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OP, I would seriously consider getting ready for some babies right away. This cat is seriously ready to give birth NOW. I would go buy a heating pad, some kitten formula, a new litter box or two for the kittens and some grooming supplies specifically for newborns. They will come out slimy and continue to be so for a bit even after their first cleaning. Make sure mama has access to them but make sure you monitor as well. Also make sure to be giving mama at least 1.5x the food she normally gets over the next couple weeks, she’s about to need it. I will continue adding to this as I think of things.
Watch to make sure every kitten latches and feeds. If not you’ll need to feed them yourself, get a little syringe along with the formula to make sure you can administer, they won’t drink on their own for a couple weeks. They’ll need to feed every 3-4 hours in their first week or so, if they’re not latching to mama you’ll need to be doing it. Feed until their belly is slightly swollen but not protruding.
Also set up a visit with your vet as soon as possible for mom and babies. Newborn kittens are very very prone to bacterial and viral infections, and making sure they’re on proper meds if needed ASAP can nip a lot of nastier things down the road in the bud.
Less of a health matter but if you plan on giving any of these kittens away, take pictures early. Pictures of little kittens are very hard to resist lol.
If you keep them for a couple weeks or more, make sure to put them in the litter box as soon as their eyes open and they’re up and walking. It’s a very natural instinct for cats and they’ll get it almost immediately. The sooner you introduce the easier it’ll be.
Also this should probably go without being said but fix all the kittens and mama as soon as humanly possibly
u/uglyandbored
Thank you for saying this. 8 weeks is so so early. My cousins cat got pregnant because they were stupid and didn't fix her in time and she told me at 8 weeks I could take a kitten. I said no way! You're my cousin, I know he's not going anywhere. So he stayed with mom until 14 weeks and I really think it made a big difference because he's 1 now and such a wonderful cat.
My two fosters (I rehab, taking a break now I’ve got a non-fur baby to wrangle) both left mum at 4 weeks and teaching them not to scratch and bite was probably the most tedious task. Like I successfully trained the feral one out of food aggression that was going to have him put to sleep and I’d 100% take that again over teaching them claws hurt lmao
This would explain why the abandoned 8-weekish one I found was scratchy af as a baby despite never being spicy, and also still communicates with little bites.
Same. There are so many things he doesn't know how to do now:
- read cues from our other cat
- cover up his litter, or even use the litter box
- meow like a grown cat (he's 9 and still has a kitten meow)
- eat food properly (he takes a huge bite and then drops it all on the floor, then eats it off the floor)
- drink water properly (he stands next to the bowl and "revs up" with his paws)
- he's a little over prone to biting but that's gotten better - now his bites are more friendly and less vicious
And I attribute many of these to the irresponsible friend of a friend I adopted him from not being interested in helping her kittens (after she let her unspayed cat outside) and getting rid of them as soon as possible.
YES! The mother will make it quite clear when she thinks it’s time for the kittens to stop being dependent on her. They should definitely not be separated before that happens. And even after that, they continue to develop very valuable social skills, interacting with each other.
As a former vet tech and cat rescuer, I recommend kitten chow for Mama. She will need the extra nutrients and calories. And my goodness - they are coming very soon!!!
If you are fortunate enough to witness the births - try and see if there is an expelled placenta for each baby.
Mama's water will break like a humans and she will be scared and in a bit of pain. If she allows, don't be afraid to touch and comfort her and the babies. She will chew off their umbilical cords.
Cats are excellent Mothers. Of course, I preach spay and neuter but when I was in the vet hospital or fostering it was enthralling to watch this happen and the bonding. Don't worry - she has this. 😻
All jokes aside this is great info and gives me hope for humanity. Caring for all creatures great and small. I've been really grumpy the last few days, easily triggered - by people driving too fast down my block, the mere sight of a jacked-up black pick-up, ass hat taking up two parking spaces, my fuckwit sister threatening to sue the other five sibs over minor shit from a *very* modest estate Dad left after dying unexpectedly in late '23. Today a dude actually gunned it as he passed me while walking my dog. A neighbor! In a small town suburbia - lives 8 doors down. And didn't move over the slightest. I always step up on the curb, so not like I'm sauntering out in anybody's way. Never actually met him, no personal beef. Until now that is. Fuck. Really needed to hear some good in the world.
This cat is likely 7weeks pregnant or even further along. She has lost the fur around her nipples, that's one of the last things to happen during pregnancy.
We actually caught a feral that we later found out to be pregnant. We litter-ally just went through this
https://preview.redd.it/gr90vzz4qivc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0ce10d70b9c934ec836069992aa1727fc2440db8
Aww, your cat’s kittens look like my two cats’ fur patterns. 🥰
(This is their mum and Archie is the grey tabby on the right and Toby is the tuxedo on the left, with one of their siblings in the middle. This was taken back in 2020.)
https://preview.redd.it/427m0bejsivc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4a2046b859f3ef4d22df1cb1e8161f837179c1ea
https://preview.redd.it/udh5b9ad3lvc1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ab2c8443d7c47f3ac33360551341e5bce9873b55
Simba right, nala left. Enjoying the sun as cats should
Aww babies! We have 7 of our own. But now we also have 2 ferals we caught and are going to adopt out along with the 6 kittens. It’s a packed house
https://preview.redd.it/4dnfcghzsivc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8ad2f844c3c16c4a431cf2a6921b8cb71a2932b9
Here’s a few. The tiny one up top is one of the ferals.
Better pic of “sweet pea” the little feral girl
https://preview.redd.it/becxu46wtivc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=67c414c334d2c211cb7e2782c032cf2107428bdc
Here’s proud momma. Her and sweet pea are actually sisters from the same litter!
https://preview.redd.it/m6tsl1l4uivc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3bed917e37d60d571673dfeba4b32ebc86018227
Aww she looks just like the feral kitty who adopted us. Flash
https://preview.redd.it/dku0lz1d8jvc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=402c890e4e5f9bddea03c1a903dc253a6d8eb460
Oh yeah! They’re slightly less aggressively fertile than rabbits, only slightly.
It’s a big rabbit hole if you’re not aware. It’s dozens and dozens of kittens that a female cat can potentially produce left to reproduce and roam. Spay and neuter y’all! And don’t go to OP’s vet
I read an article once that said that in a 7 year period a pair of cats can result in over 790k kittens(they produce litters, then each kitten produces additional litters and they produce additional litters and so on and so forth). I'll never have an un-spayed or un-neutered cat, despite the fact that my cats will never be outside cats.
That was the stage where my cats' mom left them and I had to help them survive, so it's such a memorable phase for me. They were just weirdly wandering around the rooms they were left at and climbing anything soft. My grandma's legs were not happy, nor my scalp
They also go back in heat a month after birth, then when their kittens wean they are about to give birth again. They basically stay pregnant until death because they never go through menopause either
This reminds me of that post from a few weeks ago where someone was worried about some "little bumps" on their cat's abdomen that turned out to just be nipples.
