Is This A Proper Ear Tip? (stray Cat Possibly Pregnant)

[judmagi]

Hello,

Recently I've been caring for a stray kitten whom I previously thought was spayed because of her ear tip. However, the tip is on the "wrong" ear (right instead of left), is a little bit uneven and goes quite far down the ear. Now I've noticed that she has a somewhat enlarged belly area (moreso on the sides than the bottom) and I fear she might be pregnant. I've never witnessed her go into estrus, but I have seen an unfixed male cat attempt to mate with her once, and during that one time she did make some distressed mews & lordosis behavior.

I've been trying VERY hard to capture this kitten to take her to get spayed (if she needs it) but she's eluded me for 11 days thus far. She won't go in a humane pet trap because she was accidentally captured in one previously when the apartment was trying to get rid of raccoons. I'm very fearful of her having kittens because the apartment may decide to whisk her away to a kill shelter, and to make matters worse, an unknown neighbor recently threatened to poison the cats with rat poison.

Does anyone know if this appears to be a genuine ear tip, or is it some sort of injury or congenital issue? Can spayed cats show mating behavior in the presence of unfixed males? I'll keep trying to capture her either way, but it would put my mind at ease to know what others think. Thank you.

 

[judmagi]

Here's what her abdomen looked like on February 27th. I can't tell if it's any larger now after a week passed or not.

 

[Maria Bayote]

Oh no! She does look pregnant. I think you need to get assistance to have this cat caught so you can bring her to the vet to make sure. Try to coax her with some treats or something.

My Bourbon also has her right ear tipped when I found her & took her off the street. The vet confirmed she is spayed and probably a concerned person or group of persons did a T&R, and nobody just wanted to permanently adopt her. Since the climate here is very cruel especially during the summer months, we took her in, have her microchipped etc ( There was no way I will let her out there ever again or she would not probably survive the extreme heat).

However, my other cat Brandy was found in the street with no ear tip but I found out she is already spayed. No microchip. Maybe she was abandoned by her owner. (Too many cases like her here.)

To cut it short, as I said, better to bring her to the vet as soon as you can. Otherwise, all we can do is wait.

Goodluck and thank you for caring for her.

 

[fionasmom]

I also think that the distended sides look like a pregnancy. The cat that I TNRed after she had kittens, not knowing that they had been born, looked that way. When I trapped her, I congratulated myself on getting her because in the trap she was normal sized...but I was wrong. Ear tips have come up on this site from time to time, and while my current TRNed cats...the mom and kittens and dad...all have small ear tips, they do look like ear tips. I did have a neutered male ear tipped on the wrong ear years ago, but it did look like a true tipping. I have always found that fried chicken is the best bait, but try anything you can that might entice her.

 

[kittychick]

She looks ear-tipped. It doesn't look ragged like a frostbitten ear, or like an injury from a fight - but it's sometimes hard to tell in pics. A head-on pic is easiest for us to see if she is ear-tipped.The big thing that's making me think she's not ear tipped is she sure does look pregnant!

Have you been able to look at her belly? IF she's close to giving birth (a cat is only pregnant for 8 ½ - 9 ½ weeks), her nipples would likely be very evident.

Given the poisoning issue (we ended up bringing a TNR'd cat inside when one of our neighbors started doing that), I'd double down on trapping her ASAP (I know it's hard!). Do you have a nearby spay/neuter clinic? They've dealt with cats who are trap smart - and likely have someone who'll talk to you. It's best to visit the clinic in person the first time (vs calling them). Ask when their calmest time of day is, so you're not competing with 40 people getting cats fixed! Actually GOING there shows them you're VERY worried about this kitty (not just a jerk who "wants the cat off their lawn")!!! They - like you - know the world doesn't need more unwanted kittens. Those groups can recommend other types of traps (like drop traps, remote traps. etc.) - and may have some for rent for a small refundable deposit (most do). So - set yourself apart by running (not calling ) your nearest clinic/shelter. If you don't have one, try no-kill shelters, humane societies, etc. You'll find help!!!!

Last suggestions - -

1. Look at respected sites that focus on TNR (of course THIS site is great -with great advice by those who've lived it, & lending an ear when you're frustrated!). The sites below will help you with ideas to try - -because they deal almost exclusively with TNR and ferals ("Alley Cat Allies" was one of the first groups to get people to recognize the positives of TNR).
Alley Cat Resources

"NeighborhoodCats.org" has alot on trapping:
Neighborhood Cats | How to TNR | What is TNR?

If you live in NY, The New York City Feral Initiative is a great resource. Their site is great, and they offer free courses (in NY) on things like trapping - even courses to help socialize difficult kittens. You can often speak to someone on the phone - which can be a HUGE help.
About the NYC Feral Cat Initiative

2. When you try to trapping again - - try canned mackerel (in grocery near tuna). Smells to high heaven but kitties LOVE it! We've drawn some REALLY trap-shy kitties with it! (We've had kitties who go into a trap EVERY TIME we put mackerel in it - - 7 or 8 times a summer - - even if they've been trapped & fixed already!).

Keep us all posted!!!!!