# our cats pregnant



## kazzles (Nov 7, 2004)

okay I know she's young (being 8months old) this is her first cycle, and we had no idea there was a tom cat around and she got pregnant before I was gonna take her to get desexed but yes our kitten ashley is pregnant and we think she's due in a week. What do you suggest to make things easier for her? i.e bedding etc? any help would be good


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## icklemiss21 (Aug 29, 2004)

She will need a quiet area with some soft bedding where she can have them. Cats often move their kittens around to feel safer so perhaps set up 2-3 areas where she can have them in a room separate from people so she has peace and doesn't feel threatened.

Cats protecting theit kittens can also become very agressive if they feel threatened so don't try to handle the kittens to much or let other cats near her if you have any others.

If you PM Spacemonkey, her cat (kind of) recently had kittens and seh will be able to help loads!


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## Adrienne (Jan 15, 2005)

I have just dealt with a cat being pregnant. She had her kittens about 3 weeks ago. 

Make sure that you close any closets or rooms that you don't want her to deliver in. My boyfriend's family set up about 15 boxes (literally) in the basement filled with diapers (I will explain that) next all over the place. She picked a box full of Christmas linens and stockings to have her babies in. 

We filled all the boxes with diapers, so when she gave birth you could just pick up the diaper and throw it o it out. The diapers would soak up and liquids and blood. These are also nice after the kittens are born, so when they soil the diapers you can just throw them away replace them with fresh diapers. 

Like Ickemiss21, she will probably mover her babes. The kittens have been moved around quite frequently because we go down just to check on the mother and the babies. She keeps moving them to keep them safe. 

If you have questions talk to your vet they can give you loads of information that will be helpful and answers your questions. Good Luck!


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## Hippyhart (Jul 4, 2004)

NewRagDoll, Kazzles doesn't have to explain herself. It was an accident, and she came here to ask for advice -- not to be jumped all over.

Kazzles, I brought in a pregnant stray cat in December so she could have her kittens inside. She ended up having her kittens on a blanket behind the couch. She will need a space of her own that she feels safe in to care for her kittens, such as a spare bedroom or a bathroom, especially if there are other animals in the house. She also will try to move them within a couple days -- my girl moved them under the bed every chance she could get, and I just moved them back to the bathroom at night because the other cats sleep in the bedroom with us.

Let me know if you have any questions -- of course, you will have to post pictures of the little babies after they are born!


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## Zalensia (Aug 25, 2003)

Basically everything has alrdy been said that you can do.
When Vienna had her kittens we put her in the spare bedroom, she had them with no problems, we even got to see 4 of them being born.
And as others said, every chance she can she will move them, Vienna was for ever brining them in behind the sofa.

And as said if you have any more questions please do ask and we will do our best to answer.


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## k_lo86 (Jan 21, 2005)

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!! Mistakes happen, but you thankfully are looking at the good side of this! I have no advice, since I only adopt cats that are spayed but I just wanted to congratulate you! So where's the pic of the cat thats pregnant!! You soon will have grand fur babies all over!


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

Mother cat will probably take care of everything, but sometimes a very young mother needs help. If so, some of the information in this link might be helpful:

http://www.netcat.org/birth.html


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## kazzles (Nov 7, 2004)

Hey all sorry about that! My computer stuffed up! and at bad timing too! about a week after I posted this Ashley had her litter. Course she had them at 11pm and kept having them till 4am lol. She had four to start with but two were still born. They were born backwards too  then 24 hours later she had her last one.. (is this common?? or normal??) that one was also still born. We have two survivors! and they are called Socks and Ginger! one male n one female. We are keeping one and giving the other away! and yes found a home for him! ones a tabby and the others black n white  but they are doing well and Ashleys a Great mum. We've decided that we will get her desexed asap. and maybe let Ginger have her own litter


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## emma_pen (Nov 2, 2004)

Sorry you had stillborns, that's really sad  but maybe due to her being so young. The babies sund gorgeous, and its great that you are keeping one, but please please don't let the new baby have kittens as well 8O  you have seen the trauma Ashley had to go through, after all, and giving birth to dead kittens is traumatic for a cat as well. My advice would be to get Ashley speyed as soon as the kittens are weaned (don't let her out in the meantime) and also to get Ginger done before she comes into heat. It really would be better for all concerned. Good luck, and post kitten pictures!!!


