?'s for Cat people

[Koerarmoca]

After our baby kitty got out the other day since she has been home the Big cat is acting a lot like she did when we first got her. She is hissing at her, growling, etc. They have a love hate relationship, regularly they play fight more than anything. But the big cat is being so mean to her. I thought maybe she picked up a new scent while she was out I have bathed her twice since the adventure but that hasn't changed anything. I am so worried that the baby kitty got knocked up too! We where planning on getting her fixed at tax time but we just had so many pressing bills that we didn't do it. Could the big cat be acting this way because she senses she is preg? I know she is/was in heat when she left an I know we have had a male cat spraying outside I seen him pee all over my trash cans one day (that was the most bizarre thing I had ever seen a cat do:lol:) When baby kitty got out do you think she went looking for him because of his scent? She was gone at least 12-18 hours. I so don't want baby kitties. I know nothing about cats do I need to take her to the vet if I think she is preg? She is about a year old is this even safe for her if she is?

[Alenee]

I would say you probably have a preggo kitty but there is also the off-chance that Big cat is just asserting her authority.

 

Sorry, that's probably not a helpful answer. :grouphug:

[Belacqua]

Our two have a similar relationship, and whenever the younger comes back from the vet, even if it's just a fifteen minute checkup, the elder is horrible to her for several days. I always thought it was the scent (well, that, and the elder is kind of a jerk :glare:).

 

Fingers crossed for good news!

[Unicorn.]

She is most likely preggo. The hissing is a huge sign, and if she was in heat when she got out....then yep. Ask me how I know :glare:

[StephanieZ]

FWIW, at this time of year EVERY intact female of reproductive age that dh spays is PG if she is allowed outside. Even ones you think are too young will mature quickly at this time of year. It's not unusual to have half-grown 5 mo old females PG in March.

 

EVERY ONE.

 

It's the same every year.

 

*Especially* since finances are obviously tight, I URGE you to take little kitty in to be spayed NOW NOW NOW. When they are just a few days/weeks PG, it is still a pretty simple operation. If it is fairly far along, many vets will refuse to do it. If they do it, it'll cost you, and it'll be riskier for kitty.

 

Call your local shelter and humane society to see if there are any reduced cost S/N services available. Call and ask your vet the same question. Many vets will gladly give you the # of the local subsidized programs. If all else fails, beg your vet for a payment plan. Ask if they offer Care Credit (a vet specific credit card).

 

But, please, just get her spayed NOW. She is probably PG. How are you going to afford to S/N and vaccinate all those kittens? What if she has trouble in labor or post-babies? That's a lot of kitten food. If she won't nurse, will you bottle feed? (Very expensive, and every 2 hours for weeks!)

 

Please. . .

 

-- Stephanie Z

(who has seen way too many abandoned kitties suffer. . . and knows of too many others who are euthanized upon admission to our local shelter b/c there is simply nowhere near enough room/homes for the kittens produced)

[StephanieZ]

[3lilreds in NC]

Yep, she's pregnant. Take her in ASAP. You might be able to find a low-cost spay place - ask at your local shelter. Often the Humane Society will do them very inexpensively and there are other places too.

[Tree House Academy]

After our baby kitty got out the other day since she has been home the Big cat is acting a lot like she did when we first got her. She is hissing at her, growling, etc. They have a love hate relationship, regularly they play fight more than anything. But the big cat is being so mean to her. I thought maybe she picked up a new scent while she was out I have bathed her twice since the adventure but that hasn't changed anything. I am so worried that the baby kitty got knocked up too! We where planning on getting her fixed at tax time but we just had so many pressing bills that we didn't do it. Could the big cat be acting this way because she senses she is preg? I know she is/was in heat when she left an I know we have had a male cat spraying outside I seen him pee all over my trash cans one day (that was the most bizarre thing I had ever seen a cat do:lol:) When baby kitty got out do you think she went looking for him because of his scent? She was gone at least 12-18 hours. I so don't want baby kitties. I know nothing about cats do I need to take her to the vet if I think she is preg? She is about a year old is this even safe for her if she is?

