curious, last week of pregnancy?

myrage

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My cat MIGHT be pregnant. We moved twice in 6 weeks. She escaped April 20th at 10 pm, and I got her back in April 21st 6 am. She was about mid-heat, but on the coming out of it more than going in (if that makes sense). She's a very very small cat. And she is showing the signs of pregnancy, Not physically, just emotionally. Her little nips are kinda pink, and look bigger, but I don't really remember what they looked like before, so I'm not sure exactly. she won't leave my side. I am just wondering if there was a post I can be refferred to that explains what to expect the last week. She is due to have them next week according to all the sites, and counting the days/weeks. And her thickness seems to be lower today than yesterday. She seems like she is finally getting that tummy, however you can't see it, but you can feel it, if you pet her belly while she is standing up. Any touching of her belly will make her purr and start licking the hand that is touching it. I am so scared for her, she's a mama's girl, and follows me everywhere. I just need to read again what to expect the last week.

thankyou all
have a great day.
 

prissykitty

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Every cat I have ever known in the last 2-3 weeks of pregnancy looked like it swallowed a watermelon.
 
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myrage

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I'm glad she doesn't look like that, but she is a little larger than she normally is. She's such a long thin cat, very very active (usually). I think maybe it's one or two kittens. She is a lot thicker than she was before, noticable to the touch. She's a long haired cat (she has her own page, MyRage, and her sisters too Myth, and Mystyc) and I don't know if that is partly hiding her bulk. She's acting too weird to be okay, but not acting sick and listless. She follows me everywhere, meows at me when I'm not sitting in one spot. She also won't leave my lap today. Every day she's gotten a little different, more klingy. She did go to the vet 17 days after she escaped, and she said she was pregnant, but I still feel like the vet JUST wanted to fix her. As for fixing, she will be as soon as this is over. Well, maybe a few weeks or so afterwards. But she WILL be fixed. I am sooooo scared. I am soooooo worried. I just want this to be done with, she's such a small girl, and a sweetie. She's been a mama's girl always, but never this codependant. With her size, I'm glad she's not a watermellon cat
I think that could cause more harm to her than good. My dad's girlfriend had a cat(it was her daughters actually) dweezil, who was like my cat. A little larger than mine, but same fluffy fur, same plumed tail, same dainty attitude, and same feminine, graceful, loving attitude. She had a few litters of kittens, and she(dad's gf) thinks that MyRage is pg, and that if she has more than 3 it would kill her. That's got me worried.

thanks
 

mrsd

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Hey, MyRage. My cat, Grayce, just had five kittens last night. She was very clingy with me, following me into whatever room I was in, and meowing a lot. If your cat is acting 'different' then you'll know it. Go with your instincts and have towels handy-just in case!

mrsd
 

anne in sweden

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The last week, you should definitely be able to feel and see the kittens move. Can you do that? It can be very decieving some times - cats can get "falsely pregnant" (don't know the English term, sorry!) and show all the normal signs of pregnancy (pink nipples, weightgain, more sleep, more cuddly) without actually being pregnant.

Just be prepared, and read up on what to expect.
And good luck!

//Anne in Sweden
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www.hufflepuffs.net
 
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myrage

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My husband and I have discussed the possibility of a false pregnancy. I really can feel something in there I am sure has gotten bigger in the last week. I try not to poke, and prod her tummy. She is certainly thicker in a spot, and that spot seems lower than before. We think either a false pregnancy, or one kitten. I will keep everyone who is curious how this turns out. I sure hope she has one kitten though. I am afraid if she has more that she will have a really hard time with it, she is the size of a 6 month old cat. But she is 3 yrs old. I got her August 7th, 2001, when she was 7 or 8 weeks old.

thankyou
 

usmckitties

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Actually, she would be more likely to have birthing issues if it were only one kitten as a lot of time singletons grow larger than "average" because they have the advantage of ALL the mother's resources and ALL the room to grow....

