Cat pregnant? What to do now?

Okay I need help! I have a gorgeous female longhair who is about 2 years old who recently went into heat. I wish that I could keep her inside but she is so resilient I couldn't get her to stay in!! I know how irresponsible it is but there was no way to keep her in! She wouldn't come in last night and I found her this morning..... She was soo sweet yesterday but now she's just being lazy and growling at everyone. Including my other cat who she loves. She also has saliva and a bit of blood all over the scruff of her neck. I wish that we could have gotten her fixed my now but My family just simply can't afford it. Please give me some advice and tell me what's going on with her!

emmimini1212 said:

Okay I need help! I have a gorgeous female longhair who is about 2 years old who recently went into heat. I wish that I could keep her inside but she is so resilient I couldn't get her to stay in!! I know how irresponsible it is but there was no way to keep her in! She wouldn't come in last night and I found her this morning..... She was soo sweet yesterday but now she's just being lazy and growling at everyone. Including my other cat who she loves. She also has saliva and a bit of blood all over the scruff of her neck. I wish that we could have gotten her fixed my now but My family just simply can't afford it. Please give me some advice and tell me what's going on with her!

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She was apparently been mated in no friendly way.   So if you arent wanting to have a half dozen small kittens in 9  weeks, you must go and spay her ASAP.   Its probably wise with a vet check up including blood tests for Felv/Fiv and other such such diseases cats  gets by bloody bites.

Raise the money anyway you can.  Lend from friends or relatives...   Promise to work off the money if so is.

You  live in USA?  There are cheap spaying clinics, you can get (or find adresses yourself).   Such a cheap spaying clinic will prob also do other vet treatment cheaper than an average fashionable vet.

You have a couple of weeks on you before the surgery beging to be anywhere  complicated or ethically not pleasant.   Later on is spaying still possible, but is less pleasant.

You are welcome with further or new questions or comments.

 Good luck!

Hi! I was just on another thread about cats in heat and I got a quick response telling me that my kitty has been inpregnated..... I won't abort the new life on its way because I just think it's wrong. I have never dealt with pregnant cats however so I need to know how to prepare! Just any advice, early signs behavior and things I should watch out for?? Last night she did not come inside after I saw a very large orange cat hanging around her so she stayed out all night. She came back in this morning with saliva and a bit of blood on the scruff of her neck. Just yesterday she was acting super sweet and now she is being really lazy and growling at everyone and everything, including my other kitty who she normally loves. The other thread told me that she has probably been mated with and that she is probably now pregnant, so I would like some confirmation from Yall and just some help!

Update: she is being less aggressive now but she's still acting very lazy and sleepy ( very abnormal for bonnet!)

StefanZ said:

She was apparently been mated in no friendly way.   So if you arent wanting to have a half dozen small kittens in 9  weeks, you must go and spay her ASAP.   Its probably wise with a vet check up including blood tests for Felv/Fiv and other such such diseases cats  gets by bloody bites.

Raise the money anyway you can.  Lend from friends or relatives...   Promise to work off the money if so is.
You  live in USA?  There are cheap spaying clinics, you can get (or find adresses yourself).   Such a cheap spaying clinic will prob also do other vet treatment cheaper than an average fashionable vet.

You have a couple of weeks on you before the surgery beging to be anywhere  complicated or ethically not pleasant.   Later on is spaying still possible, but is less pleasant.


You are welcome with further or new questions or comments.

 Good luck!

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well my mother won't be the happiest with a pregnant cat waddling around our house but I can't stand the thought of aborting new life even though the circumstances were not planned. I take in cats and kittens all the time because I live in rural Texas and there always seems to be barn cats who have kittens and need help so I clean them up and re home them. WHen the little ones arrive I am confident that they will all find living homes! Thanks so mych for telling me.... Now I just need to prepare for it all.... Any tips on caring for pregnant mommas? How long will she be mean like this? Oh and as for the blood I found on her.... She has no bite marks that punctures the skin so I think she's okay. I just don't know where it came from. She is being very sleepy and lazy today which is very abnormal for her. She is also peeing in very small amounts in the litterbox. I don't know what that means maybe she's still in heat? I have no clue I just need someone to help me figure out what do do with my baby.... I'm a person who needs to have a plan all the time so it's driving me insane not to know whats going on with her!

