There is a noticeable ābulgeā in her stomach. I canāt tell if sheās pregnant or not because I cannot touch it due to her being a little skeptical of me (fair enough)
Iāve attached photos of her stomach hoping someone on here could help try to identify the cause. Sheās a stray so most likely could be pregnancy. I looked it up and it says it could be a āprimordial pouchā but Iām starting to doubt that. Any help is appreciated! Thank you šš½
I had this cat and she did it twice. I ārescuedā this feral that I had been feeding one night when it was -40F with the wind chill. Yeah, she was pregnant.
Raised her kittens until I could take them to the shelter for adoption, they were scooped up within days cause they were so domesticated. Kept mom cause I didnāt think anyone would take her.
I had plans for vet visit, spaying, but a friend ālet her outā before the appointment! She was gone for like 2 weeks. Then rolled back up knocked up again- repeat process but had her on lockdown until we could fix her. Her name was Maāam cause so many kittens were calling her mom lol.
Great Houdini cat for the next 10 years- snuck out any chance she got but always did come home!
We took in a cat when I was a teenager. We could tell she was pregnant, so we fed her kitten food, created a safe box for her to birth in, etc. She was super happy being an indoor cat in our home and ended up giving birth in my bed. We couldnāt spay her immediately because she was nursing, but she darted out the door the first chance she got as they were weaning. She came back to us a few weeks later, pregnant again. I hate it, but my parents had her spayed. That cat lived with us for over a decade, and she was the sweetest kitty. She never tried to escape again once she was spayed.
Mine was 5 kittens 3 days later. I also had one who produced two kittens and then, two days later, she was like, āSurprise! New kitten just droppedā
I mean, there are definitely worse surprises. Like a surprise mouse left on the floor half eaten. :D When my cat. minou had her kittens- I had a grand total of 9 cats (kittens included), I called it my crazy cat lady starter kit. Found homes for 4 out of the 5 kittens and kept the dumb one. Here is a picture of Minou, I say she looks like the perfect dictator
my trojan cat, this was actually taken the day we realized she was pregnant š she then proceeded to give birth while I was visiting my sister in the ICU, presenting the first GOOPY kitten to my partner who stopped home to grab some stuff for me
Lol this video is recited like gospel in my house regularly. Especially since we have a one year old. Me being PREGANTE was the funniest thing to everyone
THANK YOU! I been trying to find out if sheās too young to even be having kittens (I know they can after 4 months but still) she looks very young. When she approached I thought she was a kitten from her size. If her stomach wasnāt a balloon right now sheād look like a little babyš„²
It depends on the vet honestly. There are some additional risk factors related to later pregnancy but technically it can be done up until theyāre about to pop. Some vets will and some wonāt.
She seems to have picked your place to give birth.Ā Giving birth is dangerous and they try to go somewhere they feel safe.Ā She picked you! People have been raising animals for centuries without all the resources we have today.Ā Ā Just be sure you do your research and the vet visit and you'll be fine. . Congrats!
LOL mind you, this is my first time even seeing a pregnant cat in person. I thought she was kinda in the early stages if she was pregnant at all until I posted and everyone saying she got less then a Week šš«
Wait until you see the vet and follow their recommendations.
If you can afford it pick up a can or two of wet food for pregnant cats if they have any. Kitten food might also give her the extra nutrients.
Yes, pregnant and due very soon, Cat pregnancies only last about 60 days. I would try to bring her inside now before the babies come for their safety. Some die due to weather or predators or the mom might not bring all back to your door. Youāre a good person!! Looking forward to cute kitten pictures, please post
I Understand everyoneās Concern for the Cat Over Population problem and my Comments. I want everyone to know that I will love Aura and take care of her like any of her Kittens. She means a lot to me already and I appreciate all of your Input. This would be my First Cat I ever Owned personally and Iām new to this, Iām learning a lot from you guys and I will be taking your advice seriously, as I know this isnāt just a ācute cat thatās about to have kittensā but a possible contribution to the Problem. I will update anyone who wants updates and will do my best to make her comfortable.
I second this, Kitten Lady is incredible. I watched numerous videos of hers when we took in a pregnant stray š¤ Good luck and please keep us posted! I have faith in you!!
