Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To adopt a stray cat halfway through a pregnancy??

118 replies

ethelfleda · 30/06/2017 19:42

A couple of weeks back a stray cat wondered in to our garden. She was skinny and covered in fleas and looking very sorry for herself. For a week I fed her twice a day but wouldn't let her in to the house and always thoroughly washed my hands after petting her (paranoid about catching something whilst 20 weeks pregnant!) I tried to find her owner but failed.

So I took her to the vets to see if she was microchipped. They told.me she wasn't and was about 2 weeks from having kittens Shock

So I brought her flea drops etc and brought her home to put her in the garden. I had become very attached to her... I love animals anyway but she has such a lovely nature and I had fallen in love with her!!
But as she was about to have kittens and the only safe place for her to have them would be in the house, I decided that it wasn't a good idea for us (again, due to possible toxoplasmosis risk etc not just from her but from her kittens) to keep her and took her to the cats protection league.

I had been keeping in touch with the woman who is fostering her and apparently it turns out she isn't pregnant after all (vet checked)! So they are making sure she is chipped and neutered and will send her to a rehoming centre. The vet said she is about 5 years old apparently. So after that rather long (And hopefully not boring!) Story, WIBU to bring her back?? She had become very attached to me and DH... plus we already have a cat flap (was there when we moved in) and I am fully aware that it would be for life and how long cats live for... plus any litter tray use would be sorted out by DH while I am pregnant (he has become very attached to her also)
I hate the thought of her being stuck in a rehoming centre and possibly not being rehomed and I know we would be able to give her a loving home here... would I be taking too much on?? I have no other pets or children.

OP posts:
DancesWithOtters · 30/06/2017 21:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

susurration · 30/06/2017 21:03

Go and get the little love! she'll probably be so happy to see you. And when I was pregnant my cat couldn't get enough of me, she was like a little cat limpet (probably because I was so warm, but I choose to believe she loved me more!)

ethelfleda · 30/06/2017 21:06

Danceswithotters I've already text the cats pro woman. She said is going for exploratory surgery Thursday to check if she has been spayed (And will be spayed if not) she will be chipped and vaccinated and we can bring her home from the following Wednesday! Seriously excited now. I'm a very affectionate person so have plenty of fuss to go around the whole family Grin
She had a bad reaction to flea bites as well bless her - all the fur had gone from her chin because of it and she had scabs all over her back. She has been treated with steroids though and the woman said she is healing nicely and becoming more confident by the day.

OP posts:
user1471458525 · 30/06/2017 21:07

You won't regret it. She looks beautiful Smile

ethelfleda · 30/06/2017 21:09

susseration I actually went to visit her last weekend as the woman said she wasn't eating normal cat food pouches and I know she loves the pate you can get (was the only wet food I could really get her to eat) so I took her a load (luckily the woman who is fostering her is only 20 mins away) and I swear she recognised me and started purring her little head off when I got there.

I fear I have given too much away and probably come across as crazy cat lady BlushGrin

OP posts:
HappyFlappy · 30/06/2017 21:11

Go for it - I have cats, and had cats through both my pregnancies with no ill-effects. As long as you follow sensible hygiene practices you and your baby will be fine.

She is very pretty. Smile

we called her Barbara as a laugh (human names for animals is hilarious to us

What amazes me is the number of animals wth human names nowadays, while so many people call their babies by animal names (Bear, Fox, Tiger etc . Promise me you won't call your babyBadger, or Anaconda, or Velociraptor or anything like that - please . . . promise me . . .

DancesWithOtters · 30/06/2017 21:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

DancesWithOtters · 30/06/2017 21:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Froglady99 · 30/06/2017 21:14

She's a beauty! So lovely that you are going to give her a home. I had 3 cats during my pregnancy with no issues at all, I was just really careful around the cat litter. They are such lovely company and she chose you!

Froglady99 · 30/06/2017 21:16

PS Babs is a fantastic name x

ethelfleda · 30/06/2017 21:19

Happyflappy Haha I promise I won't!! Our son is getting a fairly normal (albeit old fashioned) name!! Although 'llama might work... 🤔😆

Danceswithotters I will definitely let you know when she is home. She will be massively spoiled! Especially as I feel guilty for putting her in the pet carrier because both times I have so far, she has hated it!

OP posts:
Lana1234 · 30/06/2017 21:25

Aw what a little cutie she is. I'm so happy your giving her a loving home Smile I'm currently pregnant with 2 cats and they are my little besties Grin I just wear disposable plastic gloves when doing the trays and put hand sanitizer on after just in case but they go outside mainly. Crazy cat lady life is the way forward anyway 😂

ohfourfoxache · 30/06/2017 21:30

Oh I'm so glad she's going to have a home with you!

JamPasty · 30/06/2017 21:31

Gosh she is gorgeous!! I have cat-jealousy!

Belle1939 · 30/06/2017 21:32

Please get her this post makes me happy

ethelfleda · 30/06/2017 21:34

I'm glad this thread has been a source of happiness for you! This forum can be a little depressing at times Smile

OP posts:
BigChocFrenzy · 30/06/2017 21:47

Hooray, win-win for you both ! Grin

DancesWithOtters · 30/06/2017 21:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

timtam23 · 30/06/2017 22:09

Wow ethel she is beautiful, very unusual colouring! Definitely go for it, I had 2 cats and had no problems during my 2 pregnancies. Vet said toxoplasmosis is actually very rare in UK ( more common in France for example) if DH wasn't around for litter tray duty I just used disposable rubber gloves when I changed the litter and I washed my hands afterwards.

Come over and post about her on the Litter Tray board on here, it's full of crazy cat people! (Litter Tray is in the Pets boards on MN)

MargaretCavendish · 30/06/2017 22:13

So glad you're taking her - she's gorgeous and you'll love being a crazy cat woman!

PosiePootlePerkins · 30/06/2017 22:22

Ah she is just lovely. Please update when she's back with you, she will be a very lucky cat indeed!

DancesWithOtters · 30/06/2017 22:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

PoppyFleur · 30/06/2017 22:41

What a beauty! This thread is just lovely and it's great you can give Babs a home (love the name!).

We have a rescue cat, she is an absolute sweetheart. She was my faithful companion during midnight feeds when DS was a baby.

Enjoy your new cat OP and the rest of your pregnancy.

CheshireChat · 30/06/2017 22:57

She's absolutely gorgeous.

You know, sometimes it's just meant to be with cats. One of our strays, literally climbed on my mum sometime near Easter and hasn't left since, in fact she's a grumpy, I'll tempered old thing. The cat, not my mum btw most of the time.

ChocolateFrogs · 01/07/2017 02:42

Oh OP, I love this thread 😻Your cat's gorgeous! Please can we have an update when you bring her home? As well as regular weekly updates pretty please :)