# Looking for advice for my neighbour (her cat is pregnant)



## OliviaTheMoose (Mar 1, 2015)

My neighbour (who has learning difficulties and young kids) has had an intact male and female for a while now. I've told her to get them neutered since day one. She had an appointment for neutering at one point but the male was ill so they didn't go.
Today I saw her and suprise suprise she said her cat was pregnant. I haven't seen the cat but she is apparently big and has bald and big nipples and is also more clingy. I told her to get a box ready with towels and to give her kitten food. 
Is there any food you would recommend? (She is on low income so I was thinking about ordering some cheaper kitten foods (but not felix) off Zooplus for her.)
Anything else I should tell her? I've never had to deal with a pregnant cat before so my knowledge is fairly limited.


----------



## lymorelynn (Oct 4, 2008)

Oh dear - I do hope she manages to get them neutered after this. The boy as soon as possible and the girl once the kittens are weaned.
I'd recommend something like Smilla or Animonda Carney from zooplus - both relatively inexpensive and you wouldn't need to buy specific kitten food.
Fleece would be better in a box as kitten claws can get caught on towelling. The box needs to be in a quiet place so that she isn't disturbed by the children. Mum should be kept indoors from now until she has been spayed.
The majority of cats give birth without any problems but I hope your neighbour is prepared for a large vet bill should things go wrong


----------



## OliviaTheMoose (Mar 1, 2015)

lymorelynn said:


> Oh dear - I do hope she manages to get them neutered after this. The boy as soon as possible and the girl once the kittens are weaned.
> I'd recommend something like Smilla or Animonda Carney from zooplus - both relatively inexpensive and you wouldn't need to buy specific kitten food.
> Fleece would be better in a box as kitten claws can get caught on towelling. The box needs to be in a quiet place so that she isn't disturbed by the children. Mum should be kept indoors from now until she has been spayed.
> The majority of cats give birth without any problems but I hope your neighbour is prepared for a large vet bill should things go wrong


Shes entitled to pdsa luckily. She's out at the moment but later on I'll pop in and check everything and talk again about neutering and bring up food. On Zooplus there is kitten animonda and smilla so I'll tell her about those


----------



## Rufus15 (Dec 4, 2015)

Can you offer to take the boy to the vets yourself?


----------



## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

Take her to the vets with the boy to get him neutered as soon as possible. She also needs to keep the girl in until she is spayed for a variety of reasons.

Personally I feel more concerned that the girl will get pregnant again very quickly than what the kittens are eating. Also if the girl has problems delivering her kittens - unlikely but not impossible.


----------



## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

The male will need to be kept away from the female, even if he’s neutered right away they remain fertile for up to 10 weeks and mum will likely come back into heat at least once during the 12 weeks the kittens are there.

If all you have on hand is towels you can pop a pillow case over so little claws don’t get caught.


----------



## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Take both cats to a rescue and say they were strays


----------



## David C (Sep 6, 2010)

You cannot just take her cats to a rescue and say they are strays as that is stealing and besides that think of what upset that would cause the family, no one has any right to just go and do that. The OP is doing her best to help and IMO do what others have said, take her to the PDSA with the male and get him neutered asap and then take the queen after she has weaned the kittens and get her spayed. Help her find the kittens good homes and then she and her kids can live happily with their two cats without the worry of more kittens coming along.


----------



## OliviaTheMoose (Mar 1, 2015)

I looked at her yesterday. She is pregnant but not as far along as I thought. She looks a bit round but hasn't dropped and her fur around her nipples is only a little bit gone. I told her to get the male neutered soon and maybe take the girl for a check at the same time. I also told her about fleece blankets instead.
I've told her to keep the girl cat inside from now on to keep her safe.
The lady has gone into hospital for an operation today (I think it's about her heart) so once she's back home I'll see if i can help her book an appointment at the vet (We have a low cost clinic in our town too). She's put the kitten box in her bedroom away from the kids.


----------



## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

I feel that she won't get the male neutered without a bit of help to get her and him to the vets. The sooner the better once she's out of hospital - or would she let you take him while she's in?


----------



## OliviaTheMoose (Mar 1, 2015)

OrientalSlave said:


> I feel that she won't get the male neutered without a bit of help to get her and him to the vets. The sooner the better once she's out of hospital - or would she let you take him while she's in?


We've got cats of our own. We've also recently adopted an entire female and our other cat stresses very easily. I'm a college student who doesn't drive so I can't take the cat to a vet myself.


----------



## OliviaTheMoose (Mar 1, 2015)

Update- she had kittens last night.
5 in total, 2 ginger and white, 1 black, 1 tabby and 1 tortie and white. I've left mum to it, she's a very attentive mum and I'm assuming they're all being fed. I only picked them up to move them to the kitten box which I put where she was originally. 
Boy cat still isn't neutered but she did say she'll call the vets tomorrow and I'll check in tomorrow anyway to check she has. I also told her to keep the boy and girl seperate until she is spayed and that she can ask the vets for more advice.
She's still purring which I assume is normal.


