Pregnant Foster

Hi, I am on my second foster from PAWS, the 1st one was a very old, very sick cat who had to be put to sleep (I knew going into it, we wanted to make her last weeks as comfortable as possible)and now I picked up my new foster and she is very pregnant. I am supposed to keep her till she delivers and then when the kittens are weaned I bring her back to PAWS to be spayed and adopted out. I just wondered how you can tell how far along a cat is and when she is getting ready to have them. She is a stray so nobody knows how far along she is but is there a way of telling by looking at her? She has been here since Monday and her sides are sticking out further and further but her belly doesn't really "hang" much. Also, when she has the kittens, should I play with them so they are socialized even if she gets mad? I spend alot of time with her so she will trust me in case of any problems, I've never had a pregnant cat before so this is all new to me. Thanks for any help or advice!

I ALSO HAVE A PREGNANT CARE I AM CARING FOR, THIS ONE WILL BE GOING TO ADIRONDACK SAVEASTRAY WHEN HER KITTENS ARE OLD ENOUGH IF NOT BEFORE. I DONT KNOW A WHOLE LOT ABOUT IT BUT FROM WHAT I HAVE BEEN TOLD YOU SHOULD WAIT UNTIL THE KITTENS EYES ARE OPEN THEN START HOLDING THEM AND PETTING THEM, SHE WILL LESS LIKELY GET MAD THEN. I DONT KNOW THIS FOR FACT BUT THIS IS WHAT I HAVE BEEN TOLD SHOULD BE DONE SOMEONE ELSE MAY KNOW MORE THAN I DO SO PLEASE LET ME KNOW AS WELL.

There's no real way to tell how far along they are unless you know the date of conception or have an xray done. They come in all different sizes depending on the cat and how many kittens she is carrying.
Twards the end, thier nipples are very large and rough. They start plucking the hair out around them as well. When the time is getting really close, they will sleep lots more, eat less or stop eating, get restless, and usually try and find a cozy place to have her kittens.
When they are going into labor, you will notice they breath much heavier, some purr non stop to help calm them and then once it's time, you will see actual contractions.
As far as picking the kittens up. It really depends on the mom and how much trust she has. You can pick them up as soon as they are born as long as mom is willing to let you. It's actually a good idea to do this just to make sure they don't have any defects. If she lets you, I would only pick them up for short periods of time. The more they get handled in these months, the more social they will be.
I would also make sure she has a place to give birth right now. Either use a laundry basket or tupperware container. Something that will make her feel safe. Put a soft blanket in there and let her get used to it before the time comes.

SEE NOW WHAT I WAS TOLD THEN IS NOT ALWAYS THE CASE AND SOMETHING WEIRD (FRANNY) I CALL HER TAKES THE BLANKET I HAVE IN THERE IN AND OUT OF THE BOX SHE HAS GIVEN UP ON THE LITTER BOX THANK GOODNESS AND YESTERDAY SHE JUST LEFT IT THERE SO I TOOK IT OUT CAUSE SHE POOPED ON IT. AND SHE HAS BEEN CONTENT TO LAY IN FRONT OF THE BOX ON THE BOTTOM OF THE CAGE. EVERYTIME I PUT SOMETHING BACK IN THERE SHE MESSES IT UP AND MOVES IT SO SHE CAN LAY ON THE CAGE IS IT COOLER FOR HER? SHE IS A LITTLE WEIRD. I DONT HONESTLY WANT TO GIVE HER UP BUT I KNOW I HAVE TO BUT WE WILL SEE WHAT HAPPENS. CAUSE SHE BELONGS TO SAVEASTRAY.

So far she's still pregnant. I cleaned out the closet (hahaha, it was FULL of stuff, this is my "storage" room) and emptied the shoes on the floor and lined the closet with towels. She puts herself under the shelf and it seems big enough for her to fit with kittens for awhile. She is wide, not hanging so maybe she's not due for awhile yet. I have 4 cats of my own so I definately don't "need" another but it will be hard not to get attached, especially to cute little fuzzy kittens I have 2 maintenance men I work with and both of their cats had kittens on the same day, 1 had 7 and the other had 4. The PAWS director said they do spays for $30 (subsize them, I guess!)Now I have a pregnant cat I'm fostering....all these kittens to try not to get attached to....LOL! Anyhow, thanks for the info, I'll report back when she has her babies!
Cindi

ceilers, cats tend to expand sideways instead of downward when they are carrying kittens!

Her mammaries will become engorged a few days before delivery and become really puffy; you'll be able to feel the milk (but be careful as she may be sensitive). The day of labor you will probably notice that she is restless and not eating or drinking. She may even vomit, just like us ladies sometimes do during labor. OTOH, you may not notice anything, just suddenly realize you haven't seen her for hours, go looking, and find her in labor, or even with kittens!

Good luck with her. I have had two pregnant girls in the past - in fact, the four I have now are a stray and her three kittens! The other one was a foster. This is always exciting for me!

No kittens yet, but she wants OUT of here. She clawed up the plastic I have over my windows to insulate for the winter. I think she was outside a loooong time, will she calm down eventually? Is there anything I can do to make her not want OUT? My other cats have never been out so they are content to look outside and pretend to be there...never dealt with an outside kitty before.
Cindi

Usually only time will help them adjust to being inside. It's hard when their pregnant too because they have so many natural instincts they are dealing with. The one thing I know you can use(I have checked with the vet and several others) is the Dr Bachs rescue remedy. It's an all natural mixture of flower essence. You can find it in most heath and nutrition stores. You can either put it in thier water or put a 3 to 4 drops in thier mouths. It will help with anxiety and stress.
I would maybe try keeping her in a smaller room or in one room only. If she gets really stressed and trys to get out, she could hurt herself and her babies. Try and make everything as quiet and calm as you can for her. It will help with the stress of being inside, being pregnant and all the new things in her life.