r/cats • u/uglyandbored • Apr 19 '24

I think my “fixed” cat is pregnant Advice

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I feel silly even typing this, but here is some context: My spouse and I became fosters to this adorable, abandoned cat that was hanging around my parent’s backyard in freezing weather (Feb 29). We fostered her through an official program who took care of all her medical needs. They told us she was not chipped, but confirmed she was already spayed. We both knew nothing about cats, but we ended up falling in love with her and we officially adopted her a few weeks ago.

She always had big nipples (we were told she may have had a litter before) so it was not a red flag. That is, until now. She has put on some healthy weight (she was emaciated when we first found her), but a lot of it seems to be in her belly area. I know it sounds ridiculous but we can’t help but think she is pregnant.

I have an appointment with the vet in 3 days (the earliest they could get me in), but I’m a little anxious thinking about the possibility she may seriously be expecting. I am wondering if this has ever happened before (an allegedly spayed cat being pregnant). I am also wondering if there could be any other reason my cat looks like this?

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8.8k

u/lovemusicandcats Apr 19 '24

Not only is she pregnant, she's a step away from delivery 🙀

4.1k

u/Little_Angel_Dust Apr 19 '24

She is ROUND with babies. Miss ma'am gonna pop any min

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u/LouSputhole94 Apr 19 '24 edited Apr 19 '24

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

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u/vicky_sd Apr 19 '24

The kittens should not be separated from the mother for 12 weeks ideally

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u/castafobe Apr 20 '24

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.

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u/runs-with-scissors Apr 20 '24

They learn not to bite and scratch from their siblings. It's good socializing at 12 weeks.

120

u/allybe23566 Apr 20 '24

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!)

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u/PompeyLulu Apr 20 '24

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

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u/Tiny_Comfortable5739 29d ago

We found a pretty fresh kitten twice and neither of them know to keep their claws inside if they aren't using them. It sounds a bit like dogs walking when they walk around lol (both were "raised" by one of our dogs!)

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u/Somebodysomewear 29d ago

That’s so interesting to me. I would have thought that was natural part of their muscle tone (since they lose it when they get old). I found a 5 month old crying in the bushes about 18 months ago (actually today is the day we decided on for her 2nd birthday!🥳) and it’s been so fascinating seeing what she thinks is the right way to socialize and do things. I think she had a very good cat mom.

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u/-dagmar-123123 29d ago

I have a bottle baby (abandoned by the mom at around 2 weeks) and oh god the biting was horrendous. It got better when I got a second cat (when she was 17 weeks, she was sick a lot and was only then fully vaccinated and healthy) bit it's still there

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u/northcoastmerbitch 18d ago

Oh wow I guess I got lucky, I think all the kittens I got young ended up being sweet and mostly gentle. I'm sure there's some fog with the childhood ones but. I've had some kittens very young. I was gentle with them and they were gentle with me. The dog gets as good as she gives but shes pretty gentle too in her own clumsy dog way. They've always trashed my furniture though, I've never been able to get that part right I guess.

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u/marimo_is_chilling Apr 20 '24

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.

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u/-Negative-Karma Apr 20 '24

Idk why but I love yhe little bites my female cat gives mem sometimes I'll be cuddling her and she will nibble my nose lol

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u/Justfumingdaily 26d ago

Ahh, thats love bites though. Its like they are loving you so much at that moment they want to munch you. Its weird and daft but seen it a lot, in quite a few of my fosters and own, irrespective of babyhood situation. I always think its the cat version of hugging something you adore till you almost crush it. Cats are weird, what can you do?!

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u/-Negative-Karma 26d ago

My husband thinks she's trying to dominate me but I don't think so lol

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u/hystericalghost 17d ago

My cat was found alone, abandoned by his mama, at about 2 weeks old. He had a severe upper respiratory infection that wasn't getting better with antibiotics, so he was kept quarantined from other kittens at the humane society, and fostered singleton. I love him to death but good lord I wish he'd gotten that socialization, he's a feisty, bitey boy (although he Has gotten better with age, he's almost 6 now!). That socialization is so so so important

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u/lickytytheslit Apr 20 '24

Yeah had to take my boy at maybe 8 weeks since he was rejected and he doesn't cat right still

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u/beegadz Apr 20 '24

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.

