Angel is showing and gaining!

Ok Angel is just about 4 weeks (tomorrow was 4 weeks ago that she got out so counting that as day 1). She has gained a FULL POUND (or close since my scale only does it by 1/2lbs. She got out April 25th and came home May 1st. I weighed her on May 13th (think it was) and she was 8.5lbs I just weighed her tonight and she was 9.5lbs. should she be gaining this fast (I always notice her either eating or sleeping LOL) or should I take the food up and only put it down a few times a day. They have always been freefed and only 1 is a little chunky but was always tiny till she got spayed. But I don't want Angel gaining too much since they say that is unhealthy.

Also I had noticed she was starting to show a bit here and there, but WOW I looked at her tonight and was shocked at how much bigger she was than last night. She still isn't HUGE or even close but now you can see the round belly on either side a bit! Once she gets a little bigger that even people not seeing her all the time can tell I will post them.

While I know that others here will disagree with me, I tend to be of the school of thought that a pregnant queen needs to eat more. Cats, unlike humans, do not eat to comfort themselves or because their boyfriend broke up with them. They are creatures of instinct - they eat simply because they are hungry. Give your girl whatever she wants for now - she will need the extra resources to nurse her litter and provide 100% of the babies' nutritional needs for the next couple of months.

Thanks Gaye. All the sites I found have said they need to "gain, but don't let them gain TOO MUCH" but none say what is too much. They say a "fat" cat will have more problems delivering. She was thin to begin with and is mainly only gaining in the belly area now, getting a teeny bit wider all over (which she needed IMO) but not much.

I can't figure out how to get a pix on here or I would post them. heheee.

The question of how much is too much is such an ambiguous one that it is really difficult to gauge - but again, cats in good health, with plenty of loving attention and toys to keep them active normally do not overeat. If your vet is familiar with this girl, it might be best to run this past him to get his input.

They aren't real familiar with her. She has only seen them twice and a different vet each time. She does still play some but not like she used too. she sleeps a TON! mainly sleeps and eats now. LOL I do break out the string to play with her since she LOVES to play with string.

I've always let all of my cats eat whenever whatever. I only feed canned as a treat and use a good quality kibble for their main diet. It is always left out for them. That being siad, my one big old male is a little overweight, but he is getting older.
For a pregnant queen, I would most definitely leave out a high quality kitten kibble at all times for her, and then also offer her canned kitten food once a day for now and then twice a day once she is past the 6 weeks mark. Since she is thin, maybe even twice a day starting now too.
Everyone has differing opinions on this of course... but this is what has worked for me.

If she was thin before, and is mainly gaining in the belly, another possiblity to consider is worms. I would suggest a stool check be done next time you take her into the vet. (or just take a stool sample in)

pondwader---- She is gaining all over just not as much as the belly. But since she got out I am planning on taking a stool sample in when I take her in. I was planning on this week or next week (have 2 kids dr's appts this week though) to make sure she is preg. But her nipples got alot bigger, not huge, (couldn't barely find them before and now you can see them) and pink, and the fur is thinning around them. She weighed 8.5lbs about 12 days after she came back (she had lost a bit when she was gone) and is up to 9.5 so guess not too thin. You can't see any bones or anything. I am just starting to switch over to a high quality cat food after reading here. mixing it 1/2 and 1/2 with my old food right now. and have to pick up some good kitten food, they didn't have any at Walmart (got the maximum natural for adult food) and they only had the "cheap" canned kitten food there. We don't have any petsmarts or petco's all that close to us so I don't get there often. for canned is any kitten food good?

Wow Angel you will have to let us know if ya get morning sickness

so far no morning sickness. Did Skittles get it?

Yep she didnt eat for 9 days but like 5 or 6 oz....

Lexus gets morning sickness for a few days to a week as well, but it is early on in her term ... usually at about a week to 10 days.

wow. so far I see Angel munching off and on all day long, sleeping the times she isn't eating. LOL

OK STRANGE. she is bigger at night than she is during the day....... LOL this morning she looked about what she did the other day so not as big as last night. LOL maybe she gets "bloated" at night like I do. LOL

LOL it is like saying the clothes make me look heavier

LOL. Not sure why she looks smaller during the day and bigger at night. heheee