# Day 67ish....When will she give birth?



## dagny0823 (Oct 20, 2009)

Hi all,

I'm a newbie here and just might be your only U.S. member. I've done tons of internet research and found this forum to be the friendliest, most supportive, and most helpful--and I'm not just flattering you for help 

We adopted a Maine Coon mix--a stray kitten who showed up on the porch--13 Aug. Turns out, she's pregnant. We had her to the vet on 14 Aug and he wasn't sure at that time, but said she'll either go into heat or she won't and that she looked to be about 9 or 10 months old at the time. He said either way, if there's no complications, don't worry. It's expensive for an office visit, so I don't want to be neurotic and take her just for confirmation.

She's exhibiting all the signs and I've felt kittens move in there--it's either that or terrible gas bubbles ha ha. She's started acting differently. She hasn't searched out places to have them, but she's spending more time alone up on the bed. We've made her a nice birthing basket in the bedroom that she sleeps in at night. She's looking rounder--and she's a very small cat. But she just doesn't seem like she's about to pop yet. She's still eating lots. She still plays. Yes, she sleeps a lot more, but she's still playing with the other cats. 

Do you think she's just taking her sweet old time about this? I'm fixated on her belly and obsessing about this, and I know you can't rush nature, but I want to see kittens already.

Thanks!
Shannon


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## katnjakey (Oct 11, 2009)

dagny0823 said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I'm a newbie here and just might be your only U.S. member. I've done tons of internet research and found this forum to be the friendliest, most supportive, and most helpful--and I'm not just flattering you for help
> 
> ...


afraid i cant help hun, but we too are newbies and are also playing the awful waiting game only we have 2 were waiting on lol!!! im so impatient!!


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## kitties (Aug 1, 2009)

My cat went on day 67 hope this helps, any time now I'd say.

The first sign of a cat being pregnant is around 3 weeks when nipples go a rosy pink colour. So 6 weeks from then is a good indication. Good luck! x


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## dagny0823 (Oct 20, 2009)

Is there a point when I should really despair that she's not going to do it herself and just take her to the vet? Obviously we don't know the exact date she got pregnant, but I'm figuring maybe the 12th or so.


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## ellie8024 (May 4, 2009)

unfortunately if you dont know the date she caught you just have to play a waiting game


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## dagny0823 (Oct 20, 2009)

She's been licking her thighs a lot, but not anything higher up. So, I guess she isn't leaking yet. Argh.


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## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

As you don't know when she caught, you will just have to wait it out. You'll know if anything goes wrong. Has she been out at all since you had her? Many cats go to 70 days and that's fine.


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## dagny0823 (Oct 20, 2009)

The only time she's been out since was in the carrier to go to the vet. It's a busy street out there, so we're very careful not to let anyone slip out the door. 

This might be a stupid question, but since I read it can take 24 to 48 hours after mating to catch, does that mean you count from catching or from mating? Say she mated on the 13th, but really didn't catch till the 15th, should we loosely calculate from the 15th? Obviously, we still don't know anything more, but I was a little curious in general.


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## MerlinsMum (Aug 2, 2009)

Yes they can take a few days to 'catch' because the eggs aren't released until after the actual mating. But count it from the date of mating, and as others have said don't start to panic til the 70th day.


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## dagny0823 (Oct 20, 2009)

Ha ha, of course day 70 would be Friday then, right before the weekend. All my pets love to have medical issues on weekends and holidays, when there's only the emergency vet hospital available


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## Saikou (Apr 2, 2008)

I would take your cue from her. If she is happy and content, acting normally for a pregnant girl, has no discharge that is foul smelling or green or persistent creamy looking- you may see some spotting of blood bright red or slightly brownish or a one of lot of creamy gunk thats her plug - and the kittens are still moving, then she is OK. Vets tend to be a bit scalpel happy and love to get in there. Mother Nature mostly does fine on her own.

Things to look for as birth is looming :

- change in shape of her bump, they go from nice and round out the sides to more underneath

- babies being a little more quiet than usual

- some girls go off their food

- they have a drop in body temp, but you would only know that if you are taking her temperature regularly

- their ladies bits get bigger and more juicy looking :blushing:

- their teats get very pouchy and engorged, although you may not be able to express any colostrum/milk from them until the kittens are born.


