6 months old kitten pregnat

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Sarah868
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6 months old kitten pregnat

Post by Sarah868 »

Hello, my kitten Zoe who I picked up from a litter that was advertised on Gumtree, is apprently pregnant.
I bought her four weeks ago and she was totally adorable, however, she must have been pregnant at that time, i.e. when she just turned 5 months old.
The reason I know that is because I live on the 4:th floor and she hasn't been out of my apartment, that much I know for sure! I'm the only one who has brought males back, hrmm, host**host.
My question is, will a cat/kitten that just have turned 7 months be able to have kittens?
She is still rather small even though her weight has gone up (probably because of the kittens in addition to normal growth), I've been to the vet and she confirmed that Zoe is pregnant but didn't want to elaborate on her actual ability to give birth, apart from that we have scheduled a follow-up visit in two weeks time and that they offer stand-by availabilty 24/7 in case it's needed.
Very thankful for every opinion and before the cat mafia starts regarding spaying, pls note that again, being on the fourth floor means NO access to toms unless you have wings. Obviously I will spay her after this litter, that goes without saying. Just interested in opinons from people who have been in a similar situation.
Many thx,
Sarah
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fjm
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Re: 6 months old kitten pregnat

Post by fjm »

I had a cat when I was very young that got pregnant at the same age - she needed some help from me in cutting cords and drying the kittens, but she gave birth without problems. She did stay small all her life - too much nutrition going to the kittens rather than into growing. I would plan on being with her as much as possible around the time she is due - your vet should be able to advise. Did your vet give you any information on what to feed her? A diet designed for kittens may be best as the pregnancy advances, in as large a quantity as she wants.
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Mollycat
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Re: 6 months old kitten pregnat

Post by Mollycat »

The beauty of this forum is the absence of bullying, whether it's spaying, dry food or the indoor/outdoor debate. Unlike certain other forums we respect each other's circumstances and feelings and even when someone is making a terrible mistake we are usually supportive and helpful inguiding people to make better choices. Now, if you had chosen to breed from a 5 month old kitten, that might have been one of those terrible mistakes, but even if she had escaped I think everyone would understand.

From what you say I'm not really comfortable with the level of support from your vet. Obviously they can't guarantee she will be fine, but in your shoes I think I'd like a bit more than being told to get in touch when problems happen. How well do you know this vet, has she looked after your animals in the past? Do shop around for a good vet. I drive past 3 vets to the one I use. The last one I left because she cut my Bobby's claws without permission and then tried to justify that they needed doing. It might seem trivial but the point is I can't leave an animal in their care not knowing what they are going to do when my back is turned. I don't clip claws anyway but in his case there were special reasons why they must not be clipped, and she didn't give me the chance to discuss it. I took my cats to a new vet who actually got their records from the old vet, not many of them do that.

Your girl may well be fine and a great mother, but in rare cases there can be problems and that doesn't end at the birth. A young inexperienced and scared mum can neglect, reject or even harm the kittens in the early days. I don't want to scare you but your vet really ought to offer a lot more information and support. You're in a good place here for advice, and you won't be judged.
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Ruth B
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Re: 6 months old kitten pregnat

Post by Ruth B »

Having never had a pregnant cat I can't help much with specific advice. I do know there are food out there specially formulated to provide a pregnant cat and then nursing mother all that she needs, it might be worth looking for those for her to keep her strength up and to make sure her and the kittens are as healthy as possible.

Unfortunately it is quite possible for a female cat to become pregnant at 4 months, my big concern is that the father is likely to be a relative, a brother or even her own father, this poses a greater risk to the kittens' having inbred complications, I don't want to scare you, but just to make you realise that if the kittens aren't born healthy, it probably won't be due to anything you have done wrong.

From what I understand most cats are very good at giving birth all by themselves, however the fact that she is so young and small does mean she is at greater risk of complications. Is there a local rescue charity you could turn to for help, explain what has happened and that you aren't wanting her rehomed but are inexperienced and want to make sure the kittens have the best possible chance, they will probably have people who have a lot of experience with pregnant cats and new born kittens that could offer a lot of advice and give you someone you can turn to for help. They may also be able to help find good homes for the kittens when they are old enough, please don't think I'm having a go at you, but buying and selling cats (or any animal) on Gumtree is far from ideal, a charity would at least be used to making sure the kittens go to loving homes. Of course if a charity is able and willing to help then i would suggest offering a donation in return for their help.

Let us know how you and Zoe get on and i'm sure there will be others along with more advice.
SiddZilla
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6 month

Post by SiddZilla »

This has given me some ease of mind. My 6 month old cat is going in and out of heat and I get anxious that maybe I let her out and she was just going back into heat and I didn't notice until I called her back in. Also, to the person above commenting about how this forum is so much more respectful... Yes, you're so right. I just wanted to know if my cat would survive if worst case scenario she got pregnant this young... The other forums were condemning the owner for allowing it to happen, condemning her for having an unspayed cat when there are heaps of spayed cats needing a home etc. Had me thinking I was terrible until I came here lol
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