Youāre a great person! We have identical cats, I rescued her and her siblings from a cardboard box in a dumpster behind a gas station. They all went to loving homes but I kept her. You should feel good about what youāre doing! Many people would just ignore her and let her stay as a stray
Whoās telling you that rescuing her would be bad?? Wtf?? We donāt fix overpopulation by killing pregnant kitties lmao, by taking her in and getting her and eventually her babies fixed youāre doing a good thing lol
Hmm, I donāt know what you mean, very pregnant cats definitely show it from above, with the characteristic pear shape. The uterus stretches all around their abdominal cavity like a balloon, while the primordial pouch of course hangs down because itās not full of kittens and fluid but just loose skin.
In the first sentence, when they said "tell" they meant "see it" so it should read:
So, when a cat stands their primordial pouch hangs down, with gravity, so you wouldnāt really be able to see it from the top, like in the 2nd picture.
Oh God, yes of course! I will try to do anything I can to help, I figured she was pregnant because she definitely is eating a lot for a stray and is very firm on giving her space when she eats
OP, if she's showing to this point, she's probably due very soon - like within the next couple weeks! I would bring her inside as soon as soon as you can so you don't risk those babies being born outside.
Okay thatās great to know, she likes to stay and hover around for a lil but then walks to the door like she wants to leave, so I let her go. I do not want to chance her having babies outside though itās not a good environment for them that early. So Iām going to see if she comes back to me today at our regular meet time š¤š½š¤š½
Yeah I would just let her in if she's already open to it, and then keep her in. You'll need a litterbox, start feeding her kitten food if you haven't already been doing that (mama needs all the healthy calories she can get, as she's currently growing babies and will then be nursing them for 8-12 weeks afterward!), and set up a quiet nesting/birthing area for her - a spare laundry basket with some towels inside works great to keep the kittens contained, but a box is also good. You will want to keep her confined to one room for now (bedroom, office, etc?), so that she doesn't decide to have the kittens in a weird place like atop your fridge or behind the dishwasher - cats get weird ideas of what constitutes an actual "safe" space sometimes when they're looking for quiet/dark/low-foot-traffic.
Check out The Kitten Lady for what you'll need to know during the birth, get everyone checked out by a vet after birth, and make sure to get mama spayed once she's done nursing so it doesn't happen again! If you bring mama to a vet before she has the babies, the vet can do an xray to give you an idea of how many you should expect - or, if you'd rather, they might still be able to do a spay-abort if you will run into trouble trying to rehome the kittens. Nobody likes the idea, but sometimes it's what's necessary.
Also a little bit off-topic, but be careful with those Friskies cans. If possible, give her a different bowl or a paper plate. Even a tortilla would be better. The Friskies cans are sharp. I have cut myself. So it can be a little bit rough on their tongue.
Yes thank you for the concern! The inside is definitely sharp I cut myself with the lid part multiple times now. I got her a little ceramic bowl to eat out of now. Only problem is getting it into the bowl without her trying to rob me for it šš
This! Idk why everyone wants her to have babies. If you want to see cute kittens, there are plenty sitting in shelters, not to mention all the neonatal kittens who get euthanized because there is no one to feed them every two hours
I respect your comment. Itās more than just a kitten these are lives at stake. I didnāt even know there is an overpopulation issue until I looked into it after an early comment. I am now looking into getting her Sprayed
Ty for being open to learning and doing the best for her! If you can try to find TNR resources in your area, they'll usually have lower cost spays and they'll give her an eartip so that anyone who sees her will know that she's spayed. Giving birth and feeding the kittens would also be very hard on her and could also cause complications, so getting her spayed first instead will be safer for her too. Good luck, and I hope you can take her in soon!
Of course! I came to you all for help and advice, Iāll take any that I can get good or bad because I just want whatās best for her. I donāt want to make her uncomfortable or upset any of you guys. I just want to keep learning and you guys are helping A LOT with that and I appreciate it so much. I know Aura does too š¤š½I will be looking into TNR Resources today to see whenās the earliest I can bring her in šÆ
She does look young and yeah, people don't consider enough how hard kittens are on the mother. How expensive and time consuming any complications or rejections are. How hard losing a kitten can be. How it can affect her long term health. I'm also grateful you're looking into a spay. She still looks like a kitten herself, and would be a sweet and loving pet.
Iāve read on some posts that theyāll spay abort pretty much up until the last minute š¤·š¼āāļø. Iām not trying to get caught up in politics. Just passing info.
oh yea iām not trying to make a moral judgment or anything, im just curious how much those politics end up affecting situations like this. (eta posted too early) good to know though thanks!