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## dagny0823 (Oct 20, 2009)

Thanks for all of the advice. It does make me feel better. I figure if she acts fine, she's fine, but the waiting game is tough and I don't want to not take her to the vet if she's overdue. Of course, people go overdue too--I guess every pregnancy is its own world and few follow the textbook version. And she's such a sweet little cat I just don't want to endanger her or anything. But I also don't want to rush her to the vet needlessly and, like someone said, have him cut her open just to do it.

Well, today is day 68ish, so we'll keep waiting. She's still bouncy and happy. I haven't seen her at the food dish yet, so she might be slowing down there. Seems like the bump is lower down--she used to be rounder nearer her ribcage, now it does seem further towards her rump and maybe more underneath. Her nipples are pink and stick out, but I'm not seeing a lot of activity there, but I guess that can be late too. Sorry for the neurotic ramblings. I've never had a breeding queenie before


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## emmisoli (Mar 30, 2009)

how is your girlie today?


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## dagny0823 (Oct 20, 2009)

Thanks so much for asking 

She's a little strange. She was hissing and growling at her bestest cat friend this morning. She's been aloof from the other cats for the most part and sleeping more than she has the last couple of days. I think she's eating less too---I had to work, so I couldn't watch her all day, but the dish isn't depleted this evening and I've usually had to fill it 2 or 3 times during the day. She definitely doesn't want her belly touched at all, so I can't feel anything, but I think they must have moved down--she looks thinner again. Of course, I can't get a look at either her teats or her lady bits and her long hair isn't helping! 

That said, she's sweet if you don't mess with her belly, she follows us around, and she doesn't seem poorly or anything. I nearly despaired that she wasn't even pregnant for a little while, just because we haven't had anything confirmed and she just isn't huge. But when I have been able to touch her belly in the past, I know I felt things slide around that I don't feel in the other cats . 

I suppose tomorrow she should go to the vet for induced labor if she doesn't pop tonight. I hate to do it, because I don't want them to do a caesarian, but I don't want her to keep them in too long either.


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## MerlinsMum (Aug 2, 2009)

dagny0823 said:


> I suppose tomorrow she should go to the vet for induced labor if she doesn't pop tonight. I hate to do it, because I don't want them to do a caesarian, but I don't want her to keep them in too long either.


One of the hardest parts of cat breeding is the waiting for birth.
People will warn you about all the pitfalls & worse case scenarios: possible ceasars, fading kittens and so forth, but even after seeing 5, 6, 7 or more births through, the waiting is probably the worst bit! Nobody prepares you for that bit!

I'm not even sure that the vet can induce.... true, a shot of oxytocin _could_ get things going but if it's the wrong time or too early then things very well might go wrong.

On balance, I think it is best to let your girl take her own sweet time. The exact date of birth can't be predicted after all. You run more risk of screwing it up if you interfere; let's suppose she has gone waaaaay over time, and something's wrong, she may have a stillborn litter when she eventually does give birth. That would be very sad and tragic but wouldn't necessarily cause her any permanent harm..... But the potential for damage to live unborn young _and_ the girl herself is greater if you start panicking and stressing her with vet trips and unneccessary intervention.

Just keep your eye on her, trust her. Call the vet for advice if you need. I think it's too soon just yet to get alarmed.


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## dagny0823 (Oct 20, 2009)

MerlinsMom---wow! thanks so much for that advice. That makes me feel wonderfully better. I was just afraid if she went beyond 70 days it could harm her somehow. I've read a lot of hysterical things on the web that imply that the cat will sicken and die if she carries them past 70 days. It's a huge relief to know that's not the case. Of course I wouldn't want her to lose the kittens, even though she was a surprise on the porch, and her pregnancy was an even bigger surprise, but now we're excited about our little waif's impending little ones. We've got homes lined up if it's a larger litter (which I doubt) and we're going to keep them if it's 2-3. 

It hasn't helped my impatient and neurotic mental state that the weekend is coming up and if a pet is going to have a medical emergency, it will be when the regular vet isn't around and a long stressful trip to the emergency hospital 30 miles away plus the humongous bill after looms. I've heard horror stories about the emergency vet too.

Well, I will breath deep, keep watching her and just hope it all works out with some cuties to love when it's all over. She's sleeping now nearby after treading the blankets on the bed a bit. Of course, she has absolutely no interest in the lovely birthing basket I made for her. I'll keep you updated and if it all works out well, maybe I'll figure out how to post pictures of them all.


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## MerlinsMum (Aug 2, 2009)

dagny0823 said:


> MerlinsMom---wow! thanks so much for that advice. That makes me feel wonderfully better. I was just afraid if she went beyond 70 days it could harm her somehow.