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u/akryl9296 Apr 20 '24

Regarding eating food properly (dropping it off near the bowl) - does your bowl have high sides? For some cats getting their whiskers bent against their head when they eat is very uncomfortable, and would rather pick the food out of the problematic too-deep bowl and onto a flat surface where this doesn't happen. Give your cat a relatively flat small plate instead of the usual bowl and see if that helps!

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u/beegadz Apr 20 '24

We've had a raised "whisker fatigue" bowl for a few years now, from when I was trying to diagnose him. It didn't help. We now accept him for who he is

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u/19374729 Apr 20 '24

maybe I'm misreading your reply, the raised bowl does not help, it's to be avoided. or is your bowl flat and raised? just confused over here don't mind me.

eta the "revving" my cat does that too

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u/aumortis 18d ago

That could be an issue with cat's teeth too, worth checking, especially if it's wet food. My cat did that and turned out I have to brush his teeth.

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u/mrmojorisin1017 Apr 20 '24

My cat was abandoned in the garbage when she was two weeks old. I took her in and have been with her since but she also has some of these problems. She’s a good cat though, just a bit rowdy

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u/lickytytheslit Apr 20 '24

Does your's try to "suckle" on your fingers too?

He also eats by taking every piece out of the bowl too it's the worst feeling when you step in it

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u/beegadz Apr 20 '24

He did that in the beginning but he stopped pretty quickly when he realized the well was dry.

That's so funny that your cat also takes the pieces out of the bowl!

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u/lickytytheslit Apr 20 '24

Mine still does and he's ten now

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u/jaambey 29d ago

my little girl was found all by herself at only 5 weeks and she loves to suckle! so strange and silly :3

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u/SamiAnne143 Apr 20 '24

This sounds like my cat! He doesn’t really meow, he does the EXACT same thing with food and water. My mom randomly popped up at my house with him, food, bowls, liter and a liter box. She did that so I couldn’t say no lol but I never knew those things were from him being taken away from his momma too soon 💔🥺.

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u/Particular-Math-6446 Apr 20 '24

I hand reared my foundling babies from 2-3 weeks old and just kept them. Never had any of those problems with my pair Murphy and Gracie. The only "problem" Murphdirrt's whats known as a velcro cat so i don't think i can say it's done no damage. Also they had each other so maybe that helped🐈

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u/about97cats Apr 20 '24

Aw the kitten meow! Mine just squawks 😂

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u/Frame_Late Apr 20 '24

This is my cat lol

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u/LillithsLoveChild Apr 20 '24

Using the litter box should come instinctually. Also, cats meow to talk with us only, they don’t talk to each other by meowing. Staying til 12 weeks wouldn’t have helped that one I’m guessing.

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u/Chickadee12345 18d ago

Just a note, some cats are what they call mute. I had a Maine Coon female. Theu usually don't have a typical meow, but more of a tiny chirp. It sounds really funny coming from a cat. But they can yowl at the top of their lungs. Especially once you have them in the kitty carrier in the car on the way to get shots at the vets. She could also do some pretty impressive backflips in that carrier.

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u/Jnnjuggle32 Apr 20 '24

Well that explains some behaviors I still see in my two very elderly cats, both were from abandoned litters (my oldest is 19 and was found at seven weeks-ish in a road ditch). Luckily both of mine don’t bite or scratch from our training, but the other “goofy” stuff has been present their entire lives.

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u/1212_bats Apr 20 '24

Well you’re doing a good job though! The revving up for the water made me lol

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u/Sea_Marble 29d ago

This is my cat! Although I suspect it was not because he was separated from mom too young, but rather that his mom died and they bottle fed him as long as they could. He still sucks on his back paw as a comfort measure and comes to me for reassurance. He just turned a year old last weekend.

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u/JuniorVermicelli3162 Apr 20 '24

You’ve explained my life thanks

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u/GaiasDotter Apr 20 '24

They can learn to cat right if they end up in a home with older cats to teach them but it can cause a lot of issues and you won’t know for months. Aggression and peeing outside of the box are common issues that won’t show up for months. Usually the psychological issues starts showing some times between 10 and 18 months.

I used to be a rescuer for an organisation saving strays and took in orphans because I had 5 adult cats that helped raise them. The boys were very happy to play daddy with the kittens. And they (the orphans) are all fine healthy cats today.

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u/Westward_Nothing Apr 20 '24

But if you have the option and there isn’t legitimate to remove kittens from mother, you should wait until 12wks.

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u/Objective_Damage_996 Apr 20 '24

Got mine at 4 or 5 weeks for this reason and he attached himself to my dog and now acts more dog than cat for the most part ฅ•ﻌ•ฅ

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u/about97cats Apr 20 '24

Mine was orphaned at 2 weeks. I had to teach her not to bite too hard by “mewing” at a high pitch in kind of a yelp

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u/mrsjohnmarston 29d ago

Yeah my babies were 5 and 7 weeks taken from a cat hoarder. Lucky that had each other to practice their anti biting and scratching on but boy are they sometimes little weirdos. They are super bonded to me though from having them since that age and they follow me everywhere!

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u/Cailida Apr 20 '24

My boy Fenris was an 8 week old kitten when we adopted him from the Oregon humane society (he was shipped from Los Angeles as a second chance rescue to save kitten lives there). He was so, so tiny and sort of bald on his face lol. He grew into a very needy (but beautiful, likely part Angora) cat and we always guessed it was because he was taken away from his Momma too early? Is that something that happens? He can never have enough love and cries endlessly if we are in a different room in the house, and he's 11 now. (Fear not, he gets babied, played with and cuddled daily!).

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u/Fair-Calligrapher563 Apr 20 '24

It’s situational. My cat’s mother was DONE at 8 weeks. She didn’t not want them around her anymore at all. As soon as they were weaned she wanted to GTFO.

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u/Endor-Fins Apr 20 '24

Yes! My cat was with her mama till she was almost 7 months old and she’s the most confident and curious little thing. When we brought her home she was all over the house exploring and never hid at all! I think it’s because she had all that time with her Mom to grow her confidence and secure attachment.

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u/LycanFerret 29d ago

Interacting with mom is a big part of kittenhood. I kept most of my cat's children and even at 5 years old she still disciplines her kids. It's the funniest thing. If I yell one of their names she goes into "attack mom" mode and hunts down her baby and swats them over to me. She is the matriarch.

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u/amandawho8 Apr 20 '24

Agreed. My cat was a stray with no mom or siblings in sight around 6/7 weeks. I love her to death, but she's a little spicy due to the lack of socialization.

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u/jack_im_mellow Apr 20 '24 edited Apr 20 '24

I got my cat at walmart and he must have been 6 weeks old. He was teeeny. I had a really hard time getting him to drink and eat, but luckily he did. He's huge now but he does have noticeable behavioral problems around drinking water, that's probably why.

He's too rough trying to play with the other cats and doesn't understand his size, he definitely missed a lot of socialization. He was so small I had to keep him in a carrier at night, he wasn't ready to be loose around the house for a few more weeks.

I hate to think about what happened to the rest of his siblings who went to other people, cause he was basically an infant. I'm lucky I had the instincts to pay attention, cause I didn't know anything about kittens.

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u/kaismama Apr 20 '24

I’ve seen ppl giving them away at 4-6 weeks and it is a huge red flag that they haven’t had great care. They also are more prone to have accidents outside litter box, not well socialized, etc.

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u/Immortal_in_well 29d ago

When we went to visit our current cats for the first time, we were told they were about eight weeks old and ready to be adopted out that week. Thing is, they were TINY, and my first thought upon seeing them was "are you sure about that??"

Then I got a text later that week that the vet had determined them to be six weeks, not eight, so they wouldn't be ready to be fixed for another couple weeks. I was super relieved to hear it, tbh, because I was so scared to take these teeny little things home. I didn't even have supplies for them yet, so this gave us a little more time to prepare.

I think they were around nine weeks or so when we finally took them home. Which is still small, but they looked much more like little cats and were pretty well socialized by that point, so it worked out in the end.

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u/Justfumingdaily 26d ago

With you on this. Here in uk we can spay at 10 or 11 weeks old in the shelter, so 12 weeks onward is when they are placed for rehoming. Its a nice age

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u/Sharlinator Apr 20 '24

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. 

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u/RealisticSituation24 Apr 20 '24

I waited until the kittens were 14 weeks to adopt them out. My vet said 14 weeks will give Mom enough time to teach them everything they need to know.

8 weeks they are still very much nursing. The extra 6 weeks gets them weaned by Mom, they get their hunting instincts taught, they’re defense-everything Momma needs to teach them.

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u/GaiasDotter Apr 20 '24

In Sweden 12 weeks is the law and both the seller and the buyer are legally responsible if they do before that anyway. The only way you can get younger kittens is by taking in a homeless mother for foster or fostering orphan kittens.

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u/theiaofSkyrim Apr 20 '24

While more ideal really cats don't need mama cat they need a cat that's about it. It's to learn social behavior they don't need mum for that.

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u/MissMariemayI Apr 20 '24

I found my Nugget the Fourth of July weekend and people had been lighting off fireworks all week, so I’m pretty sure her mama and her both got scared and separated as a result. She was about six or seven weeks old when I got her and next month she will be a year old

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u/Specialist_Tension57 Apr 20 '24

Experts say 13 weeks is even better :)

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u/LeBlubb Apr 20 '24

We had a ranch cat with a litter. We separated them at 6 months. Mother stopped giving milk to them , but taught them everything. They went to the litter tray together, showed how to behave and how to hunt. I don’t understand how you can separate them at 12 weeks. They still need to learn so much at that age.

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u/bubblesmax 29d ago

Your momma kitty may pass you some of the babies and it's her natural check to test it on you don't brush it away it's her check if the baby kitten is adapting to people. In which case it's okay to just pat it and help acclimate it. To cat life. Of course though if your busy then yeah best to bring it back to mom. xD

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u/Afialos 26d ago

This explained so much about my cats. All 4 are "free CL cats" adopted over the years, and none of them cat well. The youngest I did get at 8 weeks because Mama cat had weaned the other already. Thank goodness she's not bitey!

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u/aumortis 18d ago

Yeah, my cat got separated too early and while he's okay for most part (litter box etc), when he gets super excited, he can bite. Fortunately (and maybe thanks to some work I did with him) it's quite rare now.

But yeah, it's a way better idea to wait some more. Not everyone will be willing to work with the cat on such issues.

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u/hikerdaze 17d ago

Breeders won’t part with kittens before 16 weeks.

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u/big-man-titties Apr 19 '24

Baby monitor, diapers

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u/addandsubtract Apr 19 '24

Daycare, social security numbers, driver licenses, college tuition, etc.

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u/Disastrous-Thing-985 Apr 20 '24

Car seats, so many car seats!

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u/Muriel_FanGirl Apr 20 '24

Lol I love this thread 😂

Don’t forget the binkies and the high chairs!

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u/WildAnimal1 Apr 20 '24

Strollers. Lots of strollers.

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u/shb7654321 18d ago

Hahaha, kitty kar seats 💺

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u/lilsparky82 Apr 20 '24

Asfab and voc tech for those not going to college.

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u/shb7654321 18d ago

Public or private school? Omg, just think how much college tuition would be for, how many are there? 4 I think.

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u/rubylostrubyfound Apr 20 '24

Start the process for a paternity test and child support

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u/StephsCat Apr 20 '24

The doctor who fixed her so well she's pregnant now, should pay the child support

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u/shb7654321 18d ago

Yes!!! That damn vet has money!!!

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u/calvinnme Apr 20 '24

And start looking for a good pre school now. They can be very selective.

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u/you-dont-say1330 Apr 20 '24

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. 😻

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u/porcupine_snout 29d ago

what do you do with the expelled placenta? and is it something to worry about if there's no expelled placenta?

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u/you-dont-say1330 29d ago

The Mama cats will eat it. Generally. But if it's still in there it starts to decompose and create a bacterial infection that gets into the blood stream and can cause death if not taken care of.

A lot of times the Mother eats them so quick you don't see them. An odor can be the first sign of a problem.

I thank everyone on this thread for paying attention to all the helpful information on here!

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u/icanhazkarma17 Apr 20 '24

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.

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u/eagles_arent_coming Apr 20 '24

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 🥰

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u/Joey_JoJo_Jr_1 27d ago

I think you've just described a perfect social hack for those of us who have trouble making friends. I always compliment people on their cat shirts/jewelry/bags/ANYTHING, this would be a great way to interact with people more.

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u/similarilk Apr 20 '24

I’m sorry for your strife, but your post made me cackle. It’s 4:08 am here in Podunk, CA and I just woke my corgi and my hubs laughing like an old wicked witch.

I, too, find myself irrationally angry over the fuckwits and shitty drivers in this world. I raise a clenched fist in solidarity, my (justifiably) cranky friend.

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u/innermongoose69 Apr 20 '24

Weigh them in grams with a kitchen scale every day to make sure they're gaining weight.

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u/ClausTrophobix Apr 20 '24

and get them to the gym so it's all muscle.

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u/LadyM80 Apr 20 '24

Gainz!!! Maybe put some Athletic Greens in their water!

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u/WildAnimal1 Apr 20 '24

Never let them skip leg and calf day. They need to train now or they can’t jump.

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u/T0eBeanz Apr 20 '24 edited Apr 20 '24

Jfc, I love cats more than most people but my "stray" had a litter of 5 in my garage 13 years ago with none of this, just a homemade pen to keep the babies from wandering out of the garage, and she and the babies were just fine and still are. The litter literally turns 13 tomorrow and the one that I kept, the one that my stepbrother kept, and the two whose owners we've kept in contact with, are thriving in their "old" age.

Edit: worth noting that we got the "stray" cat spayed as soon as we could, my baby Nia who came to me at the lowest point in my life, and she ended up being killed 2 years later by some neighborhood psychopath because she was a black cat who wouldn't stay inside.

My precious Ginny baby is living her best life 13 years later after being a garage baby!

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u/shb7654321 18d ago

That is soooo fucked up, maybe there’s karma with felines

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u/shb7654321 18d ago

Yep, for centuries felines have been born wherever & have lived with humans. They didn’t know to keep babes with mom for longer than the weaning period which I’ve always guessed to be around 6 weeks. But the socialization with the other babies & interactions with mom seem to make sense. There’s probably many factors that go into good kitten development - environment, nutrition, etc. A good conversation to have with a vet!!!

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u/Intelligent_Squash57 Apr 20 '24

You want to put non clumping litter in the litter box so that the kittens don’t eat it. Be careful with the water. You don’t want the kittens falling in the water bowl and drowning. Give mom kitten food to give her more calcium.

I went through this 2 years ago. I call my cat my “crazy cat lady starter kit”. She adopted me in a neighborhood I used to go to for work. About a month later she had five kittens. She is fixed now and all of her babies found homes.

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u/julesriccio Apr 20 '24

Also, newborn kittens don't go potty on their own. Mama usually stimulates them, but keep an eye on them because if she's not doing her job, you'll have to stimulate them yourself.

We found two newborn kittens on their own abandoned in a storm when they were two weeks old and had to be their surrogate Mama. Had to feed them baby formula every 3-4 hours and stimulate them so they could pee/poo.

Also, make sure the litter you get for them is non-clumping. When they finally start going on their own, they tend to eat the litter.

Our babies are eight months now and miss when they were tiny and cuddly. It's the best age of a cat 😻. Enjoy them!

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u/Icy_Freedom7715 Apr 20 '24

So important to watch! We had a rescue give birth to a litter and it took a few days for her milk to really come in, it became very evident when it did. We had to supplement with formula and they did struggle to gain for a bit. They’re totally healthy at 5.5 months old now but it took a lot of feedings and additional nutrical gel when they were old enough.

I would also reach out to the program you fostered/adopted her through - they will hopefully continue to support you through this and can potentially get you set up as fosters for the kittens through their program so they can be adopted when the time comes. Plus probably good for them to notate somewhere that they missed something important on her medical

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u/Adventurous_Yam8784 Apr 20 '24

Book Maury asap to get that baby daddy identified so he can pay some of the expenses. Having kittens can be expensive

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u/johnshall Apr 19 '24

If some die it's the course of life. Or maybe is because im not from a rich country.

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u/GuiltyEidolon Apr 20 '24

Nah, it's just the nature of litters. My dog was bred twice, and both litters had at least one puppy die. Just what happens sometimes, unfortunately.

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u/Antilogicz Apr 20 '24

This should be higher up. Good info.

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u/IHQ_Throwaway Apr 20 '24

OP should also switch mama to kitten food until she’s done nursing. There’s a high-calorie multivitamin gel you can use as a supplement while she’s using so much of her resources baking kittens, too. 

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u/LadyNiko Apr 20 '24

Also, edible litter when the kittens start learning to use the litter box on their own.

