Should I have my kitten spayed if she already became pregnant?

I got my Jasmine from a low funds shelter this August, when she was around 8 weeks old. She was sick in many ways but I've gotten her treated and put her on nutritional supplements, so that she now is nice and healthy. The deal was to have her spayed within she was 6 mo. old, otherwise they may take her away (very high kill shelter).
We also got another kitten that is about 1 mo. younger, female. Our plan was to get them spayed together this coming Thursday. I decided to wait to have Jasmine spayed until then because she will be just about excactly 5 mo. and vet doesn't want to spay until 5 mo. because he doesn't believe it's good for them. Since they youngest one is only 4 mo. he didn't really want to do her, but since we figured it was best to do them together, he was willing to do them both considering Jasmine is getting old enough already that she may start cycling.

Anyway, I am having a strong suspision that Jasmine is already pregnant... She does go outside now and then, and we've had more cats around our house lately. Other than that, she on one occation became super cuddly with me and started biting me, both unusual for her. Otherwise no symptoms of being in heat (I read up on the symptoms, none fit her other than these.) But now I think her belly is protruding alittle and she's been more cuddly lately. Just very gently so, nothing major, but she's changing.

This is just what I DIDN'T want to happen! I don't think it's good for her to have been in heat at all, and I would have spayed her earlier if I though she could have started so early. She must have become pregnant before 5 mo. if she is indeed pregnant! Now, it could be that she could have been older than what we thought, but it couldn't have been by a whole lot! 1 week, tops!

I am just feeling so bad about this, I fully know of all the problems with kittens around and health of the mother cat etc.

Now I am wondering what to do next. I'll have to call the shelter and ask if I will be permitted to let her stay pregnant, or if I need to spay her regardless.
If they will let me keep her pregnant (hopefully she isn't, anyway), what should I do? Should I let her have this litter and then spay right away, or should I go ahead and spay her even though she's pregnant? She can't be too far along, I'm guessing only a couple of weeks or so. I know some vets will spay with an early pregnancy, but I don't know if I should.
What advice can you give me?

You need to have a vet verify if she is indeed pregnant first. It is possible that worms have caused her to look larger. From there you can decide what to do, if she is pregnant. Since you have an agreement with the shelter, they may want her spayed regardless of pregnancy. Most shelters want to see a reduction in the number of litters. However you will have to contact your shelter and find out.

Try not to allow a cat that has not been spayed/neutered outside since this can easily happen. Female cats can go into heat as young as four months.

This is a very personal decision. You asked for our opinions, so I'll share mine
if she is indeed pregnant, she is ONLY 5 months old!!! I would have her spayed.........even if she is pregnant.She's too young to have babies and be able to care for them possibly.Again, this is only MY opinion.
There are so many homeless kittens out there as it is.And she may have complications during birth that could result in her death and the kittens.

Personally, I'm with crittermom.

I've witnessed babies giving birth...it compromises the health of mom and babies. she might abandon or try to kill and eat her babies since she is just still a kitten. If your vet won't do it, I'd find someone who would. Most shelter-based spay-neuter clinics that I know of would be happy to do so, so it's a matter of finding one in your area.

It's sad to abort potential babies, but it would be even more sad if you lost Jasmine AND her babies.

Now I am wondering what to do next. I'll have to call the shelter and ask if I will be permitted to let her stay pregnant, or if I need to spay her regardless.

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At this point you do not 'know' if she is pregnant...so I would highly recommend you have her spayed...don't involve the shelter since at this point you are simply guessing she is pregnant.

I'm not sure why you allowed her outside...but you need to stop allowing her outdoors immediately. If she isn't pregnant now...she will be. Cats can become pregnant before 6 months of age, which is why a lot of rescues are now performing spays/neuters as early as 8 weeks of age. Also...you need to keep your other female indoors.

Katie

I guess I'll just have her spayed regardless. Good points, her being a kitten herself and giving birth may be risky... Also she's growing herself, so it would make sense that it would be hard for her health to carry kittens so early.

