My Cat is Pregnant

amanda randall

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So I am very new at this.My ex-roommate left her wonderful cat at my house.She has since adopted my family and showed signs of pregnancy..ughhh.Now fast forward I can feel the kittens she eats like a hog and is sleeping and grooming a lot.She also is very affectionate.I haven't seen any milk signs and am hoping someone knows of things I can give her to make sure she will have enough milk for her babies.I was told by said ex- roommate that she was pregnant before but had one kitten still-born so im on high alert for that outcome.Am I missing anything im so anxious for this pregnancy to be over so we can asses izzys being spayed or neutered which ever it is.
 

tiggs2012

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I too am new at this so I Quess were in the same boat. My cat is currently in her seventh week of pregnancy, I thought she was further along until the vet checked her over yesterday.

I felt movement for the first time yesterday too so that's a clear sign her pregnancy is coming along well.

I can share with you the information I have gathered and the advice from people on this forum.

Firstly you said you can feel the babies move, but can you see them? I'm assuming she has enlarged nipples, but have her mammary glands enlarged? (the area around the nipple).

If she's not already eating kitten food, it is a good idea to start her on it as the extra nutrients and calories will do her and the babies the world of good. Keep her on kitten food while she is nursing and let her eat as much as she wants. My girl can eat upto 8 pouches a day and I put dry food down through the night!

Have you got any pictures of her growing belly, people can give better advice if they can see what they are advising on :-)

Good luck with everything and keep us posted of any developments regarding you queen :-)
 

rodentsncats

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I have had alot of experience with cat pregnancy with cats that people decided to dump off at our house(now a days we take in at least one stray each summer).....except this time an accidental letting out of my in heat bobtail got her pregnant ,this is the first of my cats to ever have kittens and the first indoor cat to.Shes about to enter her 7th or 8th week and she still hasn't dropped her milk and she sleeps alot and constantly begs for meowmix(she didnt like the kitten food) and wet can food.So I would say your cat is about 6 or 7 weeks pregnant,sounds like all three of our cats are going to have kits around the same time,so that will be great.But strangely I've noticed most first time mothers especially those bonded tightly with their owner,hate to be alone when having kittens and usually the way you can tell a cat is about to have kits is you can see a whole lot of movement in there.Hope this helped.
 

tulosai

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Hi a few other things

1) She can possibly still be spayed now if you take her to the vet.  It will be both cheaper and safer than actually allowing her to have the kittens.  If this is something you wold consider, book her an appointment with the vet asap. It's not a bad idea to see a vet anyway.  He or she will be able to tell you how far along she is and give you a better idea of whether everything is progressing as it should.

2) You should be feeding her a high quality kitten food.  Beyond doing that, there is nothing further you can do to make sure she has enough milk for the babies.

3) Do you have any idea when she got pregnant?
 
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amanda randall

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Update she had one live little boy early this morning but then labor stopped and she isn't feeding the baby.I am at a loss I don't have the money for a vet I have four kids \.I am scared for her plz help if you can.
 

tulosai

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1. Is she in distress? Sometimes hours can pass between births.

2. Is she rejecting the baby? I.e. is she cuddling him? Did she clean him off and deal with the placenta and umbilical cord? Is she just ignoring him? Has he tried to nurse? Sometimes mom will wait until all kittens are born before allowing them to suckle. However, if she does not allow him feed for an extended period you are going to need to feed him yourself using kitten milk replacer. In addition sometimes moms milk just won't come in.  In this case it's best to see a vet who may be able to stimulate the milk.  I don't know any DIY ways to do it, but maybe someone else here does... 
 
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StefanZ

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Continue to report!  In the mean time, get kmr mikd or goat milk, a dropper or small syringe, and begin to feed the kitten if he doenst get from mom.

Keep the kitten warm!   Warm up actively at your chest or a heating pad, if necessary.

Look up handraising kittens, or handrearing kittens...

A good site for ideas is www.kitten-rescue.com...

Sorry, I will go and be away several hours now...

Good luck!
 
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amanda randall

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UPDATE.....The spca in lingston parish helped me so much.Izzy underwent a spaying and the three kittens in side of her survived.So we have a total of 4 kittens..BAD NEWS..Izzy tested positive for feline leukemia.She is still in the hospital but they sent the four newborns home tonight.I am freaking out I have no idea how to do this and have been reading and researching.I am so scared im gonna end up killing them.But I have the replacement milk the droppers and bottles and gauze for excertion.Is there anything you seasoned moms can tell me?..I am trying to be strong for izzy bc she has lived such a rough life and needs to see love.
 

tulosai

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Feeding the from droppers is time consuming but actually very easy once you get the hang of it (which will be quickly). A few drops in the cheek (not down the throat or into the mouth directly, aim into the cheek), wait for kitty to take it in, then a few more drops, as much as they will take.

Since they are so VERY young, you will need to feed them ideally every 2 hours, but definitely no less than every 4.  It is also VERY important that you weigh them daily to make sure they are gaining weight. 10 grammes a day should be the minimum amount you aim for (this is about 1/3 ounce).  If they are gaining less than that on a regular basis it is usually a warning sign.

I do feel I have to be totally honest with you and warn you that chances are good that the kittens have FeLV too. It can be passed in utero without their drinking any of mom's milk and can also be passed through the milk if she did feed any of them at any point at all.  If even one of them has it they probably all will get it because of how easily it spreads between cats. I urge you to read up about it when you have time.  Unfortunately it can end up being very serious in kittens.

Fingers crossed that they will not have it though.
 
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tiggs2012

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Oh no, poor baby. I pray everything will be fine with mama and.her young ones, are you going to have to feed them permanently? Will mama learn to care for them?
 

StefanZ

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I do feel I have to be totally honest with you and warn you that chances are good that the kittens have FeLV too. It can be passed in utero without their drinking any of mom's milk and can also be passed through the milk if she did feed any of them at any point at all.  If even one of them has it they probably all will get it because of how easily it spreads between cats. I urge you to read up about it when you have time.  Unfortunately it can end up being very serious in kittens.

Fingers crossed that they will not have it though.
Yes, the standard quick test isnt entirely reliable, and gives sometimes, not seldom, false positive.  so if Izzy seems perfectly healthy otherwise, a second, slower but more reliable test is recommended.

As Tulosai said, read on.  Not even a real Felv need to be a death sentence, if you know what you do oand how.

Good luck!
 

mum2daisy

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:-( so sad, wishing you all the luck with hand rearing these little kittens, I have no experience vein that im afraid but wanted to send some luck and good wishes :vibes::vibes:
 

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How is it going? Im thinking on, and and   Im become worried about the three cut out.  If they were cut out because they were late, they should do OK.  But if they were a little premature, you must fight on double forcefully...

So for example, if you manage so feed even more often than every two hours. Do so. Small portions, but often.   Feed them on tummy, head up. You will probably find a dropper or a small syringe is easiest, easier than a bottle.  Keep them warm!  You must warm up actively if so is, they cant keep warmth themselves.   But not too warm either...

Later on, when they have stabilized and you are pretty sure they are hanging on, you can go down to these standard every two hour, or even four hour at nigh or if you must go to work.

That site I linked earler is still you best resource...

Come with reports and questions!

*vibes!*
 

tiggs2012

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How are the kittens coming.on, and how is Izzy! I've been wondering about her all week and today I just had to ask! I hope they're all Ok! Please let us know!
Tiggs x
 
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