I didn't say it couldn't..... but she hasn't got to the 70th yet has she? And to be fair you aren't 100% about the date of the mating (if i remember that right!).

Watch her... if you think the 70th has come & gone, see how her general demeanour is. Vomiting plus smelly discoloured discharge from her lady bits (greenish, yellowish, pus-y), lethargy, are all signs to get busy and call the vet. But eating and drinking, normal energy levels, no discharge or obvious signs of sickness, are all reasons not to.

She may look a bit unwell when her labour starts - the early signs are often not very noticeable and can last for 24 hrs - she may be restless, not eat, be more affectionate or conversely not be. The movements of the kittens slow or stop as they settle in the birth canal.

I think the best thing you can do right now is not to panic overmuch at all. Cats have been doing this on their own for thousands of years, and statistically, problem births are few & far between. Just make sure you've got a vet on the end of a phone if needed.

All good wishes to her & you!


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## dagny0823 (Oct 20, 2009)

Thanks again, and you're right. I think I've just been made a bit paranoid by some things I've read, and other forums. They act as though you're a terrible and irresponsible pet owner if you don't have the cat to the vet every time there's anything different or unusual. I think it's stressful to the pet and needlessly expensive unless there's an issue, but everything I read before I came to this board indicated that one should take the cat for several checkups during the pregnancy. Of course, these boards also have zealots who berate posters viciously for allowing the cat to become pregnant in the first place, even when it is stated clearly that they didn't just let their cat out willy-nilly while in heat. 

I'll keep a watch on her and so long as there's nothing foul, I won't panic. The kitties all just shared a can of wet food and she was in there till the plate was clean, so she's still got an appetite now, at least for wet food. She's back to napping peacefully.


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## dagny0823 (Oct 20, 2009)

Just an update on her. She was a ball of energy this morning, but has been sleeping most of the day since. Not a lot of appetite---she used to gorge, but now she's picking. There was some diarrhea in the litter box today too. Since there's 5 cats total, not certain it was her, but I don't see any reason for any of the others to be loose. She looks a little thinner today while her belly seems a little more droopy underneath, instead of sticking out slightly on the sides. She seems well and happy, not quite so cranky today with the others, but still not into full-out wrestling like she used to enjoy. She seems to prefer sitting under a chair and slap boxing .

We'll see what the evening brings. My fingers are crossed.


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## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

Anytime in the next 48 hours then! When Minnii 'dropped' the first time she gave birth about 30 hours later and the second time she 'dropped' it was about 18 hours later.


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## dagny0823 (Oct 20, 2009)

She's quite subdued this morning. Felt her ears--they seemed cold, but she was sitting by the window, so it's hard to say. When she gets little bursts of energy, they are incredibly short-lived. She's a pretty active kitten/cat, so I think she gets bored or something if she doesn't play, but she really doesn't have the gumption this morning. Maybe this will be the big day. It would be nice to have it during awake times, instead of 4am . But that's entirely up to her, isn't it? She's been nicer to the 2 other girls so far this morning--no more aggression--I think she's just trying to be cuddly. Last night she slept on my feet, which is unusual for her and before that she kept trying to get in my lap on the sofa---that's not really usual either. She's affectionate, but not quite a lap kitty yet.

We're watching her every little breath, so I'll definitely be back on with questions or updates.


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## dagny0823 (Oct 20, 2009)

She's some kind of restless tonight. Can't seem to get comfortable. More diarrhea in the box. Hardly ate any wet food, which she adores, and has nibbled a little at the dry. Licking herself a lot. No panting or searching for a spot yet or anything resembling contractions, but I think we're getting very close.

Now I'm nervous about the birthing process. Is there anything I should look out for? Anything that could go wrong with a kitten? we've got some scissors, terry cloth and paper towels, soft micro-fibre towels to dry the kittens if necessary, a flashlight in case she doesn't like the overhead on. Alcohol, cotton balls and the like a short step away from the birthing room. There's a heating pad in the closet outside, again if necessary. 

Any advice at this point is ever so much welcome.


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## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

the thread at the top (as sticky) tells you all you need to know. 

But basically, keep calm and she will be calm. Good luck and let us know how it goes and pics asap.