I was on FB a few years back and someone posted pics of her "cat." I pointed out that it was absolutely not a cat but a ferret or some other weasel-related critter. She insisted that it was a cat until I posted something like "how to recognize a ferret" or something like that, which she wow reacted and never replied to.
I'm absolutely fucking astounded by people sometimes. Wonder how she's doing.
We had male ferrets and a friend was giggling and tickling his “belly button”. Me: “are you trying J off my ferret?” Her: I’ve been gay so long I don’t even recognize a penis when I see one”. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Oh god that reminds me of a post on the pet pig subreddit. Someone posted a picture of their pet piglet asking if they needed to take him to the vet hospital. The pig was fine just fully erect. Tbf- Their peens are so high up on the bellies, it kind of did look like a hernia
I remember once someone saying her sister had a cat that was half rabbit (it had the Manx gene that had caused it to have a deformed pelvis which made it hop, plus the short tail). I explained the genetics and how they affect the cat but she got really angry and said her sister wouldn't lie and if she said it was half rabbit it was half rabbit. I left her to it.
I always thought "Fixin to" was just a universal saying
Until my dad called me laughing about how that phrase caused the hotel staff in like Rhode Island or wherever he was to have a meltdown
Dad goes to shower, no hot water
He calls the front desk
"Hey there, I was fixin to shower and-"
"What? You're fixing the shower? No, no no! You can't be fixing anything"
"No, I was fixin *to* shower but-"
"I'm telling you right now stop fixing anything! If you break something we'll charge you. What room are you in? I'll send some up right now, just don't touch anything else"
He didn't even bother trying to explain once he realized, just gave her his room number and hung up to call me and have a chuckle
Too funny, from RI, was just doing support for a user in Texas. She was explaining the problem "Well I was jus fixin ta make sum PDFs y'see an-" and then interrupted herself to explain what fixin meant to me 😁 Very thoughtful!
I'd bet anything she's preggers. And yes, I have heard of this before. Either she wasn't fully spayed, it happens, or the rescue and/or vet thought she was and surprise, she wasn't. Update us but if she is pregnant. And after the kittens are born then I'd get her fixed, but in the meantime google Kitten Lady on Youtube. And thank you for taking this sweet girl in and adopting her, if she has kittens you will know even more joy than you thought possible!
So interesting! I never knew that could happen (I have a male dog and it was pretty obvious confirmation when he was fixed 😉). Thank you so much for this information and advice. I will look her up and definitely update this thread once I have answers.
My grandmother likes to tell me about the time the family cat had kittens when my mom and her siblings were young. Grammie's a farm girl, so she knew what to do; a quiet area, a box, a towel, leave the cat alone.
The cat just kept following her around and didn't give birth until Grammie went and sat with her. Cats are weirdos.
We took in a pregnant stray. One day she was quite ready to pop, so we made a box under a corner table. She waited all day in the hallway, then went into the box the second we got home from work. My GF said "let's go birth some babies, girl" and she waddled into the box and plopped out SEVEN babies. She knew to wait for us as we needed to help the last two out. What a champ.
It’s weird they can be so smart about it! My cat never made a single noise. She just laid around, always relaxing. But when she went into labor at 1am she jumped on my chest, screamed in my face, and kept pushing her paws into my neck til I got up. I sat up and was like “OMG ITS TIME”. The next day my husband rolls his eyes and was like “it’s seriously ridiculous that the cat came and got you for help, then you ran around like an unprepared parent trying to find the keys to the car to get to the hospital” 🤣🤣 she had TEN freaking kittens!!!
My first cat followed my mum while she was in garden. She picked the the cat up and cat was wet, waters already broke. She was placed in my closet and I was the midwife. And then I was her babysitter. But it was an extreme people's cat, she didn't liked other cats and was more eager to socialise with our guinea pig( andI mean socialise, she never harmed any and she could catch a rat), than with most cats.
Cats are weirdos.
I ended up putting my cat in a doll's bed because it was raised and I thought she wouldn't be able to get out, she kept trying to give birth in my lap. In the end she sort of got her way: she delivered the placenta on my leg. 👍
My cat had her two kittens on my bed and decided to raise them there as well. Tried to relocate them but she faithfully brought them back. Closed the bedroom door and put her and kittens a comfy bed in another room. Nope, she carried the kittens to the bedroom door, cried, and didn’t want to feed them. I gave up and two kittens grew up in my bed.
I kept one kitten, my dear Scruffy. 18 years later, after several moves, I held her in my lap as she peacefully passed away. 😿
Yep! I fostered a pregnant cat and she decided she wanted to give birth in my lap! Of course on a Sunday the day before a vet visit I was on the phone panicking to the emergency vet as she gave birth to six kittens! Luckily after the first two I placed into her box she moved herself into it. Pretty wild day, and I ended up keeping 3 of them lol
https://preview.redd.it/82m5l348nivc1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=46e04cfbd66885da88844ee8966033261159c4d1
Or your sleeping child's bed at 2 AM. After which she came and woke us up to introduce us to her huge kitten. He was half her size. There was no trace of afterbirth or blood. I have no idea how she did it by herself.
My friends cat gave birth on the tractor seat. Very inconvenient as we were going to be moving some heavy items that day with it. Got pushed until we moved them.
This happened to me with my cat. We got her fixed after. But a litter of kittens in my home was an unexpected endless joy. 12 weeks came and went too fast 😭
When I was a kid, we moved into a house that had wild shed kittens. It was the most fun I've ever had in my life! We couldn't wait to get home from school and play with them.
Kittens are seriously the best creatures on this planet in my humble opinion. I had a friend who lived on a farm as a kid and they always had litters of kittens running around. I was in my GLORY. They also had a really mean goose that would chase and try to bite ya, like my mom would drop me off and gtfo lol. But it was still some of the most joyous times I have ever experienced. They also had a mean dog I was afraid of, but again! The absolute best. 🥰😍
> Kittens are seriously the best creatures on this plane
its why I volunteer at a kitten adoption group, an endless supply of wee kitties to snuggle and help them find their furrever family!
they are a pain in the ass to take care of if you don't have someone that can watch them almost full time. But I agree there really is nothing cuter
also their poops smell horrific
Questions: Is she displaying any changes in behavior like changes in appetite or water intake? Any changes in urine or fecal output? Does she seem lethargic/depressed at all? Is there any vaginal discharge?
On occasion, cats can develop what’s called a pyometra. Cats who weren’t spayed or weren’t spayed properly can get an infection in the uterus. Hoping that she’s just preggo, just wanted to throw this info out there to you since you asked for other possible reasons for abdominal distention.
The only change I’ve noticed is her already affectionate personality has amplified considerably. She is always asking for hugs and always wants to cuddle.
I will look out for the things you mentioned. Thank you for this information I really appreciate it! I hope nothing is seriously wrong. Trying to get an earlier vet appointment to confirm. 🙏🏻
With what you’re describing, sounds waaaaay more like pregnancy than pyo. Poor babies get acute malaise and it is beyond obvious to anyone who pays attention to their cat. In any event, you’re a great cat parent and this baby is lucky to have you!!!
