OK, long story...
On Mother's Day, my kids brought in a cat from outside. She didn't seem to be a feral. They said a family several streets over had moved and thrown her out, leaving her behind on purpose. (Fully believable, given the people in question.) We already have five cats, but I agreed we could foster her until we found her a forever-home.
During the past month, she's been confined to my room with her own litterbox and and food dishes since she doesn't seem to like other cats and we haven't been able to get her tested for FIV yet. There have been a few nibbles from people who might want to adopt her, HOWEVER...
I've noticed that she's been gaining weight (she was pretty skinny when she first came to us), but only in her belly area... her hips and shoulders are still pretty bony. Now, I have some experience with animal health since I work part time as a relief recovery tech for a downtown spay/neuter clinic. Unfortunately, I have NO experience with pregnant kitties. I don't even know if she's actually pregnant or if she just has a bloated belly because of worms or something like that.
Her nipples do seem large and pink to me... but I can only compare her to my other female cat, who was fixed at eight weeks. She doesn't mind me petting her belly and it doesn't seem to be painful for her when I press down lightly. I can't feel any individual kittens, her belly just seems really full. She's hungry ALL the time; I give her a full can of wet food in the morning and she wolfs it down. I just gave her another half a can now (at 3pm) and she wolfed that down too. I didn't even noticed how swollen she seems to be until this past week or so.
I've looked in her litterbox and her feces seem normal. She comfortable with me or the older kids in the room and petting her, but she hates my husband and son with a passion. She'll hiss and spit when they come near her. She also hides under my bed for hours at a time, sleeping in a back corner.
So any advice on how I can tell if she's really pregnant or if she just has worm or something else that may be causing her belly to swell? I do have an appointment with a vet, but it's not for another two weeks... is there a way I can tell in the meantime. Can I still give her her shots and maybe a deworming if she is pregnant? I know I can have her spayed even pregnant (kitty abortion), but I don't know if I can stomach the idea.
I also don't want to adopt her out and stress her while she's pregnant, so I'll just have to keep her until her kittens (if she has them) are eight weeks old and weaned. I've never had a pregnant cat before. And the last time I had a pregnant pet of any kind, I was six years old and it was my dad's prize doberman pinscher... not exactly the same thing.
So... help?
Rose
On Mother's Day, my kids brought in a cat from outside. She didn't seem to be a feral. They said a family several streets over had moved and thrown her out, leaving her behind on purpose. (Fully believable, given the people in question.) We already have five cats, but I agreed we could foster her until we found her a forever-home.
During the past month, she's been confined to my room with her own litterbox and and food dishes since she doesn't seem to like other cats and we haven't been able to get her tested for FIV yet. There have been a few nibbles from people who might want to adopt her, HOWEVER...
I've noticed that she's been gaining weight (she was pretty skinny when she first came to us), but only in her belly area... her hips and shoulders are still pretty bony. Now, I have some experience with animal health since I work part time as a relief recovery tech for a downtown spay/neuter clinic. Unfortunately, I have NO experience with pregnant kitties. I don't even know if she's actually pregnant or if she just has a bloated belly because of worms or something like that.
Her nipples do seem large and pink to me... but I can only compare her to my other female cat, who was fixed at eight weeks. She doesn't mind me petting her belly and it doesn't seem to be painful for her when I press down lightly. I can't feel any individual kittens, her belly just seems really full. She's hungry ALL the time; I give her a full can of wet food in the morning and she wolfs it down. I just gave her another half a can now (at 3pm) and she wolfed that down too. I didn't even noticed how swollen she seems to be until this past week or so.
I've looked in her litterbox and her feces seem normal. She comfortable with me or the older kids in the room and petting her, but she hates my husband and son with a passion. She'll hiss and spit when they come near her. She also hides under my bed for hours at a time, sleeping in a back corner.
So any advice on how I can tell if she's really pregnant or if she just has worm or something else that may be causing her belly to swell? I do have an appointment with a vet, but it's not for another two weeks... is there a way I can tell in the meantime. Can I still give her her shots and maybe a deworming if she is pregnant? I know I can have her spayed even pregnant (kitty abortion), but I don't know if I can stomach the idea.
I also don't want to adopt her out and stress her while she's pregnant, so I'll just have to keep her until her kittens (if she has them) are eight weeks old and weaned. I've never had a pregnant cat before. And the last time I had a pregnant pet of any kind, I was six years old and it was my dad's prize doberman pinscher... not exactly the same thing.
So... help?
Rose