 

How long has she been home and how long was she gone? I honestly would not worry yet. My two older cats had been together since birth and still, if one of them went to the vet for an hour or two, the other one would hiss and go on for a day or two when they were together again. You bathing the cat is NOT helping. You are continuing to take away her natural smell that your other cat is used to and replacing it with a "new" scent. I would give them a week with no baths and see what happens. If the behavior hasn't changed, then you may want to check with the vet re: pregnancy. But I do not think what you are describing is uncommon at all - especially in two cats that weren't the best of friends to begin with.

 

Oh...and YES...PLEASE have her spayed asap to avoid any future issues.

[Koerarmoca]

FWIW, at this time of year EVERY intact female of reproductive age that dh spays is PG if she is allowed outside. Even ones you think are too young will mature quickly at this time of year. It's not unusual to have half-grown 5 mo old females PG in March.

 

EVERY ONE.

 

It's the same every year.

 

*Especially* since finances are obviously tight, I URGE you to take little kitty in to be spayed NOW NOW NOW. When they are just a few days/weeks PG, it is still a pretty simple operation. If it is fairly far along, many vets will refuse to do it. If they do it, it'll cost you, and it'll be riskier for kitty.

 

Call your local shelter and humane society to see if there are any reduced cost S/N services available. Call and ask your vet the same question. Many vets will gladly give you the # of the local subsidized programs. If all else fails, beg your vet for a payment plan. Ask if they offer Care Credit (a vet specific credit card).

 

But, please, just get her spayed NOW. She is probably PG. How are you going to afford to S/N and vaccinate all those kittens? What if she has trouble in labor or post-babies? That's a lot of kitten food. If she won't nurse, will you bottle feed? (Very expensive, and every 2 hours for weeks!)

 

Please. . .

 

-- Stephanie Z

(who has seen way too many abandoned kitties suffer. . . and knows of too many others who are euthanized upon admission to our local shelter b/c there is simply nowhere near enough room/homes for the kittens produced)

 

forgive me for being undereducated here but.. would spaying now mean a kitty abortion? I don't know if I could do that. I would have to do some serious soul searching on that. I found a place that spays for $36 totally doable.

[Tree House Academy]

Yes, it would mean abortion and I, personally, would also not do it. However, you MUST be willing to spay/neuter each and every kitten before finding it a home if you go on with a pregnancy right now because you can't take the risk of this happening again. It is amazing how fast animals can reproduce!

 

But I still am not convinced your cat is pregnant...

[Koerarmoca]

How long has she been home and how long was she gone? I honestly would not worry yet. My two older cats had been together since birth and still, if one of them went to the vet for an hour or two, the other one would hiss and go on for a day or two when they were together again. You bathing the cat is NOT helping. You are continuing to take away her natural smell that your other cat is used to and replacing it with a "new" scent. I would give them a week with no baths and see what happens. If the behavior hasn't changed, then you may want to check with the vet re: pregnancy. But I do not think what you are describing is uncommon at all - especially in two cats that weren't the best of friends to begin with.

 

Oh...and YES...PLEASE have her spayed asap to avoid any future issues.

 

She got out we assume as we didn't even see it happen around 4pm on Friday evening She returned home Around 3-4am Saturday morning so we assume 12 hours give or take. I didn't look at the clock when I heard her Early Saturday morning. I do know it was before 4:45am because dh hadn't gotten up for work yet. I didn't bathe her anymore I gave her 2 baths Saturday one with baby shampoo because I was out of flee shampoo and the 2nd bath was with the flee shampoo.

 

Our big Cat "Sammy" is a grump she was a rescued cat that lived with 25 other cats and we had her a few months before we got the baby cat "Izzy" Sammy was less than thrilled to have a new friend we assumed she was lonely because she was used to living with so many cats. She would never play with us, never sits in our laps pretty much a chunky lazy cat. It took a really long time for them to take to each other, they are far from pals. They have a few sweet moments here and there. I know that when I took Sammy to the vet a few months ago (she had a bump above her eye it turned out to be nothing I feared cancer or something :lol:) Izzy kinda acted a little off towards Sammy. Izzy usually tries to engage in playing w/ Sammy but kinda stayed away from her for a few days.

 

I never had cats growing up. Our first cat was a kitten werescuedd from under our deck that the mama abandoned. She ended up dying at 5mts old (she had paracen**** sp?) We didn't know and took her to the vet and she had surgery and we found this out. My grandma died the week before so it was such a mess and so hard on the kids. I am super sensitive to cat issues. Had we never had that cat we would never of had any at all.

