Is my cat pregnant?

richi

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Well about a month and a half ago.I found a cat and i went up to it and tried petting it but it wouldnt let me.I said to myself "o well" so i fed my dog and started walking back towards the house when i look back to see if the cat was still there and no it wasnt,it was right behind me.So i went to my house and got some cat food for it and it gobbled it all up.So i decided to keep the cat ,who i named Blacka.(actually my little brother named it.)well over the next week it started getting friendlier and it would now let me pet it.Now i think she is pregnant.She has started growing around her belly area and her nipples are really swollen.I think she came to me pregnant,because well my other male cat is neutered.Well i just want to confirm she is pregnant . here are some pics of her.Please be the judge of it .I will spay her soon after she has kittens if in fact she is pregnant.Plus she seems to be a vey young cat.Can this cause a problem?here they are.
























If you think she is how far along do you think she is?
 

celestialrags

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Hi and welcome to TCS.
That was great of you to take in this kitty and I do think she is pregnant.

Are you at home with your parents? You said your little brother named her, so I assume you are at home with parents. Can they take her to the vets, or you if you aren't as young as I was assuming. They can give you an idea of how far along she is, because by the looks of the pics, I would say yes, she is pregnant. I would say further along as well, so she must have come to you that way, and I appreciate you taking her in while she is pregnant and getting her and her kittens off the street. It looks as though she has started to clean the hair from around the nipples to make it easier for kittens to nurse, they do that late in the pregnancy, in the last 3 weeks or so. Can you feel them moving? You can usually feel them in the last 2 weeks of pregnancy. Cats typically carry for 63-67 days, about 9 1/2 weeks or so. In some pics she looks to be around 4 weeks and in some more and others less, so it is hard to tell by pics. but, you can see that she is clearing the hair, like I said, which makes me think she may be around 6 or 7 weeks, but a vet can give you a better idea of when she will be due, and how many, by feeling them. I think she looks to be young, most definately under a year, and she can have problems with delivering. So you want to be sure to keep an eye on her and have vets and emergency vets number on hand in case of problems, I would also make sure to be signed in here at the time of delivery too, LOL there are lots of expirienced peple here that can help you through it and let you know what's normal and not, and what to do if it's not, and most of all support you and talk you through it!
If she is under 4 weeks when you bring her to the vets, the vet may be able to preform a spay/abort, it isn't as bad as it sounds and will not effect the mother, it could be the best thing for her, especially if she is young, but she looks like she may be too far for that and you may not be comfortable with it either, and that is understandable. Good luck with Blacka and keep us informed on how she is doing and post pics of her babies when she has them!
If you can check out the forums, there are lots of posts and links to kitten care that you may find use ful, just ask some one if you can't find them some one would be happy to post them for you, I can't remember them and can never find any thing I am looking for.
 
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richi

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Well i am 16, and my parents budget is tight.I dont think the vet will examin her he charge $30 for an appointment.so yea it pretty expensive for us.I have been looking for a job for a long time,but i have no luck.Well the other day i was feeling for kittens i felt a ball in her tummy , idk if it was an organ or a kitten.I felt the size of a golfball..so idk.I have to go right now but i'll get back at u guys asap.!
 

maxy24

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She's def. preggers and pretty far along by the looks of it. Are you sure you can afford to take care of this mother and her kittens? When you feel her dog feel too hard, for movement just place your hand on the side of her tummy. make sure you get her a box to give birth in, keep it in a quiet safe room where you will be able to keep the kittens until they are older and where you can keep a close eye on them. You will need blankets to put in there. Maybe someone who has done this will come along soon and give you a list of what you need to be prepared. Good luck!
 
