Possibly pregnant 11 month old kitten

I am highly annoyed and slightly embarrassed to find myself in this section posting for advice. Generally my point of view on animals is “cant afford the vet donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t get the pet†However after making commitments to our fur-babies my fiancÃ[emoji]169[/emoji] and I went through a very rough couple of months. Loosing jobs, eviction, horrid car repairs ect. We have made sure that our pets have all gotten through this time with as little disrupt as possible even keeping them on the highest quality food we can buy and going without our own groceries to make sure our dogs and cats have their dietary as well as vaccine needs met. Our oldest pup has severe allergies and has a very strict diet to follow ect.

Anyway through all of this our two female kittens have grown and matured as they tend to do. As hard as I have tried to keep them apart until we could afford the cost to spay/neuter them I think our intact male cat has gotten to one of them. My fiancÃ[emoji]169[/emoji] hasnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t taken the separation issue quite as seriously as I have and on a few occasions has left Sam out to roam instead of confining him to a separate room. With tax season here and the refund check in the mail the streak of bad luck has ended thankfully. In fact as I type this Sam is sitting in the vets office awaiting an early morning neuter. *grins* I have been reading through this section and seen some very good advice. I am still trying to guess weather or not Angie is pregnant, I really hope not but I donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t want to be unrealistic. If we find out that she is we would like to do everything necessary to help her through it and protect/find loving homes for her kittens. A friend of mine has told me to just spay her and pay the extra ten bucks that is added for pregnant or in heat female cats. I donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t believe I could live with that choice.

Anyhow here are the reasons I believe she is pregnant… she has in the last week or so begun to allow me to touch and even pet her. What I mean by that is that she comes to me for cuddling. She is normally one of those “donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t touch me†cats. I have picked her up and examined her and she seems a bit swollen and her nipples are a little pink. Also recently I have caught her sleeping in unusual spots. She has her places that she goes normally and sheâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s changed where she sleeps to seemingly more confined safer areas. She is choosing to stay by the stove in the kitchen I assume in hopes of getting a bit of food which is very uncharacteristic of her. She has also become more vocal …meaning I can actually hear her meow and I couldnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t before because it was so small.

Angie is 11 months old and weighs about 7lbs. She was the last born of her litter and is on the smaller side. We feed her Nutro Natural Choice lamb and rice dry along with the Nutro kitten pouches. It will be a few weeks (2) before we can take her in to see our vet and I am wondering if there is anything I can do between now and then for her as far as diet or comforting ect. Thank you so much for your advice. I apologize that this was such a long post, I just donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t want to give off the notion that we donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t care about our cats because they are a very big part of our lives. Thanks again.

May I ask why you cannot libe with the choice of spaying her while pregnant. At most, the surgery is more serious but it is a far better option than bringing unwanted kittens in the world. I am not suggesting you do not want them but finding homes for kittens is hard work and costly - and you yourself admitted this is an issue for you. I foster and help at a shelter and have raised kittens and its costs a LOT of money - not just the food, spaying and neutering them before finding homes (adopting an intact cat leads them to God knows where, even if someone pays for them - I envision kitten mills and all manner of horrors so one has to really thorougly check families). There is also the cost of finding homes and you may have the cutest kittens on the planet but there are not nearly enough homes for every kitten in the world. Unless you are a breeder and there are some excellent breeders I see on this site and know what you are doing, you also are risking the health if a young cat. It's true come credible breeders will breed their cats at a young age but most wait a little longer. Some young cats are ill prepared for birth and thus you then end up with bottle babies (who are fun - I do that often by choice for a shelter when people bring in their kittens when their cat has rejected her babies or has died or ehatever may have occured but I do not advocate deliberaly allowing my cat to have kittens). If it is a moral issue, you have to think like cats - they do not think like we do - mother cats deliberatly set aside kits they know have serious illnesses are may die and some young moms just reject them. Are you knowledgable enough to do this? Are you prepared to pay for a C section if this is required. Most breeders on this site breed purebreds who are in shows and have champion bloodlines and they know their genetics for several generations - the only situation where birthing klittens is really acceptable though we all know mom cats get pregnant. However, in your shoes (and I am opposed to abortion in humans) but these are cats and they do not have our value system - in some ways they are better moms but they do not complicate their lives wiuth our philisophical concerns. If your baby is pregnant, I agree with your friend. It's not unethical at all to abort kits, especially at a young gestational age - in fact, it my well help your mother cat or save her life.