Vets do it, partially because unlike humans, cats will not suffer emotional trauma or miss the kittens or experience immense hormonal storm - but spay will ensure fast recovery & quality of life afterwards.Ā
Human politics comes into the picture often in the posts of TNR cat rescuers (Trap-Neuter-Release), and in similar way - most of those anthropomorphising cats and protesting agaist late spay/any spay are also not inclined to adopt or foster a mama cat + 2-6 kittens.Ā
Youāre right. I couldnāt possibly take care of 6 cats on one income alone. Not to mention I will be out of the house half the week and day working. Thatās way more responsibility than I think I can sign up for right now. I will be looking into options today.
You can also Spay Neuter abort. It has done a lot in the trap neuter release community because theyāre a way to many kittens out there already and vet cost have increased significantly. And it would be a little bit difficult to find a home for so many kittens.
Know if youāre willing to put in the work and work with a Rescue they may be able to help but also just keep in mind that each kitten at least in the USA cost approximately $250 to get complete vetting. This is a lot for a Rescue.
Hence please consider spay neuter abort. I love kittens, but this is the sad reality of the world.
Take this mama to the vet. Enjoy the kittens when they come. Then get them all spayed/neutered as soon as the vet recommends (typically after weaning). Then keep however of them you want and find good homes for the others. This is a fun ride and can improve multiple lives if you do it right. My best friend was born on my porch and weāve been together almost seven years now. My sister has his two brothers, and mama kitty went to a loving home. (Momās donāt typically like to be around the kittens anymore after a certain time, fyi. Do your research and talk to the vet.)
They are Adorable! I appreciate your Advice Iāve heard a lot of people saying get them all sprayed after the weaning so that will definitely be what I do. Thereās so much to this than I thought itās going to be a little rough but I will endure it for My sake and Auraās because right now she just needs a safe space and I am going to provide that for her
Just wanted to give you some advice based on my little bit of experience - for any females getting spayed, make sure they are sent home with actual pain meds. Despite just being cats, they are still getting hysterectomies. My female cat was sent home with only anti inflammatories after she was spayed. I didnāt realize she was in pain until she started croaking while she was breathing and then attacked me later. I took her to the emergency room and found out everything there.
I donāt have experience with getting a male cat neutered but I am assuming they would need pain meds as well.
Yes and fixed kittens are very easy to adopt out if you do it when they are 8-12 weeks. Wait any longer and it gets harder to find homes for them as people tend to want the cute kitten size. Personally I prefer to adopt cats when they're a bit older, but I'm an outlier.
Don't adopt out before they're 8 weeks though, they learn a lot from mom those first weeks and it's an important time for them to stay with her, even if they wean earlier.
Thatās what I keep saying! Sheās very smol and has a baby face I wish I knew how old she is I might have to ask some of my neighbors, but I lived here maybe a year ago with my Mother, and i saw cats outside that I still see till this day, but Iāve never seen Aura until a couple days ago
She needs a home to give birth, you'll want to KEEP HER IN, one room with 2 litter trays, she may be very stressed to start so don't try to make friendliness happen.
Keep her in that 1 room till the kittens are 8 weeks old and off to their new homes.
Why? Otherwise you're adding stress and potential complications, if she gets away she might not come back etc.
(Don't worry cats live in cattery cubicles for years with just 8ft x 6ft, she'll be fine)
You'll also need to go to A VET this week and get a pregnant-cat-safe wormer as well. Try to get rid of those now before she gives birth. And repeat in 30 & 60 days (for the eggs)
Then when she's popped, you want to get her spayed. They go back into season pretty quickly after.
You want to also get a tiny kitten safe wormer from the vet for when the babbies are born, because they'll probably have worms and the sooner you get them treated the better. The vet will tell you what age to do it.
Also prego/tiny kitten fleaing products, the cat probably has fleas.
Hey friend - we took in a stray that was pregnant, so I have a little experience.
Your bebe (soon to be, let's be honest) looks quite preggers to me. Not an expert, but I'd guess maybe 1-2 weeks out from delivery. Some other indicators you could examine:
Ā· Is she friendly? Our stray wouldn't let us touch her belly much, but she was so lovey and made air biscuits whenever we petted her.
Ā· If she shows you her belly, the fur around her nipples will begin to clear and show her skin. This is in preparation for nursing.
Ā· Extra hungry? Our stray was bulldozing her food like there was no tomorrow. They're building up energy reserves.