Originally Posted by HappyViking

I guess I'll just have her spayed regardless. Good points, her being a kitten herself and giving birth may be risky... Also she's growing herself, so it would make sense that it would be hard for her health to carry kittens so early.

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Let us know how it goes....I do believe it will be best for her.

Katie

Originally Posted by HappyViking

I guess I'll just have her spayed regardless. Good points, her being a kitten herself and giving birth may be risky... Also she's growing herself, so it would make sense that it would be hard for her health to carry kittens so early.

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I think that's best to, I have a Female that I rescued after she had 5 baby girls, and by the time I finally was able to get all of them, she was so tiny and thin and just less then a year old I took her to the vet and she was pregrant again, they spayed her anyway, and noy her and 3 of the girlies (all spayed are the sweetest babies I have ever seen, and mom is like a football, she's a small cat short bodied and she weighs about 11 pounds, I have rescuse 16 all together and I had all of the spayed and neutered, and I ended up keeping 2 from last year and mom and 3 this year plus I already had 2, oh gads I can't beleive I have that many And I am so glad that I had them fixed there were 12 females out of the 16, can't imagne how many babies that kept from being born, It's so much healthier for them also, Good Luck...

Thank's for the support and encouragement! I already had set up an appointment for Thursday this week (two days from now) and I'll keep that appointment. I'll ask at that point whether she's pregrant and if they're willing to do it anyway, and let it happen if she is. If they won't do it, I'll take her elsewhere to have it done. The poor little girl! I'll also ask, if she's not pregnant at all, to have her stool tested for worms. I don't think she has worms but a test won't hurt her...

Take a stool sample with you to the appt so they can check it for worms. I'm pretty sure they will spay even if she is pregnant. I think you made the right decision.

How nice of you to adopt 2 kitties from the shelter! Best of luck with the spays. I'm sure they will do just fine, however you will worry until you get them home! LOL!

Originally Posted by Beckiboo

Take a stool sample with you to the appt so they can check it for worms. I'm pretty sure they will spay even if she is pregnant. I think you made the right decision.

How nice of you to adopt 2 kitties from the shelter! Best of luck with the spays. I'm sure they will do just fine, however you will worry until you get them home! LOL!

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Good idea, I'll bring a stool sample from home. I was thinking they'll probably go at the vets since they'll be spending the night, but hey; not necessarily so. I'd better just bring a sample.
Well, I only got Jasmine from the shelter; I didn't see any other kittens there that I felt was "the one" that I had been searching for. But then a neighbour down the street had kittens, and I got my other one from them. Their kittens had been well taken care of and socialized, and she's just a doll. They got the mother cat spayed now, as well. That's good to know.

I really hesitated to take Jasmine home, with worms, fleas, URI, malnurished, earmites and the whole deal; she was in a very bad shape. But there was something so gentle and lovable about her that I couldn't pass on. She was so different from the rest of them, although I bet most of them had many of the same issues. And I knew that these issues were treatable, and so I drove directly from the shelter to the vet with her. With a pit in my stomac; what have I done! Gone against every "rule" about what to look for in a healthy kitten... But again, these issues could be treated, so I decided I needed her to come with me. I have had NO regrets! She's not too cuddly, but a real sweetie! So gentle and calm, real patient and sweet. Can't really describe her. I wanted her to be cuddly, and even tho she's not too much, she is just such a dear! I can't wait to send in those spay-papers so that I can claim full rights to her! She's so healthy looking too, now. Gained weight and grown, beautiful and no signs of illness anymore! I'm rambling now, but she is soooo sweeeeeet! Just want everybody to know that, cause she's one of a kind!!! I cried my eyes out once, when she was tiny, and I thought she had escaped outside (before she was permitted outside and the would have been too fragile and defenceless) and I thought she was lost for good. We checked EVERYWHERE, even the dishwasher, freezer, dryer, cabinets, you name it. I was devestated, then she crawled out from behind a big box that dh had already checked!!! What a happy moment; I told her to never scare us like that again, while kissing her and smooching like never before... And she purred, like always!

