Possibly preggo? Possibly gas?

[Viabella]

I recently found a stray cat on our farm and have been leaving it canned food every day twice a day. I made a little bed for it in our barn where I found it (as We aren’t allowed to bring her in the house). I noticed the other day that her belly was kind of bulgey and wide when she sat down. It was also fairly firm to the touch. She also eats like a horse! When I do feed her twice a day, I give her 2 cans of cat food at a time and she eats them both eagerly and still begs for more and will go back to the cans to lick them. I’ve never owned a female cat so I don’t know if this is normal, but her nipples are protruding a little. Well today I went to feed her and noticed her belly wasn’t big OR firm anymore. Just yesterday it was. I’m wondering if she was preggo and had kittens or if she just had gas. There’s no kittens in the kennel/bed I made for her and that’s where she’s been sleeping since I left that for her 4 days ago. Any opinions on what it is? Should I look for kittens elsewhere? She has been out a lot today so I don’t think she would leave kittens alone for that long after having them.

 

[Sarthur2]

If she’s had the kittens, she has likely hidden them well. If she’s not had them yet, they may have “dropped” lower down towards the birth canal in preparation for birth in coming days. This causes cats to look smaller.

Your best bet is to continue feeding her well, and leave a bowl of dry food as well as a bowl of fresh water in the barn for her for in-between wet food feedings. Pregnant and nursing cats need extra food and water.

She will undoubtedly bring the kittens out as they get bigger, and you’ll need to plan to spay her eventually as well as find homes for the kittens.

Thank you for caring for her and keep us posted!

 

[Viabella]

Hey thanks for the reply! Like I said before, I’m not POSITIVE she is/was even pregnant. I just figured for being a stray cat that has been on our property for months (just haven’t been able to get close to her until the last week and a half) she seemed like she had an awful “plump” belly but the rest of her is thin. And her stomach was fairly firm. Is it possible that she just had bloating with gas or something? And being winter time and regularly in the mid 30s Fahrenheit, would the kittens survive? I’m thinking I should locate them and make a box for her/them if she did have kittens. Any thoughts?

 

[Sarthur2]

Do you have a picture of her or her belly? It sounds like she was or is pregnant.

 

[Viabella]

I never got a picture of her belly before it got smaller. But I can def get a picture of it now. I’ll post one tomorrow. (I’m not gonna be at the farm til tomorrow)

 

[Willowy]

If you live somewhere cold, it's a bit early in the season for her to have given birth. Outdoor cats usually get pregnant around January-March, and give birth March-May. And then most have a fall litter too, around September or October. But unless she was an indoor cat that got dumped already pregnant (indoor lighting and heating mess up their cycles), she probably doesn't have a litter right now. No guarantees of course; cats are mysterious!

Does she let you feel her stomach? If she's nursing, her teats should feel lumpy and possibly dampish. And generally they just LOOK like babies have been sucking on them.