# Help -my boy is a girl and poss pregnant



## Cherylcw (Apr 26, 2016)

Hi. 

Hi, I have an 8month old kitten. 
When I got him I wanted a girl, but this litter was only boys, but I fell in love with teddy and took him home.
I took him to a vets for his jabs who did a health check and said he was a boy, and then to a different vet for his microchip. 

I took him about a month ago back to the vets for a pre-op check before neutering and the vet told me his testicles hadn't dropped yet, so I'd have to wait and bring him back. 

2weeks ago I went on holiday and left teddy at a cattery, and when I came back he had a swollen belly and a hernia that definitely hadn't been there before. 

I thought the swollen tummy may be a change of food and would be OK after a couple of days, and when it didn't go down I wormed him which still didn't help. This week he had been very sluggish, just sleeping and not playing or being his normal naughty mischievous self, but being very very affectionate. 

Today I took Teddy been to the vets for another pre-op check to see if his Nads had dropped yet. Only to be told firstly that his testicles were underdeveloped, so the vet took Teddy to a senior vet who came back 20 mins later and said HE was actually a SHE, and booked her in to be spayed and have a hernia op on 19th May. They said it wasn't an umbilical hernia but was an abdominal hernia, probably from trauma.

I then remembered that he had been yowling and desperate to go out 6weeks ago and spent the night out, I was worried at the time he could snell a girl in season. I found him/her up a tree the next day and 3 male cats in my garden, who I thought were trying to scare him off from "their" territory. 
I asked the vet if Teddy could be pregnant and she said it was unlikely but they could deal with that during spay if needed. She was already back in her carrier at this point so the vet didn't do anymore checking of her. 

I've come home and read up and now have myself convinced she is pregnant. She would be due around the 20th May (from the date she was yowling and spent the night out). 
I think she is pregnant because she has a swollen round belly and has always been very slim, her nipples are more prominent, she is being very quiet and sleeping a lot, being very affectionate and eating a lot. She isn't jumping up onto my daughters top bunk anymore but is hiding under the bed and desperately trying to get in cupboards and wardrobes, and is grooming a lot. 

I'm worried as what I've read says a) they shouldn't be wormed if pregnant (I used panacur this week) 
b) everything says not to pick her up after 4weeks as can damage the babies and my daughters and I have been picking her up as normal. 
c) she has this hernia, will pregnancy make this worse, could it kill her? 

I'm still in shock that my boy is now a girl, and the possibility she is pregnant has really thrown me and I feel so guilty I didn't know and have let her get in this situation as she is only a baby herself at 8months. 

Any advice anyone can give, do you think it sounds like she is pregnant? Obviously if she is I won't be taking her to be spayed 2days before he due date. Do I need to take her back to the vets to be properly checked? 

Sorry for all the questions but teddy is my first cat, and I just wanted the best for her. 

Cheers, 
Cheryl


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## moggie14 (Sep 11, 2013)

Hi and welcome 
Wow, what a pickle! I'm very, very surprised if all the vets that Teddy has seen could not tell what sex he or she is. 
I'm no expert but perhaps you should consider taking her back to the vets for a thorough examination to determine sex and maybe a scan to see if she is indeed pregnant?


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## lymorelynn (Oct 4, 2008)

You may not like my advice but I would go ahead with the spay but get it done now rather than in three weeks time. If Teddy is pregnant she is too young to be having kittens. If it turns out that Teddy is a boy with undescended testicles this can be dealt with in a spay operation.


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

_booked her in to be spayed and have a hernia op on 19th May
_
Good grief, why the delay? Kittens should be neutered before 6 months, as long before 6 months as the vet will do. My own vet happily neuters my pedigree kittens at about 12 1/2 weeks. Many vets won't do that but waiting until a kitten is 9 months old?

_an abdominal hernia, probably from trauma_

This worries me deeply. How could your kitten have suffered such trauma?

I have no idea what the impact of the hernia might be on delivery, I'm with @lymorelynn that your kitten is far too young to be having kittens and a spay ASAP is the best course of action. Pregnancy and delivery will put a lot of stress on it.

*However* I do wonder if you are right about when she is due. Sounds like she is nesting, this is very unusual as far before the due date as she is. What date was she out? Cat pregnancy is on average 65 days from first mating, which would be the night she was out.


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## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

Goodness me, I'd be changing vets quick smart if they can't sex a cat and also think an entire female out all night surrounded by male cats isn't likely to be pregnant, also to not properly examine her for pregnancy because she's back in the carry box just isn't good enough. If you're in the UK perhaps someone will be able to recommend a good vet in your area. 

