Expert: Ali - 1/16/2009

Question
My cat is pregnant and i think almost 6 weeks along... I was wondering at what point i can feel the babies to see how many she is having... And when i can feel them how will i know it is them and not an organ? Also my vet is urging me to get her into there ASAP because she is only 10 months old but I do not have the money to do so. She told me she needs an ultrasound or xray so we know how many are in there so when she has them we dont go leaving a kitten in there and her die from it. Do you know of any help out there to get me in to the vet? I live in Mooers NY 12958. My vet is in Plattsburgh ny 12901. Thanks for all your help

Answer
Tina,

Your vet is absolutely correct, this kitty does need to be seen as soon as possible to avoid just the type of medical emergency that she has described to you. Such a young cat may have serious complications during her labor and delivery. This kitten may also have a difficult time caring for her kittens or even producing enough milk for them. I would strongly suggest that you try to get ahold of some kitten milk replacer and some oral syringes so that you are ready for these babies if they come and they need some extra help to stay healthy. If mom isn't eating a high quality kitten food she should be, she's still growing and now she's having to give some of the nutrients she needs away to her kittens which may have a negative impact on her health longer term. I generally recommend foods like Wellness or Spot's Stew for cats because these foods have human grade ingredients in them and since they are higher quality the cat needs to eat less to meet her needs, less food going in means less mess in the litter box, less junk in their system also means that the litter box offerings won't be quite as smelly. Obviously my first recommendation would be to see whether or not your vet would be willing to offer you the option of paying in installments as she is the most familiar with your pet and your situation. If your vet is unable to consider the option of a payment plan I have taken the liberty of including some resources from the list that I have compiled to help folks whose cats need vet care and are currently not in a position to afford the proper care.

As for the question of when you can feel the kittens individually the answer is that in some cats you would already be able to do so, in others you won't feel them at all beyond little ripples across your cat's belly. I strongly suspect that the majority of these organizations are going to insist upon spaying this kitty to prevent further unwanted pregnancies. Spaying and neutering also contributes to long term health and behavioral benefits. Sadly all too many cats and kittens are surrendered to animal shelters worldwide simply because they aren't wanted. I strongly advise you to speak with your vet about the importance of spaying your little girl and of course sterilizing any of the pets you care for in the future to prevent them from breeding and contributing to the already serious pet overpopulation problem affecting animal shelters, rescue organizations and good samaritans in the general public worldwide.

It's best to avoid allowing this kitty outdoors or to have access to an intact male cat from here on. Cats can become pregnant quite soon after giving birth and intact male cats have been known to kill kittens so that their mother would cycle back into season again and be ready to mate sooner. It's very important to be sure to wash and sanitize your hands prior to handling a mom in labor or her newborn kittens. Since the kittens don't have much of an immune system built up it's wise to ensure that they are kept away from other animals. Cleaning food and water bowls daily and disinfecting them with a weak bleach solution (5 parts water to 1 part bleach) every couple of days will help to keep mom healthy. Be sure to keep the litter box extra clean, scoop it daily and empty it once or twice a week to wash it thoroughly with dish soap, rinse it well, then sanitize it with a weak bleach solution, this will ensure that mom doesn't bring bacteria back into the nesting box that may cause illness in the kittens. The kittens will need to be born in a quiet, clean, dimly lit environment where mom feels safe delivering them if at all possible. It's very important to keep the mom and her kittens in the cleanest environment possible to prevent them from catching viral or bacterial infections that they are too young to fight. A kitten gets antibodies from their mother to a certain extent, however if the mom isn't vaccinated things like distemper are very real possibilities. It's important to fill the small family's bed with clean, dry towels and change the bedding whenever it becomes soiled.

Now is a good time to make up a bed for mom's upcoming labor. A cardboard box lined with old towels or blankets will work well, especially if placed in a dimly lit, private location that's as quiet as possible. Disposable incontinence pads are a good idea if you have carpet in your home. These pads are fairly inexpensive, they are usually made from blue plastic with white absorbant material and are often used to protect furniture or wheelchairs of the elderly or disabled. These pads can be purchased in bulk at places like Walmart. Generally I suggest that placing them underneath the bedding is best, just make sure that nobody can ingest any part of these pads. I don't recommend the use of a heating pad in the nesting box as kittens can't control their body temperature very well and if there is a heating pad they can become overheated quite quickly, it's far better to make sure that the room they are in is kept warm enough.

If mom is in labor and has been pushing for more than one hour without producing a kitten this cat will need immediate care as this can mean that the kittens are simply too large to fit through the pelvis and be born which could mean a c-section. If greenish fluid comes out before the kitten it can mean that the placenta has separated prematurely which likely means that that particular kitten might not survive. If mom seems anxious or to be walking with a stilted gait (kind of like an old wind up toy) she may have a life threatening calcium/magnesium deficiency, this is more common in younger/smaller cats and is a medical emergency - the cat can begin to have seizures and die as a result.

If the kittens seem to be sucking well and they spend most of their time being quiet/nursing quietly they are probably getting enough to eat. If you notice that the kittens are quite noisy, squirmy and crabby it's very possible that they aren't getting enough to eat which could mean that you will have to supplement their diet with kitten milk replacer. If you do need to syringe feed the kittens be sure that the formula is body temperature and that the kittens are fed with all four paws facing the floor, if you feed them on their backs like human babies they will be more likely to inhale the formula and die from pneumonia. Just so that you are aware, this mom to be can't be spayed until she has completely weaned her kittens and her milk has dried up which happens roughly 2 weeks or so after she has completely weaned her babies. Mother cats don't need help to wean their kittens, they will generally start doing so around 6-8 weeks of age. I recommend that kittens stay with their mother for a minimum of 10-12 weeks as this allows them to learn how to be cats as well as learn important things like how to follow rules set by their family members. Bite inhibition is also learned at this time, the kittens essentially learn how far they can push their mother and that if they are bitten it hurts. This small but important lesson means that they may think twice before chomping down on your fingers or toes. The kittens should be handled regularly to get them comfortable with being touched, it will help them to be easier to place in permanent homes.

- Your vet can submit an assistance request to the American Animal Hospital Association's "Helping Pets Fund", the vet clinic must be AAHA accredited to do so.

- You can check with the veterinary schools in your state to see if they offer discount services to the public. You can find a list of vet schools at  www.avma.org

- If you have a credit card you may be able to obtain a higher limit so that you can use it to cover the cost of your cat's care.

- Your bank may be able to offer a loan that could help care for your kitty.

- Your employer may be willing to offer a salary advance.

- You could ask family and friends for a loan of $25 each.

- You can contact Care Credit at www.carecredit.com

The following organizations offer assistance to pets in need of vet care, they all have different criteria so it's best to check each one out.

- IMOM Inc., www.imom.org
- Help-A-Pet, www.help-a-pet.org
- The Pet Fund, www.thepetfund.com
- Feline Outreach, www.felineoutreach.org
- NY S.A.V.E., http://www.nysave.org/index_2.html

Since you are in New York State you may find that the SPCA Cares program would be willing to offer assistance, it would be worth contacting them as they often do assist pet parents who are in financial need. As far as I know this program also offers help with routine care, grooming, food, etc. I also believe that you could speak with the staff at the SPCA and they would be willing to refer you to organizations that I may not have found in your local area.
I have checked out the charitable organizations that I recommended above and I think that these would be the folks who would be most likely to help out. I am certainly willing to offer advice on caring for mom and her babies if needed.