Expert: Ali - 2/7/2009

Question
I took my nearly 4 yr old, unspayed female to the vet yesterday. I suspect she may be pregnant. The vet agreed, but feels it's too early to tell. Thought she may have felt something though. Since we returned this afternoon my cat's strange behavior has become even stranger. Incessant crying, pacing the floor, looking up at the ceiling, door and and stairwell like she's waiting for someone/something, or something is going to get her. She can't sit still. Constipation is ruled out as of 10 minutes ago. I did notice when they took her temp rectally, they put a lil cover on the end of the thermometer, and when they took it out the cover didn't come out with it. Is that normal? Is it like stuck in her causing a problem? Any Idea's where the weird unsettled behavior is coming from? I'm worried.

Answer
Nichole,

In the veterinary profession there are excellent vets, unfortunately there are also vets who aren't as good. I would recommend that you consider seeking a second opinion, possibly from a holistic veterinarian like my family vet. A holistic veterinarian is trained in conventional medicine as well as one or more alternative therapies such as homeopathy, acupuncture or even massage. You could request an ultrasound or an x-ray which may or may not tell you whether your kitty is pregnant or not depending on how far into the pregnancy this kitty is. A normal cat pregnancy is between 60-68 days so if you have a general idea when exactly the mating may have taken place it's relatively simple to figure out a rough due date which can be helpful in allowing a vet to determine what the best course of action is. It's possible that your kitty is in estrus right now as common signs of sexual receptivity in cats include pacing, excessive vocalization and restlessness. To be on the safe side I would examine your cat's most recent bowel movement to find out whether or not it contains a thermometer shield. If it doesn't you will have to keep a close eye on your cat to ensure that she passes the foreign object fairly quickly. Be on the look out for blood in your cat's stool or anything protruding from her rectum that isn't feces. If this kitty does have a plastic shield from the thermometer in her rectum it could cause injury so I wouldn't suggest waiting for more than a day or two for the object to pass on it's own because you don't want to have the cat's intestinal tract get damaged or have an infection start up in the cat's system. If you aren't comfortable that your cat is in heat or her behavior continues to seem off I would recommend that you have her assessed by a different veterinarian immediately just to be sure that your kitty's safe and healthy.