I know you have said you would not abort a pregnant cat and I respect that decision. However, I would just suggest that if she only mated yesterday then she is hardly pregnant yet - in fact the eggs may not even be fertilised. These things take a little time, as in humans. So you would not be destroying new life if you did get her spayed immediately. I will not go through the arguments - I am sure you know them and if you decide to go through with the pregnancy then we will talk you through it all the way. I would just add that to see a cat through it all, to feed and vaccinate a litter of 3-6 kittens and to ensure they all get good homes is usually much more expensive than a spay costs, and that assumes that everything goes well and no vet intervention is necessary. Cat pregnancy lasts around 65 days, by the way.

JennyR said:

I would just add that to see a cat through it all, to feed and vaccinate a litter of 3-6 kittens and to ensure they all get good homes is usually much more expensive than a spay costs, and that assumes that everything goes well and no vet intervention is necessary.

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Not even mentioning you must spay the cat anyway, although it will be afterwards instead.

So it is not an "either or" decision, but  "take on all the extra costs and troubles, OR not".   Spaying will / should happen anyways, sooner or later.

JennyR said:

I know you have said you would not abort a pregnant cat and I respect that decision. However, I would just suggest that if she only mated yesterday then she is hardly pregnant yet - in fact the eggs may not even be fertilised. These things take a little time, as in humans. So you would not be destroying new life if you did get her spayed immediately. I will not go through the arguments - I am sure you know them and if you decide to go through with the pregnancy then we will talk you through it all the way. I would just add that to see a cat through it all, to feed and vaccinate a litter of 3-6 kittens and to ensure they all get good homes is usually much more expensive than a spay costs, and that assumes that everything goes well and no vet intervention is necessary. Cat pregnancy lasts around 65 days, by the way.

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Well thank you for the information about everything. I am definitely going to keep that in mind and I wouldn't want to start a fight with someone who obviously is just trying to give me help and advice. I have talked to my mom about all of this and we have decided that if she is really pregnant that we won't abort them. So I just need help on how to get prepared for this "suprise" on its way! Which is I guess why you created that new page for me! And I thank you very much for that!

We have a good collection of articles in the Cat Health section which you can access by scrolling up to the brown bar, clicking on Articles,and then choosing the Cat Health section and scrolling through the choices.  To make this super easy for you, I am copying the links regarding birth, delivery and newborns for you here.  After reading this information, let us know if you have any more questions.  And good luck with your approaching new arrivals.

Birth, Delivery and Newborns

View media item 212113How to Tell if My Cat is Pregnant?

Cat Pregnancy

How Do I Know When My Cat Will Give Birth?

Pregnant Cat? What to Prepare For the Birth

Help! My Cat is Having Kittens!

Premature Kittens

Post-Birth Complications in Cats

I know you've already been told this but I truly do hope you will spay her once the pregnancy is over if she is pregnant. Here is one more article for you about just some of the reasons this is important and much, much healthier for your girl http://www.thecatsite.com/a/spay-and-neuter-your-cats

tulosai said:

We have a good collection of articles in the Cat Health section which you can access by scrolling up to the brown bar, clicking on Articles,and then choosing the Cat Health section and scrolling through the choices.  To make this super easy for you, I am copying the links regarding birth, delivery and newborns for you here.  After reading this information, let us know if you have any more questions.  And good luck with your approaching new arrivals.

Birth, Delivery and Newborns
View media item 212113How to Tell if My Cat is Pregnant?
Cat Pregnancy
How Do I Know When My Cat Will Give Birth?
Pregnant Cat? What to Prepare For the Birth
Help! My Cat is Having Kittens!
Premature Kittens
Post-Birth Complications in Cats



I know you've already been told this but I truly do hope you will spay her once the pregnancy is over if she is pregnant. Here is one more article for you about just some of the reasons this is important and much, much healthier for your girl http://www.thecatsite.com/a/spay-and-neuter-your-cats

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Oh thank you so much! I just need someone to help me through this whole thing! I appreciate all the help very much

Be sure to keep her inside from now on, in case she didn't get pregnant this time. And so that if she is pregnant you'll know the proper due date.

