Pregnant kitten

[HippusTinker]

Right i know this is far from ideal but please dont all shout at me it wasnt planned.

Tinker is 8mth old, and shes roughly 5weeks pregnant. She was locked in the kitchen and was yowling to get out which she had never done, somone must of let her out of the kitchen and she got out over night. Now the 2 days this could of happend we werent here, I had a friend staying to doggy and cat sit. I was only told about this last week when my friend told me she got out as i couldnt work out why she was getting fatter.

NOW I have had a litter of kittens in the past as my other cat came to me with her babies but she did everything for them, i didnt need to do anything. Now Tinker is not as good as her, shes not 100% litter trained as her mum didnt train any of the kittens and the woman who had them didnt help them to learn so im not holding out much hope of her being a good mum. I hope im wrong.

SO what do i need to do??? Do i need to get her into the vets for a check or just leave her as i dont want to stress her. I know a little about dogs having litters but cats do it all on their own dont they?? What as i best getting in for her, extra food, and anything for the kittens, delivery??? Where should i put her welping box?? what do i put in the bottom of it for her to have the babies just paper??? then blankets that are kitten safe??
Oh how long are they pregnant?? she must of been mated 15/16th May
I hope someone can help me out.

Sarah

[MrsH]

Well, where to start? You're worried your kitten might be pregnant, why not just take her to the vet then? You don't want to be shouted at, she got out, it's not your fault - she's yours, why wasn't she spayed before now then? most female kittens get spayed at 5-6 months old.

Cat pregnancy lasts about 9 weeks, I don't know if it's feasible for an abortion to be carried out at this stage, poor thing at 8 months old she's just a baby herself

[HippusTinker]

She was at the vets at 5mth old but the vet said she was to young to do, he wouldnt do her until shes older as shes only a small cat, her sister and her mum were very small too, she was being kept in but seeing as i had to go away last min i got someone in to look after the other animals she got out and i didnt know untill recently, shes not been out since the time she was mated so why would i worry about getting her done just yet, i was waiting until she was bigger.

I didnt say i was worried she was preg i said she is preg. Im not worried about taking her to the vets i just dont want to take her if you wouldtn usualy take a pregnant cat, like i said my other one came to me with kittens already. Im not using the last vets i went to.

Do you not think i know shes still a baby, i came here for advice but you either cant read or you have an attitude problem.

[MrsH]

I can definitely read and you may think I have an attitude problem, I don't mind you thinking that.

OK so your vet wouldn't spay her at 5 months, she's now 8 months old and 5 weeks pregnant by your estimate. You still had plenty of time to have had her "done" before the date at which she got out. Laying that aside, I still think you need to have the vet look at this wee girl, as you say she is a small cat (I presume that you mean small for her age) then there might be problems for her as a result of being pregnant.

[Shelley123]

I think i'd be inclined to get her checked by the vet, especialy as she is so young and small.

[Kim]

Poor little mite, how sad that this was allowed to happen, she is only a baby herself As you say she is small and obviously very young, I would most definitely get her to the vet ASAP, for her sake and your peace of mind. I hope everything works out for her.

[Velvet]

Yes definitely get to vet ASAP. Especially more so if she is as small as you say.it could be a very difficult birth for her if the kittens are big

She needs to be under a vets direction


As soon as the kittens are independent / weaned, you need to get her spayed otherwise she will come into season again almost immediately so,ask our vet about that too

Re litter training, there are many orphan kittens who have no mother cat to teach them. it's up to us to teach them to use the litter tray. Have you ever had her checked over by a vet regarding a possible UTI (urinary tract infection) if she goes so often elsewhere in the house.

[alexgirl73]

You are obviously a concerned owner, and I think you have been given some very good advice so far. Definitely needs to be seen by the vet, who should be able to give you a lot more advice.

And MrsH, some vets will not neuter a cat they don't feel is 'up to it'. My Teddie wasn't done until she was over a year old as the vet was not happy on a cat her size. So sometimes age is irrelevant

[Elaine]

Yes Alex and you managed to keep her safe from becoming pregnant, so it can be done......

As she is still a baby and small, she may well have alot of difficulty with her pregnancy and/or labour, so yes I'd say get the vet to have a good look of her.
Some extra protein would benefit her as in kitten formula or kitten food, her food intake will gradually rise too.
As for the birth, a quiet place is vital, here's a link for you.
http://animalhealthcare.com/handouts...whelpqueen.htm

[pinklizzy]

I'd take her to be checked out, the vet will be able to either palpate or scan her to determine exactly how far gone she is and give an estimated number of kittens.
It is still possible for her to be spayed at this stage but not all vets are happy to do it.
The link Elaine posted is really good advice, usually queens will not have any problems but you need to be aware of what to look for and get veterinary assistance quickly if required.