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- Jan 31, 2008
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My name is Linda, I'm from California, and I have recently adopted a beautiful little femle cat. (Other pets include a hermit crab, a bearded dragon, and two red eared sliders). Forgive me for the long post, but this is what brought me to the boards:
My cat's name is Nova. She is somewhere from 8-10 months old. I've had her for 7 weeks now. The first thing I did when I got her, was take her to the vet. She needed antibiotics for a respiratory infection, and I had her vaccinated. When I asked about how to tell whether or not she was spayed, I was told that there was no easy way to tell except to wait and see if she went in to estrous.
Three weeks later, it was time for her booster shots and I took her back to the vet. But I noticed that she had gained 1.5 lbs in a 3 week period and thought that she might be pregnant, but they could not confirm this at that time and told me to come back in another three weeks. They also told me that I could have her spayed if I wished. I did not have her spayed at this time because 1. I wasn't sure if she was pregnant or not, and therefore not sure if she was already spayed or not. They told me that it was possible that she had just gained weight because she was now eating regularly. and 2. I didn't have the heart to remove the fetuses if they were already growing inside her. (It was a difficult decision, because I'm aware of the overpopulation problem. I had one week to decide before the vet would refuse to spay, and I didn't really know which was the best option. I am not sure if I made the right decision- I just want my cat to be healthy, you know?)
So a week ago, I took her back to the vet. She had been restless and crying. Also, she had been throwing up about every other day, mostly undigested food. And she seemed to be having trouble urinating. I thought that maybe she was in heat. But the vet told me that my little Nova is pregnant. Her mammary glands are swollen and her nipples are quite pink. However, he told me that he was unable to make out any kittens by palpating her. He gave me "Cefa" drops and a hairball remedy.
In the last week, I've noticed small red globs in her stools (blood, maybe?), maybe 4 times. She has been pooping about 3 times per day, and she's thrown up less than the week before. I am not sure how far along she is, except that it must be at least 7 weeks because that's how long I've had her and she hasn't been allowed outside.
I don't see any signs of kittens moving inside her. At this point, I'm just waiting to see what develops. I'm keeping an eye on her habits and changes in habits. And I've set up a cardboard box with a blanket, just in case. I have had cats in the past, but they have been neutered males. So, this is a first for me and I'm quite nervous!
Phew! That was a novel. Kudos to you, if you made it all the way through!