8 month old preggo cat

[jeme3]

I agree with Lois, and am somewhat surprised by the reaction of so many to this thread. One of the things I have really appreciated about this forum is how nice and understanding and civil people are here.

What's done is done. The cat got out, she's pregnant. The decision has been made to let the kittens be born.

Starting from that point, the OP has asked for advice.

Here's my advice given the circumstances.

She should be eating the best possible diet right now. A premium brand cat food kitten formula while she's pregnant and nursing will help her provide the best nutrition posssible while maintaining her health as much as possible. Weight gain is not an issue. Considering she is still growing herself, more is probably better at this point.

If you are only finding 3 or 4 fleas a day on her, that's not horrible. Don't use chemicals. Try the dawn dish soap, get a flea comb and comb her ofter. Keep up with the daily vacuuming. If there are fleas on her, there are fleas in the house. You'll have to watch the kittens very closely. Hopefully, she'll let you start handling the kittens early and you can comb them, too. As far as the worms, that's tough. I'd be very cautious about worming her now. Research, talk to another vet, trust your judgement on that.

Generally, cats are very good mothers. And long as she is healthy, has good nutrition, and feels very safe and secure, she should know what to do. Be prepared for complications, but no need to expect them.

If you can encourage her to nest in the location of your choice, that's great, but be prepared for her to pick her own spot. Some place dark and close, like a closet, under the bed, behind furniture, etc. is what she'll probably like.

Spaying her will dry out her milk. I'd wait until the kittens are eating well on their own. Maybe six weeks? Just be sure she can't get out of the house for even 30 seconds. A cat in heat can be very determined, so be prepared.

Talk to your vet about how early the kittens can be spayed/neutered and plan on having that done before they go to new homes. Ideally, kittens should be with mom/together until about 12 weeks. Start looking for homes now!

From what you have said about the timeline of events, sounds to me like she could be due pretty quick.

Good luck with this. I hope all goes well.

 

[Birdiemarie]

Hi Roadies, this thread has become emotionally heated and I can understand why on all sides. However, any posts from this point on poking blame on either side will be deleted. Let's continue to concentrate on helpful suggestions. Thanks.

 

[Ribbit21]

Try to set aside some money now to get the kittens fixed and their first shots. I would ask a rescue to recommend a clinic that has low cost spay/neuter and get all the kittens done together. I spayed my last kitten for only $35. Also, I would start thinking about how you will find homes for these babies.

If she has tapeworms, the medication Droncit "praziquantel" is typically recommended for pregnant cats. You can get it over the counter online and in some pet store. I would treat her now and also treat the kittens at 6 weeks old.

Best of luck to you

 

[ILoveTiels]

OK, JUST STOP! RIGHT NOW!

This girl has come on the forum asking for advice on how to take care of her cat and her soon to be newborn kittens and all you guys have done so far (most of you) is lambaste her about allowing the cat to get pregnant and then about not aborting the kittens by having the cat spayed. Just stop it. Give this person some support, not criticism.

First of all, you said on the other forum she might have gotten pregnant sometime in mid December and she was half way through the pregnancy when you first posted per your vet. That means she could deliver as soon as the next ten days. Do use the diatomacious earth to dust her, the house and her areas to decrease the flea load in the house. DO NOT use a spray chemical as this toxin will get into her system and harm the kittens. The only reason chemical sprays kill bugs and not people or dogs and cats is because the bugs are so much smaller physically than the mammals involved and need a much smaller dose to be lethal. It is still a toxin and it can and does get into mammal bodies when it is used.

You will be able to tell when she is ready to deliver because she will produce a clear to cloudy exudate you can express from her nipples. This is the colostrum all mammals produce before the first milk to boost the immune system of their babies. She will also be nesty, looking for places to hide to have her babies and she may want to cuddle a lot and lie around purring like a freight train. You will not be able to spay your cat until all the kittens are weaned; a minimum of ten weeks after their birth. Once you have them eating soft foods (either soaked dry food or canned food), you can separate the mom from the kittens and dry her milk up in preparation for spay surgery. Two weeks after removing the kittens should do it. Of course, I never separated the kittens and mom and let her nurse as long as she wanted. Miri nursed her male kitten for five months. But I was smart and had the Siamese who impregnanted Miri castrated while the kittens were still very small so Miri could not get pregnant again before I could spay her.