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## lotocats (May 5, 2003)

Sorry to hear the babies were still born. Please have all your cats desexed. The world is overpopulated with milliions of unwated animals. For every one that is born, another one dies in a shelter somewhere because there are just enough homes for all of them. Good luck.


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

Kazzles, you asked if it was unusual for one kitten to be born 24 hours after the others. Yes, it's very unusual. That kitten was probably a bit large for such a young mother, and mother was probably exhausted. Breech birth--feet first--is not unusual. It's such a sad situation. My heart goes out to you.  

Do you know that mother cat can get pregnant while still nursing? As soon as the kittens are weaned you can have her spayed. We have all made mistakes. My guess is that you have become a real advocate of spaying and neutering by 6 months. 

I should have noticed sooner that this should be posted in the Breeding Forum, so I'll do that now. It was a hard lesson for you; I know.


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## lilysong (Apr 4, 2005)

So glad that your two kittens are doing well!

Please reconsider and have Ginger fixed as soon as she is old enough. There are so many homeless kittens in the world, awaiting adoption. Why make more?

Good luck to you!

Lisa


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## kazzles (Nov 7, 2004)

I understand all ur concerns  we have the cat situation undercontrol  we are really enjoying watching the kittens grow up and develop their skills. Yes i know that you are all concerned that we should get them all desexed but really if we decide to let Ginger have kittens we will keep her indoors till she is old enough and till we feel she's ready to have them. I know some of you might think this is wrong but we both want this and we would be able to find homes for them and safe happy homes. Thanks for all ur replies


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## lotocats (May 5, 2003)

I do animal rescue work as I'm sure many who visit this board do. Let me just educate you a little and pose a challenge to you and hopefully when I'm finished you will realize that allowing a cat to bring kittens into a world where millions die every year is totally irresponsible and cruel. Do not take this personally. I'm sure you are a very well meaning person, but as an animal rescuer who sees first hand the tragedy of too many pets because of well meaning people like you, I have to continue. 

I don't know if where you live there are any animal shelters who routinely have to euthanize healhty, beautiful animals because there are just not enough homes for them. If there is I hope you will go to visit on the day when they are killing these animals. You see, like you, before I saw first hand the tragedy of allowing my pet(s) to breed I neither thought anything wrong with having a litter. People think "I'll find good homes." that is not the point. The point is every one that is born, another must die. Do you understand what I'm saying? Please go to your local shelter, look into the eyes of all the unwanted kittens and adult cats and tell them they won't get a chance at a home because the homes they might have gone to are reserved for your cats.

I hope this is reaching you and you understand allowing your cat to have kittens is wrong. There are no excuse or humane reason why any cat should be alloewd to have babies when millions are dying. As the HSUS says "As long as animals are dying, adopt from a shelter." If you want more babies go rescue some that are here already I beg of you. Please set an example by doing the right thing and educate someone as I am educating you. Until everyone does the right thing animals will continue to die needlessly.

Thanks, and I pray you do the right thing.


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## lilysong (Apr 4, 2005)

> we would be able to find homes for them and safe happy homes


This is so important; thank you. I may not agree with your decision to perhaps let her breed when she gets older, but so long as you make some good, thoughtful choices like this, I can't condemn you.

Cheers,
Lisa


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## kazzles (Nov 7, 2004)

Lotocats: I totally understand u being concerned and worried. But you do not know me as a person. I am a cat lover myself and I would NEVER let any harm happen to any of my cats or others! I love them too much I love animals! I hate seeing them in shelters! I myself bought a kitten from a shelter myself! she's my first cat and she's one year old now and VERY healthy she's a cute little tabby called angel. and was the last one left so I had to take her. If I went to a shelter I'd want to take them all home but I am not a millionaire. Heck if i was I would most certainly want to look after them all! Bottom line is I would not let anything BAD happen to the cats. my boyfriend and I are both cat lovers. We want them to go to safe homes. We make sure that we know the person/s that we give the kittens to that they truelly want them and are able to look after them for life!

