Pregnant cat - Help please

[titchbec 10]

Hello

 

A few weeks ago i decided to take a cat off a woman who couldn't cope with her anymore and bring her to mine. She hasn't been out yet whilst at mine. However, i'm quite sure she is pregnant.

 

Can anyone please give me advice what to do to prepare her? She will be neutered as soon as she can after she has given birth. I'm very new to this and i don't know what to expect.

 

How many do they usually have per litter? How long are they pregnant for? What do i do?

 

HELP PLEASE

Thanks

[emmalavill 10]

I am fostering a pregnant cat at the moment, it's new to me too. But I know that they have about 3-5 kittens per litter, however it can range from 1-8 ish. And they are usually pregnant for around 9 weeks.

[medusa 16]

Cats are pregnant for 63 days (unless they're Oriental pedigree cats, in which case it's anything up to 70 days) and they rarely have more than 8 babies, and although 8 sounds really scary, a small cat will give birth to 8 small kits much easier than 2 or 3 really big ones.

 

Most cats are exemplary mothers, give birth by themselves and usually give birth with no complications, cleaning their own babies and taking to it like they have done it dozens of times before.

 

However, if she's not really any bigger than a kitten herself then you really need to get her checked over at the vets, just to see if the vet can work out how many babies there are and to get their emergency number in case you need them if she has problem getting the babies through her birth canal. Queens these days are so well nourished that they are starting their seasons well before 6 months in some instances and are giving birth at 8 months when they aren't even fully grown themselves, and that's really quite dangerous for them unless you're on the ball.

 

The way to check whether she's pregnant is to look at her teats. A queen who has never had a litter and who isn't pregnant will have very small teats that look just like a little skin tag. If she's had a litter before but isn't pregnant then they may be bigger, but they won't be engorged. If the teats are 'pinked up' and engorged then she's either pregnant or just reared a litter and if she's just reared a litter and hasn't been spayed but been allowed outside the chances are that she's pregnant again anyway.

 

However, big point here. I've had a vet misdiagnose a pregnancy at approximately 5 weeks when the queen wasn't pregnant at all, just raised a litter and then gorged herself on kitten food and put a lot of weight on. Without a scan there is no absolute answer, apart from waiting 9 weeks and seeing whether she produces kittens

 

If she's pregnant then start her on kitten food instead of adult food and offer her a free supply of kitten biscuits full time. By the time the kittens wean she could be using 4-5 times the normal calories for an adult cat because of the amount of calories that the babies will be taking from her, so she needs really high calorie food, and plenty of it. She will also drink a huge amount of water whilst feeding the babies, so make sure that she has loads available.

 

Other than that it's just a case of making sure that she doesn't have a bad flea infestation, which she will pass to the babies, making sure that she's wormed (safe in pregnancy wormers only, consult your vet) and that she has a choice of places where she is happy to cuddle up and make a den. If she looks uncertain and moves lots of places make her some beds using a cardboard box and an old towel and put half a dozen of them in the calm and comfortable places around your house (don't allow her out though). With a bit of luck she'll choose one of them to use as her den, and you can just throw the whole thing out after she's given birth.

 

Most of all, enjoy sharing time with her and try to join in with her babies, which should be a magical time

 

Try not to fret

[MuteWitness 10]

She can still be spayed if it is early days, it would be worth finding out either way. So many unwanted kittens at the moment as it is, but good on you for taking the cat in.

[titchbec 10]

Thank you so much for all of this. She's only a small cat, i would say about 5 months old. I have a cat lead and she absolutly loves being outside, shes trying to get out now! Thank you so much

[magsie 10]

I would definitely take her to the vets to see if they can feel the kits. For kittens to give birth at such an early age is terrible for them. I have witnessed kits giving birth at 7 months of age, they really don't know what is happening to them, and there is a distinct possibility of the kittens not making it. I don't want to frighten you, but the kitten really needs a vet visit asap.

Little kits can come into season at 4 months of age, they are still little babies themselves.

If she isn't pregnant Titch I would ask for her to be spayed now.

Edited March 30, 2012 by magsie

[MuteWitness 10]

When can you get the cat to the vet? do you need help with this?

 

A small 5 month old cat giving birth is not going to be good. I have had a stray cat who had to have an emergency c section and non of the kittens survived, she was so tiny, could have died her self.

 

Most vets would check out a stray cat for you for free.

 

Peak vets is open over the weekend.