Originally Posted by crittermom

This is a very personal decision. You asked for our opinions, so I'll share mine
if she is indeed pregnant, she is ONLY 5 months old!!! I would have her spayed.........even if she is pregnant.She's too young to have babies and be able to care for them possibly.Again, this is only MY opinion.
There are so many homeless kittens out there as it is.And she may have complications during birth that could result in her death and the kittens.

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I agree.

I think you've made the right decision. I wouldn't even bring up your suspicions that she might be pregnant, to be honest.

I think you've made the right decision for her!!!

Well, here we go! They just had their last meal until spaying is over with... I'll be taking them in tomorrow morning. I'll let you know what the vet says about whether Jasmine is pregnant. I asked his assistant over the phone, and she said that he will spay if she's not very far along, if she is pregnant at all. I'l be asking about what he finds out.

Originally Posted by HappyViking

Well, here we go! They just had their last meal until spaying is over with... I'll be taking them in tomorrow morning. I'll let you know what the vet says about whether Jasmine is pregnant. I asked his assistant over the phone, and she said that he will spay if she's not very far along, if she is pregnant at all. I'l be asking about what he finds out.

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I do believe you have made the right decision. Please let us know how it goes tomorrow.

Katie

Update on today's spaying: I brought both cats in this morning (a 40min drive in the snow) and the first thing the vet's technician told me was "I tried to call you; the vet came in this moring and has been throwing up all night, so I sent him home again...."
So he's sick, the poor man. I guess he NEVER takes a day off, regardless of illness,so he must have been feeling pretty crummy.... I feel bad for him! He is very old, too, so I'm glad he went home again.

I was told I could leave the cats there and wait and see what happens, maybe they could be spayed later today or possibly tomorrow. But with such uncertainty, I didn't want them there, confused in a new environment and not undertanding what's going on. So I took them home. They called again, and he has said he won't be in the rest of the day.

So I drove back home again and started calling around to see if anybody else would be able to take them today since they're already fasting and a possible pregnancy, and that was not an easy one. Either they are too expensive or they can't do it anytime soon, or unwilling to do a pregnant cat. So I ended up feeding them again; they were just staving!

I did have the technician look at Jasmine. She said she's not very experienced in checking for pregnancies, but she was guessing that she is pregnant. She compared the two cats, and noted the rounded belly that has a certain firmess to it. As I did the same check that she did, I too think that it feels like a pregnant belly, much like my own when I was pregnant.

Well, the office is completely booked until the very end of the month. I know he'll be good about trying to squeeze them in before then if at all possible, but if it's not, then I don't know what to do. It seems a bit late to wait that long with a pregnant cat, so I think I may just let her have this litter then, and spay ASAP afterward. That is IF the shelter agrees, but I would think they would be willing to work around this situation, especially since I did make an effort to have her spayed, and a new date will be set. I know my vet will call on my behalf if they get fussy about it. But hopefully it won't be an issue even. I'm guessing, from things I've heard, that my vet might decide to work after hours to get it done. Time will tell, I guess.

Hopefully the vet will be able to squeeze her in. It is unfortunate that the other vets were either too expensive or just not willing to do it.

Good luck and I hope they can get both girls in SOON!!!!
If she isn't far along, they can/will do the spay anyways.

I talked to the vet's office again and they said I can bring them in tomorrow morning... That'll be Saturday. Then we'll see what the vet says, about how far along she may be if she is pregnant, and if he is OK with spaying at that stage of pregnancy.

The only thing is; since it is Saturday morning, I can't pick them up again until Monday. That's too bad; I would have preferred to get them home on Sunday, but she said they don't work then. Someone will be in to check them and observe them, but I guess I can't pick them up though. What do you think about that? Is it fine to wait until Monday? I am a bit at the mercy of the vet's, because he really is just squeezing them in because of the situation. He doesn't really have any openings util the very end of the month, he is so booked.