You are right not to be poking or prodding - palpation by inexperienced hands can actually cause more harm than good to both mother and litter -- a better way to try and detect pregnancy at this stage would be to watch her flanks, or if she is willing to lay your hand across her abdomen and feel for fetal movement -- if she's in her final week it will be hard to miss.
We have a kitty who is at pretty much the same stage of pregnancy as your's would be if she is indeed pregnant and it is DEFINATELY noticeable - in fact she has been noticebly rounder for the past 4+ weeks ... at this point appearing to have swallowed a football.
Your best bet is to take her to the vet - not only could they confirm or deny the pregnancy but they could also get a better idea of possible litter size, assess the mother's size vs her ability to deliver and if she isn't pregnant assess what may be the cause for the changes you are seeing. If you can't/don't take her to the vet the other best option would be to provide a quiet secluded area (we are using an unoccupied bedroom) where the cat can spend the remainder of her pregnancy -- provide a few possible birthing spots (ie boxes) for her to choose from and assure that all unsuitable places are not accessible to her. Keep an eye on her and be on hand for the big event (though not obtrusively so - follow her cues as to how much involvement from you she wants) because, as I said, sometimes singleton litters are more troublesome than are average sized ones.....
Good Luck
 
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myrage

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Thankyou... I don't know if any of it makes me feel better, lol. I really wish I could take her to the vet
It would make me feel a whole lot better about it all. She wants me to rub her tummy a lot, and I try to gently. She used to hate her tummy touched.

I'm keeping a close eye on her, she makes it really easy for me, since every room I go to has a little bed set up for her. She just jumps in it and watches me, or sits there 'cat napping'. She won't leave my sight.

Thankyou so much
 

usmckitties

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First of all, apologies -- it wasn't my intent to frighten you or to make it seem as though *all* singleton litters cause problems/dangers....only to put out the possibilities of what *can* happen in those cases. I am curious as to why your friend thinks more than 3 would kill your cat to deliver? Honestly, the ability to deliver or not can't be judged until it actually happens -- we have had very slight built cats deliver 6 or more kittens with ease and very large cats (ie what you would call those with "birthing hips"....lol) who have troulbe with 2 or 3 -- just as with humans it varies not only by the individual but also by the pregnancy. Chances are that your cat will present you with her litter (however large or small it is) with no problems whatsoever -- it is just good to be aware of what *can* go wrong so that you are better able to be on the ball in spotting problems and getting/giving the appropriate help......
BTW - not to pry but why can't you take her to a vet?
 

usmckitties

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First of all, apologies -- it wasn't my intent to frighten you or to make it seem as though *all* singleton litters cause problems/dangers....only to put out the possibilities of what *can* happen in those cases. I am curious as to why your friend thinks more than 3 would kill your cat to deliver? Honestly, the ability to deliver or not can't be judged until it actually happens -- we have had very slight built cats deliver 6 or more kittens with ease and very large cats (ie what you would call those with "birthing hips"....lol) who have troulbe with 2 or 3 -- just as with humans it varies not only by the individual but also by the pregnancy. Chances are that your cat will present you with her litter (however large or small it is) with no problems whatsoever -- it is just good to be aware of what *can* go wrong so that you are better able to be on the ball in spotting problems and getting/giving the appropriate help......
BTW - not to pry but why can't you take her to a vet?
 

pondwader

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Do you have exact dates in mind? I have had cats that were smallish in stature that gave birth with no difficulty. One himalayan I had, Ming, had 3 litters before I had her spayed, her first litter was 6 and her second and thrid litters were 7 and 8 kittens. One pretty little siamese I had gave birth to an unbelieveable 9 kittens once, 3 of which she chose to ignore and because she knew there was something wrong with them. I wasn't home when she delivered, so they didn't make it. Anyway, it was her first litter, and I got her spayed after that. Ming was always huge during her pregnancies, but the one who had 9 wasn't that large. Another cat, who was a huuuuge foster cat named Mouse (easily 15 lbs, very large for an un-spayed dsh) seemed to have swallowed a watermelon, and had 3 tiny babies. You just never know. If you can't take her to the vet and she seems healthy and ok, then I'd suggest just making sure you keep an eye on her, have lots of cozy, quiet, warm, safe places for her to choose from. If it is a false pregnancy, she may be coming back into heat.
 