No, I do not think your vet is trying to get you to unknowingly kill the kittens by giving your cat wormer and flea spot. She was trying to keep the kittens from getting worms and fleas from the mother herself. It is one reason why so many feral newborns die within a week after birth; they pick up the worm eggs off their mother's fur, hatch almost immediately and suck the nutrition of the the kittens, and the fleas literally suck the kittens dry of blood and kill them.

I do understand how difficult the decision is to spay a pregnant female. My Maine Coon queen got pregnant by my Siamese tom accidently. Miri had four kittens, three females and a male. At the age of 10 weeks, three days before they were all to be neutered, the girls all went into heat and their brother happily mated with each and every one of them. So. I had to decide whether to abort the kittens with the spay procedure in three days or let them birth their babies. I already had 23 cats and really could not afford to care for more, so I reluctantly decided to neuter them. I have always wondered what their babies would have looked like. But the potential increase in my cat pride by twelve more kittens.... I just could not do that to the family.

What other questions do you have? Sorry I got to the forum a little late. I understand you must do what you must do with birthing the kittens. Your choice, your responsibility. Good luck with her.

K. she has never been a vocal cat even is pain. she's quiet. fiance stepped on her tail once and she didnt even make noise. she's a super quiet baby. yesterday, the fur closest to her nipples looked yellow. today, she has been staying in a large rodent cage (like 2 ft- 3 ft long, 1.5 wide and 2 ft tall. she can stand with room to spare) with the door open. if she isnt cuddling with someone, eating or going potty, she has been in the cage. I figured a cage would be best, so i can see without the top being open. its covered with a sheet, so it gives her a sense of enclosure. also, if the worst happened, it can be closed and all be taken to the vet very quickly. I will give her the dewormer next monday as scheduled (it will be her 3 week repeat dose) i will give her a bath when fiance gets out of work and dry her and give her the frontline. someone mentioned "drontal" and its safe. thats what she is on, so that is a big relief. ***EDIT: Its dronzit that someone mentioned.. i cant find anything on drontal and queens except this site http://www.wormers-direct.co.uk/dataDrontalCat.html that says not to use. not to be used on kittens under 1 month and under 1.5 lbs. is this site trustworthy?***

thanks to you and those that have helped me. I do feel a bit more at ease now that i know what to look for. it is unfortunate that she became pregnant, but i will be sure to spay her as soon as babies are weaned. and spay kittens BEFORE rehoming. i will do the DE if i can find it here... i have nooo clue were to find it or even specifically, the food grade.

 

[ILoveTiels]

You later mention that when your other cats had kittens they pushed a sick kitten out. Why were they never spayed before allowed to become pregnant?

This is when i was 9. i was not responsible for them. and i didnt even know what mating was, neutering or spaying meant.

 

[Greycloud]

I apologize to you. Understand that many of us have done rescue and see so much suffering. I apologize for attacking you. I hope your kitty has a safe delivery.

This is when i was 9. i was not responsible for them. and i didnt even know what mating was, neutering or spaying meant.

 

[lindsey88]

I really apologize as well. IF your cat has yellow around her nipples this could mean they are leaking and she could be VERY close. Keep a close eye on her, it sounds like she is nesting. I wish you all the best and if all goes well please post pictures because there is nothing cuter than baby kittens.

 

[ILoveTiels]

i will def post pix. and its ok. these babies r gonna b ADORABLE. She is white and I know the kittens will be white as well cuz she has a strong background of white cats in her family. Hopefully she takes after her momma and only has 2-3 at a time. her mom always had small litters

 

[Chicklet]

good luck with the kittens, as for parasite control, capstar and sentinel are two products that kill adult fleas and flea eggs. Both are safe for pregnant cats. as others mentioned, it is very important to deworm the mother and kittens because of the health risks to newborn kittens.

 

[Gen120]

Hope everything goes well! I'll be praying for you and the kittens/mommy cat. I don't agree with aborting the kittens.. if she has a family history of having small litters, hopefully she'll only have 2 or 3, 4 at the most. Keep us posted and am looking forward to pics!

