MyRage's behavior is not normal to her.

Hi, I have a cat named MyRage(Mirage). She's 3 years old. Not fixed. We moved on April 11th into a new house. She'd lived in the same place since she was a kitten, so this was her first move. On the 20th, she managed to slip out the door when company was exiting the house, and paused briefly. IT was about 10pm at that time. Me and one of my friends went outside about every hour and called for her, and looked for her, keeping constant tabs on her. We lived near a very busy road that has taken many feline lives.

There were two toms following her like she was a mama duck with ducklings. It was the cutest thing. She was towards the end of her heat. Her heats seemed to have a climax, where she would rub her self(down there) on anything near. Table legs, pant legs, shoes, corners etc. Then after a day or two of that, she'd start coming out of it, and she was 1 day past that 'climax' when she met the three toms. One of the toms stayed with us, while the other two followed her around, and protected her.

Then, on memorial weekend, we were forced to move again. The people's house that we were living in were forced to return, so we were out. We got another place, a much larger place, with more windows to look out, BUT we are further in the country, and we have an even more dangerous road to deal with. LOTS of animals, Deer, antelope, dogs, cats, even HUMANS have been killed on that road. Owls are also roumored to live out here as well, I heard they will/can scoop up a cat and eat it.

Well, about 3 days before we moved again, MyRage started getting really agressive with our calico. Mystyc(the calico) didn't live directly with us until we moved, and they were making progress towards becoming friends. Then out of the blue, MyRage just became hostile to Mystyc. Mystyc is a very feisty, and dominant cat, always top cat no matter what. And she is running from MyRage.

The vet said MyRage was pregnant 17 days after she escaped, she rubbed her tummy, and said she felt 'extra bladders'.

She is supposed to be due on the 23rd of this month I believe. She is 3, weighed only 5 lbs at the last vet visit. She WILL be fixed soon. But I am curious if there is any chance that her odd behavior can be stress from moving twice in 6 weeks?

Her behavior is odd... She follows me EVERYWHERE. She whines at me a lot. She cleans herself every time she sits down, even if she just finished bathing. She is climbing into every dresser drawer that is left open, she is crawling into every dark space she sees. She sleeps almsot all the time. She's eating, drinking, and using her box normally. Actually she seems to be eating a bit more. She purrs every time she sees me. She purrs when I touch her. She purrs when I say her name, and she makes this kinda purry meow sound a lot when I make eyecontact with her.

She's been feeling a little thicker between her ribcage and her hips, kinda high, like near her spine. Today however, the thickness seems to be a little lower. I'm not used to pregnant cats. She doesn't look like she swallowed a watermelon. and her nips seem bigger and slightly pink, however they don't look baggy, like they are filling with milk.

She escaped on April 20th, and I got her back 6am april 21st. She hadn't been out before that, and hasn't been out since. I haven't seen any signs of her being in heat, other than being a little more loving. but she's been a yowler from her first heat, and has not yowled even ONCE since she escaped.

My other two cats are fixed. MyRage didn't get fixed right away because of a few things, one was my mom's death. (9.12.01 1:45 am) My husband and I supported my younger brother (who was a senior at the time) and my dad, who was depressed for a long time afterwards. So MyRage's fixing appointment took the back seat. And I also wanted her to have a litter. But the male I had picked out dissappeared one day (Leglas was his name, beautiful all white male, sweet as can be). So we decided to get her fixed on our next check, wich was the day she escaped. IRONIC

I just don't really know if she is pregnant, or if I am just seeing a very stressed kitty, and mis-interperating the signs. Can stress delay a felines heat cycle? I know stress can caus a human woman to be late on her cycle.

Today... she hasn't spent but maybe two hours out of my lap in a 9 hour period, that is so unusual, even for my overloving kitty that she is. I finally coaxed her into a little cubby hole on my rolltop to relax in. She's finally sleeping, she couldn't sleep all day in my lap, cuz she was slipping, and I move around a lot to get comfy.

With one possible week of pregnancy left, what do i look for, or what do i do?? Can kittens be felt at 17 days gestation? Please advise me. We just gave all our money to our landlady for rent so we could stay, and now have none left for a vet visit. please any advice is most welcome.

thank you!!

She is most likely pregnant.

