped them under Socks. My niece, who at this point was thrilled, called her other aunt to tell her the kittens were coming. I was handed the phone for a more accurate update, which I gave as best I could. Then I asked if my sister would come and help me out. |