Can you tell how pregnant a cat is if you've just met her?

rising_from_the_ashes

SnowyOwl wrote: »

My vet said more or less the same thing to me when I had my three kitties chipped. He hadn't chipped cats before because nobody had ever wanted it done! Amazing really that this sort of attitude exists amongst cat owners (not lovers obviously). But one by one we can change attitudes ourselves. I would say that it would be worth insisting that the vet scans this new mummy cat. It doesn't cost anything to do a scan, is very little effort and could mean the world to someone who is very concerned about their cat.

Totally agree Snowy, I'm totally shocked by this - the cat could indeed have wandered a great distance from home.


Mine are both chipped (both done when they were neutered - which was before they were allowed out).

My boy is fascinated by the inside of cars etc & have visions of him jumping in a delivery van at some point and ending up at the other end of the country.

This did happen to my old boss - his cat went missing and after 3 weeks of frantic searching they'd just about given up hope.

Then they got a phone call from someone (think it was a warden or animal charity) who'd found the cat wandering around an industrial site over 300 miles away!

Proof that chipping does work (if beeping vets etc could be bothered to scan them):mad:


Splishsplash - have you thought of a name for mum?

djp64

Splishsplash - with all the mums I've fostered they tend to only move kittens if they feel threatened. Once the kittens get to 6 weeks or so it would be good from a developmental / socialisation perspective if they were able to meet the other cats and the dog and have a bigger / unfamiliar area to explore as this develops confidence. Once they reach 5 / 6 weeks old they will be able to climb and they are very adept at climbing out of boxes etc.

Are you other cats neutered / spayed? What sort of temperaments are they? I presume your dog is happy with the existing cats and doesn't harm them :-) A territorial male cat may see the kittens as a threat but most cats are just curious or indifferent and sometimes simply afraid. Has mum met the other cats / dogs - what was her reaction?

Once my foster families reach 5/6 weeks I usually get rid of the box and put down blankets / bedding in various places. They still sleep together as a family but raising them in normal family life makes them confident and sociable.

If you wanted to try an introduction in a few weeks time (when the babies are old enough) then a good idea is to put the new family in a dog crate / pen (if you can borrow one). This provides a safe barrier between all parties but they can all see / smell / hear each other and you can get a good idea of the potential response.

maskerade

Awwwwwwwwww. When I saw the pic of the Mum I had a mini-panic because she looks exactly like my younger cat!

The kittens are gorgeous

djp64

I can post pictures now :-) Here are some of my foster babies:
Teddy Alfie
TrufflePigShakira

dundeedoll_2

What a lovely Thread! I loved seeing all the pics, both of the new mum & her babies and the others.

Splishsplash I would loooove 1 of those kitties..............I lost my girl aged 5 in January due to her having a saddleback embolism

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x...s/DSCF0605.jpg

rita-rabbit

splishsplash wrote: »

Lol, fine, one each for gettingready, Jojo and rising from the ashes...
just let me know when you'll be calling to collect them...

... Oh btw, I'm in the southwest corner of the Republic of Ireland, lol.

Friends of mine are looking for a kitten but we are in S London.

OnAndUp

djp64 wrote: »

I can post pictures now :-) Here are some of my foster babies:

Shakira

Ooooohhhh They are all lovely BUT I want Shakira Shakira!!

sugarmuffin

djp64 wrote: »

Sugarmuffin

How do you know your little adoptee is pregnant? Is this based on her size or has it been confirmed by the vet?

I'd love to say that everything will be fine but... a vaccination of a live vaccine in the first four weeks of pregnancy can cause foetal damage / defects. A dead vaccine has less risks and in the second half of the pregnancy the risks are significantly reduced. Do you have any idea how many weeks pregnant she is?

Debbie

Hi Debbie! Thanks so much for replying. Well the vet said her 'teets' were a bit enlarged and pinkish so thought she could be pregnant or had just had a litter. She was very skinny 2 weeks ago but now she is eating like a horse and has put a bit of weight on. She never stops eating! That's all we know really. The PDSA won't do an ultra sound scan - do you think we should take her to a private vet to see if she is definitely pregnant? Gosh, what a worry :-(

splishsplash

juliebunny wrote: »

Oh cute cute cute!! You should not be afraid to make normal noises around the kittens. If you bring them up in too much of a sheltered way they will end up timid. Once they are around 3-4 weeks I start to leave a radio on (voice channel) and don't worry about banging doors etc etc - toughens them up and makes them easier to home as more social...you ARE going to home them....??! LOL!

That's the plan, we already have three places found, but I found myself coming up with all kinds of reasons today why the places might be unsuitable:eek:. I really have to get my head around that and quickly!

SnowyOwl wrote: »

My vet said more or less the same thing to me when I had my three kitties chipped. He hadn't chipped cats before because nobody had ever wanted it done! Amazing really that this sort of attitude exists amongst cat owners (not lovers obviously). But one by one we can change attitudes ourselves. I would say that it would be worth insisting that the vet scans this new mummy cat. It doesn't cost anything to do a scan, is very little effort and could mean the world to someone who is very concerned about their cat.

If she is not chipped have you thought about what you will do? Maybe have her chipped yourself with your details recorded??

I feel like I've maligned the vet's a little here, and that's the last thing I mean to do, as they're great! What they meant is that nobody had ever asked to get their cats chipped. I think it's because chipping an animal is associated with protecting financial value, so most dogs that cost money to buy are chipped, but no-one pays for cats, so they are not considered for chipping. I have to say my dog is chipped, but none of my cats ever were - it never occurred to me:o.

splishsplash

sugarmuffin wrote: »

I am SO glad I found this thread and I hope you don't mind me hijacking it ... a little black cat followed my boyfriend home 2 weeks ago and he decided to adopt it, as it looked very neglected and skinny. We took it to the vets to check it wasn't chipped and I asked around all the local cat resuces etc. We took her to the vet and they gave her vaccinations and we've booked her in to get neutered in 2 weeks. HOWEVER, we have now discovered she is PREGNANT! We are going to look after the kittens with all the great posts here! But we are beside ourselves with worry about whether the vaccinations will have harmed the unborn kittens!!!! What does everyone think? She's going back to the vets next week (the PDSA) but they said they don't get involved with pregnancies ... so looks like we're on our own ... do you think the kittens will be OK?

Oh wow, I think your little black cat found some very nice people to follow home! As you can tell from this thread, I have absolutely no useful advice to give you, but I hope your little cat and babies are ok.