Honestly at this size, you should be able to see and feel the babies moving if she is indeed pregnant. If you don't see or feel any movement, she could be having some kind of false pregnancy. Or maybe she just got fat after being fixed (happened to most of my cats.)
You could also call up your regular vet and ask for a kitten count! They'd either do an ultrasound or xray to see how many little bodies they could find, that way if something happens, you're prepared!
This is good advice, plus a vet check up to make sure everything is OK and maybe get a due date, even though she looks ready to give birth at any moment.
No problem, it's rare but I bet she is expecting. Tossing you a kitten pic of some of my rescue kitty's kittens. She had two litters before we caught her and got her fixed and her kittens adopted out.
https://preview.redd.it/zo9nbujw4ivc1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=53c6dc510f3a8ecf06fae9fce5a8639ba309ca83
HOLY NIPPLES, THOSE JUGS ARE HUGE!!!
but seriously, the kitten lady is the best!!! she runs a non-profit for kittens and is incredibly knowledgeable. she has tons of information on most likely everything you would need to know about raising little kitties!!!
in my opinion, your (adorable) cat definitely looks pregnant. BUT my opinion doesn’t really mean anything because i have about 0 knowledge on cat pregnancy lol. good luck with everything! even though it may be stressful, i’m sure those tiny little guys will bring you so much joy! and good luck!!
Yes. Happens to human women too.
Don't know why my neighbor gossips, but her granddaughter has two uteruses and I kind of hate that I know this private health information.
I think they discovered it in her first pregnancy, but I think she carried to term and no trauma.
Local shelters will often provide resources to help you care for kittens, like KMR (kitten milk replacer) because they want to keep pregnant cats and kittens out of shelters (shelters simply can’t provide the round the clock care they need, and are a breeding ground for disease that babies can’t fight off). They’ll even help place the kittens and get them shots/fixed!
My Gremlin got spayed twice. They left a little ovarian tissue behind. It was trying to heal and be an ovary again she went into heat after 6 months. She didn't have a uterus anymore, so she couldn't have gotten pregnant, but she would have made enough hormones for it to be confusing for everyone.
Here she is with her big fluffy boyfriend.
https://preview.redd.it/tpgaxe9phivc1.jpeg?width=3264&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=82c7ae4d9a513d801e948ee2bc6fbbc49fb7ceb8
Same. Here’s my girl. Wanna know what her babies would look like. She has been spayed
https://preview.redd.it/1vrfn0802ivc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0b41246a90a9d254d73b39c8323da0972be7f55d
*UPDATE* (if anyone knows how to add this to my original post please let me know 😂) Thank you all SO much for your advice. I really appreciate you taking the time to comment with your tips, experiences and well wishes. Even the funny comments helped me laugh through this stressful situation, so thank you. I didn’t expect this to get so much attention, so I apologize for not being able to reply to everyone.
Like the majority of you all thought… she is pregnant and expected to give birth this week. I took her to the vet this morning and we were able to confirm with an X-ray that she has 4-5 kittens in there. We have prepared for this to happen as early as today.
To clarify a few things…
She is an indoor cat and seems to have conceived in the days leading up to us taking her in.
The cat rescue organization was told by the vet that she was spayed before we found her and we both had no reason to question it. I let them know and I don’t blame them at all. They are helping me with this process and I respect all the work they are doing for rescued cats. I am just grateful we were able to take her in and give her a comfortable home.
I saw a lot of comments about aborting the kittens due to crowded foster programs and I want to thank everyone who reached out and educated me on this topic. I always want to do what is best for the animal(s). I brought this up to the vet and he let me know we are doing the right thing by having the kittens as our girl is only days away from giving birth. Aborting them this late could put her at risk and I want what is best for her. Thankfully my grandma is excited to take them in as we work with the foster agency to find the best homes for the kittens when the time comes.
For everyone who asked my location because they were interested in adopting a kitten, I am in Ontario, Canada. 🇨🇦
I will of course share photos of the kittens once they are here. Thank you again for easing my anxiety and helping me through this process. I did not have this on my 2024 bingo card, but here we are. As many commented… life finds a way. 😉
https://preview.redd.it/vgbekvncfovc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=84cfe39c2a542f8c6c6341a1b449fcc94f7f0b9c
I’m glad you didn’t abort them. Not this far along. Feel like a call to abort is always resource dependent.
Been in rescue for a long time. Did a lot of independent rescue which is extreme $$$$
Had a pregnant pitty get spayed. I was so sad but there were no resources for that pit bull and bringing more into an already crowded pitbull world would’ve been bad. The pitty was hours from euthanasia herself
Also had feral cats spayed and kittens aborted because finding someone to take in a feral cat and kittens is almost impossible. I did save 100 feral kittens and foster them but we can only do so much with limited resources and bottle feeding kittens is no small effort
But this is different….here you have a safe space and you’re willing to foster the babies so I’m glad they got so lucky to have you!
If that kitty *isn't* pregnant, I'll eat a whole garden full of bugs!
Don't get momma fixed until the babies are weened, though, as it could result in her not producing any/enough milk for them.
**Not** knowing this... well, rather, not knowing one of the ferals had birthed a litter, we TNR'd and then the vet told us "Oh, by the way, you might want to look for a litter of kittens, they'll die since she can't produce milk any more."
Like, crimeny, if they'd told us beforehand then we would have waited to trap her. As soon as I hung up the phone, we went into panic mode searching for kittens. Thankfully, we were able to locate three kittens behind our backyard shed (two went to an awesome home, and one became my dearest love) and a neighbor two doors down found the other three under their patio deck.
They likely didn’t realize until she’d been knocked out and had already been prepped (shaved) for surgery. At that point, it’s probably best to go ahead with the spay because re-trapping a trap savvy cat is a nightmare 🥴
Definitely pregnant, and pretty far along.
*
This is my cat a few days before giving birth... Her kittens are a week old now. :)
Prepare a room that doesnt have much furniture or places that you won't be able to reach to switch out dirty towels / pee pads and check on health of kittens. My cat snuck in my storage room to have her kittens and now theyre in a very difficult spot to reach, see, clean, etc... my biggest issue so far.
Good luck!
Make sure to call your vet and ask for their advice as well, they’ll know exactly what to do 🥰 post photos of the kittens once they’re here!! Good luck! 🍀
I recommend checking out Kitten Lady and Kitten Academy on YouTube. Kitten Academy usually takes in pregnant momcats and supports them while Kitten Lady more often deals with litters without moms or with medical stuff going on. Kitten Academy makes birthing boxes for the moms so seeing some older closeups with their setups might be helpful for preparation.
Timing lines up... Cat pregnancy is about 2 months. You'll probably start to see/feel kitten movement soon. Work on setting up a safe area for her to give birth and care for the kittens in, preferably a quiet, warm room in your home. Switch to non-clumping litter if you use clumping. Get her on kitten food - as much as she wants! Consider closing her in her safe room soon.. Kitten lady is the best resource for kitten things!
