I think my cat might be pregnant. help!

jessicarose

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My cat, her name is oreo but mom and i call her baby because she is so little, weighing just more than 10 pounds and being a couple months shy of 5 years old. shes an inside cat, we got her from a friend who houses stray cats she comes across since. We got her when she was about four/five weeks old and since then she took such a liking to me. She follows me everywhere. Sometimes i joke she thinks shes a dog because she'll come when i call her and listen to other simple commands. She got out two months ago on May 29-June 1. She was on her second day if being in heat when she got out. When we got her back she was no longer in heat. We thought maybe she had gotten pregnant but shortly dismissed the thought. It wasnt until this week she started showing symptoms and signs. Last night she started attacking our 10 year old male chocolate lab. The two are normally so civil and frankly quite cute together. so it was odd that right outside my bedrooom door she would start attacking him, and whenever he would walk near the door. She was laying on her side all spread out and breathing heavy so i went to her and pet her and she calmed down.I also grabbed her toys which we call her 'babies' since she carries them around the house and mothers them and sleeps with them. i brought her to my room and stayed with her. i looked up her symptoms and most of them pointed to the possibility of her being pregnant. Stiff tummy, breathing heavy, lack of appetite(she hadnt eaten much that day), attitude change(good and bad), and resltessness. i didnt think it was possible but i counted back the days and its almost been 60 days since she got out. i cleared out my closet and took this basket i had and put a blanket inside of a pillowcase and laid it down inside of it and placed her babies in it. she now wont leave the closet. unless its to eat(barely) or drink or to come "check up on me" for a couple minutes. I also have a cat door on my bedroom door, so she could come and go as she pleases without disturbing me, that i had to put a gate in front of so she cant get out. but the only time she cries to get out is when i leave the room, and once im back she cuddles with me for ten minites then scurries back into the closet. I check on her every 20 minutes, but im still concerned. Im not sire if she could be pregnant. Ive never had a pregnant cat before. My mother has and thinks that this is her starting to nest since the average cat pregnancy time frame is almost up. im not sure.

Help!! any tips?
 

Sarthur2

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She sounds pregnant, and she's acting pregnant from your description.

Are her nipples pink and swollen?

Are her sides bulging at all?

Has she put on weight the past few weeks or been eating more?

If she is pregnant, she may be having a small litter. It would be getting very close to her due date if she did conceive during the dates you mention. In fact, almost any day now.

And it sounds like she tried to attack your dog as a way of protecting her unborn kittens and her territory. This is not uncommon in pregnant cats.

Do you have her food, water, and litter in your room for her? The nesting basket is great in your closet. And it certainly sounds as though she is bonded to you and wants you nearby for the big event!

Keep us posted as to her progress, and please consider having her spayed after her kittens wean. :)
 
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jessicarose

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i have noticed her nipples have gotten a little larger, but they havent gotten darker.

she has put on a little weight but not too much, shes so tiny to begin with. her stomach os a little hard to the touch and her sides bulge slightly. but you can only tell when shes standing up.

Her food and water are two fert away from her basket and i didnt have an extra litter box on hand so i put down a few training pads that we normally put down under the regular litter box, since we have three very fickle female cats who like to be a pain and not even use the box. But i plan on getting a smaller box just for her to put in my room tomorrow.

i figured if she were to have kittens, considering her size, shed most likely only have one.. two at the most.
 

Sarthur2

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The size of the litter is determined by how many eggs she released, which is determined by the number of times she mated while she was out, not by the size of the cat. Big cats can have one baby and small cats can have many!

She should definitely have her own litter box.

Has she been licking the fur away from any of her nipples to expose them for nursing?
 

bellad

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We have a black female lab, one of the first signs my cat was having contractions was her attacking the dog! Every time she contracted the poor dog got attacked out of no where, then when the contraction was over she would go and rub up against the dog as if to say sorry! They were the best of friends usually! We had to send the dog to a neighbours for the day, our kittens arrived around 5/6 hours after this started!
 
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jessicarose

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i checked the nipples last night and they are definitely poking out more than normal. but they arent different colored
 

handsome kitty

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Here is an article that gives a good overview of the big event.

 [article="29720"]Pregnancy And Delivery In Cats​[/article]  

there are more specific articles at the top of the forum.

You should have some basic supplies on hand just in case you need them.

Kitten Milk Replacer (KMR) Pet Ag powdered form is best, can be found in pet stores or walmart

A needleless syringe 1 -2 ml/cc (you may have some already from the vet)

A scale that measures in grams or 1/10 ounces

A heat source like a heating pad, hot water bottle or a sock with raw rice

blunt scissors

dental floss.
 

Sarthur2

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Her nipples do not need to change color. They are probably pink and will get more so as they are nursed on once the kitten(s) arrive :).

Let us know if you have more questions and when her behavior changes as she gets closer to her labor.
 
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jessicarose

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She has been grooming herself a lot today. Also eating, and sleeping more than normal. I saw her licking her bits a couple times too and she normally doesn't do that. She was very affectionate towards everyone today. Even my younger brother who she normally doesn't go near at all.
 

Sarthur2

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Pregnant cats become very affectionate and also lick themselves a lot.

Do you have a nesting area set up for her in your room?
 
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