Pregnant, or just really fat?

Okay, so trust Sparrow to give me a scare when I've already booked her spay appointment :-/

I was talking to Mum about her today, and apparently during her first heat (I'll update the post on the date this was, I've got it written in my diary somewhere) Mum heard Sparrow let out a 'shriek' and then she went upstairs to see her rolling around on the floor really weirdly with Button not too far away... :-(

Now, I've noticed that she's getting kind of round (but it's not just her stomach, it's like... everywhere?) and during the morning, or sometimes at night, if she sees her food she kind of gags, but no vomit comes out. She eats it eventually though.

Another strange thing she's done is she's started eating Button and Indie's food which she never used to touch before! (she's not fond of chicken heads) It really surprised me when Mum told me about it this morning! :-0 Her appetite hasn't changed much at all though.

I was stroking her too, and her stomach felt really firm and her nipples are really pink and have kind of 'puffed up'. I haven't seen any milk come out when I squished them, though. As well as her stomach being really hard, there are also these 'sections' to it? It's kind of hard to explain... but it's as if her stomach is made up of loads of beanbags that are kind of moving around each other? It's odd :-/ Should I be able to feel the babies or should that only be around the end of the pregnancy?

She also missed this months heat, and is getting way too affectionate to be Sparrow :-/ Oh, and she's sleeping a lot too!

Here's a photo of the little tyke! She's 11 months old atm! :-)

EDIT: Her first heat (when I think she got pregnant) was roughly a month ago

It sounds like she is pregnant. When is the spay booked for? You can still have it done. I would, especially if you cannot guarantee excellent homes that will spay and neuter for a full litter of kittens.

talkingpeanut said:

It sounds like she is pregnant. When is the spay booked for? You can still have it done. I would, especially if you cannot guarantee excellent homes that will spay and neuter for a full litter of kittens.

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Darn :-/

It was booked for this coming Wednesday. Wouldn't it be too late to abort the babies if she's pregnant? They'll be 4 weeks old now wouldn't they? I doubt Mum would want to abort them anyway, she's iffy with that kind of stuff :-/
I do believe that we'll find good enough homes for them, we've already had so many people come in for the rescues I've been looking after!! I will start asking around now though, just to be on the safe side, and if no-one responds within the next week I'll work on getting them aborted. :-(

It's not too late if she's a month in, but I wouldn't push it later than Wednesday.

I know you've talked about the quality of care for cats in your area. I would think that you want to guarantee that anyone else would care for their kitten as well as you do. Make sure you find those homes.

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talkingpeanut said:

It's not too late if she's a month in, but I wouldn't push it later than Wednesday.

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Okay! I will have a word with Mum and wait until then to be 100% sure that she's pregnant. I'm sure we could always take her in then and get an ultrasound (I'm not sure if the vets do ultrasounds though, I'd have to ask!) to determine the number etc.

I'm wary about whether or not Mum will agree to the abortion though... it'll need a lot of persuading

Okay so I have quite a few questions about Sparrow!

She's still affectionate, and her appetite has increased a little. She was sick a few days ago, but was still eating fine and her stools are alright. However, when she's laying on her side you can feel 2 really hard thick, oval shaped masses! You don't have to be applying that much pressure to feel them, and they seem to be 'connected'. One is just below her ribs and the other is from the end of the first down to just before the squishy sack by her bottom. She has a smaller mass  on the other side, about half the size of the other two.

Is it normal to feel these when the pregnancy's only a month in? And could the babies be so large already because she was only mated once and so only a few eggs 'popped'?

Also, her food intake has increased and we're feeding raw so it isn't free-fed. Normally I feed her 2% of her body-weight, so should I increase this to 4%? And will she need more calcium or any other nutrients to make sure the babies are okay? I brought some kitten kibble too, and she has that once a day (about 20g) but she isn't too keen on it and would much rather chew on meat and bones :-(

Oh and another thing, when she's awake (which is RARELY) she sometimes wants to play hardcore (aka jumping off of walls and doors and that sort of thing) would it be alright to let her run around with the other cats or could it damage the babies?

And I shouldn't be picking her up after the end of this week, right?

It will not harm the babies if she runs and plays, and you can still pick her up. The kittens are well protected inside the sacs.

Also, will you consider neutering your male cat to prevent future pregnancies?

indie-n-button said:

Okay so I have quite a few questions about Sparrow!

She's still affectionate, and her appetite has increased a little. She was sick a few days ago, but was still eating fine and her stools are alright. However, when she's laying on her side you can feel 2 really hard thick, oval shaped masses! You don't have to be applying that much pressure to feel them, and they seem to be 'connected'. One is just below her ribs and the other is from the end of the first down to just before the squishy sack by her bottom. She has a smaller mass  on the other side, about half the size of the other two.

Is it normal to feel these when the pregnancy's only a month in? And could the babies be so large already because she was only mated once and so only a few eggs 'popped'?