The behavior is somewhat typical of a pregnant cat...the loving on you is a little abnormal, but not unheard of. It's a good thing really.

She's being so standoffish with the other cats because she is pregnant, and she feels different. This is also why she is constantly cleaning, and why she loves to have her belly rubbed.

She is looking for dark places that are quiet and sheltered, looking for potential nesting places for when she goes into labor. Since she is being so nice to you, you will probably have the chance of helping her through the labor. Once she goes into labor, I would definately seperate the other cats from her, or vice versa. It will reduce the stress on her, and give the new kittens a little extra protection.

Also, she will most likely slip back into heat very soon after giving birth....you will need to take every reasonable precaution to prevent her from getting outside until you have her spayed.

Spotz

thankyou spotz. I'm scared though. She JUST attacked Mystyc AGAIN. Mystyc was sitting in the window by my computer, and Rage came in. Following me as usual. Mystyc jumped out of the window, face to face with Rage, and they started hissing. Then Mystyc bapped her right on top of her head (Mystyc was cornered between the wall, my computer desk, and my rolltop, behind me, and myrage was at the only escape rout. I picked up Rage, so Mystyc could flee, wich she did. And Rage was huffing and puffing for a few seconds... Is that normal, the huffing and puffing? She isn't now though. I want to seperate them now, I'm worried that everytime she gets all hissy with Mystyc she stresses her self, but I don't want to lock any cat in any room....

I'm so nervous. I miss my playful acrobatic cat. She used to do backflips chasing a feather ona string. I miss that.

She'll be back soon enough...but your best bet is probably to seperate her from the other cats, if possible, when you aren't around to supervise.

If you've ever known a pregnant woman, you know how much their moods can swing in the last bit of pregnancy. It's more hormonal than anything else, but it's also natural instinct. In the wild Rage would have more than likely distanced herself from other cats to have her kitties. She knows that there is something abnormal about herself, and she knows that it's a weakness, so she will be more likely to become somewhat territorial while she is pregnant. She should return back to her normal self within a few weeks after birth. But definately keep the kittens and Rage seperated from the other cats for at least a few weeks. Rage will probably be defensive of the kittens, and the other cats might be a little too curious.

Spotz

That makes sense. Thankyou... We've been shutting her in our bedroom while we aren't home. She's got everything she needs, and she is most protective of that room most. She rarely lets Mystyc in, Myth is cool, she can come and go. But Mystyc... I am mostly concerned right now with when I'm here, and Rage wants to be with me, and Mystyc wonders in. Or sometimes I have to go into rooms where Mystyc is already, then Rage gets all hissy. I guess, just sitting in one room reading isn't so bad, so she can be with me, and not follow me all over the house. But, I have house work to get done, and stuff, and I hate to lock either of them up. Pooor babies.... I feel worse for Mystyc. I am unable to give her any attention right now. I sneak little bits in here and there when Rage isn't looking.

thankyou for explaining that, makes perfect sense.

You're welcome,

http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=37467

The above link is to another thread involving new kittens, just to make sure you saw it. There are other good threads about actual kitten birth, I would strongly encourage you to read them, to help you know what to expect in a week or so.

I'm somewhat surprised that nobody else has chimed in here yet...but they will.

Spotz

In all honesty, I haven't really been around a lot of pregnant females, human or not. I had a rat, Nisa, that had 7 babies, all healthy. But Rage is a lot different that her. My boss a couple jobs ago, got pregnant, and had her first son. She and her husband were my bosses, but anyway... I wasn't really around her a whole lot, and she did seem... calm and cool to my face. I think she saved her negative swings for him, lol. She was a cool boss, and I figured that her extra nit-pickyness was due to her due date coming close. Didn't think about my babycat having the same thing. I'm still in denial in a way. I've read a lot of threads, but everything leaves me as I read it, lol. I want to get my house completely unpacked before it happens, but the more I move around, the more she follows me, the more she whines. And... the more she gets all buttheady to Mystyc. So I try to sit more. She sticks so close to me, that I hope to know when she starts, so I can confine us, or her to one room. She's pretty fond of her cubby hole on my rolltop.

thankyou...

Again...you're welcome.

Try to keep us all posted here, and I'm positive that we will pull together and get through this.

Spotz