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richi

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Yes im sure i can afford the kittens and her...So when do you guys think her Teets will fill up with milk?
 

devlyn

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I guess I'm confused and not trying to be mean at all. If you can't afford to take one cat to the vet for $30, how are you going to afford the kittens, and their shots, and the vet visits and to get Blacka spayed, and to get her kittens neutered/spayed also? Kittens are very expensive and a huge responsibility. You will have them with you for 10-12 weeks and they will need to see the vet. Often kittens have health issues like upper respiratory infections, fleas, worms, etc.
To help avoid some of these issues, it's best to get Blacka to the vet. As was mentioned, you can get a spay/abort if the vet will perform it (depending on how far along she is). If not, she should be checked for worms and fleas to make sure that she is as healthy as can be. Please don't give her over the counter flea/worm medications as they can damage her babies and her too.

You should also pick Blacka up some high quality kitten food for her to eat. My foster kitty did well on Nutro Kitten, but others might have some suggestions.
She needs the extra calories since she is pregnant and will be nursing. Allow her to eat that food until she is done weaning them.
Please also keep her indoors only. Fleas can kill young kittens and it's likely she'll pick them up if she's outdoors.

Thank you for taking Blacka in! She definitely needed someone to look out for her and I'm glad she found you.


Devlyn

Originally Posted by richi

Yes im sure i can afford the kittens and her...So when do you guys think her Teets will fill up with milk?
 

jen

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I ask the same question... it is expensive to afford all the rounds of vaccines that kittens need, they go thru litter like crazy once they start using the box, they eat a TON of food and the cost of spaying and neutering all of them plus mom is expensive as well since you need to keeep them until they are at least 10 weeks.

Also, if that is a flea collar on Blacka, please take it off ASAP! Those are so very dangerous for cats, they have killed more cats then anyone would care to know about. Just pick up some topical flea medication from the vet. Stay away from any and all flea collars for any animal.
 
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richi

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That never even crossed my mind, sorry if i sound so irresponsible.Its just i never even planned on breeding her as i said she was preggers when she came to me. What do you guys think i should do if i cant afford her.there are no ,no kill shelters anywhere around me,as i am surrounded by small towns ,mine included.
 

thepatches

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Originally Posted by richi

That never even crossed my mind, sorry if i sound so irresponsible.Its just i never even planned on breeding her as i said she was preggers when she came to me. What do you guys think i should do if i cant afford her.there are no ,no kill shelters anywhere around me,as i am surrounded by small towns ,mine included.
I live in a small town with a no-kill shelter =^.^= I didn't know it was one until I researched for it. Have you done the same? I agree with the others, if you do no the relatively small amount of cash to care for the mother cat than there is NO way you will have the money to responsibly take care of her babies and make sure they survive.

I've been in the exact same situation as you with a cat that I took in off the streets preggers when I was about 15. The only reason we let her have her babies with us is because my grandmother who I was living with had experience in helping birth kittens. But my family was poor and Oreo gave birth to one stillborn and one was rejected. We just did not have the money to care for it and it died. If we had had the money to get the proper supplies and care for that kitten, it may have been different. Or it may not have. But just remembering that night... I can remember it perfectly too, I am on the verge of tears.

At the least, get in touch with the closest Humane Society or like organization in your area. (we could help you find one if you like) They usually offer low-cost appointments and examinations. Blacka is a beautiful cat and I'm sure you care about her a lot. If you want to keep her and make her healthy and happy, please please do everything in your power to get her the help her and her babies need. She is putting her's and her kitten's lives in your hands. But none of your choices are going to be free I'm sorry to say
. Even if you plan on doing a "free to good home" campaign for the kitties (which I and many others on this site advise against) there's no guarantee that they will be taken off your hands. You may still have the financial burden of them.

I really can't offer any other advice than to perhaps look for someone else to take her in. I hope you all the best luck though!
 

devlyn

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You don't sound irresponsible, just like you're in a bad situation. We are here to help and hope that you DO keep Blacka and can give her a good forever home.

The first step is seeking knowledge and solutions and you are doing that by joining us here on TCS!