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## tillysdream (Sep 23, 2009)

dagny0823 said:


> The only time she's been out since was in the carrier to go to the vet. It's a busy street out there, so we're very careful not to let anyone slip out the door.
> 
> This might be a stupid question, but since I read it can take 24 to 48 hours after mating to catch, does that mean you count from catching or from mating? Say she mated on the 13th, but really didn't catch till the 15th, should we loosely calculate from the 15th? Obviously, we still don't know anything more, but I was a little curious in general.


If the cat was a stray, and was pregnant already when you took her in... How could you possibly know, she had mated on the 13th?

Mmmmmm, think we are not getting the correct story lol....


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## tillysdream (Sep 23, 2009)

dagny0823 said:


> She's some kind of restless tonight. Can't seem to get comfortable. More diarrhea in the box. Hardly ate any wet food, which she adores, and has nibbled a little at the dry. Licking herself a lot. No panting or searching for a spot yet or anything resembling contractions, but I think we're getting very close.
> 
> Now I'm nervous about the birthing process. Is there anything I should look out for? Anything that could go wrong with a kitten? we've got some scissors, terry cloth and paper towels, soft micro-fibre towels to dry the kittens if necessary, a flashlight in case she doesn't like the overhead on. Alcohol, cotton balls and the like a short step away from the birthing room. There's a heating pad in the closet outside, again if necessary.
> 
> Any advice at this point is ever so much welcome.


If at any point you get worried and cat seems in distress, or gets exhausted during delivery, call a vet!

Good luck!


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## dagny0823 (Oct 20, 2009)

tillysdream said:


> If the cat was a stray, and was pregnant already when you took her in... How could you possibly know, she had mated on the 13th?
> 
> Mmmmmm, think we are not getting the correct story lol....


I don't know, but I figured that would be the latest possible date. We took her in about 11am on the 14th. She hasn't been back out since. But obviously it's all speculation.


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## dagny0823 (Oct 20, 2009)

spid said:


> the thread at the top (as sticky) tells you all you need to know.
> 
> But basically, keep calm and she will be calm. Good luck and let us know how it goes and pics asap.


I definitely will. Nothing overnight. Stills lots and lots of licking. She's very energetic this morning (we are not, as we barely slept lol). Maybe the burst before the end? I don't know, but I'm trying to be calm.


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## tillysdream (Sep 23, 2009)

dagny0823 said:


> I definitely will. Nothing overnight. Stills lots and lots of licking. She's very energetic this morning (we are not, as we barely slept lol). Maybe the burst before the end? I don't know, but I'm trying to be calm.


Though it hard to stay calm in this situation! I do feel for you and the wee mummy kitty. I can guess this will be the first and last litter.... Spayed asap I bet!

Hope it all goes well for kitty and her kittens.


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## dagny0823 (Oct 20, 2009)

Well, by my estimated timeline, she's on day 72 today. After showing every possible sign yesterday that birth was approaching (off her food, diarrhea, lots of sleeping, chattier than usual), she's no closer today. She ate more, she was a wild kitten this morning flying around the house, no signs of wanting to nest or be alone or anything and she's happy as can be. Nipples still pink and enlarged, belly still sagging down, but harder than fat would be, I think there are still some lumps, but she's really sensitive about letting us touch it, so it's tough to say--finding the nips in her long hair takes most of the time she allows lol. No discharge whatsoever. Oh, and after a day and night of obsessively cleaning her lady bits, she's back to just the usual washing up all over.

I am trying not to delay her labor by being nervous and worried, but I'm afraid this has gone on too long. We're going to just try to take her to the vet tomorrow. I don't want to stress her, but I'm afraid to let it continue on.


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## dagny0823 (Oct 20, 2009)

tillysdream said:


> Though it hard to stay calm in this situation! I do feel for you and the wee mummy kitty. I can guess this will be the first and last litter.... Spayed asap I bet!
> 
> Hope it all goes well for kitty and her kittens.


Thanks for the good thoughts. You know, after this all being thrown on us and not expecting a 5th cat, much less her kittens, we're so excited to have them that if this doesn't turn out, we might try to find a nice tom to have a litter. Just one . At least I'd be all well-informed for a next one. But I do hope this all turns out and she has a couple of fuzzy healthy cuties.


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## emmisoli (Mar 30, 2009)

I don't know anything about breeding cats.... but if it was my dog on day 72 I would have them to the vet. Good luck and i hope that everything is ok for your girl and her babies


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## dagny0823 (Oct 20, 2009)

emmisoli said:


> I don't know anything about breeding cats.... but if it was my dog on day 72 I would have them to the vet. Good luck and i hope that everything is ok for your girl and her babies


Well, she was a stray and showed up just pregnant, so all due dates are estimated, so I was holding out based on sound advice here--she's healthy, happy, no problems, so why stress her out when nature should just take its course. And part of me still wants to let things go since I'm not sure when she caught. But at this point, if she needs a c-section or the like, I'm just afraid delaying further might endanger her.


