Maybe Pregnant?

Okay please bare with my on this post, it might get kinda long, but I really would love input.

My mother is out of town for a week, and I have no way to take my cat, Lily, to the vet, so I thought I might be able to get some answers here until she gets home. I've had Lily since she was about 5 weeks old. A lady found her mother while she was pregnant and took her in, but when the kittens were 5 weeks old she was going to put them outside, so I took her in. She is a sweetheart and I love her to death. She is 4 years old and in great shape, besides being a little on the small side. Thing is.. she is not fixed. My mother has told me so many times to get her fixed, and I hate to say it, but I never listened. It's not that I wanted her to have kittens, I never did, I just didn't think it was needed. She was scared to death of being outside, and has never gone out a day in her life and she is the only cat. I know, shame on me for not doing it.

Well about maybe two months ago, my sister got a 8 week old kitten. The lady promised that they were all fixed, so my mother didn't see a problem with the new kitten being a boy around my Lily, since he was fixed. He started getting big and soon he was bigger than her. They got along great, always licking and playing with eachother. Then a bombshell was dropped on us. The kitten, Chester, was actually not fixed at all. Lily went into heat that I know of one time while we had him. That is the only time I actually saw her in heat. Chester now lives at our father's house where he is among boys. The thing is, I'm worried Lily might be pregnant. Chester left our house about 2 weeks ago, and ever since then she has been acting really strange. She use to be so friendly and roam the house, but how she just sits around on my bed all day, only leaving it to eat and go to the litter box. None of us has ever saw any mating going on between the two of them, so maybe she just misses him? She doesn't meow or look for him, she just acts really sad. Her stomach doesn't look any bigger than normal, but I did noticed her nipples were sticking out and kinda a pinkish color. Im not sure if that means anything.

I guess what I'm asking, is there anyway for me to be able to tell if she is pregnant or not before I can take her into the vet? I am worried sick about her. I know I made a mistake and now I just need help.

(((hugs))) your probably going to get scolded for not having her altered everyone here is BIG on spay/nuetering so im going to spare you that lecture lol! Anyway... I was thinking while readding your post that she just misses Chester... then i read about her nipples being pink and visable... so honestly I think she does miss him and having her be lonely isnt good! Have him fixed and bring him home! i know it takes a month for his active sperm to die after the nueter...anyway... someone can give you more advice on whether of not she is preg... i would say yes though

Since she was in heat with an intact male in the house, it's entirely possible that she is pregnant. The way she's acting sounds more like she's missing her freind, but if her nipples are pinker than usual, that could indicate pregnancy. Unfortunately, without going to the vet, the only way to know for sure is to wait.

Well about maybe two months ago, my sister got a 8 week old kitten. The lady promised that they were all fixed, so my mother didn't see a problem with the new kitten being a boy around my Lily, since he was fixed. He started getting big and soon he was bigger than her. They got along great, always licking and playing with eachother. Then a bombshell was dropped on us. The kitten, Chester, was actually not fixed at all. Lily went into heat that I know of one time while we had him. That is the only time I actually saw her in heat. Chester now lives at our father's house where he is among boys. The thing is, I'm worried Lily might be pregnant. Chester left our house about 2 weeks ago, and ever since then she has been acting really strange. She use to be so friendly and roam the house, but how she just sits around on my bed all day, only leaving it to eat and go to the litter box. None of us has ever saw any mating going on between the two of them, so maybe she just misses him? She doesn't meow or look for him, she just acts really sad. Her stomach doesn't look any bigger than normal, but I did noticed her nipples were sticking out and kinda a pinkish color. Im not sure if that means anything.

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Welcome to TCS. If the age of the boy is correct and he was only 4 months of age at the time that she came into heat, then there is a great chance that she is NOT pregnant. Boys tend to become sexually mature later than females. Are you certain that she has never gotten out?? Are you certain that Charlie was 2 months at the time your sister acquired him?? The very best thing you can do is to keep her indoors only and then schedule to take her to the vet. The vet can verify whether she is indeed pregnant or not. If she isn't then I would recommend that you schedule her spay appt. very soon. It is healthier for a cat to be spayed. In the meantime, ensure that you keep her indoors only and away from any intact males.

Katie

Thanks for all the advice. I've been reading other posts and I deeply wish I had gotten her fixed a long time ago, and I am in the process of getting the male fixed so in two months (I figured I'd wait two months just to be safe) I can bring him back. I am positive she did not get outside at all. She is scared to death of going outside, and whenever she has to go on car rides she clings on me the whole way to the car. Her 'bedroom' is in the basement and she spends most of her time taking over all the rooms down there. And yes, I am sure that Chester was 2 months old when my sister got him.

I am so greatful that it is looking like she is not pregnant, but even so I made a vet appt. for next week. I was looking up information online, and somethings I read said that it wasn't a good idea to get a 4 year old female fixed, it could cause problems. Is that true? I thought after this scare I would learn my lesson and make sure it never happens again. And like I said, we are getting the male fixed and so he can come home so Lily and him can be play mates again, this time safely! Thanks again for all the help!

It really depends on the veterenarian...some will spay/neuter at 2 pounds. Others, maybe some of the more experienced onces, will say 6 months. I really don't think there's a "low" limit on females. But I've heard (from my vet) that they prefer the males go a bit longer...

I wouldn't hesitate to have a 4yr. old cat spayed. She is more apt to have problems from not being spayed. I put off having my 6yr. old chihuahua spayed because of fear and didn't worry about pregnancy because she was never around other dogs. I now have a male maltese and decided I really needed to get the chi spayed since all she did was flirt with the male. She came through it fine but the vet told me that she had 4 cysts on her ovaries. Thank God I had her spayed or this could have caused major problems down the road. Not having your kitty spayed makes her more susceptible to certain cancers, cysts, tumors and pyometra, which can be deadly. Having her spayed is one of the best things you can do for her.

There really is no upper age limit to getting females neutered, and it really is a case of the sooner the better - pyometra can affect them at any age, and can be fatal. Mammary cancer normally occurs at the age of 10 - and cats dont go through a menopause like we do - I took on a 14yo unspayed female last year, and she was still having heat cycles - sadly, she also had mammary cancer, so we didn't spay her. But, if she hadn't, she would have been done immediately, as her organs were in good condition for her age. If she isn't pregnant, and you can only afford to get one done at a time, I Would personally get her done first, as males can produce sperm after.

I am so greatful that it is looking like she is not pregnant, but even so I made a vet appt. for next week. I was looking up information online, and somethings I read said that it wasn't a good idea to get a 4 year old female fixed, it could cause problems. Is that true? I thought after this scare I would learn my lesson and make sure it never happens again. And like I said, we are getting the male fixed and so he can come home so Lily and him can be play mates again, this time safely! Thanks again for all the help!

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Honestly....I do not know a single reason why a 4 year old should not be spayed...perhaps you can share the finding from the searches you have done so we can address those here.

Also....let us know how the vet appt. goes....hopefully the vet will give you good news and you can have her spayed.

Thanks for all the advice. I've been reading other posts and I deeply wish I had gotten her fixed a long time ago, and I am in the process of getting the male fixed so in two months (I figured I'd wait two months just to be safe) I can bring him back.

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Honestly....we are just glad you came here and posted your question. Now you know a lot more and it sounds like you are taking excellent precautions with regards to the male kitten by getting him neutered and waiting 2 months before bringing him back.

Please keep us updated!!!

Katie