worried about my cat

Hello everyone. i am new here and was after a little bit of help.

i went on holiday for 3 weeks and came back 2 weeks ago (my neighbours were feeding the cats) anyway... when i got back i noticed that Gismo's tummy was getting big and her nipples her big and pink.

so i gathered she was pregnant.. i have been able to feel them move for about a week now and when i put my head on her tummy (gently of course) i can hear a lot of squirming going on in there!

my question is. now i have felt them moving when will they be here? i want to make sure i am here for her incase anything goes wrong and i need to call a vet.


well i took her to the vet and now i am even more confused!

when i first got her out the box he said "oh yes well she is definatley pregnant she is very big" but then after he examined her (well poked and prodded her for ages) he wasn't sure! he said he cant feel any kittens!

he said he is 90% sure she is but can not be sure until she has an x ray which i have to have next week! but he said she is so big that you would expect her to drop any day, but because he cant feel any kittens it might be something wrong with her!

when i held her gently i felt spmething moving inside so showed the vet and he said he could feel something but was still not sure! he said if there is only one in there it would be very hard to find it (her mum only had one kitten - her)

so i guess i will have to wait until next week. but is it safe for an x ray? i know humans cant have x rays if they are pregnant.
sorry to ramble on but the vet has worried me now. she is very fat so if she is pregnant when will she have them?


thank you
emma

Yeah an X-ray is okay, and its cheaper than an ultrasound.

They are usually born around 10-14 days after seeing movement.

Good luck and keep us updated. You will probably have kittens before Christmas if she is pregnant.

Our stray we took in was pregnant and they took an xray. 2 vets read the xray and both said at least 4 kittens and they were both wrong...she had 3. Good luck.

ps. You should spay her when her milk dries up...don't take it personal!

That does seem very confusing but seems to be alot of it going round recently... If you can see movement I would say, ya she's pregnant. Did he say there was fluid in there or anything? Oh now Im gonna be stuck at the PC for this one too, watching and waiting for the news! LET US KNOW!!
P.S. We really do like pictures....

well i am taking her to have the xray on wednesday afternoon so i will let you know what happens! i just hope it is nothing serious, i have been reading on the net about cat illnesses that have a swollen belly as a symptom and they are not nice!

she was scratching aroung in my draws last night and going behing my washing basket so it looks like she is nesting. how long before they give birth do they start nesting?

i've got some pics that i have tried to put on here but i am not very good at computers!

emma
( i think you have to click the links below to see the pics)

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...mae/gismo2.jpg
http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...mae/gismo1.jpg
http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...amae/gismo.jpg

Those nipples look like pregnant nipples to me. And it looks like she has removed the fur from around them too. I don't think it will be long until she has the babies - definetly before Christmas, especially because you can see them moving.

You can have her spayed when the babies are about 10-12 weeks, so start saving in the new year.

yeah she is definatley being spayed after the kitens have been weaned off her. i was going to have her done but then our puppy had her first season and as i have kids crawling all over the floor, the dog seemed more important as she was bleeding everywhere.

i will definatley let you know what the vets says on wednesday.
i just had another feel and i can definatley feel some little movements going on in there. hopefully, the vets will be ale to confirm it just by feeling her without me having to pay out about £60 for an xray!

emma

Wow, £60!! Never neede it so wouldn't have known!!

They should be able to tell you be just feeling her. They can take her temperature too and worm her and stuff so that the kittens have a reduced risk of trouble when they are born.

Make sure she is defleaed, along with all your other pets. There is nothing worse than newborn kittens with fleas, I should know, and I didn't even think Ziggy had fleas!! They prey on the weak, so the kittens will be first choice if they are about. Kill them now before it's too late.

Good Luck.

the vet wormed her and fleaed her with stuff that is safe for pregnant cats so i know thats all ok and all my other cats and dogs are all de fleaed etc!
all these animals and kids! i dont know i am just a glutten for punishment!
thanks again

Well i think she is pregnant, after talking to you guys and reading up all about it she has all the symptoms. i hope it ownt be long now.
do you think i should confine her to one room? at the minute she is roaming around the whole house with everyone else. shall i shut her away from the kids and other animals?

emma

Me Again!!!

