Day 1 - SandPiper the Pregnant arrives

 


Our foster Gabby who was adopted this weekend 3/11/11.

 

You know when one of your parents says, "Oh this is bad," you know you are in trouble. Yes that's right, we are fostering cats again. And we're expecting! Our new kitty SandPiper is approximately 40 days along in her pregnancy. She should have 20 more days, estimating her due date around April 4, 2011.  The doctor took an x-ray of her tummy and saw four kittens.




A close up on SandPiper taken 3/13/11

 


A further back look at SandPiper. She doesn't look 40 days pregnant! 3/13/11



We decided to name her SandPiper because we are hoping to give all the kittens beach themed names. Her name was suggested to my dad by some friends. Sandpipers are actually a type of bird, most commonly found on the shores of North America. Sandpipers are dominant along the coastal town of Cape May, New Jersey (http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/chekbird/r5/capemay.htm). I think it is a little too fitting that all (but one) of our six cats is named for Cape May...

SandPiper is settling down nicely her accommodations (aka my room). There's 24/7 litter service, abundant food, seeing as she's eating for five! Beds, scratching posts and crates for nesting are all available to her. And soon to be a SandPiper fan club, all rooting for a successful delivery and healthy kittens.


After my last foster, Gabby was adopted, planning on taking Piper was a go! Though I have never experienced an actual birth of kittens, research would be a necessary element in being prepared for the birthing. I read all about the signs of delivery to arrival of the kittens. Learning about all the necessary steps for the kittens to enter the world healthy was very important. There are so many things that can go wrong with deliveries and I plan to be the most prepared as possible. I know the best scenarios and the worst. It is important to understand that not all kittens may make it. But I hope for the best.


Piper's health seems to be good. She's eating ravenously. She did leak some amniotic fluid today, which can be a sign of labor, but she was checked out by the vet and was given the okay. I'm trying to mentally prepare myself for the labor -- I guess those family life education classes they make you take really do apply. To cats!


Last note before the end of this post, I decided to call this blog "We Have a Situation" for two reasons. We orignally were planning on naming the kittens after Jersey Shore names. SandPiper would have been Jwoww and the kittens would include Snooki, Sammi, Ronnie, Deena, Vinny, Mike and Pauly. We ended up deciding against it as we did not want to offend anyone who dislikes JS. But SandPiper will always be Jwoww to me. The second reason I named this blog after JS was because I was putting down April 4th on my Jersey Shore calendar as kitten ETA. The calendar picture for that month was Mike "The Situation", so it just seemed fitting. Because we don't have a calico cat in our caboodle...but a couple of calico lovers. I'm thinkin' we have a situation!