Possibly pregnant stray cat - swollen nipples/mammary glands.

[NewQueenMama]

Hi all! So glad I stumbled upon this forum. I’m hoping I can get some answers and support from experienced cat owners. Sorry in advance for the long post, I’ll try to make as short as possible. I just need some people to talk to and perhaps a little peace of mind. Support I guess

Basically, there’s been a stray black cat hanging around my house pretty much every day since spring of this year. In late June, she started coming by with three kittens. I’m not sure if they were hiding/living in my yard, but they were there just about every morning. Some days they would stay in my yard from morning til evening. They seemed hungry so I would occasionally feed them. But otherwise looked healthy. So I wasn’t completely sure if they were strays or simply outdoor cats.

Maybe 3-4 weeks later the kittens stopped coming around and only the mother came by every day. She’s so sweet and friendly with the tiniest meow. Constantly seeking attention and would rub against me and roll around on her back. When she did this I could clearly see her nipples were enlarged. Lol She was always extremely hungry and after a couple weeks it appeared she was gaining weight! My friend and I were wondering if she was pregnant again. Her nipples and stomach looked big and she had that pear-shaped figure when sitting.

This was in the summer. Now we’re in November and I never saw a new litter of kittens. But she has still looked the same all this time. Clearly visible nipples, round abdomen, retaining that “pear-shape”. Always hungry, always seeking affection.

I asked around, still unsure if she’s a stray, and none of my neighbors claimed her. I’ve watched her walk the neighborhood and never saw her go into a house. I’m becoming fond of her and since it’s getting cold out, I decided to take her in. I’ve been calling her Charlee. I took Charlee to the vet last week for an exam and to make sure she wasn’t microchipped.

The vet said she does NOT have a microchip. And appeared healthy but she suspected that the Charlee is pregnant. Her reason was that the Charlee’s mammary glands are swollen and her stomach felt firm. I explained that she’s had kittens in the past. But the vet said normally their mammary glands would have gone down by now unless she was pregnant again.
But I swear, she looks exactly the same now as she did 4 months ago...

The only thing I’ve noticed since bringing her into my home and spending more time with her up close is that only two of her nipples on her right side are swollen. And when I very lightly pet her stomach (I know I have to be careful), that swollen area does feel firm and also lumpy. Like there’s two or three golf balls in her stomach.

I’m taking Charlee back to the vet in a couple weeks for an x-ray, so we can confirm the pregnancy and get an idea of how many kittens. But I could use some discussion until then to calm my mind. I’m so nervous about the whole situation. I only have experience with pets that have been spayed or neutered.

My question: is it normal for pregnant a cat’s belly to only be enlarged on one side and feel lumpy? Also, personal opinion: does she sound pregnant or does it seem like something else is going on?

I just want Charles to be safe and healthy and for her to have a smooth pregnancy if she is in fact pregnant.

Thanks everyone!

 

[Sarthur2]

She sounds pregnant and thank you for taking her in. It’s exactly what she needs. After this litter she needs spaying so that the breeding cycle stops. An x-ray will confirm the pregnancy. She probably needs worm meds too since she’s been stray and eating goodness knows what.

Cats have two horns that make up their uterus - one on each side. If one side is larger there may be more kittens developing on that side. I’m puzzled that only a couple of her nipples are swollen, and it may be because she was still recently nursing. I hope it’s not mastitis. Can you post a picture of her nipples? For that matter, post a picture of her from above as well so we can see her sides.

Feed her unlimited kitten chow and canned wet food. Pregnant moms need extra nutrition.

I hope someone gave her kittens a good home. I feel sad when homeless cats roam with their kittens, and then the kittens disappear.

 

[NewQueenMama]

Thanks for replying! I’ll try to get some good pictures of her tomorrow. She’s sleeping now. Poor thing. I’ve been giving her kitten food since Saturday. She’s been eating, drinking and using the litter box normally.

 

[NewQueenMama]

Forgive the dingy carpet. I have her set up in a spare bedroom I was in the process of remodeling. Lol But I got a couple pictures of her belly. I’ll try to get better body pictures later today. This morning she just wanted to roll around and be rubbed. Lol
The first two pictures are of the two nipples on her right side I mentioned. The last is of her left side. I can still see her nipples of the left but they’re not as large as the right side.

She also has a lot of dandruff. Any tips for that?

 

[Sarthur2]

You can brush her with a soft brush to loosen the dandruff. As she eats better her coat should improve, but the dandruff is from dry skin and really shows on dark cats. Better nutrition will help her skin; so would a dandruff shampoo for cats.

Those nipples look as though they have been nursed recently. You can apply coconut or olive oil or bag balm to them as a moisturizer to help them heal. Her milk may still be drying up, then it will come in again if she has another litter. It does not look like mastitis.