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myrage

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She does seem kinda 'heat-ish' to me... But... ?? We'll find out. I really do want her to have a kitten. She's getting fixed either way though. It's been really hard on me with her being this way. Probably not overly easy on her either I am sure.

At the moment, we don't have the money to take her to a vet. We live in a small town, about 15,000 people in it. In Wyoming... ANyway, most of the vets here aren't very understanding when it comes down to it. A lot of people without jobs that just never pay bills. My dad had a mechanic business, part of what killed his business were all the 'I get paid in a week, and I can't live without my car' people. I've been there myself, everyone has hard times, but it's the ones that never have the money that makes it hard on the ones that DO pay. So... this is where I am now...I'm calling a local mobile vet tomorrow to see if she can see her, and I will... pay her when i get paid...

MyRage felt kinda lumpy on the sides when she rubbed against to be petted. The thickness that seemed to kinda be between her ribs, and hips by her backbone seems to be lower, near her tummy. I pet her a lot, she wants so much attention right now, and she feels weird.

The lady who thinks she'll have a compicated birth is actually my little brother's best(female)friend's (from jr high, they are both 21 now OMG!) mom. Did I confuse ya? Well she's my friend too, and now my dad's girlfriend. Anyway, their cat was small like mine, and had kittens. Dweezil was a little bit heaftier. But maybe she had a hard time cuz she was small? I don't know why she told me that. I'm just pretty freaked out. We've lost a lot of loved ones (human) in almost 3 years. I would rather like to keep my babygirlcat.
I can't imagine how over protective and horrible I'd be with HUMAN children... lol

well thanks again.

Luckily I know when she got out, the date, and close to the time. I also know when we got her back in the house, time also. We'd stayed up all night long waiting for dawn so I could see her to catch her.
out April 20th 10pm(about)
in April 21st 6am(about)
 

anne in sweden

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There are a few concerns, definitely. First, she's a little old for a first litter, but hopefully that won't be a problem. When you rub her tummy, do you feel any movement? With only ten days or less to go, you really should be able to. It's not great to have a litter of one, so hope for two or more - the kittens interact with eachother and learn a lot of their behavior in group, so it's definitely preferrable to have more than one. (Not that you can choose!)


Watch out for any weird discharges. If it's a "lump", and it's not moving.. well, that doesn't sound great. She could have an inflamed uterus (but you would eventually get discharge with that) or it could possibly be a dead kitten. Not to scare you though - and as long as she seems to feel fine, is active, eats, drinks and seems generally happy, there's no need to worry. I'm keeping fingers and paws crossed for you!


//Anne in Sweden
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myrage

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thankyou


I've been keeping a very close eye on her, she is my babycat
So now I am hoping for a two to three kitten litter... Is three really a little old to have babies? Hmmm....

I check her every day, when I don't see her for a while (like when I get back from shopping, or work. I'll wait until she wants in my lap, then just look her over to note any changes.) Still, this morning her little... girlie thing, looked just as it has for as long as I've been checking. I Look for any discharge, redness, blood... anything unusual. I rub my hand down her back, and on her sides, as well as a nice little tummy rub. To me she feels more lumpy than yesterday. She also seems like she's got lots of loose skin on her tummy, like extra ??

I checked her nips, pinker today than yesterday, though NOT puffy
is that bad? Shouldn't she be filling with milk already? They are also pink around them now, as apposed to the normal white color the skin has.

She still won't let me leave her sight, although she seems a little more distant today. She didn't want to sit in my lap this morning, so checking her was a little dificult, but I did so quickly, then she climbed into one of her little cubby-holes.