 

[Tangle Elf]

As far as her weight gain, don't worry about it. She's still a kitten and gaining her own weight in addition to pregnancy weight. This is going to take a huge toll on her body. I suspect that is one of the many reasons the vet recommended a spay/abort. I do understand your feelings on this. I don't agree, but I understand. As far as the flea remedy, this is a good time to listen to your vet. There is a wide variety of opinions on here from non-vets. I recommend you share your concerns with the vet, including some of the ideas and come up with a plan together. Your vet should be willing to work with you to find something that is safest for your pregnant cat, the kittens and your birds. If you don't trust your vet and can't ask questions, get a new one now, before the kittens are born. I'm sure your vet has strong feelings about unplanned kittens. He's probably had to put hundreds, if not thousands, of unwanted cats to sleep. However, he's a professional and is not going to try to poison the kittens. With all medications, there is a risk/benefit factor that increases in pregnant females. Your vet feels like this is the best choice for your situation. Fleas are not only dangerous to the kittens when they're born, but also to the mother whose body is already under a great deal of stress. The more stress her body is under, the less likely she is to have healthy kittens. Your idea to wait and spray the kittens with frontline after they're born is good, but it will be too late to be of the most benefit. My final concern is that you said "her mama always had small litters." Who did her mama belong to and why hasn't she been spayed?

 

[ILoveTiels]

Chloe is a rescue kitty. She was sick when we got her and nursed her to health. I got minimal health info, but thats one of the things shared with me. She lived in a trailerpark and was near death. i didnt personally know the owner of Chloe's mom.

 

[Ziggymon]

You can't spray the kittens with frontline or another flea product after they're born - the mother will be grooming them, and she will ingest it, and the kittens might ingest it from each other's fur also. You'd be poisoning all of them. (Apart from flea products generally being unsafe for baby kittens.)

Jen is right - work with the vet on this, and if you don't trust him, get another vet ASAP. Doing things on your own, when you're inadequately informed, is dangerous.

 

[ILoveTiels]

on frontline website, they have a formula specifically for kittens older than 2 days. i was planning on ordering that. If they don't have fleas, i will wait until 1-2 weeks and then treat as prevention, if they do have fleas, i will follow directions on the bottle. i want to bring her in for a follow up next week. I need to see how many kittens she has or an estimate, so i can know if she has an undelivered kitten(s) if labor suddenly stops or if she is done with delivery. I will request a different vet than the one we saw before. I will request one that shares or at least respects my decision.

 

[Ziggymon]

I've never seen a Frontline product that is recommended for a kitten or puppy less than eight weeks old. I've seen products that are recommended as safe for kittens 2 pounds or over, but not 2 days. I'm curious about it - do you have a link?

 

[Laurul Feather Cat]

Spay Neuter Assistance Program (SNAP) is very affordable and available in many states. There is a national site based in Texas which will pop up when you put SNAP in your search engine and you can refine your State at that site.

Your cat will be fine if you make sure she has abundant food and water and a warm safe place to have the babies. You are going to do fine.

 

[ILoveTiels]

her house mate, julius (our fixed male) wanted to sit with her and clean her.

then he left and she was lonely

she loves when i rub her belly
.
this is where she has been all week.

 

[ILoveTiels]

I've never seen a Frontline product that is recommended for a kitten or puppy less than eight weeks old. I've seen products that are recommended as safe for kittens 2 pounds or over, but not 2 days. I'm curious about it - do you have a link?

Which FRONTLINE SPRAY product is right for my cat? | For Cats | FRONTLINE Plus

 

[Ziggymon]

Which FRONTLINE SPRAY product is right for my cat? | For Cats | FRONTLINE Plus

Ah - that explains it. That's an Australian Frontline site, not a U.S. one. I bet they sell a different formulation in Australia. If you look at the U.S. sites, you'll see that everything says "eight weeks or older"; at least every U.S. site that I've looked at.

 

[ThatDarnBird]

I would use Advantage. At the Cat Vet I worked at we used it off label, even putting one drop on a newborn to get rid of the fleas. We found Advantage to be safer and more effective than Frontline. I would not hesitate to use Advantage on a pregnant cat, the fleas are a far bigger danger.You also should know that it is pointless to treat for tapeworms until after you have the flea problem solved. Tapeworms come from fleas and your cat will be re-infected if she still has fleas. I wouldn't even worry about the tapeworms right now, the fleas are the biggest danger.