Is my cat pinking up? Please Help ASAP. Need to know if she is pregnant.

[Udbhav R]

Though my cat is injected with a dose that postpones her heat cycle, we did miss the due date on account of injection unavailability in January. The cat was finally injected on 24th February, 2022. In the period between January and February-end, she did not exhibit signs of being in heat but she must've released pheromones as the male cat of the house was chasing after her. However, I cannot confirm whether he ever did end up mating with her as she was mostly resisting because of residue effect from the earlier injections.

Cat's alignment with common-pregnancy signs:
Since her postponement-injection on 24th February 2022, she is eating more, her nipples are as shown in the attached picture (on 19 March 2022), but she does not seem to be nesting. She is as affectionate as earlier and is not vomiting as well.

I will attach more photos from specific angles, if asked. Please help as soon as you can! Thank you

 

[Sarthur2]

She is most likely pregnant. Now would be a good time for a spay, unless you want kittens. The male cat should be neutered as well.

 

[Udbhav R]

Hello, would a spay stop her from being pregnant?

 

[Udbhav R]

I mean, will this pregnancy that she maybe in. Will that stop? I ask as we do not have space to have more cats in the house!

 

[Sarthur2]

Yes, it would remove her uterus and ovaries, thus terminating the pregnancy.

 

[Udbhav R]

Thank you for the help! Will update as the procedure goes.

 

[Sarthur2]

Yes, please do keep us posted!

 

[Udbhav R]

Hello Sarthur2! With your advice I went to the vet this morning, it turned out she was pregnant but still very much early in her pregnancy, the embryos had just barely formed. Following this, there was a spay surgery which went great thankfully! She is still very drowsy from the injections but she is to recover soon. Thank you so much for your help! You are great!

 

[Sarthur2]

Good to hear that all went well!

 

[Udbhav R]

Hello Sarthur2, sorry to bother you again but since my cat is quite feisty and likes to stay active, is hard to keep her confined.
I wanted to ask how long does it take for the incision of the spay to heal? Some sites say fourteen days, some others say seven and and some say ten.
The vet said a week should be fine for my cat after they had to repair her external sutures on day one. Thus, I have restarted the day count. But, I want to be extremely safe and want her to be completely fine. So, from your experience, can you please tell me additional information you may know on this matter? Thank You.

 

[Sarthur2]

Since she has external stitches, she will need 7-10 days. You will know by looking at how the incision is healing. By confined, this does not necessarily mean in a cage. She can be confined to one room, especially the first few days. At least in one room she can move around but not get in too much trouble.

 

[Udbhav R]

Should I go for fourteen days - restricted movement, no jumping and running for 100% safety or should I start letting her move around a bit after the 10th day?

 

[Sarthur2]

I think ten days of restricted movement is enough. How are you containing her? A room should be sufficient. Ten days in a cage is too much to bear.

 

[Udbhav R]

She is in a carrier, covered with a onesie-type cloth for cats, I let her out on the bed and then on the floor, once in a while. And, if she has to pee or poop the litter tray is right in front of her when she is let out. It seems like the only option for now as in a crate she starts moving around a lot. Please suggest what I must do.

 

[Sarthur2]

The carrier is fine for now. I would confine her to a room for another week after one week in the carrier. She should be healing well after one week.

U Udbhav R

 

[Udbhav R]

Hello Sarthur2, today will be Day 4 of her post-op recovery period. I have a couple of questions, and if you could take 10 minutes to answer them, I'll be forever indebted to you!

1. She wants to lick that area, however, I've got her in a onesie to keep her away from it. I wanted to know whether she is allowed to lick her private area and groom herself. I ask because I wonder if moving their head all the way back, with the legs stretched (to get into the licking position) might put pressure on the incision and the belly area? And the same for her itching the ears with the legs (though I've cleaned them just yesterday).

2. When should I allow my cat to lick her incision area without being worried about it?

3. When should I let her be with the other cats in the house?

4. When can I have her free from any restricted movements - no jumping, no running, etc. Some websites say 7 days, some others say 10, and some say 14. It is very confusing. I know you said 10 days will be enough, but I just really want to be on the safe side without obsessively letting her be restricted.

5. Are there any signs she'll give to show she's fully recovered?

Thanks in-advance Sarthur2. Your help can really rid me of this spay dilemma, it is my and my kitty's first experience!

 

[di and bob]

A week is long enough in a smaller room, no need for a carrier. Licking herself to clean is fine, she can lick the incision after a week. Make sure she still has contact with the other cats in the house, you might let them in there to see her, (her in a carrier) cats may attack if they forget who she is, which can happen rather quickly. If you can keep a onesie on her she should be fine to let move around now, my cats have all never been restricted and have always had access to their incisions and I have never had a problem. I can't restrict the ferals outside, they are let out after only 24 hours and have all been fine.

 

[Sarthur2]

I agree with di and bob , and I have never restricted my cats either. Your cat should be okay to lick her area and to move around outside the carrier.

 

[Udbhav R]

So my cat had her spay four days ago. And today, the cats incision area has become infected on account of licking (we tried our best) but the pus was only coming out of a very small area that was yet to be healed. I took her to the vet where the incision area was cleaned and then bandaged. In addition, the cat is continuing her antibiotic run (Toxo Mox).
It would be great if anyone could answer the following questions related to the above mentioned scenario.
1. Will the pus extend and ruin the healed incision area as well?
2. Can you advise me on how to stop the pus production? (I don't think drains are an option in the small town I live in).
3. Is this something of a major worry to have or something that will be fine with time if treated carefully? (I do not know much about how much time will it take for her to heal).
It's her Day 5.

\\Posted in another forum as well\\

 

[di and bob]

The antibiotic should take care of the infection. My cats have always licked their incisions and have never gotten infected. Make sure you find out when to remove the bandage, incisions heal faster when exposed to air. If it seems to spread or get worse,, insist on a different antibiotic.. Sometimes incisions look worse a few days down the road. If she is getting an antibiotic she should get better in a few days and the infection will not spread. Get some lickable treat to put the antibiotic in. I really wish the best for her, hoping for a quick heal!