So this cat/kitten (I would estimate 6 months of age) shows up at our door, actually about a month ago. We started feeding it while advertising for the owner. Today, we found what will be a great home for her, but we also became aware that she is almost certainly pregnant. The family does not really want a pregnant cat. Are there shelters/vets/whatever, who will spay a pregnant cat. As this is not our pet, I really don’t want to shell out a great deal of money, but would love to have her neutered now, so that we can go through with getting her a good home. We live in Baltimore Maryland if anyone has specific information on our area, but just general information would be good.
All of the vets I have worked with will spay a pregnant cat if she’s not too far along. I’m not in your area, so I can’t give you any names - sorry!
I really don’t know anything, because, as I say, she is a rescue cat, and not a pet, but I would guess she is about 5 months old, and that she is about 5 weeks pregnant. Is five weeks far along for a cat or not?
5 months old is really early for a cat to be getting pregnant, though not impossible. There is a chance that she is older than she seems. Living outside often stunts kitties.
Cat gestation times are a little more than 60 days (6 weeks), so if she really is pregnant and if she’s 5 weeks along, then she is really really pregnant.
Some vets take ethical issue with spaying animals that are nearly due. There comes a point when you have to euthanize each individual baby because they could survive outside the womb, and that’s just depressing. Other vets don’t mind, but they often charge much more for the procedure because it’s more complicated, what with the extra blood supply and such.
On the other hand, she could simply have are really large intestinal worm load. Or some other problem.
Short answer: Get her to a vet in the next couple days to be checked out. It’s going to be expensive whether she has the babies or not. The only “cheap” option is if she’s filled with parasites and, well, then she’s filled with parasites.
Let us know what happens
Best Wishes
Around here, the Humane Society spays and neuters really cheap (actually, they’re handing out vouchers for certain zip codes, I hear, for free services). Call your local shelter and ask them for advice.
I should have mentioned the Humane Society, I was posting just after I woke up and hadn’t had my coffee!