My cats pregnant! Advice please..

[Unknown2020]

My cats 2 years old, we got her when she was around 7 months old and was told she was ‘fixed’.

We kept her as a indoor cat originally as we lived by a busy road, however since moving to a quieter area we started letting her out. Shortly after she’s been behaving different and now she has a very large tummy. She’s a very slender cat normally but I just thought maybe she’d been enjoying her food too much to begin with, then I started to notice all the cats in the neighborhood in our garden and following her..

So, I’m just after any advice anyone can give me? Will there be any warning signs she’s coming into labour or am I just going to wake up to kittens one morning?!

I’ve prepared a cosy corner in a room I keep her in over night. The dog usually goes in there over night too though, so I’m going to have to think of some way to separate them aren’t I?

Have you been to the vet?

You take her to the vet for a start.

I'd take her to the vet to check because it could be something else

I have already booked an appointment at the vets but it isn’t until Friday.

She'll want a shelter, more than just a cosy corner, and she'll choose somewhere well out of the reach of your dog. Like the bottom of your wardrobe.

You need to confirm pg and ask for a due date. If she is pg the vet nurse can advise you about the care she needs and how to look after kittens.

If birth is imminent then you need to create a quiet safe space. Put out boxes with blankets in but she will find somewhere safe herself probably. You could buy some kitten food for her to eat. She will have a change in begaviour, start looking for a nesting place, have contractions and might be more clingy.

I wouldn't assume she was pregnant if you'd had her fixed to be honest. I'd be quite worried she was ill. I'd also consider end the pregnancy and spaying her now, if she was pg as there is a lot of responsibility in finding good homes for the kittens.

www.cats.org.uk/help-and-advice/pregnancy-and-kitten-care/caring-for-your-pregnant-cat

My cat ignored the hundreds of cost spots I made for her and went and fetched me when she gave birth. She had her baby on my lap!

Where did you get her from? I'm assuming another family rather than a rescue?

Have you specified to the vet that you think she might be havily pregnant, friday is quitd a wait for an appointment.

If she came from a rescue I would assume as others have said that she might be quite unwell rather than pregnant. Could you ring back and gwt an emergency appointment to confirm what's going on. However in the mean time definitely keep her away from your dog.

Yes I got her from a family, they did tell a few lies about vaccinations and flea treatment so that’s why I’m now questioning that she never did get fixed.

She’s showing all the signs and symptoms of being pregnant. She has free roam of the house if she needed to find somewhere to go, but I have set up a area where she’s kept over night. Dog will now be moved to another room over night too.

Friday was the soonest I could get into the vets. I now have a friend of a friend coming over tomorrow who used to work in a vets but now works in a cattery so she’s going to check her over for me also.

She'll want to make her nest somewhere she can be away from the dog 24/7.

Yes I got her from a family, they did tell a few lies about vaccinations and flea treatment so that’s why I’m now questioning that she never did get fixed.

Given the fact it transpired they lied so much im surprised you didn't get the vet to double check that she had been neutered before letting her out.

If they didn't flea her then the likelyhood of her being neutered is sadly pretty much 0 so you will probably need to start thinking of what will happen to the kittens.

Hopefully the kittens don't arrive before Friday but if you suspect labour is beginning then please call the surgery for advice.

When my cat was pregnant I bought a large kitten pen in shape of octogsn with a cover over it. It was 1 metre high. I could contain cat at end of pregnancy and knew our 2 dogs could not get near to her. We kept kittens in large basket with blankets in within octogsn for 6 weeks. We took lid off and mother cat could jump in and out when she wanted. Dogs could not get in. We kept octogsn in dining room so we could keep an eye on kittens. I stayed up all night for 2 nights before kittens born in case my cat needed help. When cat has first kitten she will lock it clean and eat afterbirth. Then give birth to next kitten. Etc. My cat have birth every 20 mins with first three but took 1 hour with final kitten. My cat did not eat in 24 hours before giving birth, just drank kitten milk. Give pregnant cat extra food and kitten good best as more nutritious. After kittens born, on day 2 onwards I weighed them every other day to ensure they were putting on weight. Kittens need flea treatment on weeks 2,4,6,8 and 12. First Injection at about 10 weeks. Do not let kittens go until 10 weeks old. The first 8 weeks they need milk from Mum cat but in weeks 8-10 she socialises them. I did not let our kittens leave until 12 weeks. They were still getting some nursing from Mum cat then. A good place to advertise kittens is at vets on notice board include photo. Be aware if you price too cheaply some sick people buy them for fog bate. Try to home them with people you know.

I hadn’t said they didn’t give her flea treatment I said they had told a few lies about it. It didn’t lead me into thinking she possibly wouldn’t of been fixed. She was also intended on being a house cat at the time so I had no reason to further investigate it.

Thank you @caringcarer really helpful advice.

So she is definitely pregnant and likely due around 2 weeks time. We have homes lined up already with family so also know kittens will be going to very loved homes.

You never noticed her coming into heat when you had her as an indoor cat? Either she’s never come into heat in which case she’s not pregnant or she has and you knew she wasn’t spayed. A cat in heat is NOT subtle.

@LesbianMummies - In my previous post I said she is definitely pregnant, it has been confirmed. And No, she didn’t show any signs at all of coming into heat, no behaviour changes whatsoever. Also no, I 100% didn’t know she wasn’t spayed, or we wouldn’t be in this situation now

Did the vet discuss feeding her a good quality kitten food in the final stages and after?

And that she absolutely must not go outside until she's neutered? (About 8 weeks after birth). If she goes outside she can get pregnant again immediately.

Yes they did, I had however put her on a different food as soon as I had a feeling she could be pregnant. So that’s all covered.

She will definitely be kept indoors from now on until she’s had a trip to the vets to be spayed.

Make sure it is a kitten food, she'll need the extra calories and higher calcium levels whilst she's feeding the kittens

And don't forget the pictures!

Yes it’s kitten food I’ve got and plenty of it, with how hungry she is feeling all the time lately! Reminds me of myself during pregnancy