Petite Pregnant Cat

[MusserMom]

Hi !!!
I’m new here… so I have a beautiful pregnant bengal and I’m not 100% sure how far along she is. She’s about 8 1/2 months old and healthy. I caught her and my tomcat in the act on Oct 15th which seemed to be successful considering they way she was acting right afterwards. The crazy part is, just 4 days later I felt a fetus/fetuses moving, it felt like little balls. Also her nipples were pinked so I figured she was probably already 3-4 weeks along… fast forward to today, there has been a lot of moment in her stomach. Upright she’s not too big and you can hardly tell she’s that pregnant, but when she lays on her side she’s more pudgy and you can feel kittens… I’ve gotten so many different answers on how far along she is online but I called petsmart today and someone told me if I’m feeling this much activity then Cleo may get ready to pop within a week. Anyone have any extra thoughts or comments about this ?

 

[MusserMom]

More pictures of my pregnant Cleo

 

[StefanZ]

Agree, it may be closeish.

Observe its rare but not unique they have 2 different litters simultaneously.

If so it may be the usual drop days before delivery will be less visible.

Ps depending on how often you palpitate her, you usually feel kittens move 2-3 weeks before delivery.

 

[MusserMom]

Ok thank you !
my husband still doesn’t even think she’s pregnant haha , but I’m more than positive that she is, she’s just more on the smaller side and this is her first time. I’ll keep updating as time goes on.

 

[Sarthur2]

First of all, she’s too young to have kittens. Cats should ideally not mate until they are 18 months old and fully adult. Eight and a half months is still a kitten. She is still growing herself.

You say you caught your “tom” mating with her on Oct. 15th. Is he a Bengal? Are you trying to breed Bengals? If not, you will have mixed breed kittens.

You also say just 4 days later her nipples were already pinked. This means that she likely already mated at least 3 weeks earlier. So now she may possibly be carrying 2 litters conceived 2-3 weeks apart. This is less than ideal.

If she was pregnant 3 weeks prior to Oct. 15th, she is already at least 5 weeks along. Cats begin to put on weight and “show” at the end of the 5th week. Therefore, if she is pregnant, and sounds like she is, she’ll be due at the end of November or the first week in December. It may or may not be a small litter.

If the 2nd mating caused a new pregnancy, and cats are induced ovulators, there may or may not be a second litter 3 weeks behind this one. Problem is, when this happens, the second litter may be delivered early and not survive.

Please separate your male from your female and do not allow any further mating. It would be a hazard to her health and that of any unborn kittens at this point.

You can ask your vet for an X-ray at around 7-8 weeks to see how many kittens she is carrying and a gestational age estimate on the kittens.

Hopefully, she is not carrying a second litter, and hopefully the original litter will go to full term and be healthy. Please prepare for kittens and read our articles at the top of the forum about pregnant cats and kittens. We are here for all your questions and concerns, and do keep us posted.

Edited to add: It is unusual to feel kitten movement until about the last 2-3 weeks prior to delivery. If you are really feeling kitten movement, then your cat may have conceived even earlier than you are aware.

MusserMom

 

[MusserMom]

Okay thank you for all the information…. My Tom cat (Tabby) has been an outdoor cat for about a year now, he hardly ever spends his time indoors. We’ll see him maybe every 2-3 days and he usually just comes in for food and to say hi and he’s on his way again. My bengal girl cat on the other hand is strictly an indoor cat. I am not necessarily trying to mate either one of them but they’re also not spayed. I do hear you on the part where she’s still a kitten herself, I honestly didn’t even think cats could/would mate until after a year old at least. My concern is, if Cleo is a lot further than I think, she seems to be on the rather small/petite side.

 

[Sarthur2]

Have you considered neutering your tom cat? He is likely out roaming the neighborhood impregnating unspayed cats at every opportunity. Neutering is quick and tends to calm male cats over time.

 

[MusserMom]

Yes definitely considering. The next time he comes back, I’ll have to try and keep him inside and get an appointment as soon as possible since it’s so unpredictable on when he’ll show up again. He does get cranky if we don’t let him out after a full day though.

 

[StefanZ]

Yes definitely considering. The next time he comes back, I’ll have to try and keep him inside and get an appointment as soon as possible since it’s so unpredictable on when he’ll show up again. He does get cranky if we don’t let him out after a full day though.

