Expert: W - 7/6/2009

Question
My husband and I have been adopted by a stray and we only have had her for about 2 to 3 mths.  She is so tiny and we finally got some weight on her and notice that she was pregnant.  Well as of today (7/6/09) she has been bleeding since last Saturday.  I'm thinking this is her first litter and you can see three to four bumps.  She doesn't act like she is in any pain or labor she is real lovable and still eating and drinking.  The bleeding isn't heavy just little spotting here and there.  Could it just be she is in the first stages of labor or could something be wrong?  Please help and Thank you for your time.

Renee

Answer
Hi Renee
This is not good
Can you take her down to the vet as soon as possible, she may be aborting the litter.
Normally the first sign of pregnancy is a slight discharge and then she would be looking for a nest to give birth. She would also tend to stop eating until she has given birth.
The vet will be able to palpate, tap, the uterus and make sure the fetus are still ok and maybe he could even find heartbeats, although when a cat purrs she tends to mask the heartbeat.

Good luck and I hope the birth is OK. Finally could I suggest that after she has give birth you consider having her neutered as soon as possible to prevent unwanted future litters.

Regards

Ray