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Expert: - 6/8/2009


Question
I have a 2 year old Siamese cat. She is small 5 pounds.
She was bred last summer 2008. We were not home while she went into labour. When we came home we found one kitten dead it was very big 61/2 inchs in lenght. There was also a second sack with an undeveloped fetus inside.
We decided to try breeding her again this spring 2009.
she was 63 days due on Wednesday or Thursday this last week.
She was showing all the sign's of starting labour.
Last week I notices a thick white discharge coming out we got everything ready a nesting box etc.
She starting spotting around monday and I confined her to my room were she preferred to be.
Then on Friday morning she made a very strange sound waking us up. She was having a contraction.
Out came a very small whitish round thing, I described this to look like a very small tampon.
At first I thought it was the mucus plug and that kittens would be coming next.
Nothing else has happened.I am now thinking that it was another undeveloped fetus?
She never had a big belly and I was never able to feel any movement with this pregnancy.
It is now Sunday night and she is acting normal.
I would appreciate a professional option as to what has happened..
Thankyou
Megan


Answer
Megan,

I'd like to start off this answer by letting you know that I'm not a vet and therefore not qualified to make a diagnosis. I'm finding it a little odd that she showed all signs of labor without producing kittens, I'm wondering if it's possible that she had a phantom pregnancy and the discharge you saw was somehow a product of that. If you haven't felt kittens moving in your queen's belly and she didn't gain any obvious weight there's a good possibility that false pregnancy would be the vet's diagnosis. There's also a possibility that your queen is only pregnant with one or two kittens and she hasn't been able to produce them for any of several reasons which might be as simple as basic mechanics if mom has a small bone structure and she's pregnant with one or more large kittens they can't be born vaginally. I'd recommend that you have your kitty's vet perform an ultrasound or x-ray to determine whether or not there are kittens inside of your queen that haven't been born for one reason or another, if there aren't babies the vet will prescribe medicine to lower the queen's hormone levels or leave her to get through it naturally on her own, if there are kittens who are stuck the vet will likely perform a caesarian to remove them. I'd recommend spaying your queen if she requires a caesarian to avoid further medical complications related to pregnancy.

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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.

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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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