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- Jul 24, 2021
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Sorry so long, but please read! I promise it’ll only take a few minutes.
A little backstory: An orange cat jumped my fence and came up to me around June 11th. The cat was friendly enough for me to assume it had owners, but it was quite thin, had fleas, was very thirsty and hungry, and seemed to be unfamiliar with cat food, as well as the food and water dishes. It came back almost every day for over a week and even started hanging out by the back door. I started to take it in during storms and really hot days for a few hours and would let it back out. This became a habit till I left for a three-day camping trip on the 21st, during which I had my mom swing by to put out fresh water and to feed it, but the cat never came around for her. We got back June 23rd, and there was no sign of the cat until July 6th when I checked the mail, and it came running through my door as I began shutting it. I was very relieved it was okay as I was fearing the worst. I decided to give the cat a permanent home but have still been letting it out at night for a while until the cat comes back an hour or so later.
At the beginning of last week, I realized right before calling the vet to set up a neuter appt., that what I thought was probably a boy (being orange), was actually a girl (her name is no longer Clyde but Clementine
). I, unfortunately, couldn’t get a spay appt. until Aug. 10th. Then, just a few days ago, I noticed her belly looking a little swollen, and today it seemed bigger than just yesterday (though it is still quite small). This led me to wonder if she may have been gone for just over 2 weeks because she went into heat and ventured off for/with a mate. I am familiar with cats in heat, and I have never seen her display obvious heat behaviors (though my experience with her has been somewhat off and on until the last 3 weeks).
Since the 6th, I am absolutely positive she has not gone into heat unless she is a super ‘silent caller’. However, when she came back on the 6th, she was the closest to displaying any signs of heat thus far, but I am not sure that’s what it was. She was incredibly friendly (even rubbing against one of my dogs’ legs) and was being very chatty and flopping around a lot and somewhat begging for attention. She was not ‘calling’ per se, nor was she ‘standing’—she was just chatty and friendly. I thought it was her personality, but she is now almost the polar opposite; still lovey, but only when I’m nearby. She has been quite independent, sleeps a lot, and only goes near my dogs to pass them or lay a few feet away. She also seems to be eating a lot and either REALLY wants me to pet her belly or gets REALLY crabby about it. The crabbiness just started a few days ago. I’ve been wondering if pregnancy hormones would do this, but I have not known her long enough to really know her personality, so maybe this is just ‘her’? She also has not wanted to go outside the last few days, which I find a bit odd as she has been out once a day.
I am wondering if maybe these were signs of her falling out of heat (either because she mated or because she didn’t)? And like I’ve said, I have not seen any obvious heat signs in the last 3 weeks, nor before she was invited into the house permanently. I have checked for spay scars and cannot find any. The thing that is stumping me is that she seems to be showing, but since I started checking her nipples (about 4-5 days ago), there hasn’t been too much change at all. Her nipples seem to have gotten just a little longer (I believe they were flat and just as white as her skin) and seem pinkish to me, but it’s nothing like the pictures I see of ‘pinking up’. I realize there is a chance that it may be worms, but with her belly starting out flat and the other possible ‘signs’ she is displaying, I am wondering if I should be preparing for a pregnancy.
She would have to be 3+ weeks pregnant by now. However, her nipples don’t show much change, but her belly seems to be growing. Is this possible? Has anyone ever experienced this? Is it maybe because of how thin she is? She is only thin, not emaciated. I have been feeding her kitten chow and wet food from the start to put some weight on her and because she looks fairly young. I would estimate her age to be around a year old give or take a month or two. She was 8.2lbs around the time I found her, as I checked to get her some flea meds. I plan to weigh her again any day now, but she would have naturally put on weight in the last few weeks being better fed and all, so that won’t really tell me much. Could her belly look like a little pregnant belly from eating better?
I’m trying to get an estimate of how far along she is so that I can be prepared for the birth as I have fostered a first-time pregnant kitty before, and she needed help tearing two of the five amniotic sacs (she came to me VERY pregnant, so I have nothing to compare Clementine to). I am also leaving again for 4 days near the end of next month and don’t want to miss the birth if she is pregnant. According to all the articles I have read and pics and vids I’ve watched, I would guess that her nipples look maybe two weeks in or so (if at all), but her belly says at least 4 imo. I can’t stand the waiting game, ugh.
Does anyone have any experience or knowledge that would help me discern whether she is pregnant and how far along she might be, if so? I have attached photos. A few are blurry, but they are the best I have so far; I could take more if somebody wants them. Incredibly sorry if some of this is repetitive, scattered, or could have been said with less words; I sometimes have trouble putting my thoughts in order. Thank you for reading all of this and thank you for any and all help! P.S. The blurry pic of her turning around the corner of the fridge seems a bit exaggerated to me.