Lisa: I know most dont agree with what I am doing but believe me I am a cat lover and would not let any harm come to the cats. If i knew that in some way they would be harmed I would keep them all myself.


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## Jockette (Feb 2, 2005)

I don't think anyone is questioning you and the love you have for your cats. Everyone's concern is actually the problem of overpopulation of cats. Every shelter has problems with overcrowding and overpopulating... and it's something that they, and the animals, shouldn't have to go through. By getting your cats fixed will help solve that problem


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## kazzles (Nov 7, 2004)

I understand that but in the end its up to my boyfriend and I. We enjoyed the experience of watching Ashley give birth and watch her mature. We are also enjoying the experience of watching the kittens grow. We have found a home for socks and we are keeping ginger as I said and she's still young so who knows what we decide to do or not. Its up to us in the end. Just letting you guys know that we will think about this, that we are both animal lovers and that we hate what happens and what happens to the animals in those animal shelters. It saddens me and my bf. We know the situations you are all talking about. We know about your concerns but in the end its up to us what we decide to do or not do.

When I was a little girl, we found two kittens in our backyard, I wanted to keep them but mum n dad said no because we had a dog. So we had to take them to a animal shelter. Ever since that day I have always wanted to take care of cats from shelters.. or even strays. I just love cats and by no means would I ever let any harm come to any cat. I understand the overpopulation thing, but you have to understand that thats not such a big problem where I am either. I know it is _A PROBLEM _ but not quite so big here in this small community that I live in then it is say where you guys are. just letting you all know I'm not dumb.. I read the papers about shelters and what happens to cats and how some dont find good homes... 

It is OUR decision. and we will make the right one in the end


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## Jockette (Feb 2, 2005)

Just out of curiousity, how are you going to breed? By just letting your cats out when you feel like it? What if they run into a stray that is carrying a disease and gets passed on to the litter and the other cats you are currently living with?


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## kazzles (Nov 7, 2004)

With Ginger we already have another cat we'd like her to have kittens with. His owner is a friend of mine. And really quite frankly you are all being so negative and you are all making me SO DOWN RIGHT DOWN AND GUILTY FOR EVEN CONSIDERING THIS! I'm a sensitive person and am in tears because I FEEL YOU ALL HATE WHAT I AM SAYING! I DONT NEED THIS ! IN THE END ITS UP TO [email protected] REMIND ME NOT TO COME HERE FOR SUPPORT HEY!


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

Noone is trying to hurt you. We know that you love kittens. With all due respect, the members have told you the truth, and noone can make you feel guilty. The facts have made you feel that way. 

IDEA! I think you are realizing that for every kitten born at your house, a kitten or cat dies at the shelter. I do have a suggestion for you. There are new kittens with no mother who need a foster home, a person who loves kittens and would raise them to an age at which they can be adopted. You could raise new kittens yourself--on a bottle, perhaps a very small litter of two, and enjoy the thrill of watching that baby grow, knowing that you are *saving* lives! Would you consider that? You would be an angel to save those kittens, and then someone could adopt them. I do hope you'll consider this. You would literally be a life saver.


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## Adrienne (Jan 15, 2005)

I second Jeanie's suggestion. 

We have kittens all the time that are dropped off at our shelter with out a mom and need someone to hand feed them and take care of them until they are old enough to go to their new home. We can use all the volunteers that we can get. That would be a great way for you to see the kittens grown and mature with out adding to the over population of kittens or putting your cat in danger health wise.


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## OsnobunnieO (Jun 28, 2004)

You can even foster a pregnant kitty from a shelter. Give her a nice safe home to give birth and raise the kittens in, and you can still watch them grow until they are adopted.