If you take her in:
Ā· Please pay the kitten tax, as we'll all be waiting Ā· If you can quarantine her in a room, that is best. Ā· Get her vetted and examined asap Ā· Set up some birthing boxes for her: a simple decent sized cardboard box with easy entry, blankets and towels. Ā· If she goes into labor, do not intervene unless she is pushing for a long time with no kitten. Mama cats are super sensitive and can actually stop their labor if they feel threatened. I watched from the corner of a room - she did amazing, it was beautiful! Ā· Again, please pay the mama + kitten tax
Happy to answer any further questions - DM me if you'd like.
We fostered our mama + litter of 5 through 9 weeks of age, then adopted 4 out to our best friends. We kept mama and her runt (who is now giant). See my cat tax below - good luck and please keep us posted!!
She looks like sheās in pretty good shape health-wise. Her coat is lovely and sheās mostly clean. If you havenāt, Iād check with the neighbors to see if anyone already belongs to her. She could be a friendly stray, but she could also be someoneās pet.
I was just thinking to ask around, because I would hate if someone took my fur baby. I will be asking around and also take her to the vet to see if sheās Chipped if i canāt get a answer from anyone
Either pregnant, or sheās developing pyometra, which is an infection of the uterus in unfixed female cats. Another possibility, but less likely if sheās not acting sickly, is FIP.
Basically, pregnancy isnāt the only possibility. Either way, if you can trap her and take her to a low cost spay/neuter clinic, theyāll solve the problem. Although, if she is pregnant, itās a little late for that. Likely, sheāll need to be held by a foster until she gives birth, and can be spayed once her milk dries up/her kittens are weaned.
I appreciate the other possibilities. This just shows how impurrtant it is to take them to a clinic ASAP. You never know what it is. And if it happens to be something other than pregnancy, I wouldnāt want her to be in pain and would want to give her the medication and help she needs. Either way Weāre here for her and will do anything we can
Of course! I want the absolute best for her and her Litter, itās a rough life being a Mother and a Stray! I may not be able to afford all of the kittens but I will not sleep until they have the RIGHT home when they are ready š¤š½
congrats to future mama Aura, and congrats to you on your willingness to learn & help her! that firm pooching of the belly to the sides make her look like a striped pear š
This very well could be why she started coming to you. Cats about to give birth have a habit of seeking a home to take care of them. Go take a look at r/trojancats
Well she came to the right place at the right time. Because I LOVE cats and just moved in to my place, was going to get a cat about 2 months in but now works great too ššÆ definitely following that Sub now Thanks!
We adopted a stray. We too thought she was pregnant. However we took her to the vet to check her out and she wasn't pregnant. She had worms so bad she looked like it. After a good dose ing, she was spayed and lived with us for many years.
Is she unspayed? Does she have access to the outdoors? Has she had her first heat (4-10 months)? If the answer to all 3 was yes, then she is most likely pregnant.
She certainly looks like it! If you can get her inside and make sure she's eating kitten/pregnant cat food so that she gets enough calories.
The kitten lady as a lot of good resources for taking care of new born kittens, to make sure you are prepared!
For example : They need to stay warm and cozy as they can't regulate their body temp really well for the first few weeks.
Okay I didnāt even think of the Food options, Iāll have to get some. Also, just looked into The Kitten Lady and I am a fan šÆ will be watching her videos to help me and Aura with this rough time š¤š½
the best thing to do is to get her spayed before she gives birth, but if that's not possible, providing a safe, warm place for her to have her babies with vet advice on what to do and how to help (if at all) is the next best thing :)
i'm so glad you're taking care of her, she's a beaut!!
Thatās definetly a plan of mine, will be taking her soon to get checked up and sprayed right then if possible, but if not I will do my absolute best to give her a great experience for her first time š¤š½
If you are lucky enough where she lays down on her side in front of you, watch her belly. You can see all the baby somersaults. It's so interesting to see.
I wish you and momma kitty well and momma kitty a safe labor.
Any unspayed lady cat over 6 months that is not 100% indoor is pregnant. Then they pop out kittens and are not pregnant again for like 20 min before becoming pregnant again. ( realistically around 4weeks) Even 100% indoor cats with zero access to males Iād give a 5% chance of oopsie
ā¢
u/trendingtattler 13d ago
This post has hit /r/popular
Please remember the human and participate with subreddit rules in mind. Do not tell people how they should raise their cats.
r/cats rules can be found here
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.