Urgent help required -first time cat owner here - in a bad fix!

Also it's a very common practice in this country to have your cats free to go out - infact all the cats I've seen till date are usually outside the house all day and no friend has ever had a cat killed by a dog - tho I've heard of very young kittens getting run over by cars - also maybe because she's a cross between a stray and a persian cat she's a bit stronger and streetsmart by inheritance I think.
I do intend having her go out and the kittens once they'r old enough to take care of themselves, but I'll wait for time to help me make a firm decision on that. But seriously it's a regular norm here for cats to roam around, come back to feed, sleep, etc, but be cats generally - infact my cat's the first one i've seen whose truly been a total housecat since I didn't have a choice.

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It is your choice whether to let your cats outdoors once they are spayed/neutered..the problem with your current situation...you are allowing an intact female and her intact kittens outdoors with other intact cats. Not only would I be concerned about the potential for her to be pregnant again..but every time she is mated by an intact male, there is a chance that that male is carrying a disease such as FIV or FELV that could be transmitted to your cat and/or her kittens. I guess my question is...is her freedom worth her life???

After your cat has been spayed...the chances of males trying to mate with her goes down significantly...so does her chances for diseases, pyometra and certain cancers.

Another misconception that is out there is that cats must be in heat to become pregnant....an intact cat can become pregnant at any time, by any intact male. She can also become pregnant again within days of giving birth and that is something that is not recommended.

Her kittens could become pregnant as early as 4 months of age...so my advice is to find a vet who is willing to spay/neuter all the kittens as early as possible. Definately get mom fixed now...she can still nurse her kittens.

Katie

Well said TNR...

I want to add that I called all over to get Skittles fixed. I finally called the adoption people who recommended the mobile clinic to me. The only thing I had to agree to was the fact that Skittles was the mom and these where all her kittens. I even got shot records for each Cat even mom. When they got fixed they where also given there first shots. Trust me I paid like 150.00 for all of it. I had to get up at 5am but it was worth the trip and the time to make sure they would all be safe and wont have any more babies.

Call your local shelter or cat rescues they can give you a hand in the right direction.

Hey guys, remember the OP is in India - things are very different over there from the US, and the important thing is that he/she is very concerned and trying to do right by a cat and her kittens, which is good. It may not be what you would do, but that is all right too. The important thing is to keep this little family as safe as possible and the poster needs practical advice on that, that will work in these circumstances.

the OP (:censor::censor::censor:'s that? ) is a he.
he's very very concerned bout all three of em, mommy being dearest.
a lot of folks got a lot of things wrong, i'll post details tomorrow - right now tryin to play with the family, mommy's on full heat like i had suspected.
does that mean she's pregnant?

and the poster above me - u quite nailed it there with u'r points bout this whole misunderstanding on this thread - but i am thankful to all of u for yer help and yer pitchin in so fast with help. trust me i'll sleep much better tonight, one more day of work n i have the weekend to do something serious, n one week to go to salary.

the family's fine and safe n secure in the house. the one window's still open, mommy can still go get her fresh air for now, but the kittens will have to wait a coupla days more at least before they can find a way to that only window that leads out.
n out here means out only for the kittens, mommy just get's the frontyard, which is grilled (as iin a metal grill (mesh) on two sides of the house - the side n back- that enclosure is big and totally safe, she can't get outta there, n noone except a mice can come in thru that grill.

i'll update u folks tomorrow - but like i said - 1. cultural differences 2.people's ideologies' differences, n 3. people getting people wrong. they'r all safe, n i shall go back to playin with them. thank u everyone, i really owe u folks. u really did help today.

n i started this thread so that the kittens never get outta the house. it's impossible right now, like i explained the only window to the yard is accessible to mommy who can jump so high. my worry was if they grew up and by some freak accident did get out, she should have a way to get them back or teach em how to thru a way that would let her go out too, cause she'd be trapped if the kitchen window was closed, she can't go out of the outside outside grill they can (once they can jump up to this window, which thanks to this thread's help will now be closed in a few days too - too bad mommy - she's always been used to terraces which have been safe for her to get her air and outside views of the world while not being able to run really outta her house, including the previous one too. that's fun enough for her, but somewhere in my heart i do want her to go out and be a cat - life's bout freedom, trappin any pet permanently is sad - but that's just my view and most change, tho i suspect this would. practicality will decide soon.
bout the spaying her right now - i guess i'll decide tomorrow morning, since she may be pregnant according to most, and people have mixed views bout gettin it done now. so i'm confused again - will decide tomorrow - see if i can give it two weeks - they really need her around right now - she's always around them.
n the two get neutered like someone said in another 4 months.
got mommy when she was bout a month - adopted her from some neighbour with a big house's outside - she was more than glad to give her, n she was love at first site for both me n my girl - we'd just gone out to fetch bread for breakfast for god's sake!
yet she's never been outdoors since. it kinda saddens me, n i know she's dying to go outside cause i have to be SUPER careful everytime i open the door to enter, or get a guest in - time will tell how it works out - but it'll be secure for sure - she's my baby.

thanks again - gnite.