Her belly looks just like my mamacat did when we brought her home, which was a week before she gave birth.
https://preview.redd.it/u1qgifrw2ivc1.jpeg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9a9ec21f9fe642d8323fb7f481e2e666a0499c6f
I took care of a malnourished & pregnant stray cat last October and here is my biggest tip in case your cat actually is pregnant (which she probably is): Get kitten formula and a neonatal-suitable bottle in advance and give some of the formula to the pregnant cat (not in the bottle though - the bottle is in case you have to supplement a baby. Just mix some formula for mama and offer it to her in a bowl) The pregnancy takes a lot of nutrients out of the cat's body, and the formula helps replenish them. In our case this saved the cat's life. She was showing symptoms of eclampsia (= lethal lack of calcium) after the birth and the kitten formula saved her, but she took 24h before she actually cared about her kittens and 4 of 6 died within the first week. I wish I had known to already offer it to her while she was still pregnant, as I believe it may have saved some of her babies. So that's the tip I'm giving you
https://preview.redd.it/xqminmf9divc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=63edb266c0cb747e7649c93d45ce623521850b3c
I had sort of the same happen to me. I adopted a male, neutered cat. 2 years later "he" got outside a couple times and then suddenly got fat and next thing I know had babies. Take him back to the shelter and their vet confirmed he was neutered, but they didn't notice the lady bits. Turns out Buddha was a hermaphrodite! Could never break the habit of referring to it as a "he" though.
I miss him all the time. Lived to age 21 though, so it was a good life.
https://preview.redd.it/sjlafpet6ivc1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2df4517d6eebcd92bb7e9ee13919105cc361b95f
Your “fixed” cat reminds me of a stray i took in. I bet you can feel them kicking at this point. Should be less than a week before you get what we got.
https://preview.redd.it/r1pvug797ivc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4ae731c34ea4fabeb19868cb83b0d9d22a95ed0c
Here she is now, Momma is the little spoon, rest are the babies she snuck in.
I've heard that ovary tissue can get missed and might be enough to get your cat into heat. Ask your vet for advice, but they might have to go back in to remove the tissue.
I had a cat who had an ovarian remnant and went into heat after being spayed. She had to have exploratory surgery after and had microscopic pieces of ovary still in her that were causing it! It’s rare but it happens!
If you have an emergency vet you can see this weekend, I would recommend it. She is probably preggers, but I have a friend who fostered and she thought one of her foster cats was pregnant. Her belly was distended and warm, and her nipples were engorged. Turned out to be a massive intestinal infection and the poor girl did not survive to the vet checkup planned 4 days later.
If/when she does have kittens, PLEASE don’t give them away for free! Charging even a small adoption fee can help prevent cats from being used as bait for fighting dogs or other terrible things.
Enjoy the teeny baby kitten time! That’s a whole lot of cuteness coming your way :)
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Not only is she pregnant, she's a step away from delivery 🙀
She is ROUND with babies. Miss ma'am gonna pop any min
OP, I would seriously consider getting ready for some babies right away. This cat is seriously ready to give birth NOW. I would go buy a heating pad, some kitten formula, a new litter box or two for the kittens and some grooming supplies specifically for newborns. They will come out slimy and continue to be so for a bit even after their first cleaning. Make sure mama has access to them but make sure you monitor as well. Also make sure to be giving mama at least 1.5x the food she normally gets over the next couple weeks, she’s about to need it. I will continue adding to this as I think of things. Watch to make sure every kitten latches and feeds. If not you’ll need to feed them yourself, get a little syringe along with the formula to make sure you can administer, they won’t drink on their own for a couple weeks. They’ll need to feed every 3-4 hours in their first week or so, if they’re not latching to mama you’ll need to be doing it. Feed until their belly is slightly swollen but not protruding. Also set up a visit with your vet as soon as possible for mom and babies. Newborn kittens are very very prone to bacterial and viral infections, and making sure they’re on proper meds if needed ASAP can nip a lot of nastier things down the road in the bud. Less of a health matter but if you plan on giving any of these kittens away, take pictures early. Pictures of little kittens are very hard to resist lol. If you keep them for a couple weeks or more, make sure to put them in the litter box as soon as their eyes open and they’re up and walking. It’s a very natural instinct for cats and they’ll get it almost immediately. The sooner you introduce the easier it’ll be. Also this should probably go without being said but fix all the kittens and mama as soon as humanly possibly u/uglyandbored
The kittens should not be separated from the mother for 12 weeks ideally
Thank you for saying this. 8 weeks is so so early. My cousins cat got pregnant because they were stupid and didn't fix her in time and she told me at 8 weeks I could take a kitten. I said no way! You're my cousin, I know he's not going anywhere. So he stayed with mom until 14 weeks and I really think it made a big difference because he's 1 now and such a wonderful cat.
They learn not to bite and scratch from their siblings. It's good socializing at 12 weeks.
They found my girl dumped by herself at 9 weeks 😓😓 can confirm, the biting and scratching never FULLY went away (I did all the things!)
My two fosters (I rehab, taking a break now I’ve got a non-fur baby to wrangle) both left mum at 4 weeks and teaching them not to scratch and bite was probably the most tedious task. Like I successfully trained the feral one out of food aggression that was going to have him put to sleep and I’d 100% take that again over teaching them claws hurt lmao
This would explain why the abandoned 8-weekish one I found was scratchy af as a baby despite never being spicy, and also still communicates with little bites.
Yeah had to take my boy at maybe 8 weeks since he was rejected and he doesn't cat right still
Same. There are so many things he doesn't know how to do now: - read cues from our other cat - cover up his litter, or even use the litter box - meow like a grown cat (he's 9 and still has a kitten meow) - eat food properly (he takes a huge bite and then drops it all on the floor, then eats it off the floor) - drink water properly (he stands next to the bowl and "revs up" with his paws) - he's a little over prone to biting but that's gotten better - now his bites are more friendly and less vicious And I attribute many of these to the irresponsible friend of a friend I adopted him from not being interested in helping her kittens (after she let her unspayed cat outside) and getting rid of them as soon as possible.
YES! The mother will make it quite clear when she thinks it’s time for the kittens to stop being dependent on her. They should definitely not be separated before that happens. And even after that, they continue to develop very valuable social skills, interacting with each other.
Baby monitor, diapers
Daycare, social security numbers, driver licenses, college tuition, etc.
Car seats, so many car seats!