I say yes, confine her. She will delay labour if she doesn't feel safe. It needs to be very quiet and relaxed for her. Also, make sure after they are born, none of the other animals can get to her, as she may move them to somewhere less safe.

Set a nice cosey area for her first, away from the main living space, and allow her to go in there. Leave the door open a crack so she knows she can get out if she wants. She should become accustomed to the area and be happy to spend more time in there and start to realise that the space you've provided her with is perfect. Try not to let anyone else or any other animal in there. Make sure it has everything she needs. And is warm enough.

what I am doing with my cat that I think is preg. is she will be in my room to have the kittens (best room in the house for safe and warm) so I have been putting her in there here and there when she wants to go in and letting her out when she wants for now. she really does love it and wants to go in often! LOL but then I figured around the 21st or so (I think she would be due around the 28th???) I am going to keep her in there JIC my dates are off so about a week after I should feel movement I will have her in there so I KNOW she won't have them anywhere else but it also gives her time to get used to the room and being locked in so she isn't stressed when she is in there for good.

Well I couldn't really tell by looking at her belly but her nipples sure do look pregnant! She lost the hair around them and everything so it looks like she's getting ready!

When I was awaiting Isis' big day, I had a box with blankets and towels waiting for her, in a separate room (finished basement) away from the kids and other animals. They DEFINATELY don't want other animals around. But how about this......I wasn't sure if she was in labor, but she was following me around and crying. I picked her up and she was having contractions and started to give birth on my LAP! Everyone said she would want to be alone, but I guess they are all different. Of course I didn't want them to drop on my lap, so I put her in the box and she did wonderful. It is AMAZING to experience. The kittens are almost 5 wks old now. We have had our share of issues. I actually am about to post a question I need help with. I am not an expert, but I have witnessed it and would be happy to answer any questions I can. GOOD LUCK!

well i have woke up this morning and she doesnt seem as fat now! she is still a little big but doesnt feel as big as yesterday at all.

i have scouted the room that she was in to see if she has had them in the night but i cant find anything!

is it normal for a cat to get smaller during pregnancy?

emma

It depends. Ziggy lost a lot of weight when she was pregnant, but her belly was still big.

Since she was wormed, do you think that maybe she is now free of them? She could have had worms instead.

Still take her to the vet, just to be sure. You don't want to assume she isn't and then have a suprise when you wake up!!!

Ya, get her to the vet to find out for sure! Are her nipples swollen and red yet?

there is a pic of her nipples on one of my other replys. the are very big and last night she was licking them and there was this sticky substance coming out (maybe the first signs of her milk)

anyway, we are having an x ray today at 4pm so hopefully they will tell me that she is pregnant and not that something is wrong with her!

will keep you all updated

thank you for taking the time to reply.

emma

(Hey Glitch I'm here too...) - Good luck emma! I'll be watching here too. Just went thru a false pregnancy with my cat - but she didn't have any movement or discharge from her nipples. Definitely sounds like yours is preggers....and due soon! Can't wait to hear what the vet has to say.

Well we are back from the vets!! an the result is.....


GISMO IS GOING TO BE A MUMMY

He said that he can definatley feel them in there so it would be a waste of money to do an xray (unless i really wanted to know how many_)
i decided not to have it done and am just really glad that there is nothing major wrong with her.

He said he cant tell how many there are but recons it could be another 2 weeks yet till they arrive! but then he did say he has been wrong before!

bless her. he said to confine her to the room i want her to have them in and keep the kids and other animals away from her (which i have already)

just got to wait now!

emma

Originally Posted by ellamaeellamae

Well we are back from the vets!! an the result is.....


GISMO IS GOING TO BE A MUMMY

emma

Click to expand...

Congratulations! It's always nice to hear that nothing major wrong is wrong....if that makes any sense! Keep us updated, and get ready to send us lots of photos!