Slartibartfast- I know you said the kittens can not get out, but mom might try to take them out. She can grab the kitten and jump. Just a tip for you in case you where not aware of that

Jenny- I do agree with you that why I stated it was my opinions and I was trying to just give a few places so she can try to get them fixed like she did state she wanted to. I did mention I was not clear and I still am on what she was asking for. I think how the yard is fenced in is not clear to me. But thank you for opening my eyes that all places are different I will keep that in mind I did not notice that when I first posted and that was my fault

mommy's on full heat like i had suspected.
does that mean she's pregnant?

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Was she outdoors....was she around any intact males?? Heat has nothing to do with her ability to become pregnant....and yes, she can still show signs of heat and be pregnant.

will decide tomorrow - see if i can give it two weeks - they really need her around right now - she's always around them.

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I hate to break it to you this way but in 2 weeks....she could become pregnant if she isn't already or the vet could decide not to spay her. Litters that are so close together are hard on the mother's system and it can mean that the subsequent litters are not as healthy. I would truly recommend that you take your cat's welfare into consideration...her health is drastically improved once spayed and you can allow her to roam indoors and outdoors after the spay procedure has occurred.

n the two get neutered like someone said in another 4 months.

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Great...if they are both boys..that will be a perfect time.

Katie

You've gotten a lot of good advice from the members here. I'll leave the spaying and neutering advice to others. (My cat Aristotle was neutered at 4 months because both testicles had dropped. )

As for your other concern, may I suggest you search this website for ideas on creating an enclosure for your cats so that they can go out if they wish? Some of our members have pretty large and complex ones, but their ideas can be modified to fit your circumstances. The grills you have are a great start.

I can understand why you cannot keep your windows shut all the time because of your climate. Our summers here can be very hot and humid.

Just for your info, OP means Original Poster! And it is difficult here, people don't always realise the difficulties and differences between cultures. What in one culture is almost cruelty, somewhere else is regarded as the only way to live. Having lived in Bosnia for ten years I saw a completely different attitude to cats and dogs from that in the US or Western Europe. And we have members from the Philippines and China, among other places, who also experience different problems and attitudes. Anyway, what we have in common is we all love our cats and want the best for them. And most of us are willing to learn from others' experiences.

To answer someone, yes, i have mentioned it before, she was out day before night with the same tomcat, and then he even tried coming into the house through the kitchen window (which is now sealed) - that's when she freaked out and had a horrible fight with him and chased him outta the house.
So yes, there is a good chance she can be pregnant already - the first time also she was out only once and hence the two kittens litter.
Also - just to reiterate, she hasn't been on heat since dec, once she got pregnant, and the last one and a half months she's been nursing the kittens. I let her out day before night, and that's when the tomcat came calling again and prolly mated like I mentioned. Even that night she was not on heat, but yesterday morning (after the night's incident) - she got onto heat again.
She's full on heat right now, so if she's pregnant - how long will that last IF she is pregnant? I remember the last time her heat cycle taking just a coupla more days once she was pregnant and terminating.
If it does get over in a day or two, does it means she's not pregnant?

Also, if she IS pregnant, is it a good idea to get her spayed today, and let the kittens still suckle on her after spaying? I can take care of her today (it's friday morning 9.30 am here, and I will be getting her spayed, if I do around 2pm - from then on I can be with her till Monday morning - that's taking full care for 2 and a half days? The only concern is whether she'd be able to feed the kids over the next few days, and would the ketamine the doc plans to give for the surgery and the antibiotics affect the kids in anyway if suckle on her immediately, which they would, since they still are.

Also - someone mentioned that she can take out the kittens herself through the bedroom window - no - she won't, having been an indoors cat, and not knowing the outdoors herself, and also the fact that once she takes them to the courtyard/ backyard - they can escape from the grilling outside, while she'll be stuck inside has prevented her from doing so till now - infact she's very careful right now that they don't even approach the window - like I said she's always got an eye on them - ALWAYS - never lets em out of her sight.
Which would be very painful for her now even more since she's gone on heat, n rolling all over.