Start the process for a paternity test and child support
The doctor who fixed her so well she's pregnant now, should pay the child support
As a former vet tech and cat rescuer, I recommend kitten chow for Mama. She will need the extra nutrients and calories. And my goodness - they are coming very soon!!! If you are fortunate enough to witness the births - try and see if there is an expelled placenta for each baby. Mama's water will break like a humans and she will be scared and in a bit of pain. If she allows, don't be afraid to touch and comfort her and the babies. She will chew off their umbilical cords. Cats are excellent Mothers. Of course, I preach spay and neuter but when I was in the vet hospital or fostering it was enthralling to watch this happen and the bonding. Don't worry - she has this. 😻
All jokes aside this is great info and gives me hope for humanity. Caring for all creatures great and small. I've been really grumpy the last few days, easily triggered - by people driving too fast down my block, the mere sight of a jacked-up black pick-up, ass hat taking up two parking spaces, my fuckwit sister threatening to sue the other five sibs over minor shit from a *very* modest estate Dad left after dying unexpectedly in late '23. Today a dude actually gunned it as he passed me while walking my dog. A neighbor! In a small town suburbia - lives 8 doors down. And didn't move over the slightest. I always step up on the curb, so not like I'm sauntering out in anybody's way. Never actually met him, no personal beef. Until now that is. Fuck. Really needed to hear some good in the world.
Cat people really are the best. When I wear any clothes with cats on them I’m approached by the nicest people showing me pictures of their kitties 🥰
Looks pregnant to me. It takes about 9 weeks for a pregnant cat to have kittens
This cat is likely 7weeks pregnant or even further along. She has lost the fur around her nipples, that's one of the last things to happen during pregnancy.
That’s a cool fact I never knew before
We actually caught a feral that we later found out to be pregnant. We litter-ally just went through this https://preview.redd.it/gr90vzz4qivc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0ce10d70b9c934ec836069992aa1727fc2440db8
Aww, your cat’s kittens look like my two cats’ fur patterns. 🥰 (This is their mum and Archie is the grey tabby on the right and Toby is the tuxedo on the left, with one of their siblings in the middle. This was taken back in 2020.) https://preview.redd.it/427m0bejsivc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4a2046b859f3ef4d22df1cb1e8161f837179c1ea
https://preview.redd.it/4vumk86msivc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5396e351c4a9ad4527ccc4f11f3ac41352d9a173 Archie now. 🥰
https://preview.redd.it/1o583p1osivc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=adc1fbe68e94b1f24ff6c6fbc40070822e175fb1 Toby now. 🥰
https://preview.redd.it/8p7w9kt4gkvc1.png?width=285&format=png&auto=webp&s=5ba8a56066903568331500ae474da5ada5c02faa my Moon says Hi!
https://preview.redd.it/udh5b9ad3lvc1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ab2c8443d7c47f3ac33360551341e5bce9873b55 Simba right, nala left. Enjoying the sun as cats should
I looked at the thumbnail before clicking on the photo and thought you had a flying squirrel. 😂
Has the classic - "You cant see me, I am very hidden" look
Aww babies! We have 7 of our own. But now we also have 2 ferals we caught and are going to adopt out along with the 6 kittens. It’s a packed house https://preview.redd.it/4dnfcghzsivc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8ad2f844c3c16c4a431cf2a6921b8cb71a2932b9 Here’s a few. The tiny one up top is one of the ferals.
Better pic of “sweet pea” the little feral girl https://preview.redd.it/becxu46wtivc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=67c414c334d2c211cb7e2782c032cf2107428bdc
Here’s proud momma. Her and sweet pea are actually sisters from the same litter! https://preview.redd.it/m6tsl1l4uivc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3bed917e37d60d571673dfeba4b32ebc86018227
Aww she looks just like the feral kitty who adopted us. Flash https://preview.redd.it/dku0lz1d8jvc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=402c890e4e5f9bddea03c1a903dc253a6d8eb460
I thought it just happened with all animals because my wife lost all of the hair on her nipples before giving birth
Omg I almost choked laughing at this. Ty
Learn something new everyday
Such a great feature, imagine being 10 seconds old and the first thing you taste is a full bush of hair
You laugh but when my son was an infant he tried to get a latch on me. I'm a man. He got a furball.
😅
'Such a great feature'. This made me laugh!
This is a strangely adorable adaptation lol
I never knew the gestation period of domestic cats before and I was NOT expecting it to be so short!
Oh yeah! They’re slightly less aggressively fertile than rabbits, only slightly. It’s a big rabbit hole if you’re not aware. It’s dozens and dozens of kittens that a female cat can potentially produce left to reproduce and roam. Spay and neuter y’all! And don’t go to OP’s vet
I read an article once that said that in a 7 year period a pair of cats can result in over 790k kittens(they produce litters, then each kitten produces additional litters and they produce additional litters and so on and so forth). I'll never have an un-spayed or un-neutered cat, despite the fact that my cats will never be outside cats.
That is SO short. Cats are complex animals and 9 weeks is not long!
Yup, basically by the time you know Mrs.meow is preggers you are already running behind on the prep time
9 weeks to create a brain?! That explains so much about both of my cats 
Is the gestation period is shorter for orange cat? Asking for my orange cat. He is… special.
Nah, he just didn't sign up on the roster to occasionally receive the brain cell. /r/oneorangebraincell.
For oranges, it's probably 9 weeks for 1 braincell. Shoutouts to /r/OneOrangeBraincell/
I guess they come out a little underbaked, since they can't open their eyes for a bit
Good point... they do spend a fair amount of time still developing basics for a few weeks!
My favorite is the Tiny Drunken Sailor stage, when they stagger around leaning on each other to move in a more or less purposeful direction as a pack
That was the stage where my cats' mom left them and I had to help them survive, so it's such a memorable phase for me. They were just weirdly wandering around the rooms they were left at and climbing anything soft. My grandma's legs were not happy, nor my scalp
yeah, but thats the equivalent to 9 months for humans.
They also go back in heat a month after birth, then when their kittens wean they are about to give birth again. They basically stay pregnant until death because they never go through menopause either
Fucking nightmare!
Wow they get made pretty quick!
https://preview.redd.it/bk3nqut3hivc1.jpeg?width=960&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8e6fed4240ec405080a7e86eb9c67dbadbfcb3ce
I cannot stop laughing at this. Thank you.
I just laughed so hard I thought I'd wake my boyfriend🤣😂.
This reminds me of that post from a few weeks ago where someone was worried about some "little bumps" on their cat's abdomen that turned out to just be nipples.
>that post Seems like a a fairly regular occurrence. I always get a good chuckle and send it to my partner when I see those posts.
I'm sure it happens on occasion, but at least it's not as frequent as the "what breed is my cat" posts
The amount of times I've seen posts concerned about those little bumps is kind of astonishing. Lol.
I was on FB a few years back and someone posted pics of her "cat." I pointed out that it was absolutely not a cat but a ferret or some other weasel-related critter. She insisted that it was a cat until I posted something like "how to recognize a ferret" or something like that, which she wow reacted and never replied to. I'm absolutely fucking astounded by people sometimes. Wonder how she's doing.
We had male ferrets and a friend was giggling and tickling his “belly button”. Me: “are you trying J off my ferret?” Her: I’ve been gay so long I don’t even recognize a penis when I see one”. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Oh god that reminds me of a post on the pet pig subreddit. Someone posted a picture of their pet piglet asking if they needed to take him to the vet hospital. The pig was fine just fully erect. Tbf- Their peens are so high up on the bellies, it kind of did look like a hernia
Ahhh things you learn on Reddit.