I know how you feel about the kittens. I've always been completely against any type of breeding unless by professional breeders. But with the newest litter of kittens we got in at work, I've just fallen for them. Its been such a neat experience watching them grow and change, seeing their personalities develop... its wonderful.

However, I still wouldn't get my cat pregnant so I can share in this joy. If I remember correctly (read the post a while ago, just got around to replying) you lost some of the kittens? First litters are usually really hard on cats. And if you know it will be the only litter, it seems a little unfair to put them through it. You can end up with a perfectly healthy litter, or no survivors at all. You can even be putting the mother at risk. The sooner cats (and dogs) are spayed/neutered, the chances of them developing cancer are greatly reduced. Its really a much healthier life for them.

I know giving birth is natural and many people think "just one litter" is best for all female animals... but in the wild they don't live long. They make the best of their time on earth by reproducing to carry on their genes... they just don't have to do this in domesticated life. If you really love your pets, have them spayed/neutered so you can fully enjoy them for a nice long time.


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## lotocats (May 5, 2003)

Thanks to everyone who is also trying to make her understand my point. Your goodness and kindness is not the issue. Letting kittens come into a world that is already overpopulated is irresponsible. I'm not judging you, I'm stating a fact that thousands of people would back me on. As others have said, if you could help out a mama cat from the shelter or babies that will be euthanized because someone brought them in and they have no fosters to help feed them. I called my shelter last week to offer to foster any single babies that come in that need bottle feeding. I rescued one a few years ago. She was 4 weeks old and was scheduled to be put to sleep, that is if she didn't starve to death first. I took her home, today she's a big ole 13 lb. sweetheart. Last year I rescued a mama with 5 babies. They were 3 days old and were all going to be euthanized because the shelter staff thought the mama wasn't nice enough. She was in fact a sweetheart. I brought her home and she and her 5 babies live with me. There's no better feeling than saving the life of an animal. Because of the tragedy of animal overpopulation and the cats and kittens I see dying because of the lack of homes, I cringe whenever I here anyone say they are allowing their pet to have babies.

Please try to help out the animals that are already here for their sake. Loving animals is not about us or at least it shouldn't be. My love is for them and their well being, but I realize not everyone loves like I do. They are dependent on us. If we don't make the best decisions for them, who will?


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## ForJazz (Dec 30, 2003)

Jeanie's idea is fantastic. That way you can be a lifesaver, and still witness a litter of kittens being born and raise them. Everyone's happy. 

You say that you would never bring harm to any cat, and I believe that you would never bring harm to YOUR cats. You seem like a very nice person who just doesn't seem to realize the impact of your decisions in this case. What everyone is trying to say, is that when you say "we really want the experience of having kittens" -- you are overlooking something. You are thinking of YOUR desires. And your desires might bring you a litter of kittens. I'm sure you will not harm THEM...but each kitten born from your cat will take away a potential home for a shelter cat. And those shelter cats have only one desire as well -- to live and be loved. Can you look them in the eye and say "sorry, but I really want the experience of seeing a litter of kittens being born, and that's more important to me right now than allowing YOU to have one of the homes I will be sending my kittens to." Foster a pregnant stray and you can have everything, without the guilt. I think the guilt is coming from the facts, because that's all we're giving you. 

You say that it's not as big of a problem in your area. Do you have a shelter near you? Then it's your problem too. There are so many homeless cats in the world that they are shipped from other areas just b/c there isn't enough space where they came from. I NEVER see stray cats in Madison. Yet our shelters are overflowing. You can't draw a fence around stray cat populations -- they wander so much. They are everywhere.