----------



## Bertie'sMum (Mar 27, 2017)

If the cost of spaying/neutering is an issue then tell your neighbour to contact the Cats Protection League, they have a neutering voucher scheme which would settle part or all of the cost.
https://www.cats.org.uk/what-we-do/neutering


----------



## Jonescat (Feb 5, 2012)

OliviaTheMoose said:


> We've also recently adopted an entire female


Gosh - with an entire male next door you do have your hands full - what is this girl's story?


----------



## OliviaTheMoose (Mar 1, 2015)

Bertie'sMum said:


> If the cost of spaying/neutering is an issue then tell your neighbour to contact the Cats Protection League, they have a neutering voucher scheme which would settle part or all of the cost.
> https://www.cats.org.uk/what-we-do/neutering


We have a low cost animal clinic which uses vouchers from cats protection


----------



## OliviaTheMoose (Mar 1, 2015)

Jonescat said:


> Gosh - with an entire male next door you do have your hands full - what is this girl's story?


She's a little tortie persian called pumpkin (because of her bright copper eyes)
My mum's friend used to breed cats. She had bred her and kept ther for a year (unsure if she wanted to keep her) and then rehomed to a family member who didn't want her after a week. She then gave her to us. She's still scared of us (we cant stroke her unless we put her in a small room and grab her, and she will yell when you do, sometimes you can get her to sniff you, she's also very jumpy.) and we've had her since december. I think she missed out on key socialisation as a kitten because my mum's friend has 3 children,and 2 with additional needs and one toddler so i don't think the cats got much individual time with her. Luckily she's stopped breeding.


----------



## Jonescat (Feb 5, 2012)

Poor little girl. Doesn't sound like she has had a very happy life before she came to you. There are some very good posts in the cat training and behaviour forum that may give you some more ideas for making friends with her. 

Are you intending to breed or spay her?


----------



## OliviaTheMoose (Mar 1, 2015)

Jonescat said:


> Poor little girl. Doesn't sound like she has had a very happy life before she came to you. There are some very good posts in the cat training and behaviour forum that may give you some more ideas for making friends with her.
> 
> Are you intending to breed or spay her?


We are spaying her soon


----------



## Jonescat (Feb 5, 2012)

A Pumpkin pic would be lovely.


----------



## OliviaTheMoose (Mar 1, 2015)

Jonescat said:


> A Pumpkin pic would be lovely.


It's hard to get good photos because she's so dark and she's a bit shy


----------



## Jonescat (Feb 5, 2012)

aaah. She is really sweet. I hope you get your shoe back.


----------



## Summercat (Oct 8, 2017)

@OliviaTheMoose 
Pumpkin looks a sweet girl:Cat hopefully in a calmer environment, with time and attention she will be less fearful.
Very kind of you to help your neighbor out with her cats.


----------



## OliviaTheMoose (Mar 1, 2015)

Summercat said:


> @OliviaTheMoose
> Pumpkin looks a sweet girl:Cat hopefully in a calmer environment, with time and attention she will be less fearful.
> Very kind of you to help your neighbor out with her cats.


I stroked her this morning as she was on the carpet next to the bed with Peanut (our other cat and her best friend) Whilst she was being groomed by him. She seemed to like it too. She's got her spay on Monday too (the vet gave her gabapentin to have before so it would be less stressful for her and because she's at risk for FIP so we really don't want to stress her too much)


----------



## Rufus15 (Dec 4, 2015)

OliviaTheMoose said:


> she's at risk for FIP


Eh? How does that work?


----------



## OliviaTheMoose (Mar 1, 2015)

Rufus15 said:


> Eh? How does that work?


She came to us with another cat who died shortly after we got them both. They were half brother and sister and were raised together. We think he died of FIP so it's highly likely she has the coronavirus which mutates to become FIP under stress


----------



## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

OliviaTheMoose said:


> She came to us with another cat who died shortly after we got them both. They were half brother and sister and were raised together. We think he died of FIP so it's highly likely she has the coronavirus which mutates to become FIP under stress


Only a small percentage of cats infected with FCoV ever get FIP, and whilst stress can be a factor in those that do, those that don't develop FIP do so despite living through various stressful events. So it's far from inevitable that your cat will get FIP.


----------



## Rufus15 (Dec 4, 2015)

OliviaTheMoose said:


> She came to us with another cat who died shortly after we got them both. They were half brother and sister and were raised together. We think he died of FIP so it's highly likely she has the coronavirus which mutates to become FIP under stress


Living with a cat who then died of FIP doesn't increase or decrease the risk of FIP. I have had FIP here, three of my current five would have had FCoV so are very likely shedders, I know of other multicat homes who have had it where only one cat developed FIP and the others have been fine. Still alive and kicking today, same as my own furries.

Only 5% of FCoV infections will mutate to FIP.


----------



## OliviaTheMoose (Mar 1, 2015)

Oh ok. I'm a bit of a hypochondriac lmao. Imo better be safe than sorry


----------



## NFC slave (Nov 7, 2017)

You sound a really kind neighbour with all you are doing to help with these cats. Would you consider becoming my neighbour?


----------



## OliviaTheMoose (Mar 1, 2015)

NFC slave said:


> You sound a really kind neighbour with all you are doing to help with these cats. Would you consider becoming my neighbour?


Aww thank you!


----------

