cat pregnancy question

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bluemaxx - 26 Dec 2004 02:33 GMT

I've got a new unhomed cat that showed up on my deck about 2 weeks ago.
Usually it was for her daily nighttime "fast food" - she'd eat and
disappear. But now tonight she finally let me pet her and she also let
me lift her into my arms. I wanted to bring her inside, because she
really _wants_ to come inside, but then she gets scared once she gets
inside the doorway, and she runs back outside again. I put out a large,
sturdy cardboard box on it's side, with a rug inside it for her, after
feeding her, and she's already checked out the inside of the box twice.

Anyway, when she let me lift her - her stomach is very firm and *really*
big, even onto the sides of her body... while the rest of her is small..
small feet (gotta check to see if she's declawed), small tail, small
head. I don't know if this is just a well-fed cat that lost it's home
(she's kinda scarred on her face and one ear tip is completely gone)...
or if she's a cat that's very far along in a pregnancy and she's looking
for shelter.

So... Is there any way to tell if she's pregnant by checking to see if
her nipples are swollen/bigger... or do cats lose the hair around the
nipples in preparation for babies? I don't know anything about cats
being pregnant, other than their bellies get big. Thanks!

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Linda

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Phil P. - 26 Dec 2004 03:29 GMT

> I've got a new unhomed cat that showed up on my deck about 2 weeks ago.
> Usually it was for her daily nighttime "fast food" - she'd eat and
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
> head. I don't know if this is just a well-fed cat that lost it's home
> (she's kinda scarred on her face and one ear tip is completely gone)...

Linda,

The ear may have been "tipped". Eartipping is done to identify feral cats
as neutered and vaccinated (rabies). The left ear is usually tipped -
although some orgs tip the left ear on females and the right ear on males.
Looks like this:

http://www.alleycat.org/pdf/eartip.pdf

If her ear is tipped and its not due an injury, and she has a swollen belly,
she has a problem - could be just a bad case of worm infestation or a more
serious illness.

Is there anyway you can get her to a vet?

Phil

> or if she's a cat that's very far along in a pregnancy and she's looking
> for shelter.
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> nipples in preparation for babies? I don't know anything about cats
> being pregnant, other than their bellies get big. Thanks!

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bluemaxx - 26 Dec 2004 04:16 GMT

<snipped>:

: The ear may have been "tipped". Eartipping is done to identify feral cats
: as neutered and vaccinated (rabies). The left ear is usually tipped -
: although some orgs tip the left ear on females and the right ear on males.
: Looks like this:
:
: http://www.alleycat.org/pdf/eartip.pdf

Yes, it's her left ear that's been tipped and it looks just like the pic
in the photo of Alleycat's pdf file. And I've seen a lot of fat cats...
one of my friends grows them that way, but this one's stomach and sides
seem much firmer than just fat, hence the thought of her being pregnant.

I also don't know about her being feral enough to be ear-tipped. She
is way too loving. She was talking to me and letting me pet her all
over, even run my hand down her tail, and then she let me pick her up.
Not to ring my own bell as I do have a way with cats... but the other 2
"outside/dinner-only/semi-feral" cats that I feed have never let me pet
them like that, no matter how long I beg and cry. :)

: If her ear is tipped and its not due an injury, and she has a swollen belly,
: she has a problem - could be just a bad case of worm infestation or a more
: serious illness.
:
: Is there anyway you can get her to a vet?

I'm going to try and lift her into my arms again tomorrow... and then
hopefully right into a cat carrier. :) I can easily take her to
the vet if I can get her into the carrier. If she needs deworming, I
can take care of that, along with shots & bloodwork. And I'd love to
keep my Christmas Cat... but the 3 I already have is my limit. :(

I'll call Animal Control after she gets a clean bill of health, because
up here, all strays turned in to Animal Control go right out to Orphans
of the Storm for adoption. Link to the cat rooms at Orphans of the
Storm is here... http://www.orphansofthestorm.org/VirtualTours/cats.html
And if she is declawed (I suspect she is) and/or pregnant, I'm confident
they'll take care of her medically and physically.