Just my thoughts after seeing so many beautful moggies and purebreds dropped off because someone thought they could afford and care for kittens. They truly meant well but their inexperience led to more kittens to seek good homes for kittens and alas, unfortunately, that can be a daunting challenge. I pray you make the right choice but most of all I pray your baby (and she still is a baby) is not pregnant but that if she is, you put her first - and not worry about unborn kittens. Vets do this procedure often and it is not regarded at all the same as abortion in humans with all the ethical concerns that causes in most of us. (regardless of our position on the matter).

I do wish you good luck.

I understand what you mean when you say that cats donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t hold our same value system. But still spaying her while sheâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s pregnant is something I couldnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t do for various personal reasons of my own. Yes I am willing to fork over the time effort and money to do things the right way if she is pregnant, and I have dealt with newborn kittens before from a feral mother so I am familiar with newborns and the process and hassle of finding loving homes for them. But, what I am in need of is advice on how to properly care for my Angie while she is pregnant if thatâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s where it ends up. I hate being in this situation and like I said before I am a little embarrassed about it all. Thank you for replying. My intent is not to make anyone upset or anything like that but just to get some information. Thanks again.

Don't feel so bad Stormysmom. Many good pet owners, end up with an unplanned pregnancy because the deed happened before they had time to get the cat spayed.

As for what you can do, there isn't much in the mean time. Is she on a kitten diet? I know you mentioned feeding kitten pouches. She will need to go on a development diet for the duration of the pregnancy and doing lacation. Remember she will need to eat more food and this value will increase over the next few months. If it isn't already done so, I would leave her dry food out and make sure she always has some available.

Once she goes to the vets they will be able to ultrasound her and see if in fact she is pregnant. Pinking of the nipples is an early sign of pregnancy, but it can take some expertise. A lot of the other signs you describe (the more vocal) sound like heat, but that still doesn't mean that she isn't pregnant, as some cats still show this behaviour even when already pregnant.

Given that you do not know if she is indeed pregnant, the best thing to do is to ensure she cannot become pregnant by ensuring that she is seperated for Sam until she is spayed. Even after a neuter, males can still retain active sperm for a while...so best thing is to not risk a pregnancy if she isn't pregnant. It may still be worth it to take her to a vet to determine if she is indeed pregnant, if she isn't...you can go ahead and have her spayed.

If she is indeed pregnant....then you need to set her up with an appropriate place where she can have her kittens.

I would also recommend that you start calling around and seeing if there is a vet that is willing to perform pediatric spaying/neutering. What this will do is allow you to have the kittens fixed prior to going into homes. The rescue I volunteer with spays/neuters kittens at 10-12 weeks of age and we have found that most new owners really appreciate not having to set up spay/neuter appts. You can then charge the spay/neuter fee as an adoption fee when you place your kittens.

Dulcie...I can appreciate your questions/concerns. I too have seen the sheer number of cats that are unfortunately dropped off at shelters. However, when we are talking about a situation where the owner has decided that they do not want to spay their cat if they think it is pregnant, we must respect their wishes and assist them through the pregnancy.

Katie

Stormysmom,

First, let me say thank you for a very well-written and considerate post. As catdvm commented, many people, normally very responsible pet owners, can find themselves caring for a pregnant cat. Even though we do the absolute best that we can, sometimes, things fail. It isn't something to be ashamed of, it isn't something that anyone should judge you for. You have learned from this experience, I have no doubt. And since the lesson there is confirmed, so I don't think that ANY of us need to drive it any further home.

I completely respect and appreciate your personal thoughts on seeing the pregnancy through. While I am largely pro-spay/neuter, I feel ~very~ strongly that it is a matter of personal choice when dealing with a pregnant pet. You have a right to your opinions on this matter and again, no one should judge you or think any the less of you for doing that which was right for you.

Since you have made the decision to allow the pregnancy to advance, there are some things you should do to assist and to prepare both yourself and your home for the arrival of kittens.

First, begin feeding your girl a high-quality kitten food in both canned and dry - let her have as much as she wants. She will need the extra resources for nursing her litter when they come.

Get ready for the delivery by setting up an appropriate birthing nest. A large cardboard box is fine. Line it with soft materials and let your girl explore it at will. Place it in an area of your home that is quiet, free from the normal traffic such as children or other pets, and out of any chill.

There are several participants in this forum who either have recently gone through this or are going through this now, so I feel certain they will come along and bring in other ideas.

Keep us posted and never, ever hesitate to post any questions or concerns you have here. Alternatively, you can always PM me or email me privately.

Best of luck,

~gf~

I just wanted to suggest that you take the cat to the vet to be spayed BUT you tell the vet not to tell you if she is pregnant. That way you don't know for sure and you don't feel bad about anything. Warn the vet that she might be but you do not want to know.

