Pregnant kitten?

Okay so 3 months ago I got two stray kitten sisters. Once they hit 4 months they went into heat. One of them got out during it and ever since she's been acting funny and she hates to be picked up and she doesn't like to be touched near her belly. She's been devouring food and just sleeping ALL DAY.. Her nipples are bright pink and larger then her sister. Also, the other one got out a few days ago and we saw her and a male cat doing it on my lawn, it was so gross but now I'm worried they're both pregnant. Their names are Jackie and Sammy. Jackie was the one that has been Cting strange for a month now and Sammy is the one that just did it. I've got pictures of Jackies stomach.. I can't take her to the vet right now and I reaalllyyy need to know..



Sorry if the pictures are giant I can't resize them on my iPad lol

Yes, if your cats went into heat and got outside, they are definitely pregnant. Cats get pregnant if a tomcat looks at them funny! (Or so it seems. But cats do get pregnant easily and frequently). I would have the one (the one you saw mating a couple days ago) spayed immediately, before the pregnancy "takes". The other one may be too far along to spay/abort, but you should ask your vet about the options. It could still be possible. She's way too young to have babies, and may need a c-section. She'll need prenatal care, too, if you choose not to abort.

Having kittens will cost WAY more than having the cats spayed now! Kittens need a lot of care--shots, de-worming, kitten food, etc.

Contact all the shelter in your area to ask about low-cost spay options. If you don't have something done soon, you'll be up to your ears in cats. At least 8 more when these 2 give birth, and just think about what will happen when those 8 get to be 4 months old!

If they are not spayed and were outside, then yes they can get pregnant. Kittens as young as 4 months can breed and get pregnant. However, at her age (4 months) its a death sentence to allow her to remain pregnant. She will die trying to carry or deliver kittens. It will negatively affect her in all ways (health, growth, etc) and she will kill or not care for the kittens if she survives the pregnancy.

It would be best to get an immediate spay for any kitten younger then 6 months if they are pregnant. Please do NOT let either one have these kittens! They both need an immediate spay if you want them alive.

Someone on this site lost her young cat because she got pregnant the day before her scheduled spay, and she died giving birth since she was so young.

Originally Posted by Willowy

Having kittens will cost WAY more than having the cats spayed now! Kittens need a lot of care--shots, de-worming, kitten food, etc.

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raising kittens is very expensive, much better to spay them both now especially being so young. Along with pregnancy, they can also pick up diseases from mating the local tom so you'll need to get the girls tested by the vet.

As already said there are low cost options.

I would get them both spayed asap as you are probably in for one big vet bill if they deliver.

Can you get to hainesport nj or if thats to far post city of where you are so we can help you find a place to go. Some places are cheaper then others/have funds set up especially cause they are so young there may be more options

Check with your local shelters some of them might offer cheaper spay/neutering. And yes if your cats have gone into heat, and got outside, then they can be pregnant.

I'm a little confused. You can have a cat abortion?

Yes - spay/abort is done and everything is removed if she is pregnant. Kittens less then 6 months old can die trying to give birth - so you can't just let it go as its almost certain the kitten will die.

6-10 months old pregnant kittens can have the babies, but its a high risk of needing an expensive c-section ($1,500+) to deliver the kittens and most times those mothers will not know what to do or will let kittens die and not care for them.

This is why you spay/neuter at 3-4 months old BEFORE you put them at risk. Purebred cats in a legit breeding program that are show quality are carefully bred at the proper age. Most breeders will do their best to not let them get pregnant till about a year old. But with kittens coming into heat at 4-5 months old its hard to do w/o risk to their health.

Different vets different options far as how long they will do it till.

My current vet will do it at any point and best thing is no additional money
With all the cats/kittens being put down around here(or dumped off at vet hospitals/side of road. Help whos already in the world feeling the affects of no love.

Adding to goldenkitty45 and add in the cost of milk replacer if the c section is done to save the moms life kittens second it may be done very fast and not the smallest it could be so mom may refuse to nurse(well either way small or not she may)

I raised a litter of 6 that were dumped on milk replacer-even with 3 dying it was very expensive and really couldnt order it in as who knew if more would die.

Originally Posted by catsallaround

I raised a litter of 6 that were dumped on milk replacer-even with 3 dying it was very expensive and really couldnt order it in as who knew if more would die.

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That is true, milk replacer can get expensive... I raised a litter of 7 from 2-3 weeks old and they were going through a LOT of milk replacer. I was able to order it so the cost was slightly less than getting it from a pet store, but it still adds up.

Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

This is why you spay/neuter at 3-4 months old BEFORE you put them at risk.

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That depends on the vet though. Luna had to be over 4lbs in order to get spayed. She was 5 months old when she was spayed. That was our original vets rules. Our current vet was going to have Midnight wait until he was 6 months old, before she would neuter him. A local shelter has vets that do low cost spay/neuter, as long as their over 4lbs. Once Midnight was over 4lbs, they neutered him for us. Lynxx was 8 weeks, 2lbs 3oz when he got neutered. The kittens up for adoption as young as 8 weeks at our shelters, are all neutered and spayed.

There are exceptions, but vets need to get on board and learn to do early spay/neuter. Far too many kittens are pregnant by 6 months old! I'd find a vet to do them earlier.

Our vet in our town won't do earlier then 6 months, so we use another and better vet now - he will do them at 4 months which is better.

My vet prefers to wait until 5 months, but if I bring him a younger kitten he won't argue. And in a pinch, I'll use another vet who will do it at any age. Really, always waiting until 6 months just doesn't work out. If the family has 2 kittens of opposite gender, it's fairly likely they'll have already mated by then and she'll be pregnant. And females are more often going into heat at 4 months, and how many people can keep a cat in heat properly restrained? Not many, that's why there are way too many accidental litters. Vets really need to get on the ball and encourage earlier spaying (at least. Males can wait a bit longer since they won't be getting pregnant, but it's still better to do it earlier).

My vet prefers to wait until 6 months for health reasons when possible but if someone had one of each gender or was not able to keep their cat away from others (or was going to adopt them out) she will do it earlier.

Personally I would get them spayed. I lost my female, she was maybe 1.5 years old and she got out and got pregnant. Died after delivering her last kitten from a prolapse. I am not making that mistake twice so my kitten is getting neutered today.

If someone has two same-age kittens of opposite gender and is concerned about an unplanned pregnancy - why not neuter the male at 4 or 5 months and wait until 6 months to spay the female?

That's not wise. Kittens can breed as early as 4 months old. Males can take up to 2 months after being neutered to be "clean". If you do a male at 4-5 months old and not the female - if she comes into heat, he's capable of breeding her and getting her pregnant before she is spayed.

If you switch it around (spay at 4 months and neuter at 6 months) then that's ok. But then you risk the male starting to spray. Letting the female cycle early and putting her at risk for getting outside is not good.

Its better to do both by 4 months old and not worry about it.

Originally Posted by Catapault

If someone has two same-age kittens of opposite gender and is concerned about an unplanned pregnancy - why not neuter the male at 4 or 5 months and wait until 6 months to spay the female?

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If someone had to wait a couple months between the surgeries (to save up more money or whatever), it would be best to spay the female first, at 4 months, and wait until 6 months to neuter the male. Even if the male who lives with her can't get her pregnant, a young female could go into heat at 4 months, escape outside and get pregnant by another male. But most males won't start spraying until they're 7-8 months old, so waiting until a male is 6 months old is OK in most situations.

But, if finances permit and the vet is comfortable with altering younger kittens, it's best to do both at 3-4 months.