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Cats/Mummy cat pregnant again & we kept her last litter!

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Expert: - 6/11/2009


Question

Smeagol (mummy) & Feli
Hi Ali,

I have a 2yr old female who just recently had a litter of three kittens (2 girls & a boy) She is an indoor cat but got out while she was in heat in the winter. We kept all of the kittens and they are due to be spayed an neutured at the start of August at 6mths old. Mama has got out b4 being fixed again! She was in heat and gone for four days and now I have got her back in again. She is not in heat any longer, so I assume she is probably pregnant. She has been acting really aggressively towards the kittens, which I know is normal but I am just wondering how long the hissing and hitting will last for? I would also like some advice for when the new kittens are born. At this point the kittens will just be getting fixed. So I will have one cat trying to get ready to have her babies and three other cats recovering from their ops. How do I handle this pls? The three kittens will be going outside when they have healed. How long should I wait before introducing them to the great outdoors? I would really appreciate any advice you can give me

Answer
Tammie,

I agree with you, mom probably is pregnant again. Mom will probably settle fairly shortly, I suspect she's just teaching these kittens manners which is likely what the hissing and swatting are about. It's extremely important to ensure that mom stays inside after she gives birth because queens have been known to get pregnant as little as 24-48 hours after giving birth and I'm sure you don't need anymore kittens at the moment. Once mom's milk supply starts to dry up after she weans her kittens you'll need to wait about 2 weeks to have her spayed, but in the meantime it's important to keep her away from anywhere in the house she might escape from successfully.

I'd recommend separating mom by putting her into a room behind a closed door with all of the usual feline necessities before bringing the little ones home from being spayed/neutered to minimize mom's stress just prior to giving birth to the latest litter. To be honest I wouldn't be overly concerned about the kittens and their recovery after being spayed/neutered - the post surgical instructions will tell you to keep these little ones quiet, however that's nearly impossible if the surgeries were routine and pain medicine was given before they woke up from anesthesia. Most newly spayed/neutered kitties are a bit loopy from pain meds when they come home after surgery, but it's nothing to worry about - just prevent them from bouncing off of the walls or jumping onto or off of furniture so that the girls don't risk problems with their stitches. Your male kitten won't likely know what he's missing, so he'll actually be quicker to recover from his surgery, after all he won't have an abdominal incision to heal.

I'm not big on allowing cats outside, in fact I believe that they live longer, healthier lives. I don't allow my cats outside at all because there's a good chance they could be hit by a car, attacked by a dog, accidentally poisoned with things like antifreeze or they could become the victim of an act of cruelty because they happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. It's not necessary for cats to go outside in order to have a full, happy life - my cats live in a large high rise apartment and they enjoy play time, sunning themselves on the carpet each morning, chasing each other back and forth and generally being busy. If you live in a house you can help your kitties enjoy life much more by adding a bird feeder filled with a mixture of seeds meant to attract small song birds in your back yard. A butterfly garden will also provide hours of entertainment. 2/3 of my resident cats are trained to walk on leash outside - that's another option to allow the little ones outside without worrying about their safety because you'll be right there with them. I must warn you though, walking a cat isn't anything like walking a dog - the cat leads you where s/he wants to go and doesn't respond well to receiving leash corrections. You could also consider making a small kitty run in your back yard, that would ensure the safety of your cats without worrying about the dangers they'd face in the outside world.

Ali

Expertise

I am the proud guardian of 5 mixed breed cats ranging from 12 weeks to 13 years old and one purebred ragdoll. I have 20+ years experience working with mixed breed cats from a variety of different situations. I have fostered cats/kittens with special needs/behavioral issues. I have rescued/rehabilitated/re-homed a variety of stray/abused cats. I can offer advice on managing feral cat colonies, rehabilitating strays and finding them forever homes. I can help you to determine whether a cat is stray or feral, there IS a significant difference. Improperly introducing a new cat/kitten can result in aggression between newly introduced cats because cats are territorial by nature and they don't like sudden changes in their environment. To learn more about a peaceful way to introduce a new cat into a home with other cats please check out my previous answers on this subject. Proper nutrition for cats can be confusing, I recommend checking out catinfo.org which was created by a veterinarian (Dr. Lisa Pierson) who takes a common sense approach to explaining feline nutrition. Cat behavior and instincts are different from those of humans, I can help you understand your cat's needs so that you can meet them adequately and have a balanced, psychologically and physically sound kitty. Cats vary in personality, energy level and intelligence, different approaches may be required to achieve results in terms of training and interaction with your feline companion. An intelligent, high energy cat must be kept busy or they will make their own fun. I am NOT a licensed veterinarian and I can't offer medical advice. If your cat is ill/injured my advice is always the same: get prompt medical treatment provided by a veterinarian. If finances are an issue I will try to find resources in your area that can help with medical costs or make other choices to ensure the welfare of your cat.

Experience

I have fostered feral and stray cats, rehabilitated and homed cats that many people recommended euthanasia for. I am willing to make an effort to do the research and ask questions because I care enough to find solutions to behavioral problems rather than giving up. I have an interest in the use of alternative therapies to help provide the best possible care for all cats and I can say in all honesty that I've seen some incredible things happen for some incredible cats and their human caregivers when the right alternative therapeutic modality is used by a qualified veterinarian with expertise and experience in the field.

Education/Credentials
I've earned my diploma as a veterinary assistant with honors.

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