 

Sammy has been neutered and I will do Izzy asap if she is not preg. I just don't think as a Christian women I can end life even if it is a kitten. I will have to take with my vet and maybe my pastor :lol:boy that is a topic I never thought I would discuss with him :lol:

 

ETA: haha it edited out the disease I was trying to spell... para-sin-titus is how it sounds apperntly it read it as a word for b@@b LOL

Edited March 21, 2011 by MichelleC

[snipsnsnailsx5]

Most likely...yes.

 

I rescued a stray preggo kitty a couple years ago...kept her in the house so that I could control where her babies went. I didn't think she'd get PG again SO fast, and had even set up an appt to get her spayed when I realized she was PG again already!

 

After her SECOND litter of kittens, I didn't let her out of the house at all before I got her spayed. Lesson learned .lol

 

As for spaying/neutering the kittens...that can get pricey. One idea is to s/n them and then charge that cost to the new homes of the kittens.

 

Good luck!

[StephanieZ]

forgive me for being undereducated here but.. would spaying now mean a kitty abortion? I don't know if I could do that. I would have to do some serious soul searching on that. I found a place that spays for $36 totally doable.

 

Uh, yes, it's kitty abortion.

 

How do you feel about kitty infanticide? Or kitty wholesale murder?

 

Unless you are going to care for those kittens for the next 20ish years, that's what you're getting when you choose Life right now.

 

I'd be pretty shocked if many of the most extreme Pro Life groups included kitty abortion on the NO list.

 

That said, I hate it. There's not much sadder than a late term PG spay. My dh won't do them at all, so our hospital doesn't do them. Early on, yes. Late, no. It is just too depressing for the staff and for dh. It's not a moral thing, it's a feeling thing. Fortunately, dh is the owner of our practice, and does not work for a humane/shelter society, so he gets to call the shots. Yay, him.

 

So, much better alternative, DO NOT ALLOW UNALTERED CATS OUTSIDE! GET THEM SPAYED!

 

Honestly, if you are talking cruelty, it's MUCH less kind to allow the kittens to be born. . . taken to the shelter at 6-8 weeks. . . then BOOM, very unkind euthanasia in an extremely traumatic environment.

 

Alternative: 'let them free' where they will live on avg 6-12 mos, a very traumatic and stressful life, reproduce some, die of a painful disease or injury with no treatment. Meanwhile spreading disease to the rest of the cats in the community, and leaving a legacy of some more stray cats to continue to cycle.

 

IMHO, euthanasia is much more humane than 'feral cat colonies'. (And I've seen and subsidized treatment for more than my share. . . they are NOT living happy lives, as evidenced by the poorly healing wounds, the disease, the fear, the fact that you NEVER find OLD feral cats. . .)

 

So, there are not good alternatives other than spay/neuter. PG or not, it needs to be done. Unless you have vast financial resources and feel like owning 5-10 cats for the next 20 years or so.

[StephanieZ]

Most likely...yes.

 

I rescued a stray preggo kitty a couple years ago...kept her in the house so that I could control where her babies went. I didn't think she'd get PG again SO fast, and had even set up an appt to get her spayed when I realized she was PG again already!

 

After her SECOND litter of kittens, I didn't let her out of the house at all before I got her spayed. Lesson learned .lol

 

As for spaying/neutering the kittens...that can get pricey. One idea is to s/n them and then charge that cost to the new homes of the kittens.

 

Good luck!

 

Yup, queens can get PG again a week or two after birth. I don't remember the exact timing, but it is QUICK. It also lasts quite a while (unless/until they get sufficiently PG. . . did you know they can get PG by multiple dads, days apart?!?)

[Tree House Academy]

Uh, yes, it's kitty abortion.

 

How do you feel about kitty infanticide? Or kitty wholesale murder?

 

Unless you are going to care for those kittens for the next 20ish years, that's what you're getting when you choose Life right now.

 

I'd be pretty shocked if many of the most extreme Pro Life groups included kitty abortion on the NO list.

 

That said, I hate it. There's not much sadder than a late term PG spay. My dh won't do them at all, so our hospital doesn't do them. Early on, yes. Late, no. It is just too depressing for the staff and for dh. It's not a moral thing, it's a feeling thing. Fortunately, dh is the owner of our practice, and does not work for a humane/shelter society, so he gets to call the shots. Yay, him.

