673: One After Another

One After Another

Fina hadn't considered the fact that there might be more than one kitten. It cried, "What? There's more?"2

"Of course," Zhang Zian said. "Cats rarely give birth to just one kitten, they usually give birth to four or five kittens. Look at its belly, it's still swollen, and its contractions haven't ended."

The Abyssinian cat had been licking its kitten's fur to wipe off the amniotic fluid. As the amniotic fluid was washed away, the kitten's brown fur slowly puffed up, and it finally looked more like a cat.

The mother noticed the kitten's placenta and umbilical cord, and once again, had no idea know what to do.

Zhang Zian grabbed the scissors and pinched the umbilical cord, then cut it about half a centimeter away from the kitten.

After some hesitation, the mother ate the placenta in a single bite.

Fina had a look of alarm and disgust on its face.

"The placenta replenishes its stamina," Zhang Zian explained. "Giving birth takes a lot of strength, and it's dangerous if it gets too weak."

The placenta had many nutrients. Eating the placenta was a custom passed down from ancient times, since cats in the wild didn't have someone by their side to take care of them.

However, eating too much of it could cause diarrhea.

Zhang Zian grabbed a can of cat food, and planned to feed it to the mother after it delivered the next kitten.

The kitten became more energetic, it called out and sniffed for its mother.

Zhang Zian touched the electric blanket to check the temperature. It was warm enough, but he still wrapped the kitten in paper towels.

The brought the kitten near its stomach so that it could drink its milk.

Fina's curious gaze was fixed on the kitten. It raised one of its paws to pet the kitten, but the mother, who had always been respectful to Fina. blocked her.

"Its maternal instincts are strong, it's afraid that you'll harm the kitten," Zhang Zian explained, worried that Fina was angry.

Fina was a little angry, but not at the mother. "Why are you the only that can pet the kitten? Isn't she afraid that you'll harm it, too?"

Zhang Zian hadn't really thought about it, but he guessed it was because Fina was also a cat, and those of the same species had a higher probability of hurting one of their kind. It could've also been the fact that he had gloves on, and was unable to leave his scent on the kitten. If he had touched the kitten with his bare hands, the mother might not have even acknowledged the kitten.

The time between each kittens' birth wasn't fixed, it could be a few minutes or an hour. Zhang Zian told Fina to go back and rest, that there was no need for both of them to stay since she wasn't able to help.

Fina, who loved to sleep, glared at Zhang Zian, and said, "What do you mean I'm not able to help? It's precisely because I'm here that her delivery went smoothly!"

Zhang Zian was at a loss for words.

Although the shoe store had been soundproofed, they still heard the fireworks. The sounds had faded, but hadn't stopped.

Zhang Zian had estimated that the cats would go into labor around New year's, so even if the cat was alarmed by the fireworks, the birth wasn't premature. If a kitten was born premature, it'd have deficiencies and it'd be very hard for them to survive.

After a calm few minutes, the mother once again placed its head between its back legs and licked.

Zhang Zian said, "The second one is coming."

This time, they got lucky, and a tiny head popped out.

The mother got a little impatient and started to lick the amniotic fluid off the kitten's face before it was even fully out.

The birth went smoothly and was over in less than a minute. The little fella was covered in amniotic sac, but had successfully come into the world.

The mother licked the kitten from head to tail, and just as it was about to go for the placenta, Zhang Zian grabbed it. He cut the umbilical cord and wrapped the placenta in a paper towel with the plan to dispose of it once everything was done.

The cat's gaze fell on Zhang Zian's hands and meowed. The troubled look on its made it evident that it thought, That was mine, why did you take it from me?

Zhang Zian opened the cat food and placed it beside the mother's mouth.

The mother quickly forgot about the placenta and happily indulged in the boiled tuna.

Zhang Zianm looked out the window and realized that half of the houses in the community had their lights on. The New Year's Gala was almost done, all that was left was the song, "An Unforgettable Night."

Tonight was an exceptionally unforgettable night for Zhang Zian, it was his first time helping a cat deliver its babies. As he looked at the newborn kittens drink milk, he felt a sense of achievement.

After 20 minutes, there were still no signs of a third kitten.

The lights in the community started to turn off one by one. Most people's nights had ended, while Zhang Zian's night had only just begun.

"Is it over?" Fina asked impatiently.

Zhang Zian shook his head. "I'm not sure, we should wait a little longer, but you can head back if you're tired."

"I've already said that I'm not tired!" Fina glared at him.

"Fine." Zhang Zian didn't want to argue with Fina, he just sat down and rested his head against the wall. "We can take a nap while we wait."

Zhang Zian closed his eyes.

Fina had planned to stay awake, but after waiting and seeing no signs of another kitten, it let out a big yawn and found a place to lie down, with the intention to rest its eyes for a moment.

Fina didn't completely fall asleep. It would open her eyes and check on the mother from time to time, but it started doing so less and less.

While Fina lingered between the state of being half-awake and half-asleep, it heard Zhang Zian's shout, "The third kitten is coming!"

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