This poor cat has been through a lot. If she is not pregnant, or in very early pregnancy, consider spaying her now so she can enjoy life without breeding. I’ll look forward to a full picture of her, and get her checked again for pregnancy as soon as you can by a vet who can tell you without waiting so long, although she may be pretty far along already. A quick x-ray or ultrasound would reveal this.

 

[NewQueenMama]

These were the best pics I could get of her. I had to lure her with a few treats just to get her to stand.Lol

My plan was to make an appointment to have her spayed after the vet exam. I was planning to have her vaccinated as well. Then I found out she might be pregnant... So I’ll definitely have that done ASAP.

 

[Sarthur2]

She’s gorgeous!

Let s know what you find out from the vet.

 

[NewQueenMama]

I will! And yes, she’s a cutie and a sweetheart! Looking at the pictures, her stomach looks more round than I originally thought... Won’t know for sure until the x-ray results. I’ll keep everyone posted!

 

[NewQueenMama]

Another question because I’m just curious now. Lol
Do all the nipples usually “pink up” during pregnancy?It looks like my cat has 6 nipples. 4 are clearly visible as shown in the pictures. But the other two I had to move her fur around a lot just to find. And they didn’t look pink at all. Or even enlarged compared to the others. Just wondering.

 

[Sarthur2]

No, not necessarily.

 

[NewQueenMama]

An update. It’s been two weeks since her last vet appointment and I’m planning on taking her back soon. Hopefully I can get her in today if it’s not too busy. The vet suggested we wait a couple weeks and continue to watch her for changes. Then bring her back for another exam and X-ray to confirm if she is or isn’t pregnant.

She doesn’t appear to be getting any bigger. Her appetite is still the same. I’ve pretty much been letting her eat as much as she wants. And every day she’s been eating two 3oz cans of wet and a little over 1/2 a cup of kibble. The only big change has been her nipples. They’ve gone down significantly since the time I posted those pics. To the point that her nipples are hardly even noticeable at all now. And those “lumps” I was feeling in her stomach are gone. Her belly feels smooth and softer now. I’m still being careful when I run her belly though.

She still enjoys being petted. Rolls around on the floor and rubs up against me. Lol And recently whenever rub her back she sticks her butt in air.

What do you think? Any guesses? Lol I’ll let you know the verdict after the next vet appointment!

 

[NewQueenMama]

Hi everyone! An update. I took Charlee back to the vet on Nov. 13. The doctor gave her an ultrasound and said he could not hear any heartbeats nor did he feel any kittens. But informed me that if she were very early on in her pregnancy, he wouldn’t be able to feel any kittens and heartbeats normally can’t be detected until around the 18th day I think he said... The swelling in her nipples and bulges in her belly have gone away. The vet told me that the “lumps” and firmness we felt shortly after bringing her in were likely her bowels. When I asked how certain he was that she isn’t pregnant, he said he was 90% sure... And he suggested that we still wait a couple more weeks then bring her back for another ultrasound to finally confirm before proceeding with any vaccinations or spaying.

There hasn’t been any change in her behavior or appetite. I don’t think she’s gotten much bigger since the last pictures I posted of her. And if she has put on any weight, it’s likely from getting regular meals now that we’ve taken her in. Her nipples haven’t changed, her belly hasn’t gotten rounder and I haven’t seen any nesting behavior from her that I can tell.

I honestly don’t want to take her back to vet right now because it seems like each time I go they tell me they aren’t certain and to bring her back in a couple weeks. I mean, I know they just want to be sure so we don’t risk killing any kittens. But it’s frustrating because I just want to know the situation I’m dealing with and move forward. And I’ve already spent a couple hundred dollars on inconclusive pregnancy checks.So I was honestly thinking of waiting until the end of this month to take her back... If my luck is bad and she mated right before I brought her in, she would just be going into her 7th week this week. And the end of this month would be exactly two months since bringing her in. If she hasn’t given birth or doesn’t look visibly pregnant by then, I think it’ll be safe to say she isn’t. Lol

 

[NewQueenMama]

Out of curiosity. If she is pregnant. As I said, the earliest, she would be in her 7th week. Does anyone know what the typical signs would be in that stage of pregnancy?

 

[cataholic07]

If the ultrasound isnt getting I'd say just get her spayed now. We have had not one but 2 "pregnant" cats come to the rescue in the past month, both were in for a few weeks and still looked fat but no babies. So we had xrays done.Turns out they were just fat cause they were given extra food lol.

 

[NewQueenMama]

Hi! Sorry for the delay in updates! But she’s definitely not pregnant! Lol She’s had all her vaccinations and I’ve talked to the vet about spaying.

 

[cataholic07]

Hi! Sorry for the delay in updates! But she’s definitely not pregnant! Lol She’s had all her vaccinations and I’ve talked to the vet about spaying.

Thats great to hear! The rescue I volunteer with has had 3 false pregnant cats too (who were just fat) lol.