- Joined
- Aug 4, 2014
- Messages
- 1,112
- Purraise
- 1,522
Hi everyone!
One of my trap-savvy ferals (Socks) ended up giving birth this past spring. I only found out when she brought her only/remaining kitten to our porch shelter. Her kitten was about ~4 weeks at the time, and her leg had been severed (likely wildlife).
We took them in, and after a month or so, we found out Socks had actually become pregnant again before we had trapped her. She was about 1-2 weeks from giving birth, but we were able to do a spay/abort (7 kittens!!! Would have brought our house total to 17 though, so it was the best decision overall). That happened in early June.
The original kitten has continued to nurse through this whole time. She does eat some solid food, and I feed her 3-4 times a day, but I also catch her nursing quite a bit.
Yesterday my partner asked if I'd noticed that Socks's belly was hard. I went to feel it and it is indeed very hard, very swollen, and very hot. I thought maybe the baby (who is about ~14 weeks now) was finally fully weaning and maybe this was a normal sort of... engorgement that was temporary and it would dry up soon. But then I immediately remembered I had JUST seen her nursing the baby the night before (which had only been about 12 hours prior).
Everything Dr. Google brought up really didn't fit and had a lot more symptoms (though if left untreated, maybe those symptoms will begin to show up)...
Socks is acting completely normal otherwise, nothing else has changed. She is not lethargic, she is not vocalizing more, she is not hiding or overly affectionate, she doesn't mind her belly being touched briefly, her appetite is still as insane as ever. Her ONLY symptom is the hardened and warm belly/breasts.
However - there is one thing, that may or may not be related...
I can't for the life of me remember exactly when and I'm kicking myself for not writing it down. But some time about a month ago I noticed a couple of small blood spots on the bed in their room. I assumed it was from the kitten's severed leg, which had struggled to callous (she still somewhat uses the stump). I checked her injured leg and the wound/sore didn't look like it had recently opened but I checked both mom and baby elsewhere and couldn't figure out what else could have caused it, so I just chalked it up to that.
Right before posting this and racking my brain for any other signs, I remember about 3 or 4 days ago I found another spot that looked exactly the same on the same bed. I checked the kitten's leg, and it couldn't have been that, as it FINALLY calloused about 2 weeks ago, and there were definitely no sores.
Once again, I checked mom and baby over thoroughly and couldn't find anything at all. Without even knowing WHO the blood was coming from, I just decided to keep an eye out.
Now I'm thinking that perhaps this was Socks. I was thinking maybe her spay/abort didn't get everything and she was still going into heat (or rather, just having certain symptoms). I have never noticed a change in behavior for even a single day with Socks since she's been with us and made her biggest leaps in progress, socially speaking (which happened in late May/very early June). Her appetite, affection, bathroom habits, everything, has been completely consistent.
Anyone have any ideas? I will absolutely do whatever is necessary, but just wasn't sure if the hardened belly might be a normal process for weaning mothers. And any ideas about the mysterious blood spots (and possible relation) would also be appreciated.
One of my trap-savvy ferals (Socks) ended up giving birth this past spring. I only found out when she brought her only/remaining kitten to our porch shelter. Her kitten was about ~4 weeks at the time, and her leg had been severed (likely wildlife).
We took them in, and after a month or so, we found out Socks had actually become pregnant again before we had trapped her. She was about 1-2 weeks from giving birth, but we were able to do a spay/abort (7 kittens!!! Would have brought our house total to 17 though, so it was the best decision overall). That happened in early June.
The original kitten has continued to nurse through this whole time. She does eat some solid food, and I feed her 3-4 times a day, but I also catch her nursing quite a bit.
Yesterday my partner asked if I'd noticed that Socks's belly was hard. I went to feel it and it is indeed very hard, very swollen, and very hot. I thought maybe the baby (who is about ~14 weeks now) was finally fully weaning and maybe this was a normal sort of... engorgement that was temporary and it would dry up soon. But then I immediately remembered I had JUST seen her nursing the baby the night before (which had only been about 12 hours prior).
Everything Dr. Google brought up really didn't fit and had a lot more symptoms (though if left untreated, maybe those symptoms will begin to show up)...
Socks is acting completely normal otherwise, nothing else has changed. She is not lethargic, she is not vocalizing more, she is not hiding or overly affectionate, she doesn't mind her belly being touched briefly, her appetite is still as insane as ever. Her ONLY symptom is the hardened and warm belly/breasts.
However - there is one thing, that may or may not be related...
I can't for the life of me remember exactly when and I'm kicking myself for not writing it down. But some time about a month ago I noticed a couple of small blood spots on the bed in their room. I assumed it was from the kitten's severed leg, which had struggled to callous (she still somewhat uses the stump). I checked her injured leg and the wound/sore didn't look like it had recently opened but I checked both mom and baby elsewhere and couldn't figure out what else could have caused it, so I just chalked it up to that.
Right before posting this and racking my brain for any other signs, I remember about 3 or 4 days ago I found another spot that looked exactly the same on the same bed. I checked the kitten's leg, and it couldn't have been that, as it FINALLY calloused about 2 weeks ago, and there were definitely no sores.
Once again, I checked mom and baby over thoroughly and couldn't find anything at all. Without even knowing WHO the blood was coming from, I just decided to keep an eye out.
Now I'm thinking that perhaps this was Socks. I was thinking maybe her spay/abort didn't get everything and she was still going into heat (or rather, just having certain symptoms). I have never noticed a change in behavior for even a single day with Socks since she's been with us and made her biggest leaps in progress, socially speaking (which happened in late May/very early June). Her appetite, affection, bathroom habits, everything, has been completely consistent.
Anyone have any ideas? I will absolutely do whatever is necessary, but just wasn't sure if the hardened belly might be a normal process for weaning mothers. And any ideas about the mysterious blood spots (and possible relation) would also be appreciated.
Last edited: