We have a pregnant kitten....

Romy

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#1
Somebody dumped a gorgeous calico kitten, who is extremely pregnant at my boss' house. Because their daughter is very allergic to furry animals she came home with me. We called the vet and they said they can't give her vaccinations until she has kittens. She has been wormed. If anybody has any advice on how to best care for her, please let us know! She is HUGE, and I have no idea how much longer until they are due. She is also pretty underweight, so we are free feeding her good food and water. Apparently my boss started feeding her over the weekend, so we don't have to worry about starvation/overfeeding type complications.

Robert is really excited about having her here. Since Sammy was eaten he has been missing having a cat.

Any suggestions for names? So far we thought of Hazel (she's Halloween colors), or Maisy (no reason). Her personality is very sweet and tolerant. She likes to snuggle with Aurelia and walk around next to her in a heel position. :lol-sign:

So far, she is not impressed with Strider but as long as he stays 10 feet away she will look at him without growling. Strider has been curious, but very polite. He was so heartbroken when she growled at him. He just drooped like he was broken. :( Hopefully once the kittens are born she will start to warm up to him. We're just keeping them separate for now so she isn't stressed too much by him.
 

Dakotah

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Aww I love Hazel.
I would SOOOOO take a kitten but dad says no more cats, and we only have Peanut.

Just feed her, love her, and let her have her babies and take care of them and you should be ok. :)
 

Romy

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Thanks! We've had mother cats with kitten before, but never had them give birth in the house.

Here's some terrible pics of her. Any guesses as to how much longer she has to go? She is so skinny. Her hips, shoulders, and backbone protrude a lot.

This is a horrible picture of her face, but my camera battery is dying. I like her black eyeliner on just one eye.



 

Dakotah

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Wow I would say she is about to pop in no more than 2, IF that.
She looks like she may have about 6 or so kittens.
She is a cutie pie for sure.
I can't wait for kitty pics!
 

Romy

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:yikes: That fast!?! I'll have to get the camera batteries charged up then, lol. If the kittens are as pretty as their mother, it shouldn't be too hard to find them homes. I hope.
 

Dakotah

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LOL.
I could be wrong, maybe 2-4 weeks. But she looks pretty damm huge to me.
 
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She will probably have her kittens in a week or so.

She is pretty! We had a calico that looked like her, and her name was Abbey. So that is the first name that pops in my head.
 

HoundedByHounds

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watch out...our cat went BALLISTIC on the dogs when she had kittens. PROTECTIVE. Not even in the same room...even thru a closed door! So be very careful not to stress your momma cat OR the dogs out!
 

Sweet72947

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:yikes: That fast!?! I'll have to get the camera batteries charged up then, lol. If the kittens are as pretty as their mother, it shouldn't be too hard to find them homes. I hope.
It depends. Sometimes it can be hard to find homes for kittens of certain colors, like black or tortie. I shall send you many "easy birth for momma cat" vibes and "find good homes for kittens" vibes.

Are you going to get the kittens neutered before homing them? I think it can be done once they reach 2lbs, usually around 10 or 11 weeks. And it doesn't wreak havoc with their bodies like it can with a dog.
 

Labra

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Judging by her size I'd say that you can expect kittens anytime from now.

I'd put momma on a good quality kitten food (wet and dry, as much as she wants) and just incase, purchase feeding bottles + milk. If mom is young kitten, intially she may be overwhelmed especially if she has a large litter. Even if if she is a natural it pays to be on the safe side. Weaker kittens may need that extra boost by being handfed in addition to moms milk in the first week or two.
 

skittledoo

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Wow good luck and I definitely want to see some pictures of kittens. I agree that having some bottles handy is a really good idea just in case. Sending lots and LOTS of good vibes
 

smkie

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#12
Looks like the cat that showed up at my house preggers. When they look like they swallowed a basket ball and the hair on the back is standing up a little, when they can't find a comfortable posistion (at least those that have large litters) it's almost time.

Diet is everything. Glad she has you to give her a safe warm enviorment to have her much to young mama litter.:(

I gave Purgo (that is what i called the mama that came to me) a can of gerber's baby beef a day and some nutrical on top of that along with her regular food.
 

Romy

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Thanks for the tips everyone! Robert just called and said she is spotting a little...I hope that's okay.

We're thinking that maybe we'll be able to find homes for them though the school radio station. They do free classifieds announcements, and the school allows cats in the campus housing.

We won't have enough money to spay and neuter them all, especially if she has a large litter. There is a free spay neuter program, so I will call them up and let them know we have a pregnant rescue and find out how many of the kittens they would be willing to cover. I think the low income spay neuter clinic charges $25 for both male and female, so if they aren't altered by then I will give out a little flyer to their adoptive owners. We will have them wormed, and we will probably buy the first round of vaccines and give them ourselves, then charge $10 a kitten to cover then vaccines and make sure they aren't going anywhere weird.

My friend Anne is really interested in one, so hopefully that's one down!
 

Romy

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One more question! Is canned dog food okay for cats? It's a lot less expensive volume wise, and she loves Strider's Timberwolf Org. venison and trout. I would just be mixing it with the dry and her vitamins. I'm giving her Strider's solid gold seameal too.
 

noludoru

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As long as she gets extra protein and fat along with it.. cats need more protein than dogs do, so I wouldn't use it as a significant part of her diet unless you're adding extra meat/egg.
 

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