circa 20 Jun 2004 20:26:42 GMT, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav,
MacCandace (maccandace@aol.comlitter) said,

Those were my thoughts, as well.

Even if the blood *is* coming from the rectum, I wonder if it could
be kind of a "hemorrhoid" type of thing caused by vaginal swelling
encroaching upon the rectum. Does anybody know if that's possible?

Laura

Cats in heat don't bleed.

Megan

                                   

Do they, really?  I thought they didn't bleed at all, re: heats.  Then,
trying to reason this out: people/women ovulate, & then bleed - if not
pregnant.  But cats are induced ovulators.

Cathy

1. Try not to be a bitch

2. Try not to be a bitch

3. Try not to be a bitch

SNIP

I did call the emergency vet late Saturday night as my regular vet
does not run a 24 hour clinic, and would not be open until this
morning.  I came here in search of any extra information that other
experienced cat owners might have.  I had used this animal hospital
before, and they were open and able to answer my questions at that
point.  Last night, after having been at dinner with a friend, I took
her IN to the emergency clinic as I was far too worried to leave it
until morning.  It turns out, the error was mine, I had the anus and
the vagina reversed. It also happens that Francesca is pregnant with
one large kitten, and what I saw last night was her water breaking.
The cat uses the box, and I clean up after them, but I don't spend a
lot of time worrying about what comes out of where unless the cat is
actually ill.  I'm a lot more interested in the cat's FRONT end.  I
haven't been around a pregnant female cat since I was a child  and our
family cat had some litters.  I knew basically that "the mother cat
has kittens" but never really paid attention to the details, as my mom
was there to care for Luna at the time.   Cesca is now in the care of
Dr. Mell, my regular vet, who was obliged to do a C-section on her, as
we feared the kitten might already be dead.  Living or dead, it was
too large for her to push out on her own, and it certainly couldn't
stay where it was.  I had no plans to bring yet more kittens into an
already overpopulated world, but in this case, I have to bow to the
situation that is. She won't be able to get pregnant again after this,
as the vet is spaying her as well as giving her the C-section.  Part
of me, sadly, is hoping that the kitten did not live, but if it did, I
will do my best to find a good home for it when it is old enough for
adoption.  Two cats is my limit, and after an $850.00 C-section, even
two cats feels like a bit much, right now.  =o\  Francesca has used up
her quotient of medical emergencies for the next five years within her
first 30 days as my cat!

The emergency clinic vet was pretty sure she must have been
impregnated soon before the Humane Society picked her up, at which
point, it was too early for anyone to tell she had conceived.  When I
took her to my regular vet for a checkup a few days after bringing her
home, it was even too early for HIM to know she was pregnant.  Because
she only had one kitten in her, I didn't realize that was what was the
matter  until last night when I took her to the the emergency vet.

In ideal circumstances, I'd have much preferred to take Francesca home
after she'd been properly spayed, as is the Humane Society's policy,
and my own. I'd paid for the spaying upfront at the time of her
adoption.  She was not spayed then because she had a cold which the HS
clinic vet decided was too severe for her to be safely anesthetized.
They sent her home with some Clavamox which I duly gave her, but it
took her about three weeks to really recover from her cold.  I took
her, cold and all, because I was just in love with her, and was afraid
someone else would get her if I didn't take her then. I also felt that
she'd recuperate faster at home, away from all the other cats with
colds at the Humane Society. I was not expecting that her recuperation
would take as long as it did.  During that time, she has been indoors,
unless I was taking her somewhere in her carrier.  In the past week, I
have been playing a very frustrating game of phone tag with the HS to
try to set up a spaying appointment.  I have been unable to get a real
person on the phone, or get an actual appointment date set up, to my
great frustration.  But with the way things turned out, I suppose
that's just as well.

As to why the raw diet, I followed the tip of a friend of mine who has
a large animal family.  She has been feeding her dogs and cats this
Sojourner Farms diet for about six months, and has noticed a positive
change in all their coats, and in their general health and spirits.  I
can tell you that my sixteen year old cat has perked up a lot, and his
coat is thicker, glossier and softer than it ever was while I was
feeding him canned food.  He has put on weight after being too thin,
and is even feeling lively enough to play again. The meat I give the
cats is either frozen or refrigerated at all times except when it is
being served and eaten.  It disappears MIGHTY fast at mealtimes. Given
that a lot of crap goes into commercial cat foods, I'm pretty sure
that human quality meat is safer for them. I also occasionally
supplement this with baby food pureed meats.  Cats and dogs are able
to digest raw meat much more easily than humans are.  Lions don't
barbecue a zebra when they catch it, and wolves don't roast any sheep
they've caught.  They get down to business right away. =o)

Melissa