Last night, she was curled up in my lap, and I swear I felt twitches in her belly on my leg. I also laid my hand on the other side of her tummy after that, and thought I felt something there too. She's sooo purry too.

Her eyes are still bright. She played a little with a string last night!! YAY!! She wouldn't chase it, but when it was close enough, she either clawed it, or bit it. She is such a serious player, especially with her fave toys. I have to hang them on the ceiling where she can't get them, because usually (when she is herself) She will hide them from me, and I think eat them. I've found a few destroyed toys. Her play mice, I tear the tails off before she gets them, cuz she will eat them. I also rip out the eyes, and nose, for fear of choking. She is nicer to the play mice, then feathers, strings, or anything that flies like a bird. (interesting note. We had 2 cockatiels that we didn't cage, they had free roam of our house. MyRage used to sit in the window near their cage, and the two birds would sit next to her looking out the window. Rage only got mad at them when they started preening her... she must not like inter-species relationships? She NEVER EVER attacked them or anything. We gave them away, because we were moving, and taking Mystyc. Mystyc LOVES to hunt, and we knew those birds woldn't be safe even in a cage with her around.)

If she had dead kitten(s) in her, could it make her sick? Woudl they grow larger, the closer she got? I've thought about that, if she had a dead kitten in there before. I will try to get her a vet appointment today if I can. Depends on if she will let me pay her later, lol.

Does anyone have, or know where to find good info on false pregnancies? I kinda think she has kittens in there cuz she is so lumpy. I try really hard not to touch her too much. I am scared of hurting her, and her babies.

thanks for the help, I'll keep updating. Even if nobody reads, cuz I like to compare my notes from day to day. GREAT JOURNAL!!!
thanks everyone.
 

kumbulu

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I'll try to answer your questions in order, lol.

MyRage's vulva will only start to become pink and puffy around 2-3 days before the birth. She will show a clear or blood-tinged discharge 12-24 hours before the birth. If she is pregnant, it would be her 59th day and a pregnancy can last anywhere from 59 to 70 days. Her nipples should have filled out by now but it does sound like they have become a little bigger and more pink than usual. They fill from the back ones to the front. The clingyness is normal for a pregnant cat. If you gently lay your hand on her side or abdomen, you should definitely be feeling and seeing movement of the kittens by now.

Yes, if she does have a kitten that has died inside her, there would be a greenish or brownish smelly discharge, she would have a fever, go off her food and would be generally unwell. The dead kitten does not grow larger but starts to decompose in the uterus. If this happens, she needs a vet ASAP.

There is not much information around on pseudopregnancy in cats but I can tell you what I know. The signs are weight gain, enlarged abdomen, nipples enlarging and pinking up and nesting behaviour. Usually, there is no milk in the nipples and no kittens can be felt, even though the uterus is enlarged. You said she felt 'lumpy' and this usually wouldn't be the case in pseudopregnancy.

I hope that helps, though I'm sorry I can't give you any definite answers about whether she is actually pregnant or not.
 
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myrage

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I know the only definate way is for her to see a vet. BUt thakyou so much, that did give me a much better understanding on what to expect.

AND GREAT NEWS!! I found that the mobile vet will take a post dated check! She (the vet) should be here in 30 minutes to check her out. I'm pretty excited. I keep wondering if maybe there is a possiblity that I may think she's closer than she is... Unfortunately, I know we had a LANparty on the 20th. And I wrote down when she came in the next day, so the dates are definate. I'm pretty nervous about the vet coming. Don't know why i am sooo scared.

I haven't noticed any smelly discharge, or anything like that. So I guess that is a good thing. She isn't acting un healthy, or unhappy in any way. She is just over lovey, and clingy. Oh, and she is licking my face, arms(or shirt sleves) and hands.

thankyou for your continued help
This is just a little more than I thought it would be.
 
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