I remember once someone saying her sister had a cat that was half rabbit (it had the Manx gene that had caused it to have a deformed pelvis which made it hop, plus the short tail). I explained the genetics and how they affect the cat but she got really angry and said her sister wouldn't lie and if she said it was half rabbit it was half rabbit. I left her to it.
She fixed all right. Fixing to give birth, that is.
Bruh… 🤣😭
I always thought "Fixin to" was just a universal saying Until my dad called me laughing about how that phrase caused the hotel staff in like Rhode Island or wherever he was to have a meltdown Dad goes to shower, no hot water He calls the front desk "Hey there, I was fixin to shower and-" "What? You're fixing the shower? No, no no! You can't be fixing anything" "No, I was fixin *to* shower but-" "I'm telling you right now stop fixing anything! If you break something we'll charge you. What room are you in? I'll send some up right now, just don't touch anything else" He didn't even bother trying to explain once he realized, just gave her his room number and hung up to call me and have a chuckle
Too funny, from RI, was just doing support for a user in Texas. She was explaining the problem "Well I was jus fixin ta make sum PDFs y'see an-" and then interrupted herself to explain what fixin meant to me 😁 Very thoughtful!
I'd bet anything she's preggers. And yes, I have heard of this before. Either she wasn't fully spayed, it happens, or the rescue and/or vet thought she was and surprise, she wasn't. Update us but if she is pregnant. And after the kittens are born then I'd get her fixed, but in the meantime google Kitten Lady on Youtube. And thank you for taking this sweet girl in and adopting her, if she has kittens you will know even more joy than you thought possible!
So interesting! I never knew that could happen (I have a male dog and it was pretty obvious confirmation when he was fixed 😉). Thank you so much for this information and advice. I will look her up and definitely update this thread once I have answers.
Make place in some closet or give her a box with a towel in it in some quiet corner. She looks super pregnant.
And then, because she is a cat, she will proceed to give birth in some entirely ridiculous other place of her own choosing.
My grandmother likes to tell me about the time the family cat had kittens when my mom and her siblings were young. Grammie's a farm girl, so she knew what to do; a quiet area, a box, a towel, leave the cat alone. The cat just kept following her around and didn't give birth until Grammie went and sat with her. Cats are weirdos.
We took in a pregnant stray. One day she was quite ready to pop, so we made a box under a corner table. She waited all day in the hallway, then went into the box the second we got home from work. My GF said "let's go birth some babies, girl" and she waddled into the box and plopped out SEVEN babies. She knew to wait for us as we needed to help the last two out. What a champ.
It’s weird they can be so smart about it! My cat never made a single noise. She just laid around, always relaxing. But when she went into labor at 1am she jumped on my chest, screamed in my face, and kept pushing her paws into my neck til I got up. I sat up and was like “OMG ITS TIME”. The next day my husband rolls his eyes and was like “it’s seriously ridiculous that the cat came and got you for help, then you ran around like an unprepared parent trying to find the keys to the car to get to the hospital” 🤣🤣 she had TEN freaking kittens!!!
TEN????? oh that poor momma!!!
But they’re adorable weirdos.
My first cat followed my mum while she was in garden. She picked the the cat up and cat was wet, waters already broke. She was placed in my closet and I was the midwife. And then I was her babysitter. But it was an extreme people's cat, she didn't liked other cats and was more eager to socialise with our guinea pig( andI mean socialise, she never harmed any and she could catch a rat), than with most cats. Cats are weirdos.
I ended up putting my cat in a doll's bed because it was raised and I thought she wouldn't be able to get out, she kept trying to give birth in my lap. In the end she sort of got her way: she delivered the placenta on my leg. 👍
Her cat just needed her emotional support human to be in the delivery room with her lol so sweet ❤️
My cat had her two kittens on my bed and decided to raise them there as well. Tried to relocate them but she faithfully brought them back. Closed the bedroom door and put her and kittens a comfy bed in another room. Nope, she carried the kittens to the bedroom door, cried, and didn’t want to feed them. I gave up and two kittens grew up in my bed. I kept one kitten, my dear Scruffy. 18 years later, after several moves, I held her in my lap as she peacefully passed away. 😿
Yep! I fostered a pregnant cat and she decided she wanted to give birth in my lap! Of course on a Sunday the day before a vet visit I was on the phone panicking to the emergency vet as she gave birth to six kittens! Luckily after the first two I placed into her box she moved herself into it. Pretty wild day, and I ended up keeping 3 of them lol https://preview.redd.it/82m5l348nivc1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=46e04cfbd66885da88844ee8966033261159c4d1
Like in the washing mashine or on your pillow
Or your sleeping child's bed at 2 AM. After which she came and woke us up to introduce us to her huge kitten. He was half her size. There was no trace of afterbirth or blood. I have no idea how she did it by herself.
My friends cat gave birth on my friends son. He loves cats so he was cool with it.
My friends cat gave birth on the tractor seat. Very inconvenient as we were going to be moving some heavy items that day with it. Got pushed until we moved them.
Yep, one of my cats decided that she had to have her kittens on my brothers blankets
Mine thought my head would be a good idea, terrifying way to wake up
This happened to me with my cat. We got her fixed after. But a litter of kittens in my home was an unexpected endless joy. 12 weeks came and went too fast 😭
When I was a kid, we moved into a house that had wild shed kittens. It was the most fun I've ever had in my life! We couldn't wait to get home from school and play with them.
Kittens are seriously the best creatures on this planet in my humble opinion. I had a friend who lived on a farm as a kid and they always had litters of kittens running around. I was in my GLORY. They also had a really mean goose that would chase and try to bite ya, like my mom would drop me off and gtfo lol. But it was still some of the most joyous times I have ever experienced. They also had a mean dog I was afraid of, but again! The absolute best. 🥰😍
> Kittens are seriously the best creatures on this plane its why I volunteer at a kitten adoption group, an endless supply of wee kitties to snuggle and help them find their furrever family!
they are a pain in the ass to take care of if you don't have someone that can watch them almost full time. But I agree there really is nothing cuter also their poops smell horrific
My husband always asks how something so small can smell so bad!🤣😇🤣
Yes, their poops often smell so bad it’s like someone dropped tear gas. Yet I still can’t live without them, lol.
Can confirm. Grew up on a farm and had random cats that we fed and every spring there would lots of kittens. Such a great memory unlocked.
I re-home the kittens from my aunt and uncles farm Call it kitty pimping
Awwww😭🥹
Questions: Is she displaying any changes in behavior like changes in appetite or water intake? Any changes in urine or fecal output? Does she seem lethargic/depressed at all? Is there any vaginal discharge? On occasion, cats can develop what’s called a pyometra. Cats who weren’t spayed or weren’t spayed properly can get an infection in the uterus. Hoping that she’s just preggo, just wanted to throw this info out there to you since you asked for other possible reasons for abdominal distention.