 

So, much better alternative, DO NOT ALLOW UNALTERED CATS OUTSIDE! GET THEM SPAYED!

 

Honestly, if you are talking cruelty, it's MUCH less kind to allow the kittens to be born. . . taken to the shelter at 6-8 weeks. . . then BOOM, very unkind euthanasia in an extremely traumatic environment.

 

Alternative: 'let them free' where they will live on avg 6-12 mos, a very traumatic and stressful life, reproduce some, die of a painful disease or injury with no treatment. Meanwhile spreading disease to the rest of the cats in the community, and leaving a legacy of some more stray cats to continue to cycle.

 

IMHO, euthanasia is much more humane than 'feral cat colonies'. (And I've seen and subsidized treatment for more than my share. . . they are NOT living happy lives, as evidenced by the poorly healing wounds, the disease, the fear, the fact that you NEVER find OLD feral cats. . .)

 

So, there are not good alternatives other than spay/neuter. PG or not, it needs to be done. Unless you have vast financial resources and feel like owning 5-10 cats for the next 20 years or so.

 

 

I get what you are saying and I do agree that if she is not willing to take on spaying/neutering all of the kittens and finding them homes (knowing her house could end up BEING their homes for a long time), then no, she should not let the momma have babies.

 

....But I am kind of like her in having a hard time killing an animal once it is alive (in utero or not). My rabbits were both male...but one got pregnant. OOPS. LOL Apparently one was NOT as male as we thought. I was going to let her raise them. No way was I just going to kill them. All the babies ended up dying because momma bunny was not the best momma in the world though. Of course, I also have 3 cats, a dog, 2 bunnies in the house, along with 32 chickens, 7 ducks, and the two rabbits outside, so I do have the space and ability to take care of more pets. Call me Ellie May Clampett. :lol:

 

:001_huh: (Dh does)

[StephanieZ]

I get what you are saying and I do agree that if she is not willing to take on spaying/neutering all of the kittens and finding them homes (knowing her house could end up BEING their homes for a long time), then no, she should not let the momma have babies.

 

....But I am kind of like her in having a hard time killing an animal once it is alive (in utero or not). My rabbits were both male...but one got pregnant. OOPS. LOL Apparently one was NOT as male as we thought. I was going to let her raise them. No way was I just going to kill them. All the babies ended up dying because momma bunny was not the best momma in the world though. Of course, I also have 3 cats, a dog, 2 bunnies in the house, along with 32 chickens, 7 ducks, and the two rabbits outside, so I do have the space and ability to take care of more pets. Call me Ellie May Clampett. :lol:

 

:001_huh: (Dh does)

 

Oh, honey, I completely understand. I couldn't do it either. We have 4 dogs, 4 cats. . . and I am banned from petting the adoptives until they have approved parents lined up b/c I can't stop myself from taking in yet another.

 

Working in the field of vet med, you eventually get tougher. Not harder, per se, but tougher. You have to be realistic, and realistically, I KNOW that every kitten that is born is one more that is going to die an ugly death. There are NOT enough homes for them all. If you allow 5 more to be born, even if you find 5 suckers (cough, friends) to take them, those are likely 5 fewer OTHER kittens that might have gotten adopted from the shelter. . . There are only so many spaces in sucker homes, and once we're all full up, the leftovers get the shaft.

 

TBH, this is why I URGE anyone whose female kitty 'got out' to RUN to the vet and get her spayed TODAY. In fact, if it makes you uneasy knowing if she was PG or not, just tell the vet on admssion that "I know it's the right thing to do to spay her now, but I would feel bad knowing kittens were terminated. Don't do the spay if any kittens are far along, but if it is still very early, please just don't tell me about it. Just do it. I know it needs to be done."

 

Then, DO NOT ASK. Just pay the bill.

 

It's hard, hard stuff. But, I know that when unwanted kittens are born in our town, and folks call the shelter, they are told "Sure, bring them in. But, we have no space and they will be euthanized upon arrival."

 

So, many/most just dump them somewhere to die an ugly death, which, IMHO, is MUCH worse.

 

So, you have to brutally assess the alternatives. It's real life.