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## dagny0823 (Oct 20, 2009)

She goes to the vet today at 2:15 (my time, so 9:15GMT). Please think happy thoughts that she doesn't need anything horrible and, worst case, this was a phantom pregnancy. 

I like my vet, but the fellow who answered the phone has me a little distressed. He tried to tell me the average gestation for cats is 60 days and at the outside, 63, so she's probably not pregnant at all, so don't bother to bring her in. When I recounted all of her behaviors and symptoms, then he started to worry the kittens are dead . So, off she goes. I pray it's all ok.


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## lilbird (Oct 5, 2009)

Wonder where he did his training (perhaps he was the cleaner).
It's usually about 65 days from mating- but could be a few days either side.
Fingers crossed that all is well


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## dagny0823 (Oct 20, 2009)

lilbird said:


> Wonder where he did his training (perhaps he was the cleaner).
> It's usually about 65 days from mating- but could be a few days either side.
> Fingers crossed that all is well


He's their new tech, so I don't think they get a lot of training at all. However the vet I did end up seeing said 60 days is the norm as well. More on her in the next post.

Yes, I'd take the word of breeders any day, since you're all more likely to see a lot of births, more than the average vet ever would. I get the impression they only get involved when something goes wrong.


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## dagny0823 (Oct 20, 2009)

Well, the good news is there's nothing wrong. The bad news is, she's not currently pregnant. The vet couldn't tell me if she reabsorbed or it was phantom or not. 

She was not my regular vet. Apparently he had to hire someone else since he took over the practice of another guy who retired. This new vet is a harpy! She basically tried to make me feel stupid and irresponsible. She told me since it had been more than 60 days, chances were she should have had them already. 

She tried to strong arm me into getting Jezebel spayed immediately, since there's too many unwanted cats out there. I realize that, but these were wanted! And we're responsible. We don't let our cats roam, and I wouldn't have taken the cat in just for a check if I was irresponsible. Then she tried to sell me some extra products like flea control. Didn't check the cat for fleas at all--just squeezed her really hard, declared her kitten-free, and was rude. :cursing:

So, thank you all for your support and advice and the like. I'm feeling rather stupid now for thinking she was pregnant and I know I'm a novice, but she fit the whole description of symptoms.:blushing: At least I've learned an awful lot, so I'll be better prepared for next time. We'd like to breed her once then fix her. We'll be responsible about it and those kittens will be loved. Meanwhile, I have to deal with my disappointment, but I'm glad she's healthy and there aren't complications.


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## dagny0823 (Oct 20, 2009)

And just to cap the whole thing off.....she's on heat again as of late last night. And she loves getting her belly rubbed again. Is there any possible explanation for all of her symptoms and then the disappearance of them? I know the 2 are she reabsorbed them (about which I know nearly nothing) or she had a phantom pregnancy. Is either really plausible, though? I'm curious and I'd like to be very well informed on this going forward.

Plus there's a little stray of about 7 months hanging about outside. I have no doubt she'll turn up preggers soon if someone doesn't take her in. Sweet little calico with a bad case of ear mites but otherwise looks quite clean and sturdy, unlike poor Jezebel who was scrawny and dirty when we took her in.


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## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

Both of these explanations are *extremely* plausible.


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## dagny0823 (Oct 20, 2009)

Interesting. The vet acted like I was crazy to even suggest such things. I'm getting the feeling that breeders know volumes more about actual pregnancy and birth than vets, unless there's some horrible complication--then the vets catch up a little bit.


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## myrkari (May 2, 2009)

Knowledge etc aside, if the lady was rude to you and there is another vet in your area, I would recommend paying a visit to the new practice. I had a terrible time with my first vets and after they messed me around one too many times I switched and cannot believe how fantastic my new vets are.

Although everyone's first choice re: vets is always "can they help my pet", and rightly so - at the end of the day, a veterinary surgery is also a business and businesses revolve around good customer service. If they are rude and unhelpful (or like the guy on the phone, give you mostly wrong information), then they don't deserve your custom and your money. 