It does take a few days for sperm to meet eggs and eggs to implant in the womb, so it wouldn't be ending any life if you do it in the next few days. Some vets will give a hormone shot to prevent sperm from meeting eggs, so there's still time to do that if you want.

Also keep in mind that it's FAR more expensive to raise kittens than to spay the mother. Shots, de-worming, food, litter, etc. If you're having financial problems now so you can't afford a spay, will things be better financially in 9 weeks? If she has pregnancy/birthing complications, will you be able to get her vet care to save her life? If the kittens get sick will you be able to get them to the vet? No point in letting them live now if they die later for lack of vet care.

Not trying to pressure you one way or the other, just some things to consider while making your decision .

Cats usually birth without any trouble. Otherwise there wouldn't be so many unwanted cats! But read up on all the info you can find so that you'd recognize complications so you can get her to the vet. And make sure to get your vet's after-hours number, because kittens never come at a convenient hour :lol3:.

As I said, I respect your decision, it is something everyone has to sort out for themselves. But we are a pro-spay and neuter site, and we have a load of collective experience with good and bad outcomes. Above all, we are here to help cats at every stage of their lives, and I am sure that you will find masses of good advice here. You can read the articles that have been listed, but do not be afraid to ask any questions - it can be a bit scary if you have never been through it before.

If she is pregnant, start seeking potential homes sooner rather than later - it can take longer than you think. Also, it would be wise to have the mother SNAP tested, as mating is a great way to spread diseases like FIV and Feline Leukemia.

I have at least 3 homes lined up at the moment. I plan on keeping her inside at least until I know that she is pregnant or out of heat. At this point, and I know the stance on spaying and neutering for this website, i think I have a pregnant cat and I will not go into arguments about my own irresponsibility because trust me I already am kicking myself about it. I do also know that this is a site for people who need HELP with their cats.... So right now I would like some of that help for my current situation. What do I need to do to help prepare for these kittens reguardless of the situation that caused it??? Thank yall very much for all the prior information though.

There are lots of good articles on this site.  Start here:  http://www.thecatsite.com/atype/46/Cat_Health  and scroll down to Birth, Delivery and Newborns.  You can start here:  http://www.thecatsite.com/a/cat-pregnancy  and then read the articles that follow.  That will give you a good idea on how the process works, what to expect and how to prepare.  

Thank you so much those are exactly what i need!!

betsygee said:

There are lots of good articles on this site.  Start here:  http://www.thecatsite.com/atype/46/Cat_Health  and scroll down to Birth, Delivery and Newborns.  You can start here:  http://www.thecatsite.com/a/cat-pregnancy  and then read the articles that follow.  That will give you a good idea on how the process works, what to expect and how to prepare.  

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She is about to enter her third week of gestation and her belly already feels tight.... Not too much but just enough for it to be noticable when you hold her. Is that normal? Her nipples have started to turn pink (slightly) but they haven't gotten bigger like all the things I have read suggested would happen. She is also sleeping ALL DAY. She only gets up when my dog and I go down to feed my goats and chickens (she never misses her adventure to the livestock) so just any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

In my experience that is normal. My queen slept a lot at first then she got a bit more active and then she started sleeping again. Not all cats act the same way when they are pregnant. Her nipples will get bigger a bit later in the pregnancy. Good luck! 

Ryan Glenn said:

In my experience that is normal. My queen slept a lot at first then she got a bit more active and then she started sleeping again. Not all cats act the same way when they are pregnant. Her nipples will get bigger a bit later in the pregnancy. Good luck! 

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Hi! Thanks for the reassurance!! I just didn't know because she's already getting bigger so early into it!

emmimini1212 said:

Hi! Thanks for the reassurance!! I just didn't know because she's already getting bigger so early into it!

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Yeah my queen at a lot at the start of her pregnancy. her stomach looked like a foot ball at about week six or so. I though she was going to give birth right then! 

Ryan Glenn said:

Yeah my queen at a lot at the start of her pregnancy. her stomach looked like a foot ball at about week six or so. I though she was going to give birth right then! 

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Hahaha! My bonnet is a very petite little girl so it's going to be hilarious seeing her grow so big! It's going to be pretty fun when she does have the little ones. I think she's going to do great because when we took in a little orphaned kitten she treated it like it was her own... To this day they are like mother daughter!