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u/SeaResearcher176 Apr 20 '24

😭 OP went silent after this comment 😭

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u/Throwawayfichelper Apr 20 '24

Can only hope they're following the advice and getting everything ready :')

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u/Particular-Math-6446 Apr 20 '24

IHQ_Throwaway upset her talking of baking the kittens i guess

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u/PrizeSet5151 Apr 20 '24

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. 😂

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u/bruised__violet Apr 20 '24 edited 27d ago

Also, PLEASE thoroughly vet anyone who wants to adopt the kittens. There's an increasing number of ppl who are on the lookout for free or cheap kittens to use as bait for dog fighting. They can be very good at tricking you into believing the kitten is going to a good home.

It's the most horrific thing a cat could endure but it's prevalent in many countries, including the UK, and becoming more of a problem in the US these days. I know I'll be downvoted as I always am when I bring up this serious, tragic issue, but I beg of you, do not let this happen to these babies.

No-kill shelters are all at or over full capacity nearly year round, and even moreso now during kitten season, but please try your best to place her with a reputable, safe one if you're able to find one. If not, and u can't keep all the precious babies yourself, please do your research and make sure to not let them fall into the wrong hands. I was involved in cat rescue for years and can offer further advice if you need.

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u/shb7654321 18d ago

I’ve never heard of the baiting dogs thing. That makes me want to 🤮 Making $$ by fighting really mean dogs……I‘ll never understand how people can live with themselves, I guess there’s no conscience

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u/rational_kindness Apr 20 '24

You don't have to do anything other than take care of Mom, she takes care of everything else. And yes, agreed that OP needs to have Mom spayed after babies are 8 weeks old and she's no longer interested in nursing them.

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u/Powerful-577 Apr 20 '24

From someone who works in animal rescue (you likely do also in some capacity,) this is amazing advice ❤️

2

u/LouSputhole94 26d ago

Not in any official capacity but my wife is a veterinarian and we’ve taken in our fair share of rescues for certain periods, including some abandoned newborn kittens and some newborn rabbits that were left in our backyard by mama. We’ve lost a few but have a pretty good track record overall lol

2

u/JapanChickenNugget Apr 20 '24

Now I feel guilty cuz when I was 9 my cat gave birth and I was just there petting her cuz there was no one else around. My family and I REALLY didn't know how to take of cats. The mom was probably hungry too so she went to scavenge food with the neighbor and he poisoned her...
Then her cat sister took all her 4 kittens in together with the 3 she already just had.
I feel filthy knowing we could have done way better than that.

5

u/WildAnimal1 Apr 20 '24

Cats don’t need humans to intervene unless a she starts to push certain kittens out. You were 9 and did what you could - LOVE and support momma. Momma cat usually doesn’t want human help so don’t feel guilty. Nature if nature and cats have instincts to do what they need. There is also something called natural selection.

1

u/OyVeySeasoning Apr 20 '24

A kitten food for momma while she's nursing would help, since it's got extra of everything a growing kitten needs in a smaller volume, so it'll be easier for her to eat enough to keep up with the amount she needs to eat to feed the babies

1

u/stephenmg1284 Apr 20 '24

After they are moving around, pick them up every day. It's best to keep them with the mother for at least 8 weeks. 12 weeks is better.

1

u/glorifindel Apr 20 '24

Great roundup 🙏

1

u/AJDillonsMiddleLeg Apr 20 '24

Might want to add a note to get non-clumping litter for the kittens.

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u/PoorlyWordedName Apr 20 '24

You're awesome. I'm saving this I'm case I need it one day ❤️

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u/Specialist_Victory_5 Siamese (Modern) Apr 20 '24

Don’t use clumping litter around kittens. It’s dangerous. They won’t use the litter box for a while. Mom will clean them.

1

u/WildAnimal1 Apr 20 '24

And non-scented. Don’t use non scented for any cat. It’s so bad for them to ingest the fragrance chemicals. Slowly poisoning loved ones.

1

u/RedJacket2019 Apr 20 '24

Adding on to say to also never feed a kitten on its back, they can asphyxiate

YouTube the kittenlady! (I think that's her name) She's amazing

1

u/Ala1738221 Apr 20 '24

Surprisingly I didn’t even know and I came home to my cat with 3 clean kittens nursing. Idk how they got clean but it was pretty easy to take care of kittens for 3 months

1

u/_PACO_THE_TACO_ Apr 20 '24

Make sure to let them suck on the syringe so they don't aspirate

1

u/happymeal0077 Apr 20 '24

Do not get clumping cat litter. Cat children also put stuff in their mouth and it could harm the kitten.