Back on topic, I'm sorry that you were all geared up for kittens only to find that it was a phantom pregnancy or reabsorption, I'm sure you are disappointed! If you are planning on having a litter in the future then at least you will know the dates and know what to expect this time! But if you're looking for an tom cat to breed her with, make sure you check that the tom is free of any diseases or parasites (eg feline herpes virus or ear mites etc) that he might give to your cat. With pedigrees, stud owners have their cats regularly checked but with moggy boys that isn't usually the case.


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## dagny0823 (Oct 20, 2009)

myrkari said:


> Knowledge etc aside, if the lady was rude to you and there is another vet in your area, I would recommend paying a visit to the new practice. I had a terrible time with my first vets and after they messed me around one too many times I switched and cannot believe how fantastic my new vets are.
> 
> Although everyone's first choice re: vets is always "can they help my pet", and rightly so - at the end of the day, a veterinary surgery is also a business and businesses revolve around good customer service. If they are rude and unhelpful (or like the guy on the phone, give you mostly wrong information), then they don't deserve your custom and your money.
> 
> Back on topic, I'm sorry that you were all geared up for kittens only to find that it was a phantom pregnancy or reabsorption, I'm sure you are disappointed! If you are planning on having a litter in the future then at least you will know the dates and know what to expect this time! But if you're looking for an tom cat to breed her with, make sure you check that the tom is free of any diseases or parasites (eg feline herpes virus or ear mites etc) that he might give to your cat. With pedigrees, stud owners have their cats regularly checked but with moggy boys that isn't usually the case.


I've had more bad experiences with vet staff than I care to admit. This vet wasn't my regular, but is a new vet that the regular hired to help out. His business is growing at an alarming rate. I'm so annoyed that I am pretty close to checking out other options. I have a name of one recommended by a friend with cats and she's very particular, so I might give that a try.

And yes, back on topic, we are talking to the neighbor of a friend who has an unneutered male, very pretty fluffy moggy, who is definitely a clean housecat. that would be preferable for all sorts of reasons, not least of which being the disease issue but also for getting to assess his temperament and such.


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## Acacia86 (Dec 30, 2008)

I haven't read the whole thread yet :blushing: sorry..........

But i have to comment....just because the parent(s) have super temperents..it does not mean that the young will.


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## dagny0823 (Oct 20, 2009)

Acacia86 said:


> I haven't read the whole thread yet :blushing: sorry..........
> 
> But i have to comment....just because the parent(s) have super temperents..it does not mean that the young will.


Interesting. I thought with dog breeding temperament was a consideration, so I assumed the same would hold true with cats. My bad. So, I should be more concerned with physical attributes and such? And of course lack of diseases in the tom (she's clean)?


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## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

Personally I think temperament is paramount - if the cats are grotty I wouldn't consider breeding them - no, good temperament isn't guarenteed but it blooming well helps if mum and dad are nice. A lot of cat temperament is how they are brought up but if mum is a grotty moo then the kittens are more likely to be a grotty moo. Nice mum, more likely for the kittens to copy her behaviour and be nice themselves. I wouldn't mate my birman to a horrid, aggressive or overly scared cat. GO for temperament as a large consideration in my book.


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## Saikou (Apr 2, 2008)

dagny0823 said:


> And yes, back on topic, we are talking to the neighbor of a friend who has an unneutered male, very pretty fluffy moggy, who is definitely a clean housecat.


He may not stay that way after he has had his end away though. Thats something they should be aware of.


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## myrkari (May 2, 2009)

Nice parents isn't a guarantee of nice kittens, that's true - but like spid says, some behaviour does seem to run in the family. Whether it's "nature or nurture", ie whether they're genetically predisposed to being friendly/mean or learn it from watching mum, I don't know. But I know I wouldn't breed from an aggressive cat just like I wouldn't breed from one with a genetic illness.

Having said that, the last litter of kittens I had started doing things that their mum hasn't done since she was a kitten and therefore they hadn't seen her do - such as taking a flying leap onto your shoulder to chew your hair, or sucking their own tails when they're bored (which they too grew out of). None of my other adult cats do those things. And I know they're not unique things and that many other cats and kittens do them, but the similarity to momma-cat was really striking.

dagny0823 - I would take everything into account, personality as well as phsyical attributes and health. Your neighbour's cat sounds like a good option as he's not been able to go outside and have his way with every girl in the neighbourhood and catch anything nasty! Saikou raises a good point though, he might decide to act more like a man once he realises what he's been missing - eg spraying in the house, becoming a bit more aggressive etc.


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