# Feeding my pregnant girl



## CherryPie (Oct 13, 2009)

Hi all
I just signed up so should probably say hello first *waves*
On Sunday I picked up a cat, Fiona, and her 9 week old kitten from her last litter after their owner discovered she was having health probs because of them. She seemed absolutely gutted to be rehoming them and now I've gotten to know them a bit, I know why. Fiona is the most affectionate cat I've ever met and the kitten is wonderful.
When I picked them up I was told that Fiona's appetite had recently increased and the lady thought she was probably pregnant again as she has had outside access since the last litter. Being that I don't know her eating habits, I don't know if her appetite has increased or not so am trusting this lady's knowledge of her cats. I have googled pregnancy symptoms and she appears to have none yet, and is still occasionally (maybe a couple of times a day) feeding her 9 week old kitten - I don't know if that would decrease her chances of pregnancy??? Also its well into Autumn now and cats are seasonal breeders aren't they? I'm not at all for cats having litters - I'm definitely in the "spay them young group" - and I will be having her spayed in the near future.
Sorry - back to my point - she is eating like an eating-machine! I've lived with cats before and when they ask for more food I've not given it to them. Fiona is a year old and has been on kitten food and still is. The lady said its fine during pregnancy, which I know anyway, but do I just feed her whenever she asks? She's wolfing it down like its her last meal! Is she just takin advantange of her new naive-to-cat-tricks owner? Heehee

Thanks in advance
Cherry


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Welcome to Cat Forum! 
I think I would *not* restrict her access to food in the off-chance she is pregnant. You do not want to compromise the fetus' if she *is* preggers. If you wish to spay, I would do so ASAP and tell the vet _you don't wanna know_ or find out if she is/isn't pregnant before restricting her access to food. If she is not pregnant, it could be internal parasites that are sapping and diverting her nutritional intake and a simple de-worming could fix all. If she is pregnant, she will need everything she can get to grow and nurture the babies. I would try to stop the weanling kitten from nursing. Most especially trying to stop him at least 2wks before the due-date so all milk/colostrum is reserved for the newborns.
Best of luck!
heidi =^..^=


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## CherryPie (Oct 13, 2009)

Thanks Heidi
I don't think I have it in me to have her spayed right now. I know its possible and is done regularly when they are pregnant, just don't think I could do it myself. I've got an appointment for the kitten's first injection on Saturday so I'll take Fiona along for a check up and see what the vet thinks. She's not leaving the house anytime soon anyway - and isn't trying to leave either
Thanks again


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

CherryPie said:


> Thanks Heidi
> I don't think I have it in me to have her spayed right now. I know its possible and is done regularly when they are pregnant, just don't think I could do it myself.


You're welcome. People have different comfort-levels and I just wanted to put that out there in a non-threatening manner in case someone *did* want/need to and that way they wouldn't be made to feel bad for considering it. 

I *have* had a pregnant feral spayed, but it was The Only way to stop the cycle of her breeding and having litter after litter. She is the only one I've had done. The other pregnant cats; one was friendly (_and I suspect she was an abandoned drop-off_) had her litter in my bathroom and the other feral I trapped her and her litter in my garage and took her babies to tame/foster and an organization helped me get her spayed. The one I *did* have spayed when pregnant, I had just trapped her 10wk old litter to tame/foster and there was no where I could place her to allow her to birth and not get pregnant again ... so I had to have her spayed while pregnant.  _She took 4yrs to tame, but she is now a happy and relaxed housecat that will let company approach and pet her._
All three of those female cats are now our own personal cats. Shadow, Malibu and Pretty.
h =^..^=


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