Devlyn
 
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richi

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I dont think there is a rescue here.There is a pound ,but they kill the dogs and cats if no one claims them in one week.Trust me my town is small.The population of my town is about 3,000 people.We have a petstore ,but its mainly just for dogs and horses. The closest "Big City" to me is about 2 hrs.away.and with gas prices this high,its very difficult for me and my family to travel that far.I really love my cat and it seems like a horrible idea giving her away ,she is part of my family.My mom has TRIED givin her away ,but nobody seems interested in a "pregnant" cat.
 

jen

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what city and state do you live in? could you find public transportation that will allow you to bring a carry on pet in a cage? Or maybe get a friend to drive you to the nearest clinic? Even a full priced spay and gas money will probably be less then the cost of the kitten care.
 
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richi

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I live in Friona, TX.
 
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richi

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Are you sure.I couldnt find anywhere on the site that said it was located in Dimmit.....I really dont want to give her up.
 

brittany_nicole

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I know how you feel about giving her up. I wouldn't want to if I was in your situation either.

Caring for kittens is really expensive. Saedie just went for her kitten shots and a check-up on Saturday and it cost me 100 dollars. That is for one kitten.

You need to talk to your parents about the money situation. There is always pet insurance that can help pay for the costs of check-ups, spaying/neutering, shots, ect.

Giving her to a no-kill shelter can be hard but you need to do what is best for Blacka and her kittens.

It is up to you. All of us will respect your choice and if you choose to keep her, we are all here to help you with your questions.

Trust me, you don't sound irresponsible. You are new to this and learning.

Don't buy OTC flea medications. Same with dewormers. They are dangerous. Pet foods sold in grocery stores (Purina, Iams, Meow Mix, ect.) are not as good as they might seem. Stick to brands sold in pet stores. I feed Saedie Chicken Soup for the Kitten Lover's Soul. Get Blacka spayed as soon as the kittens are weaned. One of her kittens can get her pregnant if you wait too long. Don't let her outside until she is spayed. She can get pregnant again just days after she gives birth to her kittens. Also, if you don't get the kittens spayed as soon as possible or if the vet won't spay them until they are 6 months or so, seperate the males from the females. You don't want your kittens getting pregnant. The most important thing is, we will want to see pictures of the kittens when they are born.
 
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richi

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Hey guys.!!! Guess what?!!! I finally got a JOB!! Its at Dairy Queen!! I am so happy!! Yay. after weeks of looking for a job i finally got one.I get to keep blacka.Its not a for sure thing yet but,yea.There's a greater possibility of me keeping her.I will post pics of her and her babies once she has them.Her appetite has gone up alot.She has to eat at least every to hours.She doesnt eat alot during her "snacks" but its more than usual.Should i switch her to kitten diet at this point?
 

thepatches

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Originally Posted by richi

Hey guys.!!! Guess what?!!! I finally got a JOB!! Its at Dairy Queen!! I am so happy!! Yay. after weeks of looking for a job i finally got one.I get to keep blacka.Its not a for sure thing yet but,yea.There's a greater possibility of me keeping her.I will post pics of her and her babies once she has them.Her appetite has gone up alot.She has to eat at least every to hours.She doesnt eat alot during her "snacks" but its more than usual.Should i switch her to kitten diet at this point?
Yay! Good for you! (mmm dairy queen! lol)

That shelter I linked to says it's in Dimmit on the google map, and when you zoom out, it shows your town close by ^^ You should give them a call to find out how much they would charge to take Blackas kittens off your hands once they have been weaned from their mom, and to see how much they would charge to spay her for you ^^ This would be your cheapest option.

Good luck and I look forward to pictures of the little furbabies! I hope they are as elegant looking as their mommy ^^
 

danimarie

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I just want to say what a sweet teenager you are!!! Holy crap, I never knew teenagers as nice as you when *I* was a teenager!!

Personally I think that Blacka is lucky to have you and everyone is being really overly protective because of experiences they've been through and seen with cats and kittens.

Growing up I knew a lot of stray cats that had no one to take care of them and the fact that someone has stepped up to take care of this cat shows a lot.


There are a lottt of things you need to know, but you have taken the first step in coming here and listening to everyone's advice about how to take care of this cat and her kittens.
 
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