first litter

Three weeks ago I adopted a female cat from the local shelter as a friend for my older cat. She is a very tiny 2 year old with a lot of energy. Last night I came home and happened to notice something under my futon. When I went to look I discovered a dead kitten that she had delivered sometime while I had been at work. The kitten had obviously come full term as it was about 6 inches long and covered in beige fur. This was all a shock to me as I was not even aware I had adopted a pregnant cat. I was rather upset with the shelter for not having checked her thouroughly and informed me before hand.

I was wondering if anyone would be able to tell me why the kitten would have died. I have never had a female cat before, let alone a pregnant one. I saw no reason that the kitten should have died but I don't really know anything about this sort of thing. What are your thoughts?

I moved this to the Breeders section as I feel you will get more responses.

Frannie

Thanks, I had trouble deciding where to post in the first place.

So she didn't have any more kittens? Kittens can die for many reasons if you are not there to help. People just don't know because often cats are outside when they give birth and nobody ever sees when the kittens are born. The kitten could have gotten stuck on the way out and didnt have enough air, mom could have passed on some sort of virus, the kitten could have been partially developed.
I would probably take your cat to the vet to be checked. She may have more in there, or may have something going on which is why the kitten didn't make it.

I'm pretty sure there will be no more kittens. Her belly size has decreased significantly today. She is behaving normally and running and playing like she always does. I did talk to the vet and she didn't seem to think there was a reason to bring her in. I was just disturbed at the surprise birth and finding the kitten dead.

about the kidden.... , but at least your girl is okay....

Sorry about the kitty. Thats sad. I'm sure there would have been nothing you could have done.

I just wanted to share that I bought my Sunshine last summer, and not to my knowledge she was very pregnant with 5 kittens. She hardly even looked like it, just a bit chubby I thought!!! I was pretty shocked when I figured it out, and less than two weeks later, she gave birth in a laundry basket to 5 healthy kittens. How cute they were!
Needless to say, I ended up w/ 6 cats instead of the one I wanted!!!!!!! They were such a joy though, and now they've all gone to loving homes and I only have 2 furballs now!!

That's nice, kittens are the sweetest! I love when they first start exploring.

I'm sorry about the kitten dying, but my first response is "What shelter adopted out a full grown cat without it being spayed first"? Where ever you live, you need to find the right people and let them know that their policies should be changed. If they are going to hand out pregnant animals to people, where is their sense of responsiblity? Have they heard there's an animal overpopulation problem?

The shelter in New Orleans, close to where I live changed their policy so that no animal and I mean no animal goes out of the shelter before it is spayed or neutered. It doesn't matter what the reason no exception to that rule.

It's funny I should come across your posting because I adopted a dog from the N.O. shelter 25 years ago and she was pregnant. She had puppies 2 days after I brought her home. Fortunately they lived, but I was appalled that they let a pregnant dog be adopted. They didn't know or care if she was pregnant. Thank goodness the policies have changed in so many shelters across the country. Yours needs to be enlightened I think!

Good luck

I agree. I have spayed my cat since then. I did call the shelter and tell them about it. The shelter is run by volunteers that care for the animals and the volunteers were upset that this happened. But when I talked to the vet that worked at the shelter she seemed unconcerned. This shelter's policy is that the adoption price includes neutering and you sign an agreement that you will come back a month later and have it done. But they do not neuter the adult animals that are in the shelter waiting for adoption.

Its also interesting you responded to this topic now. I have two cats, the one I got from the shelter in January and one I've had for twelve years. My oldest cat is going to be put to sleep soon as he has incurable cancer. So, I'm once again at that stage where adopting another cat is entering my thoughts. My experience with that shelter has been such that I'm not going to go back a second time. I am leading towards two new ideas. I've found a small shelter that is a siamese rescue shelter (and friends, if a siamese is turned in along with his life's friend who were a tabby then they take both). They have a fabulous policy, all their animals stay in the shelter until they are old enough to be neutered and if you should ever have to give up your adopted pet for any reason and can't find it a home... you sign a contract that you promise to bring it back to the shelter as they don't believe in euthanizing the animals. I like their policies. Its also not a shelter where animals are locked up in little cages. They own a house in the city where some of the animals can run about and play, the rest are scattered about in foster homes. My other idea is to get a free kitten.

I'm sorry to hear about your older cat having cancer. It is so difficult when they get ill and we have to let them go.
The rescue shelter you wrote about sounds wonderful. I hope you can find your next cat/kitten there. Talk to you soon.

ImmortalFlower-

First of all sorry to hear about the kitten and the poor care the mother received at the shelter. I am shocked that your vet didn't see any need to examine the mother. I would find a new vet and take your cat there.

-saf