As some of you already know, we adopted a cat from the Humane Society last Tuesday. They had suspected that she might be pregnant, but palpated her a few times and nixed the idea.
So, I take her to the vet Monday evening for her post shelter checkup, and to have the vet feel around to see if he can tell if she’s pregnant. Hmmmm…I feel something here says he. ACK!! I have to bring her back in 2 weeks so he can check her out again, free of charge. Oy vay! :eek:
I called the Humane Society and they tell me we can exchange her for another cat, or have her fostered until she has the kittens. :rolleyes: We wanted her because of her personality and if she IS preggers, we’re keeping her and we’ll find homes for the kittens. How long is the gestation of a cat anyway?
I’m confused. If they had thought she wasn’t pregnant, why didn’t they spay her before you adopted her? Or do they have a policy where you promise to have it done?
As for what you got yourself into – kittens! Adorable fuzzy crazy-headed annoying kittens! Have fun!
I think the gestation period for cats is nine or ten weeks.
At the risk of being flamed, is there a reason not to terminate the pregnancy? I love kitties as much as the next person, but there are so doggone many in search of homes, it seems a shame to add to the total. Does it harm the mama to abort?
whiterabbit - They give you a spay/neuter voucher when you take the cat or dog home. They won’t do it before all the shots are up to date. She had her first set of shots on March 1st and is due for her 2nd set on March 22.
FairyChatMom - We considered that, but I can pretty much get rid of the kittens through my family. My dad is willing to take 2!! Good thing I have a cat loving family.
GRANDMOTHER!!! ACK! I’m only 30 sob
There is nothing more enjoyable than watching kittens play with each other and mom. Sit back and enjoy. When they are about 6 to 8 weeks old you can start looking for a home for them. My cat had 2 litters before her visit to the vet. The first litter was only 3 the second was 5 but one didn’t survive birth. The fact that they couldn’t tell if she is pregnant may indicate a small litter, first ones often are, if this is her first.
If you lived closer to Chicago, I’d look you up! We have a kitty that is in kidney failure and we’re expecting an opening any time in the next few months (we’re happiest with three kitties). Mmmmmm…a basket full of little softies! You are so lucky!
I would normally say to spay her now (and terminate the pregnancy) but if you are positive you can find good homes, then okay. Also, you are an experienced cat person? Just because often times the mother can’t or won’t nurse everyone, so you might have to bottle-feed them. This is a LOT of work. If you don’t know how to do it, get someone who does to teach you now - don’t wait until you realize a couple of the kittens aren’t nursing. (They die fast.)
A cat’s gestation period is an average of 63 days, +/- 5 days or so.
You are going to have so much fun! There is nothing that takes away the stress of a hard day like watching a roly-poly bundle of furry little kittens frolicking across the floor.
A voucher – that makes sense. I’ve never heard of not doing it before they’ve had all their shots – what if she went into heat in the meantime? I’ve never had an unfixed cat but I’ve heard about them.
While finding homes for them is critical, I wouldn’t actually give them until they were 8 weeks old. We got a Siamese kitten from a breeder who wouldn’t let them go until 12 weeks and she was a very well-adjusted kitty. Kittens have things to learn, and six weeks seems a bit young.
Yay, kittens! I’d take one if I were in the position to. I love kitties.
whiterabbit - having a female in heat is no fun. They yowl at all hours of the day and night, but I’ve been through it before and it’s not a huge deal. We have a finished basement that if she did go into heat before we got her spayed, she could be happy in. I wouldn’t even dream about releasing them until they’re 8 weeks old.
missbunny - I am an experienced cat owner, but I’ve never bottlefed. I will definately take your advice and find someone who has, just in case.
Boscibo - We are getting a brand spankin new computer with digital camera, so if she is preggers and has kittens, I will post pics.
You should also have someone explain to you how to tube-feed. Sometimes the suckle response isn’t strong enough for them to nurse a bottle well at first, especially if they’re weak from not eating well. You don’t want to find this out for the first time at 1 in the morning on a Sunday.
I’d suggest getting a can of KMR and a tuberculin syringe at the vet next visit, just in case you need it. (They’re often too little to get a good grip on pet nurser nipple at first, but syringe tips tend to work better.)
Palpating pregnancy can be strange. There’s a short period right after breeding where you can tell, then you can’t for a few weeks. Then suddenly you can again.
I didn’t mean to imply that you are irresponsible enough to let them go way too young. Conventional wisdom used to be six weeks, but I think it’s up to eight, these days. Somebody a while ago on the board had been sold a five-week-old puppy, so I felt a bit obliged to say SOMETHING.
I think that’s a charming package deal. And you’ll have the fun of seeing what the kittens look like, there’ll be little or no predicting it!