This is not exactly a pregnant cat question but a behavior question but I thought maybe people with prego knowledge would be quickest to have the yes/no answer.
I saw this cute little young mother at the rescue during weekend. Of course I fell head over heels for her but resisted bringing her home. (Well, with stern spousal assistance). The main concern I had was that she was marked as: "Needs experienced cat owner because has a tendency to bolt to the door".
I sat with her a long time, and observed her. I was told she would not sit laps or like to be picked up but she sat contently on my lap for quite awhile (and actually let me play, check her teeth and claws and everything after we got acquainted). However, she kept a very close eye every time the adoption center door opened. She also very obviously seeked onto a spot in the room where she could scout out what was going on outside the room, and kept looking and looking - not in a curious way but as if really looking FOR something.
My question is - could it be that the bolting she has been exhibiting at the shelter is something related to her looking for her babies?
My worry about adopting would be that she is an outdoors cat by heart and would just cry at the door or gawd forbid somehow manage to run away. On the other hand, I am not at all knowledgeable about pregnant cats and what kind of issues arise when babies are weaned fast in shelter environment. Could her bolting and behaviour be mostly related to that? How easily something like that would be resolved? Something like that I would happily work with and help a cat through the depression and make her realize she has a safe place to live in. I just have some experience with indoor/outdoor cats who won't acclimate - and also other rather sensitive cats who I know get extremely stressed of crying buddies. I know there is no way of knowing for sure but maybe this is something rather common?
The background on her was a little limited, as we were on Petsmart Satellite clinic on weekend and some info was at the main shelter. She was judged to be 1,5 yrs old, found roaming either pregnant or with kittens. The kittens have been adopted since. I could see she had been in at least from Oct 14th and she had been spayed already, so apparently fairly soon after. I could see her nipples were still larger than normal for a tiny little thing like her (she was only 4,5 lbs).
She might have been adopted already but I am still curious to hear if you have any opinion on this.
I saw this cute little young mother at the rescue during weekend. Of course I fell head over heels for her but resisted bringing her home. (Well, with stern spousal assistance). The main concern I had was that she was marked as: "Needs experienced cat owner because has a tendency to bolt to the door".
I sat with her a long time, and observed her. I was told she would not sit laps or like to be picked up but she sat contently on my lap for quite awhile (and actually let me play, check her teeth and claws and everything after we got acquainted). However, she kept a very close eye every time the adoption center door opened. She also very obviously seeked onto a spot in the room where she could scout out what was going on outside the room, and kept looking and looking - not in a curious way but as if really looking FOR something.
My question is - could it be that the bolting she has been exhibiting at the shelter is something related to her looking for her babies?
My worry about adopting would be that she is an outdoors cat by heart and would just cry at the door or gawd forbid somehow manage to run away. On the other hand, I am not at all knowledgeable about pregnant cats and what kind of issues arise when babies are weaned fast in shelter environment. Could her bolting and behaviour be mostly related to that? How easily something like that would be resolved? Something like that I would happily work with and help a cat through the depression and make her realize she has a safe place to live in. I just have some experience with indoor/outdoor cats who won't acclimate - and also other rather sensitive cats who I know get extremely stressed of crying buddies. I know there is no way of knowing for sure but maybe this is something rather common?
The background on her was a little limited, as we were on Petsmart Satellite clinic on weekend and some info was at the main shelter. She was judged to be 1,5 yrs old, found roaming either pregnant or with kittens. The kittens have been adopted since. I could see she had been in at least from Oct 14th and she had been spayed already, so apparently fairly soon after. I could see her nipples were still larger than normal for a tiny little thing like her (she was only 4,5 lbs).
She might have been adopted already but I am still curious to hear if you have any opinion on this.