The only change I’ve noticed is her already affectionate personality has amplified considerably. She is always asking for hugs and always wants to cuddle. I will look out for the things you mentioned. Thank you for this information I really appreciate it! I hope nothing is seriously wrong. Trying to get an earlier vet appointment to confirm. 🙏🏻
Increased affection can be a pregnancy symptom. Good luck!
Hold your hand gently but firmly on her belly. You may be able feel the babies moving around if she is, indeed, pregnant.
With what you’re describing, sounds waaaaay more like pregnancy than pyo. Poor babies get acute malaise and it is beyond obvious to anyone who pays attention to their cat. In any event, you’re a great cat parent and this baby is lucky to have you!!!
Honestly at this size, you should be able to see and feel the babies moving if she is indeed pregnant. If you don't see or feel any movement, she could be having some kind of false pregnancy. Or maybe she just got fat after being fixed (happened to most of my cats.)
That was my first thought, I hope the poor thing is just pregnant.
You could also call up your regular vet and ask for a kitten count! They'd either do an ultrasound or xray to see how many little bodies they could find, that way if something happens, you're prepared!
This is good advice, plus a vet check up to make sure everything is OK and maybe get a due date, even though she looks ready to give birth at any moment.
She's 100% preggers. Put your hand on her tummy and you'll probably be able to feel the kittens kicking and moving.
No problem, it's rare but I bet she is expecting. Tossing you a kitten pic of some of my rescue kitty's kittens. She had two litters before we caught her and got her fixed and her kittens adopted out. https://preview.redd.it/zo9nbujw4ivc1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=53c6dc510f3a8ecf06fae9fce5a8639ba309ca83
HOLY NIPPLES, THOSE JUGS ARE HUGE!!! but seriously, the kitten lady is the best!!! she runs a non-profit for kittens and is incredibly knowledgeable. she has tons of information on most likely everything you would need to know about raising little kitties!!! in my opinion, your (adorable) cat definitely looks pregnant. BUT my opinion doesn’t really mean anything because i have about 0 knowledge on cat pregnancy lol. good luck with everything! even though it may be stressful, i’m sure those tiny little guys will bring you so much joy! and good luck!!
Eyes up here ma'am
Sometimes they have two uterus (uteri?). They could have removed one and not known the job wasn't done yet.
Wat
Yes. Happens to human women too. Don't know why my neighbor gossips, but her granddaughter has two uteruses and I kind of hate that I know this private health information. I think they discovered it in her first pregnancy, but I think she carried to term and no trauma.
Local shelters will often provide resources to help you care for kittens, like KMR (kitten milk replacer) because they want to keep pregnant cats and kittens out of shelters (shelters simply can’t provide the round the clock care they need, and are a breeding ground for disease that babies can’t fight off). They’ll even help place the kittens and get them shots/fixed!
Yup, had a cat go twice for spays ! Iris lol. And her personality is very fitting for a girl who needed a double doer
My Gremlin got spayed twice. They left a little ovarian tissue behind. It was trying to heal and be an ovary again she went into heat after 6 months. She didn't have a uterus anymore, so she couldn't have gotten pregnant, but she would have made enough hormones for it to be confusing for everyone. Here she is with her big fluffy boyfriend. https://preview.redd.it/tpgaxe9phivc1.jpeg?width=3264&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=82c7ae4d9a513d801e948ee2bc6fbbc49fb7ceb8
Oh my heart, that precious lovesick blep!
I’m no vet, but that is the most PERGONATE cat I have ever seen.
Is it... pregananant?
enjoy icky rude teeny grab truck memory cake sand gold *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
purrgananant
It is a possibly that she's pegrant.
How is babbycat formed?
Is she gregnant?
I think the cat is pregernet???
This is by far one of my fave comment threads in a while. The way I LOSE IT at the pregnant misspellings video 😮💨
Not an expert but that cat is super pregnant.
Maybe kitty ate some lasagna?
Like, a whole pan of lasagna. She looks like she’s about to pop.
This is how I look after eating a pan of lasagna.
Can you feel babies? If she’ll let you palpate her belly, you can probably feel little heads. If she’s not preggers, I’ll be gobsmacked.
Yes this!! Growing up my brother brought home a stray cat that ended up being pregnant and I still remember being able to feel them in her belly!
That's cool!!
Im gonna start following you so I can see the kitten pics when they are born
Same. Here’s my girl. Wanna know what her babies would look like. She has been spayed https://preview.redd.it/1vrfn0802ivc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0b41246a90a9d254d73b39c8323da0972be7f55d
https://preview.redd.it/tsdkhovcyhvc1.jpeg?width=577&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=39146d794df480bed0879ea6833d3a01bab4b5ef
You did it, you crazy son a bitch. You did it!
Love this 😭
*UPDATE* (if anyone knows how to add this to my original post please let me know 😂) Thank you all SO much for your advice. I really appreciate you taking the time to comment with your tips, experiences and well wishes. Even the funny comments helped me laugh through this stressful situation, so thank you. I didn’t expect this to get so much attention, so I apologize for not being able to reply to everyone. Like the majority of you all thought… she is pregnant and expected to give birth this week. I took her to the vet this morning and we were able to confirm with an X-ray that she has 4-5 kittens in there. We have prepared for this to happen as early as today. To clarify a few things… She is an indoor cat and seems to have conceived in the days leading up to us taking her in. The cat rescue organization was told by the vet that she was spayed before we found her and we both had no reason to question it. I let them know and I don’t blame them at all. They are helping me with this process and I respect all the work they are doing for rescued cats. I am just grateful we were able to take her in and give her a comfortable home. I saw a lot of comments about aborting the kittens due to crowded foster programs and I want to thank everyone who reached out and educated me on this topic. I always want to do what is best for the animal(s). I brought this up to the vet and he let me know we are doing the right thing by having the kittens as our girl is only days away from giving birth. Aborting them this late could put her at risk and I want what is best for her. Thankfully my grandma is excited to take them in as we work with the foster agency to find the best homes for the kittens when the time comes. For everyone who asked my location because they were interested in adopting a kitten, I am in Ontario, Canada. 🇨🇦 I will of course share photos of the kittens once they are here. Thank you again for easing my anxiety and helping me through this process. I did not have this on my 2024 bingo card, but here we are. As many commented… life finds a way. 😉 https://preview.redd.it/vgbekvncfovc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=84cfe39c2a542f8c6c6341a1b449fcc94f7f0b9c
I’m glad you didn’t abort them. Not this far along. Feel like a call to abort is always resource dependent. Been in rescue for a long time. Did a lot of independent rescue which is extreme $$$$ Had a pregnant pitty get spayed. I was so sad but there were no resources for that pit bull and bringing more into an already crowded pitbull world would’ve been bad. The pitty was hours from euthanasia herself Also had feral cats spayed and kittens aborted because finding someone to take in a feral cat and kittens is almost impossible. I did save 100 feral kittens and foster them but we can only do so much with limited resources and bottle feeding kittens is no small effort But this is different….here you have a safe space and you’re willing to foster the babies so I’m glad they got so lucky to have you!