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## Paw Prints (Apr 1, 2005)

> You say that you would never bring harm to any cat, and I believe that you would never bring harm to YOUR cats. You seem like a very nice person who just doesn't seem to realize the impact of your decisions in this case. What everyone is trying to say, is that when you say "we really want the experience of having kittens" -- you are overlooking something. You are thinking of YOUR desires. And your desires might bring you a litter of kittens. I'm sure you will not harm THEM...but each kitten born from your cat will take away a potential home for a shelter cat. And those shelter cats have only one desire as well -- to live and be loved. Can you look them in the eye and say "sorry, but I really want the experience of seeing a litter of kittens being born, and that's more important to me right now than allowing YOU to have one of the homes I will be sending my kittens to." Foster a pregnant stray and you can have everything, without the guilt. I think the guilt is coming from the facts, because that's all we're giving you.


exactly. no one is saying you would harm the kittens, its just that when your cat has those kittens, it starts a chain reaction. many people would rather adopt/buy a kitten rather than an adult cuz kittens are so cute and bouncy. and they are, but think of all those millions of adult cats that deserve a home just as much as kittens. if your cat has 5 kittens, thats 4 or 5 home taken, and 4 or 5 cats put to sleep because people who would have adopted them saw cute kittens instead. so many people have been irresponsible and had kittens when they couldnt keep them (not saying you would do that!) but now there are tons of cats in shelters. if we truley care more for the cats' happiness than our own desires, we have to give up the pleasure of having kittens, and even though it isnt our fault, take care of thsoe cats that have not been cared for. kittens are here for a year or so, the adults are here for like 10 years. if everyone kept having kittens born, and not wanting the adults, where would the adults go? just put cats first-all cats, not just the possible kittens-help the ones that are already here living those lonely cage lives, dont fill possible cat homes with your kittens, and stop other from finding forever homes.


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## Jockette (Feb 2, 2005)

I agree, Jeanie's idea is great!
Not too long ago, the local shelter here was in DESPERATE need for foster homes for cats. I read an article the shelter put out that it's almost EVERYDAY they get an underaged litter that are way too young to be put up for adoption. They need the loving care of an experienced mother cat and a human hand to help out, such as you and your cat.


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## lilalienangel (May 8, 2005)

I'm sorry. I am new but I have to post. Please get her desexed. You can garentee that you will get her kittens good homes but can you garentee that her grandchildren will and her great grandchildren will get good homes? There are hundreds ferral cats running around here. My Mary is a kitten from one. I would bet that the ansestors of everyone one of the ferral cats at one point had a good home. I do not mean to get on you but this is something I feel very strongly about.
Edited to add.>>> I just rescued a pregnant cat from being shot. I am positive that she is the eventual offspring of my mothers Turkish Angora Snowball. She is unhealthy and very skinny. She is a direct exsample of my point. Do you like the thought that your kitties indirect offspring might end up like that or worse? Just think about it.


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## Zalensia (Aug 25, 2003)

lilalienangel I dont know if you read the original post, but the author did state that she/he was/is going to get the cat spayed.
Accidents happen, Vienna got pregnant because I didnt spay her early enough, but ive learnt from that.


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## jennifer2 (Mar 5, 2005)

Kazzles
I don't know if you are still reading this, but I hope you are.
It is your decision if you breed the kitten or not, so I won't tell you not to.
I will tell you that if you do it, to make sure you do it right. You shouldn't breed the kitten the first time it comes in heat, because it's still a kitten. You need to wait until she's fully grown. Pregnacy is a health risk for animals just as it is for people. Having a kitten have kittens is just as risky as a 13 yr old girl having a baby. Yes, she is physically able to do it, but it is putting her own health at risk. Having a baby/kittens can be a health risk to the mother even when she is an adult, the risk factor is much greater when the mother is still a child/kitten.
If you do decide to do this, talk to a vet to make sure you aren't doing something unsafe for the mother cat. Find out how old an animal needs to be. I know in dogs they tell you to wait preferably until 2 years of age, but definatly not before one, since the dog is still growing and having a litter at that point can be dangerous for the mother.

Jennifer


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## ForJazz (Dec 30, 2003)

Zalensia said:


> lilalienangel I dont know if you read the original post, but the author did state that she/he was/is going to get the cat spayed.


I think everyone is referring to her second post where she said this:



> We've decided that we will get her desexed asap. and maybe let Ginger have her own litter


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## ChiliBean (Jun 17, 2005)

still born kittens sound so sad my cat cally had her kittens on the 9th but they were all live


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