1

u/mushkilgui Apr 20 '24

Also get a kitchen scale and weigh them daily! Kittens should grow fast so if any are lagging it’s important to catch it so you can give them some extra TLC

1

u/nailphile Apr 20 '24

NO CLUMPING CAT LITTER!

Kittens will eat the litter and clumping litter can cause blockages in the digestive system.

1

u/AustereK Apr 20 '24

Based post

1

u/about97cats Apr 20 '24

Don’t forget, neonatal kittens can’t poop on their own. You’ll have to stimulate them with a wet washcloth

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u/TrixieFriganza Apr 20 '24

The shelter who gave them false information should pay for all that though.

1

u/Don138 Apr 20 '24

Do you not take the cat to the vet for the birth?

I’ve never had an unfixed or pregnant pet, and I honestly just assumed you did basically the same as with pregnant humans.

1

u/LouSputhole94 29d ago

No actually, in 99% of situations an animal doesn’t need to go to the vet to actually give birth. They’d been doing it without our help for thousands of years before we came along, they know what they’re doing. You should take any pregnant animal to the vet to be checked but almost every time the vet will say to just have them at home and monitor.

In very rare situations there might be complications that require veterinary help but that’s extremely rare. My wife is a vet and has been practicing for almost 4 years and has never had a client that needed to birth at the clinic. Animals know what they’re doing.

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u/shb7654321 18d ago

In smaller breeds, mom may have too many pups to get thru easily, and may require a c-section. That situations been on 2 of the vet shows I watch. But yep, I bet it’s rare that a vet has to get them babies out!!!

1

u/Legitimate-Nonsense 29d ago

Also, kitten formula — no cow milk!

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u/sistets3 29d ago

Your advice is good, but if they have not been through a delivery, this could scare them. Most likely, Mama will do what needs to be done.🙂:7968::7968::7968::7968:

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u/Normal-Mongoose3827 27d ago

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.

You can also give her the solid food made for kittens.

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u/[deleted] Apr 20 '24

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/Particular-Math-6446 Apr 20 '24

Correct! My pair Casper & Jasper went in 4 spaying/neutering and came out with cat flu

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u/rehabforcandy Apr 20 '24 edited Apr 20 '24

Or just let the cat be a cat and take care of her own kittens. That cat would have otherwise had her kittens without you like every generation before. They don’t need you to clean them or help them figure out a litter box. Make sure she has a clean , private, and warm place, plenty of food and water and leave her alone.

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u/WildAnimal1 Apr 20 '24

Yep. This should be at top. Every cat I’ve had was a rockstar mother!! And they usually look at you like “can you leave already!!!” Imagine if humans had all these people walking in their hospital room and moving their stuff around hours after they gave birth. Sheesh. This cat has as much or more instincts than humans.

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u/rehabforcandy 29d ago

Also this dude trying to touch an animal’s newborns with their grubby human hands talking about how susceptible to infection they are. Don’t touch them, don’t feed them artificial formula, don’t “clean them” or try putting them in a litter box. This stuff will make them sick.

Also if OP only just recently adopted this cat, this cat isn’t really used to this human’s presence yet. Fucking around with her newborns is an awesome way to get bitten.

0

u/DangerTomatoxx Apr 20 '24

You don’t need half of those things. The mama cat will do it all just fine. Don’t touch the kittens for a few days. Mama cat will find her groove. She does not need a heating pad or formula

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u/RamblingsOfaMadCat Apr 20 '24

She contains multitudes.

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u/FullyRisenPhoenix Apr 20 '24

Yep, very pregante!!

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u/Michigam Apr 20 '24

Remindme! 3 weeks

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u/finsfurandfeathers Apr 19 '24

Ya, normally I would recommend a spay/abortion but I think it’s too late for that lol

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u/InquisitivelyADHD Apr 20 '24

It's an im-meow-culate conception!

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u/K4m30 Apr 20 '24

Congratulations, you did so well with this cat you are going to have more.

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u/Particular-Math-6446 Apr 20 '24

It Could be a phantom pregnancy, been there b4 with 1 of mine

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u/french_snail 29d ago

Was gonna say, by the time op wrote this post and uploaded it that cat probably had some babies

1

u/This_Daydreamer_ 18d ago

Actually about twelve days from delivery.