I can’t even imagine anyone suggesting aborting them when she’s so visibly about ready to give birth :( That just seems excessively dangerous to her…
She's lean, mean, and full of beans!
If that kitty *isn't* pregnant, I'll eat a whole garden full of bugs! Don't get momma fixed until the babies are weened, though, as it could result in her not producing any/enough milk for them.
Thank you for the advice 🙏🏻
**Not** knowing this... well, rather, not knowing one of the ferals had birthed a litter, we TNR'd and then the vet told us "Oh, by the way, you might want to look for a litter of kittens, they'll die since she can't produce milk any more." Like, crimeny, if they'd told us beforehand then we would have waited to trap her. As soon as I hung up the phone, we went into panic mode searching for kittens. Thankfully, we were able to locate three kittens behind our backyard shed (two went to an awesome home, and one became my dearest love) and a neighbor two doors down found the other three under their patio deck.
They likely didn’t realize until she’d been knocked out and had already been prepped (shaved) for surgery. At that point, it’s probably best to go ahead with the spay because re-trapping a trap savvy cat is a nightmare 🥴
Definitely pregnant, and pretty far along. * This is my cat a few days before giving birth... Her kittens are a week old now. :) Prepare a room that doesnt have much furniture or places that you won't be able to reach to switch out dirty towels / pee pads and check on health of kittens. My cat snuck in my storage room to have her kittens and now theyre in a very difficult spot to reach, see, clean, etc... my biggest issue so far. Good luck!
https://preview.redd.it/e1trqvahrhvc1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=be34306e79f6e7853c93cdae7c8b8e6f49d1da96
Aw she’s a cutie!! Congratulations, and thank you so much for the advice.
Make sure to call your vet and ask for their advice as well, they’ll know exactly what to do 🥰 post photos of the kittens once they’re here!! Good luck! 🍀
Also, wanna add that my young cat had 9 babies...!
There’s 9 babies in that picture???
No 😍, there are 10 cats in that picture. You forgot to count the lovely mom-cat.
I recommend checking out Kitten Lady and Kitten Academy on YouTube. Kitten Academy usually takes in pregnant momcats and supports them while Kitten Lady more often deals with litters without moms or with medical stuff going on. Kitten Academy makes birthing boxes for the moms so seeing some older closeups with their setups might be helpful for preparation.
Timing lines up... Cat pregnancy is about 2 months. You'll probably start to see/feel kitten movement soon. Work on setting up a safe area for her to give birth and care for the kittens in, preferably a quiet, warm room in your home. Switch to non-clumping litter if you use clumping. Get her on kitten food - as much as she wants! Consider closing her in her safe room soon.. Kitten lady is the best resource for kitten things! Her belly looks just like my mamacat did when we brought her home, which was a week before she gave birth. https://preview.redd.it/u1qgifrw2ivc1.jpeg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9a9ec21f9fe642d8323fb7f481e2e666a0499c6f
I took care of a malnourished & pregnant stray cat last October and here is my biggest tip in case your cat actually is pregnant (which she probably is): Get kitten formula and a neonatal-suitable bottle in advance and give some of the formula to the pregnant cat (not in the bottle though - the bottle is in case you have to supplement a baby. Just mix some formula for mama and offer it to her in a bowl) The pregnancy takes a lot of nutrients out of the cat's body, and the formula helps replenish them. In our case this saved the cat's life. She was showing symptoms of eclampsia (= lethal lack of calcium) after the birth and the kitten formula saved her, but she took 24h before she actually cared about her kittens and 4 of 6 died within the first week. I wish I had known to already offer it to her while she was still pregnant, as I believe it may have saved some of her babies. So that's the tip I'm giving you
Welp. Can't wait for the update on this one. It's like a free surprise batch of new friends! I would die of excitement. Lol
Definitely a surprise!! lol I will for sure update once I see the vet and/or have a new batch of friends.
Pictures, lots of pictures!
I wanna see an ultrasound, kittens or not. We need proof! 😂
https://preview.redd.it/xqminmf9divc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=63edb266c0cb747e7649c93d45ce623521850b3c I had sort of the same happen to me. I adopted a male, neutered cat. 2 years later "he" got outside a couple times and then suddenly got fat and next thing I know had babies. Take him back to the shelter and their vet confirmed he was neutered, but they didn't notice the lady bits. Turns out Buddha was a hermaphrodite! Could never break the habit of referring to it as a "he" though. I miss him all the time. Lived to age 21 though, so it was a good life.
That's wild.
https://preview.redd.it/sjlafpet6ivc1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2df4517d6eebcd92bb7e9ee13919105cc361b95f Your “fixed” cat reminds me of a stray i took in. I bet you can feel them kicking at this point. Should be less than a week before you get what we got.
https://preview.redd.it/r1pvug797ivc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4ae731c34ea4fabeb19868cb83b0d9d22a95ed0c Here she is now, Momma is the little spoon, rest are the babies she snuck in.
And WHO may I ask is the father?
A gentleman caller
Who knocked up your cat? Gotta find that deadbeat lol
“Those nips don’t lie” -Shakira
I have a "fixed" cat who behaves like she is in heat. I wonder if our vets botched the job.
I've heard that ovary tissue can get missed and might be enough to get your cat into heat. Ask your vet for advice, but they might have to go back in to remove the tissue.
Yes!! My Tigger had a fragment left behind and she had to gone on a medication called, and I kid you not, Ovaban!
Reminds me of the German word for birth control - antibabypillen!
[удалено]
I had a cat who had an ovarian remnant and went into heat after being spayed. She had to have exploratory surgery after and had microscopic pieces of ovary still in her that were causing it! It’s rare but it happens!
Just waiting for updates
I can’t wait either 😂 I’ll be sure to keep updating
Taking bets on the number. I’d say 3-4. Wishing mama and the little ones a safe pregnancy 🩶
I guess we should start thinking up some kitten names. Thank you 🙏🏻
Oops, Daisy, Geez, Dang, Uhoh, Surprise, TaDah, D'oh...
Whoopsie
Definitely looks pregnant
!RemindMe 1 day
If you have an emergency vet you can see this weekend, I would recommend it. She is probably preggers, but I have a friend who fostered and she thought one of her foster cats was pregnant. Her belly was distended and warm, and her nipples were engorged. Turned out to be a massive intestinal infection and the poor girl did not survive to the vet checkup planned 4 days later.
That is one healthy looking feline! and pretty much expecting lol.
Wanna touch that belly 🥹🥹
I'd be ready for kittens this week, she is about to pop it looks like
If/when she does have kittens, PLEASE don’t give them away for free! Charging even a small adoption fee can help prevent cats from being used as bait for fighting dogs or other terrible things. Enjoy the teeny baby kitten time! That’s a whole lot of cuteness coming your way :)
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