Is my stray cat pregnant

skrumtuoscatlayd

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Dec 2, 2020
Messages
269
Purraise
145
I found a stray cat in my backyard yesterday morning. I found her hiding in the bush. When I left out some canned cat food for her she came and ate and retreat back into the bush. While she came to eat I had a chance to have a look at ger belly which seemed quite abnormal. I found the surface of her abdomen to be very lumpy and uneven. Im not sure whether she's pregnant or ill. She's been eating fine and also was able to jump as well. When I tried to touch her belly she'd let me and even laid down in front of me. But what I've noticed is that her movement was a bit slow and cautious especially when she tried to sit in loaf and sometimes would not fully loaf but have front leg not fully folded as if trying to avoid her abdomen from the floor. Also even after I had brought her into my house she'd often hide inside boxes and only come out to eat drink or toilet. So I'm not sure if she's sick or pregnant. Are pregnant cats very careful in their movement and not able to sit in loaf? The thing with this stray cat is that although her abdomen area is very swollen she wasn't bulging sideways as most pictures of pregnant cat show
20201228_092828.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Sarthur2

Cat lady extraordinaire
Staff Member
Advisor
Joined
Mar 8, 2015
Messages
35,986
Purraise
17,678
Location
Sunny Florida
The only way to know for sure is an ultrasound or X-ray at the vet. She may be pregnant with a small litter, or she may not. Time will tell. It does not sound like she is sick since she is eating well. Thanks for taking her in! 😊
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #3

skrumtuoscatlayd

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Dec 2, 2020
Messages
269
Purraise
145
Well but ultrasound costs so expensive here so I want to know if there's any other way to tell whether she's pregnant. I heard that female cats can get swelling around their abdomen area for other reasons such as mastitis or mammary carcinogen so I hope it's not more of these serious illnesses. I wish I could find a diagram showing how female cats belly changes from fertilisation to birth but couldn't find any with good diagram so I'm not too sure at which stage of pregnancy she's in or if she's pregnant at all. If all I could do was provide her with shelter and food and watch her for more signs, how long should I wait until I should be worried of more serious issue other than pregnancy?
 

Norachan

Moderator
Staff Member
Moderator
Joined
May 27, 2013
Messages
32,668
Purraise
32,854
Location
Mount Fuji, Japan
Thank you for rescuing her.

I can't really tell from the picture you've posted, but her nipples look a little unusual. Could she be lactating? If you gently squeeze her nipple does any milk come out? The back nipple looks like it has something white at the tip and the middle nipples seem to have the fur licked away from them. Is there any chance that she's had kittens and they're hidden near by?
 

di and bob

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 12, 2012
Messages
16,582
Purraise
22,958
Location
Nebraska, USA
It looks like she was nursing to me too, I think the lumpiness may be milk filled glands. You might search the area for crying kittens, but she may have been dumped and her kittens died. She is uncomfortable because of the swelling of her milk glands. I feel for her, thank you for taking her in.......
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #6

skrumtuoscatlayd

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Dec 2, 2020
Messages
269
Purraise
145
So she's not pregnant? That's why she might be looking all depressed and sad most of the time. I couldn't find any kittens, if they were there I would have heard them crying
But she pretty much looks notmal except those swollen glands
20201230_050921.jpg

You can see that she looks normal from top view
20201230_050908.jpg

But from side she looks lumpy
20201230_051036.jpg

I checked her bottom and it looked unusually large so I'm thinking too she might have been abandoned after having kitten too
But when I squeezed the glands I couldn't see any milk or white stuff.
But whenever I rub her abdomen I this the cat likes it she lies straight down on that spot for me to keep rubbing it
20201230_051507.jpg
20201230_051448.jpg

If she's lactating and there's no kitten to milk would unlactated milk cause her any harm? Or would swelling just subside on it's on after few weeks?
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #7

skrumtuoscatlayd

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Dec 2, 2020
Messages
269
Purraise
145
Sorry when I put more pressure when squeezing some milk actually came out! So what should I do?
 

Sarthur2

Cat lady extraordinaire
Staff Member
Advisor
Joined
Mar 8, 2015
Messages
35,986
Purraise
17,678
Location
Sunny Florida
Just leave her be. If she is not pregnant her milk will dry up on its own within a couple of weeks. My guess is her babies died or someone took them thinking they were abandoned. Keep her inside so she does not mate again, and make an appointment to get her spayed soon.