Agree with above posts on getting her spayed asap if it's safe to do so. It's also fine to pick up pregnant girls, so you needn't worry about that.


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## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

Normally I'd be with you on understanding how uncomfortable it would be emotionally to have her spayed when she's pregnant. However, given her age and the fact, perhaps more importantly, that she already has a hernea at only 6 weeks pregnant, I'd be taking her in to have it done. You're in a bit of a dangerous situation here as the growing babies will make the hernea bigger, and contractions will risk further damage. Add to that that your kitten is the equivalent human age of about a 6 year old, and you can see she really is too young to be having kittens.

Really sorry you find yourself in this situation.

To the others, sometimes it is really difficult to sex a kitten. My vets have a 100% record with all of my litters so far. I had a kitten born last year that was sexed as a girl when born, at the 2 week check, again at 6 weeks, at 9 weeks and at 11 weeks. I thought all along she was a he, however, everyone reassured me that wasn't the case. I held this kitten back along with her sister to run on and assess for breeding potential, only to be told at the 12 week check that she was a he. I queried it, and another vet was brought in, who confidently stated that he was a she. After a full 10 minutes of examining, they found the little boy bits and came to a unanimous decision. This is a surgery who are very experienced, and, as I say, have never got it wrong before. So it can happen.


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## moggie14 (Sep 11, 2013)

Um sorry if this is a really dumbass question.... but wouldn't it be easy to find a willy on an 8 month old cat?!


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## Polly G (Apr 30, 2013)

All a little bit strange ....


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## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

Some can be all tucked up inside. As I say, it doesn't happen often, but happen it does. It should be easy to find a willie on a 3 month old! Yet, my very experienced vets took ages to do so.

Although thinking about it, I'd expect it the other way around, i.e, assuming a boy was a girl, not that a girl was a boy! I wonder if she had some sort of prolapse or something that looked like a willy? Clutching at straws a bit now, but I guess anything's possible.


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## Cherylcw (Apr 26, 2016)

Hi, thank you for you replies and advice. 

Teddy is booked in at a different vets for an ultrasound and to discuss the situation tomorrow. 

I took Teddy to the vets on several occasions for vaccinations, micro chip and Pre-op checks for castration at 5months, 7months and now at 8months. At 5months they said they hadn't descended yet so to come back in a couple of months. At 7months I was told they felt underdeveloped and so they would have to do a more complicated surgery which would cost a lot more, so their advise was to come back in a month, which I did. My cattery wouldn't normally accept them after 8 months if they weren't done so I was waiting to get it done Asap as I'm supposed to be going on holiday in a month which I may now have to cancel.
This last time at the vet, it was a different vet and she said they felt more like a 3month old cats than an 8 month old cats which if why she took them to see the senior vet who was in surgery but was called out to look at him. It took them 20 mins to bring him /her back to me and day she was a girl. The then said to book her in for a caesarean with the senior vet as it would need to be a midline spay rather than through the side as normal due to the hernia, and the senior vet wanted to do it as she was now aware of the situation. But she wouldn't be available until 19th may. 
At the point I asked if she could be pregnant due to that swollen belly and change in behaviour. I was told it would be very unlikely Although they hadn't been specifically feeling for kittens she's sure they'd have felt them.

It was only when I got home and thought more about it and started looking into it all I decided I'm certain she's pregnant. 

She went out on 18th March all night after she'd been yowling all day. She doesn't normally go out at all and ran out while my daughter let the dog out. The next morning there were several cats in my garden and Ted didn't come home till the afternoon. There was no more yowling after that day and she didn't go out again. I know the date as had been meaning my friend about how worried I was about her being out all night and liked back through our messages. 

I'm presuming the "Trauma" happened at the cattery as wasn't there before. I've already spoken to the cattery owner as she was away when Ted was there and 2 girls were left in charge, who were very rude and told me teddy was always climbing the metal door. Needless to say I'm changing cattery as well as vet. 

By nesting I mean she is distended hiding under my daughters bed (whereas normally she'd be on the top bunk) she is also getting in the wardrobes, under cupboards, I'm guessing trying to figure somewhere quiet and secluded for when she is ready. 