Also, like someone said, you need to still keep the male seperated from the female, I can't remember how long, 1 week? 2 week? Someone else will know. But he CAN definately still get her pregnant for that time after he is neutered. Keep that in mind.

It is clear that the original poster has asked for assistance with a potentially pregnant cat and made her wishes not to abort the pregnancy (should it become a reality) quite well known. It isn't fair to her to keep suggesting she spay now. I feel confident the original poster will not only be very relieved if it is determined that her girl isn't expecting, but that she will also act responsibly in taking the appropriate care of her cat.

Let's limit our responses to helpful information and support for now, please.

Hey, I know I'm new here, but I just wanted to let you know not to worry. The same problem, if you would like to call it such, just happened to my kitten, Title. I moved back in with my parents, and their 1 year old male cat impregnanted her. Because of various family problems, I was unable to spay her. The male cat was neutered as soon as we realized what was going on, but we were too late. She's about 9 or 10 months old, I believe, and was rescued from the local shelter. Title was probably separated from her mother too early, considering her size and lack of teeth when I got her. She's a tiny cat, and we were worried she wasn't going to be able to go through with the pregnancy due to her young age and small size. Thankfully, Title delivered a healthy litter of 5 kittens on Superbowl Sunday, just as Aretha was singing the national anthem. The first kitten is named Anthem, actually.

I hope all goes well with your litter, and I'll be happy to give you what advice I can. I've never raised, or even been in contact with, newborn kittens, so perhaps it will not be advice as much as anecdotes. Anyways, goodluck

-shannon.

First I want to say thank you all for being so kind. I was really expecting people to think I am a horrid pet owner for this happening which breaks my heart because I love my babies very much.

As for what you can do, there isn't much in the mean time. Is she on a kitten diet? I know you mentioned feeding kitten pouches. She will need to go on a development diet for the duration of the pregnancy and during lactation. Remember she will need to eat more food and this value will increase over the next few months. If it isn't already done so, I would leave her dry food out and make sure she always has some available.

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Our cats all are on adult dry and kitten wet pouches. We figured that it wouldnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t hurt Sam to stay on kitten formula pouches for a while as he was always a bit thin as a kitten and still is today. They are also free feeding so there is always dry out for them and then they get their wet food at night. They wonâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t have it any other way and scream at us if we donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t leave their dry down hehehe. I am planning on getting a bag of kitten formula dry for Ms. Angie though.

Given that you do not know if she is indeed pregnant, the best thing to do is to ensure she cannot become pregnant by ensuring that she is separated for Sam until she is spayed. Even after a neuter, males can still retain active sperm for a while...so best thing is to not risk a pregnancy if she isn't pregnant

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Thanks for the recommendation with Sam. When we picked him up this evening from surgery our vet told us to keep him separate for at least a month just to be sure. So he and the girls will be trading off days spent in the bedroom. His surgery went great btw although he is sort of bewildered. (He hates going for car rides or anything involving the outside world, king of his castle so to speak.)

I would also recommend that you start calling around and seeing if there is a vet that is willing to perform pediatric spaying/neutering. What this will do is allow you to have the kittens fixed prior to going into homes. The rescue I volunteer with spays/neuters kittens at 10-12 weeks of age and we have found that most new owners really appreciate not having to set up spay/neuter appts. You can then charge the spay/neuter fee as an adoption fee when you place your kittens.

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I didnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t know they could spay and neuter as early as 10-12 weeks! That is something I will defiantly look into if we are faced with kittens. In fact if I had known this then all of mine would have been taken care of when we took them in!

Hey, I know I'm new here, but I just wanted to let you know not to worry. The same problem, if you would like to call it such, just happened to my kitten, Title. I moved back in with my parents, and their 1 year old male cat impregnated her. Because of various family problems, I was unable to spay her. The male cat was neutered as soon as we realized what was going on, but we were too late. She's about 9 or 10 months old, I believe, and was rescued from the local shelter. Title was probably separated from her mother too early, considering her size and lack of teeth when I got her. She's a tiny cat, and we were worried she wasn't going to be able to go through with the pregnancy due to her young age and small size. Thankfully, Title delivered a healthy litter of 5 kittens on Super bowl Sunday, just as Aretha was singing the national anthem. The first kitten is named Anthem, actually.

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This helps a lot. I feel a bit better about the choice we have made for our girl.

