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Cats/pregnant stray

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Expert: - 3/15/2011


Question
We have been feeding a female stray for 2 years now and she has had multiple litters outside. Her last litter, only one survived and we now keep in the house after getting her shots and everything. Now Chloe is pregnant again and about to pop. So we caught her on the porch and have kept her there for 5 days. On Day 3 she started a bloody discharge and you could somewhat see contractions when she was laying on her side. Shes stil eating, not restless, not yowling, and seems stress free and rolls around on the ground. But its now bending around day 6 and shes has yet to stop eating and have her kittens. Is it possible that she held off on having the kittens? We don't know her gestation day as she is a stray so i can't even guess how far along she is, but it's close. A vet told us that we should let her go or her and the kittens will die, but the whole point of us keeping her on the porch was so we could get her fixed and get her shots and let her go. What should we do?

Thanks
tasha

Answer
Tasha,

Not knowing how far along she is is problematic.  Have you had her to the vet for a pre-natal checkup, just to see if all is OK?

I have seen the bloody discharge start up to a week before kittens came.

Do you have a "birthing" box for her? I like the cardboard "jumbo" storage chests which are about 10 inches X 26 inches X 16 inches.  Keep the birthing box in a draft free area where other pets and young children do not have access.

I would confine her to one room so that you know where she is probably going to have her kittens.

As soon as this next litter is weaned, I would have her spayed!!!!!!!!

Please let me know how she does.

Best regards... Norm.  

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Norman Auspitz

Expertise

I can answer most non-veterinary questions about cats. My particular expertise is pedigree cats, breeding and showing. However, I am versed in feline behavior, cat breeds and their characteristics, general feline husbandry, and the like.

Experience

I judged for the Canadian Cat Association from 1975 until 1982. I am currently an approved allbreed judge for the Cat Fanciers'' Association (the world''s largets cat registry), and have been judging for them since 1991. I have been breeding pedigreed cats since 1971 and have been exhibiting pedigreed cats in shows since 1970. I obtained my first pedigreed cat in 1970 and have never looked back. In 1971, I obtained my first Abyssinian which has become my primary breed. In addition, I have bred Manx and Persians. Currently, besides the Abyssinians, I am also breeding Maine Coons.


Organizations
Cat Fanciers'' Association, inc. (CFA) and the Manx, Maine Coon, and Abyssinian breed councils. I am currently Abyssinian breed council secretary.

Publications
Cat Fancy Magazine, The Abyssinian Chapter in The Cat Fanciers'' Association Complete Cat Book, and Articles for various editions of The Cat Fanciers'' Association Yearbook

Education/Credentials
I received a B.S. from Drexel University in 1968, a M.Math from University of Waterloo, in 1970, a Ph.D. from University of Waterloo in 1975, and a MBA from McMaster University in 1980. I received my approved allbreed judging status in the Cat Fanciers'' Association in 1999.

Awards and Honors
We have produced a number of Cat Fanciers'' Association (CFA) National winning Abyssinian and Maine Coons. We have produced a number of Abyssinian and Maine Coon Distinguished Merit females (an award for a top producing cat), including the first Distinguished Merit Abyssinian in the red (sorrel) color. I am the CFA Abyssinian breed council secretary and belong and/or hold office in a number of cat clubs. I am also a member of the CFA Judges Association.

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