A practical tip is you take him in carrier well before the vet visit, not in the last moment when you are stressed.
In need, he may sit in there several hours...

This need to go out is in much because he is a fertile tom... He will be somewhat more home boy after neutering, also the wandering lust will probably disappear or at least, diminish.

Ps. As he is essentially an outside cat, and surely had his adventures with both this and that; you cant count your girl as a typically purebred inside only.
To be on the safe side, take all possible parasite tests... And preferably bloodwork and virus tests.
And of course, deworm her and the kittens when time come.

(so taking a parallell; our residents were never dewormed. BUT its just only because they are after generations of cats whom were inside only)

Ps 2. You dont write what pattern Tom is... But as she is a purebred rosetted bengal, I suppose the kittens will be rosetted them too, even if the rosettes perhaps somewhat less expressive than on her.

 

[MusserMom]

Ok, makes sense . Thanks so much !

 

[IndyJones]

When the kittens do come keep him away from them, he may kill them in an attempt to get her back into heat. Hormones stay in a cats system 6-8 months after getting the snip.

 

[MusserMom]

Oh Jesus ! Okay thanks for that tip…
Whiskey (Tom cat) has had a litter of 7 kittens before with another cat around this time last year and did really well with them straight from birth but he was also around all the time. This time may be a little different because he’s gone and out the house all the time and isn’t around that much. So thanks, I will definitely be keeping that in mind when the time comes. At the moment Cleo (Queen) has her own quiet space with all her essentials for when she gets ready for birthing upstairs in our master closet, so I’ll definitely make sure Whiskey stays out of there. Probably just keep him from going upstairs altogether.

 

[StefanZ]

Oh Jesus ! Okay thanks for that tip…
Whiskey (Tom cat) has had a litter of 7 kittens before with another cat around this time last year and did really well with them straight from birth but he was also around all the time. This time may be a little different because he’s gone and out the house all the time and isn’t around that much. So thanks, I will definitely be keeping that in mind when the time comes. At the moment Cleo (Queen) has her own quiet space with all her essentials for when she gets ready for birthing upstairs in our master closet, so I’ll definitely make sure Whiskey stays out of there. Probably just keep him from going upstairs altogether.

If they are good friends, the danger of him hurting babies is minimal.
Toms killing babies is no myth, but its usually new toms to the area, whom wish to take their own share.

Toms whom knows the momma, has perhaps mated with her, its no the same danger.
And not if the tom is friend with momma.

So, do look out in the first meeting, but it will be probably OK. He may even co-parent.

 

[MusserMom]

Update on Cleo today, she still hardly looks pregnant lol. But definitely feeling movement in her tummy today again, and breast and nipples have gotten considerably larger. I’m thinking maybe 3-4 kittens ? What do you guys think.

P.S. she’s probably about 5 weeks in now.

 

[MusserMom]

So my Cleo girl is pregnant (Some of you may already know that because of my last post) and shes been following me everywhere , purring a lot, wanting to be loved and petted a lot. Today I noticed her breast and nipples are still growing, they’ve gotten a lot bigger since my last post. Long story short she followed me into my master closet where I have her nesting box set up, I tried to get her to lay down in it but she didn’t want to, I sat next to my fresh laundry that needs to be hung up and she came over and laid next to me, kneading and biting at the clothes, groomed her vulva and laid down and fell asleep. Is this nesting behavior ? Is she further along than I thought ? Her stomach hasn’t grown much but her breast sure have and to me she seems to be carrying low, more so in her uterus area. Any thoughts ??? Please !

 

[Sarthur2]

Please see a vet for an estimate of how far along she is. Her behavior sounds to me like that of a normal, hormonal pregnant cat — very affectionate but a ways to go yet. Her sides will get bigger as time goes on.

 

[MusserMom]

I have such a busy schedule this coming up week hopefully I can get her in sooner than later, next available appointment closest to me is next Friday, guess I’ll have to book that one in the meantime

 

[MusserMom]

Has anyone’s cat given birth after day 70 ?
Mine is 69 days today and is a calm and collective as can be, babies are moving around and she seems to be doing rather well but no signs of labor. It doesn’t seem like she’ll go into labor anytime soon to me but I don’t know. Anyone even experience this with their cat ?

 

[Sarthur2]

Did you ever get an x-ray done?