Backstory...
I want to say that it was last Wednesday that Gloria entered my life. Yes, it was Wednesday. A young man brought her to the barn where I board my horse and happened to bump into me, newly appointed "cat lady", as I was getting ready to leave. He came asking, "Do you have a black cat?" I looked at him skeptically and said that I did not... but I wanted to know why he was asking. I thought he was asking FOR a black cat. We've actually had people call the barn before asking if we have a black cat to rent to them. Seriously, it's happened more than once. I said I'd take a look at her. The SPCA couldn't take her, and all of the cat rescues around these parts are full. They aren't many in the first place. I'm a total sucker for black dogs and cats. Hell, even my horse is black! Plus, I know that the black dogs and cats are the underdogs - errr - and undercats. My house had been empty of feral adults waiting to be spayed/neutered and released and kittens to be adopted since about January. It's about time another one found her way to me. It was only a matter of time...
I agreed to take Gloria. She looked like a kitten through the holes of the carrier. Not a young kitten... but young, nonetheless. He mentioned that he thought she might be pregnant... but I kind of brushed it off. Off I went to the vet with Gloria. I like to have them seen as soon as possible.
Very friendly, no microchip, no parasites, and combo tested and came up clean. Yay! We were all joking that we hoped that the tummy was a bad case of parasites, though! Then the words came from the vet, "It looks like you'll probably be seeing kittens in a week or two." "But she's only a teenager!", I exclaimed! Such a young cat to have to deal with being pregnant and having kittens... but I suppose it happens. I walked out of the room and smiled nervously at the women at the front desk and let them know that I was going to be a grandmother. We're pretty friendly since I'm there so often with my animals and random strays and ferals a lot!
I've been waiting eagerly for babies... expecting the suckers to pop out the first night. She's got a big tummy and is lactating. I can't feel anything moving, though. She DID have some odorless discharge when I took her to the vet. They said she could have an infection, and there was a chance the babies might be stillborn. So, sadly, I have to wait to find out, I suppose. I've been torturing the poor girl by taking her temperature daily. It's been in the low 100s and high 99s over the last couple of days, then dropped to 98.7 today. I noticed some discharge again today. She's not nesting, and she's still eating. I keep thinking it's going to happen soon... but it still hasn't! Oh, by the way, she's been on baby safe antibiotics to be safe if she did have an infection. Only time will tell... but I sure hope that it happens soon... and everything goes well.
I've been torturing everyone in the cat community on LJ for the last week... so I figured I torture someone else in case they are sick of hearing from me!
I want to say that it was last Wednesday that Gloria entered my life. Yes, it was Wednesday. A young man brought her to the barn where I board my horse and happened to bump into me, newly appointed "cat lady", as I was getting ready to leave. He came asking, "Do you have a black cat?" I looked at him skeptically and said that I did not... but I wanted to know why he was asking. I thought he was asking FOR a black cat. We've actually had people call the barn before asking if we have a black cat to rent to them. Seriously, it's happened more than once. I said I'd take a look at her. The SPCA couldn't take her, and all of the cat rescues around these parts are full. They aren't many in the first place. I'm a total sucker for black dogs and cats. Hell, even my horse is black! Plus, I know that the black dogs and cats are the underdogs - errr - and undercats. My house had been empty of feral adults waiting to be spayed/neutered and released and kittens to be adopted since about January. It's about time another one found her way to me. It was only a matter of time...
I agreed to take Gloria. She looked like a kitten through the holes of the carrier. Not a young kitten... but young, nonetheless. He mentioned that he thought she might be pregnant... but I kind of brushed it off. Off I went to the vet with Gloria. I like to have them seen as soon as possible.
Very friendly, no microchip, no parasites, and combo tested and came up clean. Yay! We were all joking that we hoped that the tummy was a bad case of parasites, though! Then the words came from the vet, "It looks like you'll probably be seeing kittens in a week or two." "But she's only a teenager!", I exclaimed! Such a young cat to have to deal with being pregnant and having kittens... but I suppose it happens. I walked out of the room and smiled nervously at the women at the front desk and let them know that I was going to be a grandmother. We're pretty friendly since I'm there so often with my animals and random strays and ferals a lot!
I've been waiting eagerly for babies... expecting the suckers to pop out the first night. She's got a big tummy and is lactating. I can't feel anything moving, though. She DID have some odorless discharge when I took her to the vet. They said she could have an infection, and there was a chance the babies might be stillborn. So, sadly, I have to wait to find out, I suppose. I've been torturing the poor girl by taking her temperature daily. It's been in the low 100s and high 99s over the last couple of days, then dropped to 98.7 today. I noticed some discharge again today. She's not nesting, and she's still eating. I keep thinking it's going to happen soon... but it still hasn't! Oh, by the way, she's been on baby safe antibiotics to be safe if she did have an infection. Only time will tell... but I sure hope that it happens soon... and everything goes well.
I've been torturing everyone in the cat community on LJ for the last week... so I figured I torture someone else in case they are sick of hearing from me!