So again, i've got a lot of questions there - to spay today or not, that still is the question.

Wow! You've probably gotten a lot more input than you bargained for! Thank you for taking it all in good humor and understanding that we're all just concerned for your little kitty family.

I just want to reiterate that it is not at all cruel to keep your kitty inside, especially once she's been spayed. In fact, it's the kindest thing you can possibly do for her. A couple of things to consider:

-- Where I live, in an American suburb where it's illegal to let dogs run loose, the life expectancy of a cat who is allowed outdoors is only two years. I can't even imagine how much more dangerous it is for an outdoor cat in Bangalore, where you have what you called "street dogs!" YIKES!

-- Once your mama kitty is spayed, she will no longer have a deep desire to go outside, and she'll quickly adjust to a safe and comfortable indoor life. What's more, she won't be bored, because she'll have her own two babies to keep her company!

-- If you make them all indoor kitties, you'll have far more control over their wellbeing. You can protect them from exposure to disease and parasites, from other animals, from traffic, from people who might mistreat them... and you'll be able to rest easy, knowing you're doing the very best you can for them.

I know this is not the way things are done where you live... but it's very clear in your writing that you truly love these kitties very dearly. Maybe you're the man to start a new trend in cat care!

Thank you so much for sharing that sweet picture of the kittens. We'd love to see Mama too. Meanwhile, our thoughts are with you... and whatever happens, I think your kitties are lucky to be so loved.

N also will spaying her ensure loss of interest from that tomcat in her? Or would he STILL try and forecefully mate with her?

Would appreciate if any folks are around and can help me a bit more with the above post - leavin for work now - need to plan things out if am gettin her spayed in 5 hrs now - will not leave back any food for her in that case too. Got another ten minutes at home.

Is it possible to put some kind of screen on your window, until the kittens are old enough to go outside? Just a thought.

Your kittens are beautiful, BTW. Best wishes to you and your kitties.

Just got to work - still in a fix if should get her spayed today or wait a coupla weeks still, considering she may be most prolly pregnant - anyone around?

Bout the screens - will fix that problem - for now everything is sealed anyway. Help me make a decision - bout two posts above - can someone pls suggest whether it's not too risky her feeding the kittens after spaying?
She's in a lot of discomfort because of the heat having kicked in, and with always always every moment being worried bout the kittens and keepin an eye on em, the poor thing will have a more horrible time.

Originally Posted by slartibartfast

Also - just to reiterate, she hasn't been on heat since dec, once she got pregnant, and the last one and a half months she's been nursing the kittens.

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So the kittens are 6 weeks old?and she gave birth after her last heat in december?

Even if she is pregnant, she can still be spayed in two weeks. Ideally, the kittens should have a couple more weeks of nursing, but momma cat may be difficult to be around during that time, and drive you crazy. I'm glad you are keeping them all indoors for now. Good luck on your decision.

She was on heat for almost an year in my old apartment - but there was no way any tomcat could climb up there to the terraces - very soon as I moved here in Oct, she found one small hole in the grill and escaped one night - and got pregnant - delivered on Jan 7th.

Any good place I can upload 500mb of pictures? I've never uploaded pics.

Originally Posted by slartibartfast

...Any good place I can upload 500mb of pictures? I've never uploaded pics.

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Photobucket's good.

http://photobucket.com/

She may still be able to feed the kittens after being spayed. Have you asked the vet if they will still spay her if she is pregnant again? I don't know if you have that option available in India.

Ok - the same (younger unexperienced vet) had this to say now :
He will be bandaging her completely after the spaying, so the kittens since they'r still feeding from her may pull off the bandages to get to her teats, so he's advising I wait a week, try get em off her and on regular milk and food n then do the spaying next weekend.
He says it's not a problem even if she's already pregnant - he'll anyway be remaining the entire uterus next week.

My question is - can the bandaging be done so the uppermost two teats are left uncovered and they can suckle from there? Cause I'd really want the spaying to be done with today - she's in heat, and it'd be a real pain for her being in heat and still having to worry all the time bout the kittens.
So is it possible to do the bandaging that way, to leave two teats free, since there are only two kittens finally, not many?
He says the bandage will stay at least a week, n since I won't be around in the weekdays all day at home, they may pull off the bandage.

Whatsay folks?

Tryin to upload some pics on photobucket - already had an account there - will post some soon.