Teddy is my first cat. I've always had dogs who ate silently much easier to tell their sex. I wouldn't have a clue about sexing a cat and had no reason not to believe what I was told. I have always sorted my bitches before their first season, as believe breeding is for breeders, not me. I got have a clue about cat pregnancy and Labour and am quite squeamish. Although I have now been doing a lot of reading up. A lot of which said it's not advisable to spay so late. 

The vet never mentioned as prolapse, but was more interested in coming her in for a spay and sorting everything then..

Sorry for any typos, I'm on my phone on the train any trying to get it all typed up before my stop.

Cheers,
Cheryl


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## Mellowredsa (Apr 17, 2016)

Stupid question ... can cats be intersex? Just thinking if she/he is intersex it could explain the underdeveloped genitals(??)


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

Mellowredsa said:


> Stupid question ... can cats be intersex? Just thinking if she/he is intersex it could explain the underdeveloped genitals(??)


Any mammal can be intersex and there was a recent case in the news. Also some kittens have very ambiguous genitalia at least for a while. However in kittens the testicles are normally in the scrotum at birth, and if not then very soon after.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Cheryl, it is quite probable that Ted could be hiding under beds etc because she is in pain from the hernia. Hernias can be very painful indeed. 

Did the vet say Ted has an inguinal hernia? As you mentioned this kind of hernia is usually caused by trauma, and if she sustained such an injury whilst in the cattery I would be wanting the circumtances investigated thoroughly with the owner. 

It is possible that when Teddy spent the night outdoors she had a fall and injured herself whilst trying to escape from the male cats who were pestering her. Or perhaps she was hit by a vehicle.


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## Cherylcw (Apr 26, 2016)

Looking at teddy now I know what I'm looking for, there is no scrotum, it's just fur.

Teddy doesn't seem to be in pain, no crying, she's happy to stretch out and have a roll and is still jumping up on to my fish tank. 
As to the hernia, the vet definitely didn't say it was an inguinal hernia (my daughter had surgery on an inguinal hernia last year so I'd have remembered if she'd said that. My neighbour did say need he'd seen her up two trees quite high the night she was out so there is a possibility she fell out of the tree I suppose, but I definitely hadn't felt the hernia before taking her to the cattery. I don't think she would have left my garden as even if I go outside and she follows me she only goes about 10 metres and runs back in. She was even terrified of my chickens, and I'm in a very query cul de sac so unlikely to have been hit, she's never acted like she's been in any pain


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## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

I really would consider a spay at this stage, particularly because of the hernea. Can't really stress that strongly enough.It is slightly more risky yes, but if she was mated on 17th March, she is not even 6 weeks pregnant, so at this stage, it is not late pregnancy. I would consider the hernea a far bigger risk with the pregnancy than a spay would be.


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## Cherylcw (Apr 26, 2016)

This is why she's going to a new vets tomorrow for ultrasound and full check so we can go through it and get her sorted asap. Teddys health is my absolute priority.


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## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

Do let us know how it goes.


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## Cherylcw (Apr 26, 2016)

Will do


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## Cherylcw (Apr 26, 2016)

Well I've been to the vets, she was very straight talking. She said no point doing an ultrasound as teddy was blatantly pregnant and she could feel 4 or 5 kittens, and everything seemed to be progressing well. She said Teddy is in good health and a good size so she doesn't expect teddy will have any problems and didn't recommend terminating the pregnancy. As for the hernia I asked her to have a good look /feel which she did and she said it would cause no problem in pregnancy or labour, it is causing teddy no discomfort and will be an easy fix once the kittens are weaned and teddy is spayed.

I know there will be people on here who think it's the wrong call, but I have to say I feel like a weight has been lifted, it's not ideal and I never planned to be having kittens, but I felt like I'd be murdering innocent kittens but had to for teddy's sake, but the vet has confirmed that in her opinion Teddy will have no ill effects.

Now I have approximately 3weeks to find out everything I can about labour and newborn /growing kittens. 
Cheers,
Cheryl


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## catcoonz (Aug 4, 2012)

I purposely stayed off this thread as I didn't want to sway you either way regarding the pregnancy.
If you need any advise over the phone if labour is 1am onwards and nobody online, I am more than happy to give you my number and talk you through things.


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## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

Where are you located? You may well be near some of us who would be willing to help.


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## Cherylcw (Apr 26, 2016)

catcoonz said:


> I purposely stayed off this thread as I didn't want to sway you either way regarding the pregnancy.
> If you need any advise over the phone if labour is 1am onwards and nobody online, I am more than happy to give you my number and talk you through things.