If she is already pregnant again you’ll know if her sides get bigger over the next few weeks. Be patient!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #9

skrumtuoscatlayd

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Dec 2, 2020
Messages
269
Purraise
145
But when I researched, most seem to say that lactation won't start until few days before birth, but shes already lactating so if she's few days before giving birth, shouldn't her side's look more bloated than that? Also funny thing is whenever I rub her abdomen she lies sideway down and starts licking my finger as if my hand were her kittens she's trying to groom. So my guess is she's already given birth and kittens were somehow taken from her or lost. But when I touch her belly it feels like elliptical lumps around each udder are full of some fluid especially uterus area, seem very bloated
 

Willowy

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 1, 2009
Messages
31,886
Purraise
28,287
Location
South Dakota
Yeah, the milk glands get very lumpy while they're nursing, and even for a while afterward. From your description of the lumps I'm quite sure that's what you're feeling. So I also suspect she had kittens and they died or were taken.

Cats can get pregnant while still nursing, so she may be pregnant again right now. But maybe not. So keep her inside and away from intact males until after she's spayed, whenever that is (whether it's soon or after kittens are weaned and gone).

Since you just found her, be sure to report her to animal control and post some found notices on social media (most towns have a lost and found pets Facebook page). She probably was dumped, but post them just in case somebody loves her and is looking for her.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #11

skrumtuoscatlayd

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Dec 2, 2020
Messages
269
Purraise
145
Yes I've posted her as found on lost and found pet site and also checked for microchip but no chip were found and no one came forward to claim her yet.. I feel so sorry for her if its really that she's already given birth but her kittens have died, lost or were taken from her
 

di and bob

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 12, 2012
Messages
16,582
Purraise
22,958
Location
Nebraska, USA
Bless you for caring for her. A heatpad on low might feel good to her abdomen too. I feel sorry for her,she is probably mourning her babies.....
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #13

skrumtuoscatlayd

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Dec 2, 2020
Messages
269
Purraise
145
Yes I do feel very sorry for her. She's such a beautiful cat who deserves more. Although she was very reserved and hid under bed a lot the first day I brought her into my house, she now follows me around the house for food and doesn't seem as sad as the first day although when she's having her alone time I could see a glimpse of sadness in her blank facial expression
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #15

skrumtuoscatlayd

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Dec 2, 2020
Messages
269
Purraise
145
No not really.. honestly I don't think anyone could just overlook cat as beautiful. She's fully white radiating elegance. If no one turns up as her owner I'd definitely adopt her
I don't understand how someone could just abandon her like this..
Another odd thing I've notice is that she prefers hard cold floor over cosy bed with heat blanket I've made for her. Do you know why she behaves like this? When I touch her belly I could feel that it's warmer than rest of her body
 

lutece

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 8, 2018
Messages
4,499
Purraise
5,739
How is she doing now? If her belly is hot to the touch and feels like hard lumps, she may be developing mastitis. Is she starting to get better, or is it still feeling hot and lumpy as before?
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #17

skrumtuoscatlayd

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Dec 2, 2020
Messages
269
Purraise
145
Yes the lumps have subsided a lot, her udders have reduced in size and her belly doesn't feel as hot as before. But her appetite is still high, at least higher than average cat her size. Also she moves around with much ease and is more active than first day
 

lutece

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 8, 2018
Messages
4,499
Purraise
5,739
That's good! It can take a while for milk production to dry up completely, but it sounds like things are progressing in the right direction.

I see she has a collar in the first picture, was she wearing a collar when you found her?
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #19

skrumtuoscatlayd

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Dec 2, 2020
Messages
269
Purraise
145
Yes I am so relieved that tge problem wasnt as serious as I first thought. I really thought she was having mastitis or tumor underneath the lumps!
Also the collar in the picture is one I bought for her. I had to put on her as she was too quite so bell was necessary to let everyone that shes around otherwise we'd all get tripped over her as she was slow in movement and often linger around where people were standing
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #20

skrumtuoscatlayd

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Dec 2, 2020
Messages
269
Purraise
145
Little update on how shes going, from yesterday afternoon she's started to meowing a lot and lay down in this position a lot.
20210104_023128.jpg

Does this mean she's in heat again?
 
Top