Thanks, Phil. :)

: Phil

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zuzu22@webtv.net - 26 Dec 2004 04:44 GMT

>I'll call Animal Control after she gets a
>clean bill of health, because up here, all
>strays turned in to Animal Control go right
>out to Orphans of the Storm for adoption.

I doubt this is true. I don't think a private shelter exists that has
the capability or capacity to take *all* strays turned in to animal
control, and it's possible this cat could end up being euthanized.
Besides, you're a perfectly capable person and it would be wrong to
burden animal control and possibly OOTS with the responsibility of
caring and finding a home for this cat when you could do it yourself and
let those spaces go to other cats in need.

Megan

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bluemaxx - 27 Dec 2004 03:34 GMT

Thanks, Megan... for reminding me of all that. I went back to the OOTS
site and saw that they state they have room for 400 cats, but 441 are up
for adoption. :(

She's still here, and sleeping in the box at night (with a rug and now
another blanket) in between eating; but she does disappear during the
day at times. She also wouldn't let me get close to her today and ran
off the deck when I got too close to her. :(

Tomorrow, I'll try sitting outside with her for awhile and then try to
get her into a carrier to go the vet. Then, it's either back here to
live in the basement until I can find her a home, or... sometimes my vet
will take in strays and board them. They put up large, colorful
adoption notices with the animals pictures hanging from their front
desk. An ad will also go into the paper advertising a "found" cat...
and if 2 weeks go by, then I can advertise for a new home for her.

As usual, you thought things out more than I. I was just so excited
about finally being able to pet her that my brain stopped working there
for awhile. Thanks again. :)))

Linda

: >I'll call Animal Control after she gets a
: >clean bill of health, because up here, all
[quoted text clipped - 31 lines]
:
: - W.H. Murray

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zuzu22@webtv.net - 27 Dec 2004 22:01 GMT

Linda wrote:

> Thanks, Megan... for reminding me of all
> that. I went back to the OOTS site and
> saw that they state they have room for
> 400 cats, but 441 are up for adoption.
> :(

Unfortunately, that's what I suspected. :-(

> She's still here, and sleeping in the
> box at night (with a rug and now another
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> her for awhile and then try to get her
> into a carrier to go the vet.

If she is used to sleeping in a box, and used to you sitting by her,
maybe you could entice her to go into the carrier if you take the rug
from the box, put it in the carrier and then put some really stinky food
at the back tonight when you know she'll settle in for the night.
Hopefully she'll take the bait and see that nothing happens when she
goes in the carrier. Then tomorrow, put more food in then sit close
enough to the carrier so the door is within reach. If she goes all the
way in you'll have to move fast and put pressure on the door until you
can get it fastened in case she tries to bolt.

>Then, it's
> either back here to live in the basement
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> adoption notices with the animals
> pictures hanging from their front desk.

I vote for your basement, which may lead to the rest of the house and
your heart. :-)

> An ad will also go into the paper
> advertising a "found" cat... and if 2
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> brain stopped working there for awhile.
> Thanks again. :)))

You're welcome. I hope you can catch her quickly and am looking forward
to updates!

Megan

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Cathy Friedmann - 26 Dec 2004 03:34 GMT

> I've got a new unhomed cat that showed up on my deck about 2 weeks ago.
> Usually it was for her daily nighttime "fast food" - she'd eat and
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
> nipples in preparation for babies? I don't know anything about cats
> being pregnant, other than their bellies get big. Thanks!

Yes, their nipples do get larger & pinker - in general, prominent -
considerably more noticeable.

Cathy

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bluemaxx - 26 Dec 2004 04:16 GMT

Thanks, Cathy. I'll check her out tomorrow - right now, after eating
one last time, she went into the box/rug I made for her. :)

: Yes, their nipples do get larger & pinker - in general, prominent -
: considerably more noticeable.
:
: Cathy

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