We were very recently adopted by a stray ginger cat. I have done a great deal of research online to attempt to verify it's gender and health status, but I'd appreciate some peer review. I realize that most gingers are males, but I have to wonder, based on appearance and behavior, if this might be a female. He/she is exceptionally affectionate and pronounced teats that sometimes have a filmy or crusted milk-like substance on them. He/she does not like to have his/her belly touched, rubbed, or stroked. He/she eats a great deal (we've been feeding kitten chow), but shows no signs up nausea, vomiting, or dislike/disinterest of food.
This is a small town in a remote area, so professional animal care is limited (but will be taken care of ASAP). In the interim, we're trying to learn as much as we can, observe well, and provide good care until we can get him/her into the vet. We were planning to eventually adopt a pair of neutered males from a shelter, so we are cat-lovers, this was just rather unexpected. He/she looks to be pretty young, say 6 or 7 months old, and was wandering around outside a local eatery when he/she adopted us (as in jumped in the car and clung to us for dear life). So if it is a female, she is likely old enough to have been in season at least once, and has had access to other cats. So we are also wondering if (s)he might be expecting.
This is the best photo I can get of the cat's belly, so you can see what I am referring to, in regard to the teats. The nipples (6 appear quite clearly when the cat is relaxed) themselves are long and distended (more so than I have ever seen on a male cat), and a considerable amount of fur has been removed from the area (not by us). No signs of fighting, scrapes, scratches, or the like. No signs of gum/teeth problems, ear mites, worms, stool, or urine issues (that we can tell).
This is a small town in a remote area, so professional animal care is limited (but will be taken care of ASAP). In the interim, we're trying to learn as much as we can, observe well, and provide good care until we can get him/her into the vet. We were planning to eventually adopt a pair of neutered males from a shelter, so we are cat-lovers, this was just rather unexpected. He/she looks to be pretty young, say 6 or 7 months old, and was wandering around outside a local eatery when he/she adopted us (as in jumped in the car and clung to us for dear life). So if it is a female, she is likely old enough to have been in season at least once, and has had access to other cats. So we are also wondering if (s)he might be expecting.
This is the best photo I can get of the cat's belly, so you can see what I am referring to, in regard to the teats. The nipples (6 appear quite clearly when the cat is relaxed) themselves are long and distended (more so than I have ever seen on a male cat), and a considerable amount of fur has been removed from the area (not by us). No signs of fighting, scrapes, scratches, or the like. No signs of gum/teeth problems, ear mites, worms, stool, or urine issues (that we can tell).
From the top down, the belly looks a little rounder, the hips and shoulders a little more narrow. From the back-end, the two openings look pretty closely-situated (more than I would expect, or have seen in comparison photos for a male). No movement in the belly that leads me to believe there are kittens yet, but I have not given him/her a thorough exam via that method. Quite frankly, I don't think I'm qualified (it's been almost 20 years since I've had a queen), and everything I've read says it's unwise for the untrained to attempt.
