Pregnant Mommy!!!

[heidiv]

Well I have created a hug bond with my little foster kitty Ally and she is a wonderful cat. But in observing her I have realized that she has been walking bow legged and that she is showing some signs of milk?? My father who was raised on a farm took a look at her and thinks she sure looks like she is with children?? She is a wonderful kitty and I would love to have kittens around the house but after my last nightmare situation I am terribly frightened but she is much healthier then the other kitty. I have called the shelter from where I picked her up and I didn't get a response today so what are some other tall tell signs that she could be carrying a litter?? How many weeks do the mother cats carry their young??? Its just been a really long time since I have had a momma kitty around here I have never let any of my cats have kittens so I really don't understand all of that. Any help would be great. I have been feeding her really well and giving her some soft food aside from the dry food I feed the other cats. Do you think she is getting enough of what she needs???
You all have been such a great help. I am so scared after the last time. But I refuse to have her go back to the shelter and be terrified because of all of the commotion. So if she is pregnant she is staying here to have the kittens. Whether I am scared or not. I really like her she may have to become a part of our family she is so sweet.

[rg_girlca]

I don't know what happened the last time, but I pray all goes well with this little girl, if indeed she is pregnant.

Here is some helpful information that I got off the net for you.

Pregnancy in cats , called the "gestation period", generally ranges from 60 to 67 days, with the average being 63 days. Most of our queens deliver between days 64 and 66. At about 3 weeks after breeding, a pregnant queen will show some physical symptoms of pregnancy, such as enlarged and rose-colored nipples, and a big increase in appetite and overall interest in food. Your veterinarian should be able to feel her abdomen carefully (called "palpating") and detect any small fetuses. Some queens will have a few episodes of vomiting - the feline version of "morning sickness". Most pregnant queens will become very affectionate, want to be close to you, and thrive on receiving loving reassurances from you that all will be well!!

You should expect that your queen will require and eat quite a bit more during pregnancy and during nursing than she did previously. One way to be sure she is getting enough nutrition is to increase the frequency of her feedings also. It takes an incredible amount of nutrition to create and then to nurse kittens, and if the queen is not taking in enough nutrition, nutrients will be pulled from her own tissues and put her own health at risk. A few days before her due date, you may want to start adding some calcium to her wet food. Calcium supplements for dogs and cats are available at most large pet and feed stores.

Pregnant cats do need a bit of special care. Be sure to keep her indoors and in a clean, safe environment at all times. Make certain that her litter box is always extremely clean to avoid the spread of infection; and you may want to switch to a 'shorter' litter box as her belly starts to grow. Be sure she has comfortable, soft places to rest, that she gets plenty of rest, and do everything you can to try to keep the atmosphere around her as stress-free as possible.

During the last couple of weeks of pregnancy, and sometimes earlier, the expectant mother will usually begin to look for a secure place to have her litter. This is definitely the time for you to introduce her to her "nest box" and birthing area if you haven't done so already. If your queen does not take to the area you have selected for her to have her kittens, you may need to confine her within a large cage or pen, or small bathroom, walk-in closet, etc. Many queens actually prefer this confinement, so they can start to settle down, and scratch around in her nest box. The area you select for her should be quiet and secluded, away from the hustle and bustle of activity, and certainly away from the competition and social stresses from being in close proximity to other animals.

The nest box should be large enough for your queen to move and turn around in, and stand up completely, but not so large that it doesn't seem like a private, cave-like, and safe retreat. Cardboard boxes are often used and make great nest boxes. Be sure the front is at least 8-9" high, to keep the kittens in, yet allow your queen to come and go. Do not use any plastic tubs or boxes for your nest boxes, as there have been reports about lost litters due to the chemicals in the plastics. Place several layers of soft clean, absorbent towels inside the nest box, and let your queen dig around and make her nest in them. Once the kittens have been born, it is then fairly easy to peel back and remove the upper, soiled layers of towels with minimal interruption to the mother and her newborn kittens.

Good luck