New Here - How to tell WHEN?

Hi, I am new here, and have been reading lots of information on this board, it's exactly what I needed!

End of May we found a cat (or should I say she found us) - abandonded. She's an "outside" cat for the most part since my husband and I despise litter boxes, but she does come in the house and cuddles, eats, etc. Vet said she was sweet - and at least 1 yr old. We discussed neutering and of course I didn't get it scheduled in time. We are now noticing obviously that she is pregnant - nipples are fuller and so is her belly.

We were on vacation last week and had someone come feed her every day - and now suddenly she is wanting to be by our sides constantly. Slept with me all night and is sleeping here on the couch next to me as I surf.

I'm trying to figure out if the "wanting to be near me" means she will have the babies soon. I've given her a clothesbasket that she completely ignored, and now just put a box in a closet she's been eyeing up.

I'm also a bit concerned because I can't feel the babies move in her belly. She's a small cat,too.

Any insight would be appreciated.

Welcome.....is there anyway you can keep this cat indoors only until she has had her babies and weans them (she can remain in a room with her birthing box, litter, food and water). The concern with allowing her to remainindoors/outdoors is that 1. she will choose to have her kittens outdoors and 2. she will go back into heat and get pregnant again before you spay her. Also...has she been seen by your vet since you suspected she became pregnant? Your vet could tell you how close she is to giving birth.

Katie

yes, she has been seen by my vet, and received all her shots (since she's around my children, I wanted to be sure, in particular, that she received a rabies shot). But, this was before we knew she was pregnant. I remember the vet mentioning something causually, like, she could get pregnant...if she's not already - and that was mid june. so I'm not sure if the vet knew or not (now that I'm writing this I think I need a new vet)

Yes, I am concerned about her having the kittens outside - she likes being under our deck (which is difficult for anyting bigger than a cat to get to)

Could i get her to use a litter box? Or just continue to "go" outside - if we watch her?

Originally Posted by kittykitty123

yes, she has been seen by my vet, and received all her shots (since she's around my children, I wanted to be sure, in particular, that she received a rabies shot). But, this was before we knew she was pregnant. I remember the vet mentioning something causually, like, she could get pregnant...if she's not already - and that was mid june. so I'm not sure if the vet knew or not (now that I'm writing this I think I need a new vet)

Yes, I am concerned about her having the kittens outside - she likes being under our deck (which is difficult for anyting bigger than a cat to get to)

Could i get her to use a litter box? Or just continue to "go" outside - if we watch her?

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To me, the best option would be to take her inside and fill a litterbox with potting soil (the kind you buy at the store not the kind you have outdoors) so that it is more familiar to her (if she is a stray..she may have used regular litter before so you can buy a small bag of that and see which she prefers), keep her in an interior room in your house with no access outdoors. Some people even use a large dog crate. Make sure to feed her kitten food..both wet and dry to help up her protein levels. I don't think watching her will help..what if she gets scared and makes a mad dash somewhere and has the kittens somewhere else...what if after she has the kittens she goes back into heat and gets "knocked up" before you spay her.....to me, bringing her indoors is really the best solution.

Katie

Yes, you're right, I think I will just have to keep her inside. We have a large dog crate that we may try keeping her in at nighttime until the kittens are born so she can get used to it.

Originally Posted by kittykitty123

Yes, you're right, I think I will just have to keep her inside. We have a large dog crate that we may try keeping her in at nighttime until the kittens are born so she can get used to it.

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Let us know how it goes and if you have any further questions.....by the way....thank you for caring for this cat. Once her kittens have been weaned and she is spayed, she can go back to being an indoor/outdoor cat without fear of anymore litters. Also..if you need a list of low cost spay clinics in your state..go here:

http://www.lovethatcat.com/spayneuter.html

scroll down to your state and it should give you a list.


Katie

The normal gestation for a cat is 60-67 days. If she is showing signs of being pregnant she is at least four weeks along if not more.