I'm not sure whether to post this here or in ferals, maybe I should do both but....
We have a feral turned pet cat that is pregnant. I think she is about 30 -35 days pregnant since I'm guessing that she turned friendly when she went in heat about a month ago. After a great deal of debate, we've decided to let her continue the pregnancy and have her fixed after the kittens are born, but she's the first pregnant cat I've ever known, and I seem to be hitting some "rough waters" here with my new cat and existing family and fur family...
I'm trying not to bug my vet with a zillion "worried first mommy" questions, so I thought I would bug the professionals instead
Plus, I plan to worry a lot on the board over the next month, because if I worry "outloud" at home, my husband gripes at me.
Ok - this cat NEVER meowed before, now she meows constantly, pacing and meowing, meowing and pacing.... She doesn't want to be picked up at all, though she seemed to enjoy it before, and is pretty grumpy about her whole situation. She's happy to spend the entire day sitting in my lap, but doesn't want anyone else to sit with her. She meows at my daughters (who have both been sympathetic and very gentle), purrs while she's being petted and then ten minutes later, she's growling and hissing at them. She LOVES me but mainly meows and meows and....
Understandably, she's been a shy cat since we brought her in, now she's extremely defensive. Every member of the family (except myself) has been scratched at least once in the last four days. She's finding a hundred places to hide where I would NOT WANT her to have kittens and continues to try to escape to the outdoors. I'm afraid that she may be further along than what I thought, based on the behavior changes over the last few days, although the vet thought she was early in the pregnancy and we can't feel any babies moving yet. She's healthy... but I don't know if she feels bad because of the pregnancy or if (having been feral) just wants OUT of the house. Last night, she attacked one of our other cats without provocation...
So....I'd like tips and ideas on ...
How breeders control the place where the kittens are born? We've provided several nesting boxes and cozy, dark places around the house. She's rejected all of them, (although our other cats think they are great. One of our other females has been sleeping in one of the boxes for three days now
)
Ideas to make her more content to be indoors while keeping the rest of our family content as well?
When can you usually feel the babies moving? Maybe we're wrong about when she got pregnant?
If she's crying all the time, how will I know if something is really wrong?
I know... I'm a worry wart! But this is one of many reasons I've always spayed and neutered!!
Sorry to be so long-winded. I'm so glad to have a "sounding board".
angela
We have a feral turned pet cat that is pregnant. I think she is about 30 -35 days pregnant since I'm guessing that she turned friendly when she went in heat about a month ago. After a great deal of debate, we've decided to let her continue the pregnancy and have her fixed after the kittens are born, but she's the first pregnant cat I've ever known, and I seem to be hitting some "rough waters" here with my new cat and existing family and fur family...
I'm trying not to bug my vet with a zillion "worried first mommy" questions, so I thought I would bug the professionals instead
Ok - this cat NEVER meowed before, now she meows constantly, pacing and meowing, meowing and pacing.... She doesn't want to be picked up at all, though she seemed to enjoy it before, and is pretty grumpy about her whole situation. She's happy to spend the entire day sitting in my lap, but doesn't want anyone else to sit with her. She meows at my daughters (who have both been sympathetic and very gentle), purrs while she's being petted and then ten minutes later, she's growling and hissing at them. She LOVES me but mainly meows and meows and....
Understandably, she's been a shy cat since we brought her in, now she's extremely defensive. Every member of the family (except myself) has been scratched at least once in the last four days. She's finding a hundred places to hide where I would NOT WANT her to have kittens and continues to try to escape to the outdoors. I'm afraid that she may be further along than what I thought, based on the behavior changes over the last few days, although the vet thought she was early in the pregnancy and we can't feel any babies moving yet. She's healthy... but I don't know if she feels bad because of the pregnancy or if (having been feral) just wants OUT of the house. Last night, she attacked one of our other cats without provocation...
So....I'd like tips and ideas on ...
How breeders control the place where the kittens are born? We've provided several nesting boxes and cozy, dark places around the house. She's rejected all of them, (although our other cats think they are great. One of our other females has been sleeping in one of the boxes for three days now
Ideas to make her more content to be indoors while keeping the rest of our family content as well?
When can you usually feel the babies moving? Maybe we're wrong about when she got pregnant?
If she's crying all the time, how will I know if something is really wrong?
I know... I'm a worry wart! But this is one of many reasons I've always spayed and neutered!!
Sorry to be so long-winded. I'm so glad to have a "sounding board".
angela