Hi, I'm new to the forum. I just created the account because we recently brought a stray cat in, and I would like your guys advice on her. Sorry for the long post, I just want to give as much detail as possible for a better analysis and also I just want to talk about her . We first met this cat 3 weeks ago when we moved into our new apartment. After discovering she had fleas, and almost certainly has no owner as she wouldn't leave our door, we decided to bring her in 2 weeks ago. We treated her for fleas. We have yet to go to a vet. We've been looking online if anyone close by had lost a cat that looks like her, haven't found anything yet.
She was extremely friendly, she barely asks to go outside, and even that is satiated once we open some blinds for her to look outside. (At first she asked to go outside because she didn't seem used to going in a litter box, or just didn't like the litter box we offered, once we didn't open the door she would go in it and stop begging) We are concerned that she could be pregnant, we noticed she was a little chubby when we first met her, and now we're looking at her stomach and it is protruding out on the sides a good bit. Not sure if it was like that at first. It doesn't look like she's just overweight, her legs and neck seem average cat size, she might be a tad bit on the chubby side, but barely. Her stomach is also very firm.
I am unsure, because her nipples don't seem pink or noticeable at all, although I was able to see a few of them without digging in her fur, which someone said is a good sign she's pregnant since the fur would have dropped around them.
Her appetite has been changing a little, although that could be just due to new situation and new food, when we first met her she ate everything we gave her the instant we gave it to her (she would push our hands out of the way with her head to get to the food faster ), and it has been like that most of the time. In the morning she always sits by our bedroom door staring at us until we wake up and start speaking, and then she starts meowing and sprints to her food bowl. Then one morning she didn't touch her food for 5-10 minutes after we put it out, although after that she ate most of it. Could have been frightened, she sometimes gets spooked by noises and doesn't have an appetite then. We started giving her dry food, and she began eating only parts of it, eating little bits throughout the day, but this morning she ate her whole bowl (about 1/2 cup), and an hour later when I was preparing to go to work she was begging for more by her bowl.
She sleeps almost all day, and when she plays she puts minimum effort into it. At first we thought this was just her personality, and that she was very old, but could it be a sign of pregnancy?
I held my hand on her stomach to try to feel for babies, and I felt little thumbs that felt kind of like heartbeats, but it couldn't have been hers since they weren't consistent. Could that be kittens?
Also, if she is pregnant, any idea how far along? We want to keep her or maybe two of the kittens if she does end up having them. (Our association allows only 2 pets, and I read a kitten and mom may not be the best option since the mom will want to get rid of her babies at some point) We have a shelter close to us that offers free spay and neuter for cats, so we'll be doing that in any case.
Also, she has this black fur right around her vagina. At first I thought that that's just how her fur is, but I'm not sure if it could be a sign of previous pregnancy or of some discharge or something. She's had it since we met her.
I'll try to get some good pictures of her stomach and nipples later, but here's a few just for the cutesies .
P.S, We're thinking of naming her Misu.
She was extremely friendly, she barely asks to go outside, and even that is satiated once we open some blinds for her to look outside. (At first she asked to go outside because she didn't seem used to going in a litter box, or just didn't like the litter box we offered, once we didn't open the door she would go in it and stop begging) We are concerned that she could be pregnant, we noticed she was a little chubby when we first met her, and now we're looking at her stomach and it is protruding out on the sides a good bit. Not sure if it was like that at first. It doesn't look like she's just overweight, her legs and neck seem average cat size, she might be a tad bit on the chubby side, but barely. Her stomach is also very firm.
I am unsure, because her nipples don't seem pink or noticeable at all, although I was able to see a few of them without digging in her fur, which someone said is a good sign she's pregnant since the fur would have dropped around them.
Her appetite has been changing a little, although that could be just due to new situation and new food, when we first met her she ate everything we gave her the instant we gave it to her (she would push our hands out of the way with her head to get to the food faster ), and it has been like that most of the time. In the morning she always sits by our bedroom door staring at us until we wake up and start speaking, and then she starts meowing and sprints to her food bowl. Then one morning she didn't touch her food for 5-10 minutes after we put it out, although after that she ate most of it. Could have been frightened, she sometimes gets spooked by noises and doesn't have an appetite then. We started giving her dry food, and she began eating only parts of it, eating little bits throughout the day, but this morning she ate her whole bowl (about 1/2 cup), and an hour later when I was preparing to go to work she was begging for more by her bowl.
She sleeps almost all day, and when she plays she puts minimum effort into it. At first we thought this was just her personality, and that she was very old, but could it be a sign of pregnancy?
I held my hand on her stomach to try to feel for babies, and I felt little thumbs that felt kind of like heartbeats, but it couldn't have been hers since they weren't consistent. Could that be kittens?
Also, if she is pregnant, any idea how far along? We want to keep her or maybe two of the kittens if she does end up having them. (Our association allows only 2 pets, and I read a kitten and mom may not be the best option since the mom will want to get rid of her babies at some point) We have a shelter close to us that offers free spay and neuter for cats, so we'll be doing that in any case.
Also, she has this black fur right around her vagina. At first I thought that that's just how her fur is, but I'm not sure if it could be a sign of previous pregnancy or of some discharge or something. She's had it since we met her.
I'll try to get some good pictures of her stomach and nipples later, but here's a few just for the cutesies .
P.S, We're thinking of naming her Misu.