Hello, you all have given some very helpful information on pregnancy and labor, but I think I am now dealing with a false pregnancy with my 1yr old calico. I *believe* her last heat cycle was the end of February. She had 2 within 10 days and then she hadn't had one. I have 2 neutered males and one other female who is spayed. My 1yr old did not go into heat until her 10th month and I had planned on getting her spayed soon. Anyway, my calico, Bella Capri, looked like she was pregnant. Her belly was hard and poked out the sides a bit, her nipples popped out this week and she had begun to groom around her nipples a lot. I figured if she was pregnant, she would possibly have her kittens around the first week in May (according to your calendars). I also noticed that she ate a lot of food on Sunday, getting up to nibble every 30 minutes or so. And I don't think she ate anything yesterday. Although rare, I figured this was a false pregnancy since my males are fixed and she has not gotten out since I got her at 6 weeks old.
Well, apparently, all she did was sleep today and she purred when my husband stroked her belly. All she wanted to do this past weekend was sleep on me and I caught her somewhat nesting yesterday. When I got home from work tonight, I found spots all over the carpet, about the color and consistency of a Starbucks Frappaccino. I put her in a box, first lined with towels, and she didn't like it, she jumped right out. Then I put her in a box with newspaper. She stayed in there for a while but jumped out about 20 minutes later and the bottom was soaked.
I put her in a spare bathroom upstairs in the same box and she jumped out, not wanting to stay in there. I lined the entire bathroom floor with puppy pads (I use them under the litter boxes, in case of leakage) and she sat and had a few contractions over the next 30 minutes or so. About 90 minutes ago, the discharge changed colors to more pink, then red. The discharge has now thinned out a bit more and is more just blood than anything. Not nearly as much is coming out now as was a few hours ago. I'm hoping this will all be over soon. I was extremely worried that there was something else wrong with her, but I noticed the discharge was definitely coming from her genitals, and not her anus. I had been too impatient to confirm where exactly it was coming from!
Was this all a false pregnancy then labor? I have not been able to find much online about what happens after a false pregnancy. With all those hormones, something was bound to happen to release what she had been preparing, right? Everyone I've spoken to about labor and birthing is that there is usually not that much blood. She doesn't seem like she's in distress--her pupils are dilated, her ears and nose were cold earlier, she just seems to be concentrating. And then she'll have a contraction here and there...I've had contractions before, but had miscarriages, so I know how uncomfortable it is and I feel like I know what she's going through.
Any insight/help would be greatly appreciated!!
Well, apparently, all she did was sleep today and she purred when my husband stroked her belly. All she wanted to do this past weekend was sleep on me and I caught her somewhat nesting yesterday. When I got home from work tonight, I found spots all over the carpet, about the color and consistency of a Starbucks Frappaccino. I put her in a box, first lined with towels, and she didn't like it, she jumped right out. Then I put her in a box with newspaper. She stayed in there for a while but jumped out about 20 minutes later and the bottom was soaked.
I put her in a spare bathroom upstairs in the same box and she jumped out, not wanting to stay in there. I lined the entire bathroom floor with puppy pads (I use them under the litter boxes, in case of leakage) and she sat and had a few contractions over the next 30 minutes or so. About 90 minutes ago, the discharge changed colors to more pink, then red. The discharge has now thinned out a bit more and is more just blood than anything. Not nearly as much is coming out now as was a few hours ago. I'm hoping this will all be over soon. I was extremely worried that there was something else wrong with her, but I noticed the discharge was definitely coming from her genitals, and not her anus. I had been too impatient to confirm where exactly it was coming from!
Was this all a false pregnancy then labor? I have not been able to find much online about what happens after a false pregnancy. With all those hormones, something was bound to happen to release what she had been preparing, right? Everyone I've spoken to about labor and birthing is that there is usually not that much blood. She doesn't seem like she's in distress--her pupils are dilated, her ears and nose were cold earlier, she just seems to be concentrating. And then she'll have a contraction here and there...I've had contractions before, but had miscarriages, so I know how uncomfortable it is and I feel like I know what she's going through.
Any insight/help would be greatly appreciated!!