Originally Posted by ShanStar

Hey, I know I'm new here, but I just wanted to let you know not to worry. The same problem, if you would like to call it such, just happened to my kitten, Title. I moved back in with my parents, and their 1 year old male cat impregnanted her. Because of various family problems, I was unable to spay her. The male cat was neutered as soon as we realized what was going on, but we were too late. She's about 9 or 10 months old, I believe, and was rescued from the local shelter. Title was probably separated from her mother too early, considering her size and lack of teeth when I got her. She's a tiny cat, and we were worried she wasn't going to be able to go through with the pregnancy due to her young age and small size. Thankfully, Title delivered a healthy litter of 5 kittens on Superbowl Sunday, just as Aretha was singing the national anthem. The first kitten is named Anthem, actually.

I hope all goes well with your litter, and I'll be happy to give you what advice I can. I've never raised, or even been in contact with, newborn kittens, so perhaps it will not be advice as much as anecdotes. Anyways, goodluck

-shannon.

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Shannon...if your male was neutered less than a month ago...you should keep him seperated from her until it has been a month since his neuter. Cats can become pregnant again soon after giving birth and males can retain active sperm for a while after a neuter.

Katie

Originally Posted by Stormysmom

First I want to say thank you all for being so kind. I was really expecting people to think I am a horrid pet owner for this happening which breaks my heart because I love my babies very much.

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I would still recommend seeing your vet to verify that she is indeed pregnant. We've actually had cats at our rescue who we swore were pregnant, but turned out they weren't. A vet visit is the only way to know for sure and it will clear up any confusion regarding the "signs" you are noticing. If the vet says she is pregnant, then you have time to set her up with the appropriate nesting boxes etc. If she isn't, you can set up her spay. Either way..it takes the guess work out of it.

Katie

Originally Posted by TNR1

I would still recommend seeing your vet to verify that she is indeed pregnant. We've actually had cats at our rescue who we swore were pregnant, but turned out they weren't. A vet visit is the only way to know for sure and it will clear up any confusion regarding the "signs" you are noticing. If the vet says she is pregnant, then you have time to set her up with the appropriate nesting boxes etc. If she isn't, you can set up her spay. Either way..it takes the guess work out of it.

Katie

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We are planning on seeing the vet. Just like I mentioned before we have to wait 2 weeks for the paychecks. We just spent a good chunk of money on Sam yesterday for his neuter. Definatly if shes not pregnant she will be spayed. *keeping fingers crossed that its a case like you mentioned.

Originally Posted by Stormysmom

We are planning on seeing the vet. Just like I mentioned before we have to wait 2 weeks for the paychecks. We just spent a good chunk of money on Sam yesterday for his neuter. Definatly if shes not pregnant she will be spayed. *keeping fingers crossed that its a case like you mentioned.

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Ah...ok, I missed the paycheck part of your post...quite understandable to wait until you have funds. Please keep us posted.

Katie

Originally Posted by TNR1

Shannon...if your male was neutered less than a month ago...you should keep him seperated from her until it has been a month since his neuter. Cats can become pregnant again soon after giving birth and males can retain active sperm for a while after a neuter.

Katie

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Yikes, thanks for telling me. I think it's been a month, but I'm not 100% sure. I'm trying to keep them apart anyways, I don't really want him around the kittens just yet.

Update.... Tonight Ms. Angie was pranching around rubbing on things, singing and swaying her tail around as if she is in heat. I am certainly hoping that this is the case. (My fiance lovingly called it the hooch dance ) I am keeping my fingers crossed and I can't wait to see the vet. This state of not knowing has me on edge.

Since Sam has fully come back to reality after surgury he has been prancing and pawing at the bedroom door to get to the girls. So we desided that since he is still recovereing that he is going to stay in our large dog kennel with every thing he needs for the time being. That way their is a room and a kennel between them. He doesnt like it much but I dont believe he should be climbing and hoping just yet anyhow.

We are all waiting with fingers toes and paws crossed.

Hmm, maybe her being overly affectionate was just her in heat then, and if it has happened again maybe she isn't pregnant? i know they can come back into heat very quickly, especially when there is an unneutered male around (I know he has just been done, but it could be too soon for her to tell if that makes sense?). HAve got everything crossed that she isn't pregnant.

We are still most definatly hoping for the best. However in the last week Angie seems to have developed a bit of a stomach and has increased what shes eaten. Income tax refund is due in this friday. We will be seeing the vet saturday if all goes as planned. I will keep you updated.

Did the heat behavior continue for a few days at least? Sometimes cats can go into heat even if they are pregnant so thats a good idea to still see the vet.

Well I sure hope your kitty isn't pregnant. What a worry you are under right now! But you got the boy done and good thing about the dog kennel! lol Keep us all posted on what you find out about her!