Expert: Marcia Owen - 10/2/2008

Question
I ignorantly thought that since my cat were inside cats I had some time to go get them spayed, but recently one of my cats (whose just 1 year old) got outside and was gone for about an hour before she returned. That was 3 weeks ago and her belly protrudes farther than her ribcage and seems firmer than fat should be (she was always pleasantly plump), she also refuses to play fight with the other cat anymore and runs away even though she is the tougher one other than this she is behaving normal and is physically normal. Her nipples are not swollen or red like the info I read said it should be by now if she was pregnant. Could she be pregnant, and if not are there other medical conditions that would make her belly firm that I should worry about?

Answer
Dear Amanda

When your girl got out did she seem to be in heat, i.e. doing a lot of rolling, when you stroked her was she putting her back end in the air and her front low?  If she wasn't then I would say she wasn't in heat and therefore isn't pregnant.  3 weeks is a bit early to start getting fat and usually the only signs that a cat is pregnant at that time is the teats becoming pink and a bit bigger, though I have to say that on occasions my girls have kept me guessing a bit longer.  3 weeks is only a guide and not an exact science so some could take a bit longer for these signs to be evident.

It would be adviseable to get her checked out at the vet.  It may be that she caught and ate a mouse while she was out and has a case of worms or may be something else.

If she is still in good condition, then it is doubtful that she has anything serious wrong with her and indeed it may be that she is pregnant, though I would say you would have noticed that she was in heat.

It is difficult to diagnose via email and that is why I suggest a trip to the vet to be absolutely sure everything is OK.  He may even suggest a scan to see if she is pregnant.

If she is pregnant then just enjoy having the kittens and then have her spayed.

Regards

Marcia