Possibly pregnant stray?

Hi everyone,

There's been a cat that's been wandering the neighborhood for a week or two. She doesn't look like the usual strays that belong to the area. The first time I saw her she ran up to me without hesitation and purred as she followed me home. A few days later she showed back up, hopped into my yard and started purring for attention again, so we gave her a little food and water and sent her on her way. Well, my boyfriend, who's job is literally right across the street from our house, saw the cat again. Apparently she had been following him around too. Well, she found her way inside the building, hopped on his lap all nonchalantly and started purring. His bosses were going to call animal control on her but we've become a little attached during out meetings with her, so we decided to bring her home and have started calling her Penelope.

However, the more I examine her the more I believe she may be pregnant, or, at the very least, was pregnant recently. She's extremely affectionate. I mean constant purr! Follows us around the house. She even broke out her safe room and into the bedroom where the other two cats were sleeping with us. We were trying to do the introducing them gradually thing, but she kind of sabotaged that. Benjamin, the eldest, is totally cool with her presence. He maintains his distance but they don't hiss or growl and even touch noses. Guin, who is a very nervous cat, is extremely upset and has been hissing and growling and hiding out in the bedroom since. We've made sure to close off the bedroom and a few other rooms to give Guin her space, so we can try introducing them slowly again.

Anyway, so as I exam her more I notice that she does have pink, large nipples. They looked crusted and dry so I tried to clean them to make her more comfortable and she did leak a tiny bit of milky fluid. She does have a little bit of sag to her breasts from milk, but not very much. She doesn't look fat, just a slight swell to her stomach but it's hardly noticeable. No nesting behavior, no caterwauling, no vomiting. She did spot a little bit of blood on my boyfriend's pants when he was holding her. I can't tell if she is pregnant or she was pregnant recently. We do plan on taking her to the vet, but Benjamin's already set up for an appointment first (He's been licking his fur out). Should I take her first and reschedule Benjamin? Does it sound like she was pregnant or maybe that she had just given birth recently?

Thank you for advice!

Its good you plan her to get to the vets.  Yes, reschedule them.  She is more urgent.   Also deworming and defleasing if necessary.

Also, plan on spaying if not pregnant.

IF she is pregnant, are you prepared to spay / abort, even if it is late?  Most people hesitate with such rather late abortions.  But it isnt so bad as it sounds.

Kittens cant survive if born more than three days too early.  Unlike human babies who manage easily two months before, and even four months before if a hospital with really good

neonatal care.

But if you decide to go on and let her deliver, we will help you with advices and support!

Im sure you will manage excellently the introductions.  Such new bes are usually eager to adapt.  So the problem is your shy timid resident girl.  Dont forget to show your residents they are sitll your first hand choice, your love.

She is a newcomer, so she will be happy with whatever she gets.

she was surely a home girl, and got thrown out when she come into high heat.  That is the most probable.  Good you helped her!

Tx for caring!

Good luck!

Thank you for your advice! I do plan on allowing her to carry and deliver the babies if it does turn out that she's pregnant. I've already had several friends and family members offer to take the kittens, once they are old enough, if she does end up being pregnant. My boyfriend and I were discussing that it does end look like she was abandoned. She is already litter trained, very well mannered and not upset at all by being brought into the house. We thought that she may have been abandoned when she was either in heat or the owners found out that she was pregnant. My city has a very big issue with cat population control and strays.

Thank you for taking in this sweet girl, she sounds like she needs a loving home.

Cats don't usually start producing milk until just before they give birth. If she isn't obviously pregnant, as in looking like she's swallowed a melon, is it possible that she has given birth recently?

Very unlikely that she abandoned her litter, maybe the kittens were re-homed or are still at her old home and she either got out or was dumped. (Although I can't imagine why anyone would separate the kittens and the mother if they were going to dump them. What usually happens is that the whole family end up out on the street.)

Cat's keep producing milk for several months after they give birth. Ask your vet to check if she has recently given birth. If she is still producing milk but has no kittens to suckle you need to be careful that she doesn't develop mastitis.

http://www.revivalanimal.com/store/pg/1559-Mastitis-in-Cats.aspx

It might be a good idea to check if anyone has lost a cat in your neighbourhood, just in case anyone is looking for her.

Good luck, keep us posted on how it goes at the vet.