Getting Close.......I think?

crazybird

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Jun 18, 2007
Messages
116
Purraise
1
Location
Ohio
A cat showed up during a snowstorm a few weeks ago. I noticed she felt very "large" in the belly. I brought her in and quickly begged everyone I knew (and a few people I didn't know
) to take her off my hands.

Well, of course everyone gave the same reasons I had for not wanting to keep her......(no room, no time, no money) so here she is. She went to the vet, treated for earmites, URI, worms. The vet, being an overpriced backwoods farm vet gave her a quick feely and said "Y'up, I feel some lumps in thar. N'yuck n'yuck", cleaned out my bank account and sent me on my way. He couldn't give me a timeframe or anything. I didn't bother asking, as it would have probably hiked my bill another $50 had he been forced to break out his stethescope or anything "extra".

Anyway. That was two weeks and three days ago. Valentine's Day to be exact. Actually, the sweet man I married INSISTED her vet bill was my V-Day present.
He's lucky I was feeling forgiving, that day. I allowed him to live.

Today, her belly is H-U-G-E. It feels hard. She has claimed a rug that she wads up and lays on, as her bed (despite all the towels and blankets I've provided for her)


So, without an approximate date of "conception", how do I know when she's close? I am big on spay/neuter, and I haven't dealt with birthing kittens since I was 7 years old. Being closer to 30 than I'd like to be, that was long enough for me to forget.

Taking her temperature rectally is non-negotiably out of the question. She tore me UP at the vets office and made it perfectly clear we would NOT be doing that again. There is no way I could do it myself, and my husband and child would definitely *NOT* participate in such a thing knowing she will turn into devil cat from hell and scratch/bite them.....(buncha sissies)


If anyone has any words of wisdom for someone who doesn't have a CLUE, I'd be most appreciative.

So far I've got her a box, filled with blankets. She is confined to the bathroom, because my personal cats will not appreciate her presence in the rest of the house. It's a large, roomy, carpeted bathroom, and we do spend a lot of time with her. I'm feeding her kitten food for now. I'm embarassed to say I'm feeding junk brand (purina) because it's what I put out for the outside cats. (I can't afford to feed all the ferals and raccoons and whatever other wildlife shows up the high quality cat food) She gets wet foods twice a day. She seems to be drinking more water than is typical for a cat. Maybe she has a drinking problem. I dunno.


Don't hesitate to tell me if I'm doing something TOTALLY wrong. I'd rather know than continue to do it.

Thanks!
 

theallis5

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Feb 7, 2008
Messages
201
Purraise
11
Location
Buffalo
You are so in the right place!!

I'm in the waiting game, too. I've said that she's so big it seems like she'll go today, then it's another week. Needless to say, I'm not the one to give advice on how to tell how far along she is.
There are much more knowledgeable cat-lovers on here who should be along shortly! In the meantime, any chance we could see her picture?
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #3

crazybird

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Jun 18, 2007
Messages
116
Purraise
1
Location
Ohio
I am one of the most impatient people I know. So this waiting game really SUCKS. I feel so bad for her. She's so fat and uncomfortable. It takes her three days to lay down and two to get back up again....


I have a couple pics of her, they're nothing spectacular though:
This was her belly the day I brought her in:


And this is her about 3 (?) days ago....


And her big ol' owl eyes


She makes goofy faces too


I named her Faith. Not because I have "faith" in healthy kittens, or "faith" in humankind.....but because she's a fat little hussy. Like Faith Hill. (sorry to all the faith hill fans I just completely ticked off. She's not one of my favorite people, and I have an off kilter sense of humor.)
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #4

crazybird

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Jun 18, 2007
Messages
116
Purraise
1
Location
Ohio
I would also like to add that though it may appear so at the moment, (lol), I am *NOT* a complete idiot, and I *DO* know how to count, Valentines Day (and her vet visit) was ONE week, three days ago. Not TWO. *sigh*

And when I say I feed the "outside cats" purina, I'm talking of the feral colony in my neighborhood. I don't keep outside cats. My three cats (and any fosters I have at any given time) are all strictly indoor only.


I was typing (and thinking) in a hurry, earlier.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #7

crazybird

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Jun 18, 2007
Messages
116
Purraise
1
Location
Ohio
I hope she's ready to pop soon!

I saw her belly moving a LOT this morning. It looks like the kittens are throwing a rave party in there.

I wish I had some clue as to how long I had to wait.....I've asked her repeatedly when she got pregnant, but she's not talkin'.
 

xxtashaxx

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 6, 2006
Messages
3,113
Purraise
1
Location
uk london
Hi first of all thank you for caring as much as you have to look after her.
what you are doing sounds fine, if you could possibly change her wet food to a kitten food (even a cheep brand) weve all been there,that would be so much better for her and the kittens at the moment and untill she finish's nursing.
You can also free feed her dry food.
cats are pregnant for around 63 days, but can be a few days either way. you can normally start to feel kitten movement at around 6-7 weeks pregnant, but can be slightly before this if she is carrying 4+ or slightly longer then this if she is only carrying around 2.
A week to a few days before birth they normally start to leak a little milk, you can check this by gently squezing her nipple (if she will allow it) and they will feel very full. saying this some cats milk dont come in untill they give birth.
hope this has helped some, and good luck, i hope she has healthy kittens and an uneventfull delivery.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #9

crazybird

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Jun 18, 2007
Messages
116
Purraise
1
Location
Ohio
Thanks for the info, Tasha..... I should have been a little more clear..... she is freefed dry (kitten) with two wet (adult) meals a day.

So I'm guessing I still have some time before she delivers. Which is ok. I hate waiting, but I'll live.

I'm very nervous, as we will be gone the majority of both days this weekend and I *don't* want her to have them then.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #10

crazybird

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Jun 18, 2007
Messages
116
Purraise
1
Location
Ohio
Still waiting.......

Impatiently.

She laid on her bag, spread eagle, for me to pet her belly today. She purrrrrrred and purrrrrrrred while I rubbed the belly and felt kittens moving inside.....

And now I'm feeling even MORE impatient!!!!!
 
Top