Also, her food intake has increased and we're feeding raw so it isn't free-fed. Normally I feed her 2% of her body-weight, so should I increase this to 4%? And will she need more calcium or any other nutrients to make sure the babies are okay? I brought some kitten kibble too, and she has that once a day (about 20g) but she isn't too keen on it and would much rather chew on meat and bones :-(

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She needs to eat as much as she wants while she is pregnant and nursing.

Have you found homes that you approve of?

Anyone there?

sarthur2 said:

It will not harm the babies if she runs and plays, and you can still pick her up. The kittens are well protected inside the sacs.

Also, will you consider neutering your male cat to prevent future pregnancies?

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Ohhh, alright! They're 'shock-resistant' sacs aren't they? I suppose she's happy when she's playing, so I won't stop her :-)

And yes we will be! Probably once the babies are born though, because Sparrow gets VERY worried if she can't see Button for more than five minutes, and I don't want to stress her out by taking him away for a few hours :-(

talkingpeanut said:

She needs to eat as much as she wants while she is pregnant and nursing.

Have you found homes that you approve of?

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Ooh alright, that's a bit hard with it being raw though, but I do make sure she eats something every 2ish hours!
And yes! I've got 1 home so far, with one of my friends from school, and I'll be starting Medical College once the babies are about a month old (and I'm planning to give them away when they're 3 months old to be sure they're 100% healthy) so I'm sure I'll be able to find some nice friends there who would take them in, medical students tend to be well-educated on pet-care, at least that's what I've seen!

indie-n-button said:

Anyone there?
Ohhh, alright! They're 'shock-resistant' sacs aren't they? I suppose she's happy when she's playing, so I won't stop her :-)


And yes we will be! Probably once the babies are born though, because Sparrow gets VERY worried if she can't see Button for more than five minutes, and I don't want to stress her out by taking him away for a few hours :-(


Ooh alright, that's a bit hard with it being raw though, but I do make sure she eats something every 2ish hours!

And yes! I've got 1 home so far, with one of my friends from school, and I'll be starting Medical College once the babies are about a month old (and I'm planning to give them away when they're 3 months old to be sure they're 100% healthy) so I'm sure I'll be able to find some nice friends there who would take them in, medical students tend to be well-educated on pet-care, at least that's what I've seen!

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Buttons should be neutered now. He will still be fertile for up to a month after his surgery and she can get pregnant within a week of delivery.

If you keep the kittens until they are 3 months you could have them spayed and neutered before they go to their new homes. This would do a tremendous amount for their future. Keep in mind that you will need to find homes for a potentially large litter and some homes will drop out.

talkingpeanut said:

Buttons should be neutered now. He will still be fertile for up to a month after his surgery and she can get pregnant within a week of delivery.

If you keep the kittens until they are 3 months you could have them spayed and neutered before they go to their new homes. This would do a tremendous amount for their future. Keep in mind that you will need to find homes for a potentially large litter and some homes will drop out.

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Hmm, I will see what I can do, I just don't want the stress to affect the babies in any way..

Isn't 3 months REALLY early for spaying/neutering? I'm guessing that the rescues I have upstairs are 3 months and their testicles have only JUST come out (Saru's haven't even come out yet!), I've read that early neutering/spaying can also mess with their development? Or is that just a myth

Neutering and spaying at 12-16 weeks is ideal.

Here is a Cat Site article about it:

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/when-to-spay-or-neuter-a-cat

I agree that Sparrow needs more food to support the pregnancy for proper fetal development. Pregnant and lactating cats need double the food they normally eat.

sarthur2 said:

Neutering and spaying at 12-16 weeks is ideal.

Here is a Cat Site article about it:

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/when-to-spay-or-neuter-a-cat

I agree that Sparrow needs more food to support the pregnancy for proper fetal development. Pregnant and lactating cats need double the food they normally eat.

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Exactly. Female cats can start going into heat at 4 months.

Yes, she'll need a lot more food but don't increase her calcium---too much calcium can cause just as much trouble as too little.

Yeah, cat mating only takes a second. They can do it right in front of you and you barely notice, and she doesn't even need to be in heat to get pregnant. The act of mating stimulates her body to drop eggs, so even if she only breeds once she'll still drop the full amount of eggs. Most common is between 3-5 kittens but I did know a cat who had 8 in her first litter :/.

It's quite possible that they mated before that time your mom saw them. Any unaltered cats allowed together are just going to do what comes naturally. So she may be farther along than 4 weeks.

4 weeks is not too late to spay/abort, the kittens are only about 1.5 inches at that point. Of course it depends how comfortable you are with it and how the vet feels about it. But it's safe.

If a kitten's testicles haven't dropped by 8 weeks they probably aren't going to drop at all. Although it does occasionally happen. So 3 months is a fine time to spay/neuter, if your vet will do it. At least it will ensure that this doesn't happen to the new owners!

