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

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!!

__________________
Kat ( with a K!!)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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

__________________

Thank you to all of those who have helped me through Ambers pregnancy, birth and right through with her kittens.

www.watsonfamilycats.webs.com

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.

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

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

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.

__________________
http://finesthourbirmans.webs.com

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.

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.

__________________
Sue, Merlin & Cuba
Dog moves in mysterious ways. Be at peace, Patrick.
I've been described as a lighthouse in a bog - brilliant, but useless.

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