# Pregnant Cat?



## Novembra1120 (Dec 25, 2008)

Hi everyone. I'm Erin, I'm 25 years old and I have 2 cats (maybe kittens on the way!), a german shepherd, and a cockatiel.

Okay I'm sure you've all heard this song and dance before, and I've done a lot of research on the subject, but I need some personalized advice (and I'm sorry for the long post, I just want to make sure I get all details out).

Okay last year, shortly after I moved into my house, my neighbor told me that a stray cat had given birth under my shed. She said she wanted to get the kittens out and find them homes as she had done previously when this cat had kittens before. Before we could get to them, the mother had moved them into the woods, and we never saw the kittens again. About 6 weeks ago, I noticed the momma cat (whom I've now named Kimora) in my back yard again, but I didn't really think anything of it. A couple days later, I saw her up close and her belly looked pretty big. I thought to myself, enough is enough, if something isn't done, she'll continue to have babies who will either die in the horrible winters we have here, or be killed by the wild dogs. So I called our local animal sanctuary and they let me borrow a trap (she seemed friendly but still a little scared). So I caught her and I've had her for almost 5 weeks now. The first few weeks I was confident she was pregnant, would have her kittens, I would find them homes, take Kimora for her shots and to be spayed, and live happily ever after. Then a friend of mine came over and said that she didn't think she was pregnant, and that it was worms. So I called all the vets here to see how much they would charge just to tell me whether or not she was pregnant, and the cheapest was $85 which I don't really have like that right now. So I took her to the humane society - even though they don't have a vet on staff I figured they were a lot more experienced than I am. They felt around and said it could go either way, it could be worms but they think she's pregnant. They dewormed her for me (for free which was really cool) and told me to wait another month and if she doesn't have them by then, then too much time would have passed and she's not pregnant. So she was dewormed 6 days ago and her stomach definately doesn't look as bloated, but still bulging-looking to me. I read that when cats lose the hair around their nipples its a sure sign of pregnancy and her nipples definatly don't have any hair around them (the hairless part is a little bigger than a dime) so she could be pregnant right? The only reason I'm doubting it is because when you look at her stomach it looks like she could be pregnant, or she could be fat. She also hasn't really been nesting - I've given her towels, newspapers, and a box all in an unused dog crate covered with dark blankets. I tried to attach a pic, but it said the file was too big - sorry!

If anyone could give me any advice, I'd really appreciate it. The humane society told me not to take her to the vet until the month had passed, because they probably wouldn't be able to tell me anything different without a sonogram. But if I really do need to take her, I'll do it.

Thanks everyone!


----------



## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Welcome and thanks for trying to change this kitty's life. You're a good person to do so. I had your same problem of ferals birthing on my property and I was able to get them all spayed/neutered and kept most of the adults while I tamed/fostered the kittens for adoption so I wouldn't be overrun with kittens/cats.

Anyhow, a cats gestation is between 60-67 days. If you've had her for 5wks and keep her an additional month without her belly growing significantly larger and/or birthing kittens, it would be safe to say she is not carrying kittens. You can spay a pregnant cat, though of course the kittens are lost, and the cost is higher because of the extra care to prevent bleeding. It also costs more and the risks of spay are higher for spaying a cat who is in season. It is best to spay an un-bred cat who is not in season at the time of the spay to keep the risks of the surgery as low as possible. 
Anyhow, I wanted to say that if you are seeing signs of impending kittens and her belly doesn't look particularly large, she could only be carrying a few kittens. If you wait the 4-5 weeks additional, you will know for certain before scheduling a spay.
Heidi


----------



## AbyssinianLover (Oct 25, 2008)

Also i would be looking for if she's got really pink nipples and usually a pregnant cat is quite affectionate. My old cat i had use to be very affectionate before i even knew she was pregnant also she farted quite a bit(not really sure if that is a sign of pregnancy-she just really stunk when she did it lol) and also my newer cat who just had six babies 3 weeks ago today she had pink nipples and was very affectionate. But mia also was nesting since as soon as i got her i got her a box ready to have her babies and she laid in there almost everyday so she may not be pregnant if she isn't nesting but i think that usually starts a couple of week's before she is about to give birth. I would also check up on the internet and see if there is any other information about cat pregnancy.


----------



## Novembra1120 (Dec 25, 2008)

Thanks for the great advice.

I can't say for sure if her nipples are pink, but they're definately big and hairless. I did read that sometimes after a cat's first pregnancy, the nipples don't get pink with each additional pregnancy. And yes she is incredibley affectionate. When I first got her I brought the trap into my bedroom, opened it and left her alone for a while. When I went back up there a couple of hours later, she was under the bed, but as soon as I lifted the bed skirt she came running to me like we were long lost best friends lol. The only problem is, I've never met her before so this could just be her personality, ya know? But I guess I'll just have to play the waiting game. I'll try to figure out how to resize my pics so I can post some, and I'll let you know how things turn out. I did read that many cats do not start nesting until they actually go into labor. One difference I have noticed, is for the past couple of days she's been spending a lot of time under the bed. She's not doing anything under there, just hanging out. It used to be whenever I was in the room she was literally all over me, but now I have to coax her out. Not sure if that means anything or if I'm just over analyzing lol.

Thanks again everyone.


----------



## OctoberinMaine (Sep 12, 2006)

Just wanted to echo what Heidi said -- you're a really good person for taking this cat in and trying to help her so much. You are really to be congratulated for this!


----------



## Kattt (Dec 20, 2008)

If she's hanging out under the bed, thats a good sign that she's pregnant and close to giving birth. Especially if you have any boxes under there.. regular, or shoeboxes.

One of my cats did that before she was about to give birth.. and ended up having her kittens under my bed, in a shoe box lol. We had to lift the bed up to get them all out.

Maybe put a nice size padded box in the corner of the bedroom for her, with some blankets in it. She might crawl into that and give birth instead.

Good luck!


----------



## Novembra1120 (Dec 25, 2008)

Well there isn't anything under my bed. But I do have a large dog crate that I put blankets inside of, along with some newpapers, and I covered the outside of it with blankets so it would be warm and dark in there but she's not too interested in it. I think I might go out and get some more kitty treats to lure her in.

When I first took her in I was really hoping she wasn't pregnant but now I got myself all excited for little babies so I'll kinda be disappointed if she isn't :? .

Thanks again everyone!


----------

