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Cats/Pregnant Kitty

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Expert: - 6/12/2011


Question
Purrl
Purrl
My cat is about 16 months old. She mated her one and only time between April 6th and April 8 of 2011. It is now June 12, so her pregnancy is between day 65 and day 67, but still no kitties. She has very long fur, so I haven't seen the kittens moving inside her belly and she still has no sign of a mucus plug. I'm wondering when I might expect her to deliver, and if I might somehow be mistaken about whether or not she actually bred. She's shown every other sign of pregnancy, though (more affectionate, appetite picked up, lazes around and only lays on side, nipples have turned pink and hair has cleared away, belly is swollen but not huge so I'm thinking no more than 3 kittens). Please advise.
**Attached photo was taken on June 6, 2011.

Answer
Hi Desteni,

It’s possible Purrl is going through a pseudopregnancy (false pregnancy). This usually results when cats mate but no pregnancy results. The body goes through all the changes that it normally would if the cat was actually pregnant, sometimes including weight gain, and it ends around the time the cat would deliver.

But there is a good chance Purrl is pregnant. Some cats don’t deliver until 72 days (anytime after 68 days, it’s a good idea to see a vet). Some cats only carry 1 kitten, so they don’t gain much weight, and it’s difficult to see or feel any movement.

The best idea is to visit your vet to find out for sure if she’s pregnant. They can palpate her abdomen, run a pregnancy test or do an x-ray to determine if she’s pregnant. I prefer the x-ray method, because this will tell you how many kittens to expect. That way, if she only delivers one baby, you’re not left wondering if she’s in an emergency situation trying to deliver another or not. If all the kittens aren’t delivered within 6 hours of each other, or she strains for more than 1 hours to deliver a kitten, she should see a vet.

Good luck!

Jessica  

Jessica

Expertise

The areas in which I have gained the most experience are cat health and feral cat management/rescue. I provide supportive care to chronically ill cats, hospice care to terminally ill cats and also am involved in trap-neuter-return efforts. My specialities lie in taming feral cats and in the allopathic treatment of cats with illnesses or special needs. I also have owned Siamese, Himalayans, Abyssinians, Russian Blues, Savannahs, Bengals, Peterbalds, Don Sphynx and Oriental Shorthairs and am well-versed in cat breeds as well as cat behavior and nutrition.

Experience

I have 15 years of extensive experience with cats ranging from breeding to medical care. My daily routine consists of caring for cats with diabetes, thyroid disease, kidney failure, feline leukemia, feline AIDS as well as feral cats. I have experience with liver patients, heart patients, feline infectious peritonitis, cancer, recovery from amputation and trauma, congenital deformities and most every disease in between. I have assisted cats giving birth and hand-nursed kittens who were neglected by their mother from 2 days old through weaning.

Education/Credentials
15 years' hands-on experience

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