A little backstory: An orange cat jumped my fence and came up to me around June 11th. The cat was friendly enough for me to assume it had owners, but it was quite thin, had fleas, was very thirsty and hungry, and seemed to be unfamiliar with cat food, as well as the food and water dishes. It came back almost every day for over a week and even started hanging out by the back door. I started to take it in during storms and really hot days for a few hours and would let it back out. This became a habit till I left for a three-day camping trip on the 21st, during which I had my mom swing by to put out fresh water and to feed it, but the cat never came around for her. We got back June 23rd, and there was no sign of the cat until July 6th when I checked the mail, and it came running through my door as I began shutting it. I was very relieved it was okay as I was fearing the worst. I decided to give the cat a permanent home but have still been letting it out at night for a while until the cat comes back an hour or so later.
At the beginning of last week, I realized right before calling the vet to set up a neuter appt., that what I thought was probably a boy (being orange), was actually a girl (her name is no longer Clyde but Clementine
). I, unfortunately, couldn’t get a spay appt. until Aug. 10th. Then, just a few days ago, I noticed her belly looking a little swollen, and today it seemed bigger than just yesterday (though it is still quite small). This led me to wonder if she may have been gone for just over 2 weeks because she went into heat and ventured off for/with a mate. I am familiar with cats in heat, and I have never seen her display obvious heat behaviors (though my experience with her has been somewhat off and on until the last 3 weeks).Since the 6th, I am absolutely positive she has not gone into heat unless she is a super ‘silent caller’. However, when she came back on the 6th, she was the closest to displaying any signs of heat thus far, but I am not sure that’s what it was. She was incredibly friendly (even rubbing against one of my dogs’ legs) and was being very chatty and flopping around a lot and somewhat begging for attention. She was not ‘calling’ per se, nor was she ‘standing’—she was just chatty and friendly. I thought it was her personality, but she is now almost the polar opposite; still lovey, but only when I’m nearby. She has been quite independent, sleeps a lot, and only goes near my dogs to pass them or lay a few feet away. She also seems to be eating a lot and either REALLY wants me to pet her belly or gets REALLY crabby about it. The crabbiness just started a few days ago. I’ve been wondering if pregnancy hormones would do this, but I have not known her long enough to really know her personality, so maybe this is just ‘her’? She also has not wanted to go outside the last few days, which I find a bit odd as she has been out once a day.
I am wondering if maybe these were signs of her falling out of heat (either because she mated or because she didn’t)? And like I’ve said, I have not seen any obvious heat signs in the last 3 weeks, nor before she was invited into the house permanently. I have checked for spay scars and cannot find any. The thing that is stumping me is that she seems to be showing, but since I started checking her nipples (about 4-5 days ago), there hasn’t been too much change at all. Her nipples seem to have gotten just a little longer (I believe they were flat and just as white as her skin) and seem pinkish to me, but it’s nothing like the pictures I see of ‘pinking up’. I realize there is a chance that it may be worms, but with her belly starting out flat and the other possible ‘signs’ she is displaying, I am wondering if I should be preparing for a pregnancy.
She would have to be 3+ weeks pregnant by now. However, her nipples don’t show much change, but her belly seems to be growing. Is this possible? Has anyone ever experienced this? Is it maybe because of how thin she is? She is only thin, not emaciated. I have been feeding her kitten chow and wet food from the start to put some weight on her and because she looks fairly young. I would estimate her age to be around a year old give or take a month or two. She was 8.2lbs around the time I found her, as I checked to get her some flea meds. I plan to weigh her again any day now, but she would have naturally put on weight in the last few weeks being better fed and all, so that won’t really tell me much. Could her belly look like a little pregnant belly from eating better?
I’m trying to get an estimate of how far along she is so that I can be prepared for the birth as I have fostered a first-time pregnant kitty before, and she needed help tearing two of the five amniotic sacs (she came to me VERY pregnant, so I have nothing to compare Clementine to). I am also leaving again for 4 days near the end of next month and don’t want to miss the birth if she is pregnant. According to all the articles I have read and pics and vids I’ve watched, I would guess that her nipples look maybe two weeks in or so (if at all), but her belly says at least 4 imo. I can’t stand the waiting game, ugh.
Does anyone have any experience or knowledge that would help me discern whether she is pregnant and how far along she might be, if so? I have attached photos. A few are blurry, but they are the best I have so far; I could take more if somebody wants them. Incredibly sorry if some of this is repetitive, scattered, or could have been said with less words; I sometimes have trouble putting my thoughts in order. Thank you for reading all of this and thank you for any and all help! P.S. The blurry pic of her turning around the corner of the fridge seems a bit exaggerated to me.