That's fab thank you so much x


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## Cherylcw (Apr 26, 2016)

carly87 said:


> Where are you located? You may well be near some of us who would be willing to help.


I'm in Nottingham hun x


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## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

Be sure to keep her inside until spayed, cats can get pregnant again soon after birth.
The kittens can be neutered before they leave you at 12+ weeks and mum can get done at the same time.


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## catcoonz (Aug 4, 2012)

Ive just messaged you my mobile number.
Please use it any time, I would rather you ask and be reassured than sit worrying.. x


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## Cherylcw (Apr 26, 2016)

catcoonz said:


> Ive just messaged you my mobile number.
> Please use it any time, I would rather you ask and be reassured than sit worrying.. x


Thank you catcoonz. I've just replied xx


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## Mildred's Mum (Dec 3, 2015)

How did things go Cheryl?


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## Cherylcw (Apr 26, 2016)

Hi, it all went really well. She went 5days over, and then waited for me to get home from work, I sat on my bed next to her, and next thing, her plug came away, 10 mins later she had her first kitten and within 90 minutes she'd had 5 kittens. I didn't have to do anything, she cleaned them, sorted cords, ate the placenta. She was incredible and I was competely in awe of her! She never cried or moaned. There were 3 beautiful tabbie/Bengal, 1 blue and white and 1white and tabby. She has been an absolute natural feeding them and keeping them warm. She's had no issues with the dog or kids looking at them or me touching them. They're a week old today and so cute.


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## Mildred's Mum (Dec 3, 2015)

That's absolutely brilliant  Any photos?? X


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## Rainfall (Nov 4, 2015)

.


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## Cherylcw (Apr 26, 2016)

How do I put pictures on here?
They've doubled in size already and they're only 11days old, they're so cute X


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## Cherylcw (Apr 26, 2016)

1


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## Cherylcw (Apr 26, 2016)

2


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## Cherylcw (Apr 26, 2016)

3


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## Cherylcw (Apr 26, 2016)

4


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## Cherylcw (Apr 26, 2016)

5


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## Cherylcw (Apr 26, 2016)

6


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## Cherylcw (Apr 26, 2016)

7


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## Cherylcw (Apr 26, 2016)

8


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Lovely chunky looking kittens!  Beautiful mum cat too !


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## moggie14 (Sep 11, 2013)

Great photos, they are all super cute! x


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## Cherylcw (Apr 26, 2016)

Thanks. I've come home off holiday today (my friend has been cat sitting) and I can't believe how much bigger they are, they're twice the size at least. Teddy has been very happy to see me and keeps coming to see me but then keeps running back to feed the kittens. She's doing such an amazing job with them x


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## Fern BS (Jun 7, 2016)

Just caught up on this thread! I'm new on the forum so had to go back to the start and read it all. Absolutely crazy journey you have been on!!! It's insane! Well done! You seem to have coped really well!!! Babies are handsome!! Hope they all get great forever homes!


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## Cherylcw (Apr 26, 2016)

Thank you. 
They're are such little cuties. Their eyes are all open, they're walking and exploring and play fighting, the love to cuddle up and go to sleep. They're 3weeks old tomorrow x


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## Cherylcw (Apr 26, 2016)

Cute


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## Cherylcw (Apr 26, 2016)

A


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## Cherylcw (Apr 26, 2016)

B


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## Fern BS (Jun 7, 2016)

Crazy story! Really! Must have been a hard blow! I can't imagine the fright! Always trust your gut! Especially when it comes to things like this. You know them better than any vet! They're beautiful!


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## Cherylcw (Apr 26, 2016)

Aww


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## Cherylcw (Apr 26, 2016)

They're so sweet


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## Cherylcw (Apr 26, 2016)

C


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## Cherylcw (Apr 26, 2016)

This will be my gang as we're keeping the stripy little fella


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## Citruspips (Jul 6, 2011)

Cherylcw said:


> This will be my gang as we're keeping the stripy little fella


Are you sure he's a boy  ....just kidding

I've just read your whole thread, what an amazing story and what a beautiful cat mum is. I don't know how you're going to part with those kittens especially considering the amazing way they came into your life.


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## Cherylcw (Apr 26, 2016)

Haha, Tiger was the first born and had very obvious nads as soon as he was born. Thankfully its fairly easy to tell when you put a boy and girl next to each other so I'm fairly certain lol 

And yeah it will be difficult, but I'm keeping one, two have been reserved (by friends who I know will give them a great home) and I've got a few people interested in the remaining 2 tabbies


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