Keep in mind that cats can get pregnant right away after giving birth. Keep her away from the males until she's spayed. I know you said your mom doesn't want to neuter the males but keep trying to convince her. Especially if Sparrow is that attached to one male---I can just imagine the poor girl getting caught in a continuous loop of pregnancies!

I hope she does well. She was so sickly when she was little, hopefully that didn't make it so that she'll have complications. Keep in close contact with the vet.

Willowy said:

Yes, she'll need a lot more food but don't increase her calcium---too much calcium can cause just as much trouble as too little.

Yeah, cat mating only takes a second. They can do it right in front of you and you barely notice, and she doesn't even need to be in heat to get pregnant. The act of mating stimulates her body to drop eggs, so even if she only breeds once she'll still drop the full amount of eggs. Most common is between 3-5 kittens but I did know a cat who had 8 in her first litter :/.

It's quite possible that they mated before that time your mom saw them. Any unaltered cats allowed together are just going to do what comes naturally. So she may be farther along than 4 weeks.

4 weeks is not too late to spay/abort, the kittens are only about 1.5 inches at that point. Of course it depends how comfortable you are with it and how the vet feels about it. But it's safe.

If a kitten's testicles haven't dropped by 8 weeks they probably aren't going to drop at all. Although it does occasionally happen. So 3 months is a fine time to spay/neuter, if your vet will do it. At least it will ensure that this doesn't happen to the new owners!

Keep in mind that cats can get pregnant right away after giving birth. Keep her away from the males until she's spayed. I know you said your mom doesn't want to neuter the males but keep trying to convince her. Especially if Sparrow is that attached to one male---I can just imagine the poor girl getting caught in a continuous loop of pregnancies!

I hope she does well. She was so sickly when she was little, hopefully that didn't make it so that she'll have complications. Keep in close contact with the vet.

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Do you know what could happen if too much calcium is given? I was worried about the calcium in the first place because I read that too little calcium is a lot more dangerous than too much! Oh and she's having kitten kibble, as well (about a palm-full twice a day) so would you suggest not giving her the egg-shell?

I would spay her, but I'm not really comfortable with the thought of it myself, and with how the culture is over here, I'm pretty sure I'd just end up going there and getting nothing done except giving Sparrow a tonne of stress :-(

Is it a worry if they don't drop? :-0 And I'll speak to the vet about it and see what he says! :-) Even if I don't get the males neutered, though, I doubt it would be a probelm for the new owners as almost EVERYONE over here keeps their pets firmly indoors because of how dangerous outside is in Pakistan -- lots of diseases, and rabies scares.

Yes I read up on that! :-) I did have one of the males done a while back (Indie!), and I'm sure getting her to take Butty in wouldn't be a problem, especially since Indie was SO well-behaved at the vets - we were expecting world war three! I'm going to keep her in my room with the babies, though, I'm presuming it'll be easy because she sleeps there most of the day anyway.

So far everything seems to be going well! She only had one day of morning sickness, but her appetite is good, I'm hoping for the best!
 

sarthur2 said:

Neutering and spaying at 12-16 weeks is ideal.

Here is a Cat Site article about it:

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/when-to-spay-or-neuter-a-cat

I agree that Sparrow needs more food to support the pregnancy for proper fetal development. Pregnant and lactating cats need double the food they normally eat.

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I'll read up on the article right now! :-)

Hmm, okay, will it help if I leave kibble down all the time for her? I read that sometimes kibble takes a while to digest and can hold the raw up in 'traffic' which can make her constipated :-/ She is eating double than what she used to (she used to be a REALLY picky eater, but is so gutsy at the moment!), though, I hope she will be okay.

Just an update! Sparrow is doing great, and her eating etc. is fine, I've set up a large box for her too! I'll post some pictures later [emoji]128144[/emoji]

One thing I wanted to ask, she's got a little bit of see-through discharge from her nipples if you press them? Is this normal? Her glands aren't warm or painful or anything. Is she just milking? I've had people tell me hat this is colostrum and that she could be due any day, but seeing as she was probably mated in the beginning of August, I don't think she'd be due yet!

She's probably farther along than you think. If they were allowed to be together they likely mated more than once. From what I can find, clear fluid from the nipples usually means she only has a week or so left. . .

Can you feel the kittens move?

Willowy said:

She's probably farther along than you think. If they were allowed to be together they likely mated more than once. From what I can find, clear fluid from the nipples usually means she only has a week or so left. . .

Can you feel the kittens move?

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A week?! :-0 Good job I already have her box and everything sorted...

Sometimes I can, yeah, little kicks every so often when I'm stroking her. Her stomach is SUPER firm too and it's starting to get pretty big, she's sitting funny too, and when she sleeps it's mostly on her back with her legs spread out

Do you have a way to completely separate her from the boys until she is spayed?