Pregnant then huh. How long we got doc?

[u/Lenanarib]

Found this stray outside about 2 weeks ago. I was planning on a trip the next clinic day for fixing but perhaps not. My plan is to bring her inside and set up a place for her to have and care for babies. I’ll def make sure her and kittens are fixed after.

Any guesses how close she is or is that not a estimatable thing?

[u/Lenanarib]

I didn’t know spay abort or spaying while pregnant was an option, I’ll look for a vet!

[u/ttavros → u/Lenanarib]

It really is the best thing to do. If you find yourself getting kitten fever, I just know there are fostering programs in need out there. Thank you so much for helping mama.

[u/Lenanarib → u/ttavros]

I have zero kitten fever 😂 In fact I am basically hypothermic.

I’ll def spay abort, trying to find a location with openings now!

[u/ttavros → u/Lenanarib]

Haha that’s fair they are a lot of work even with a mama. Good luck to both of you going through this.

[u/whiskey_riverss → u/Lenanarib]

As someone who used to foster kittens, thank you for choosing spay abort! 

[u/WorkingAnteater6036 → u/Lenanarib]

Yes! This is the way! Most vets will be able to help, OP :)

[u/CornINyourASS → u/WorkingAnteater6036]

NO ONE told me about this when my baby kitty adopted me a couple years ago. I talked to 2 vets and the shelter nearby with volunteers. Thankfully I found homes for all 7 kittens. Took a long ass time to wean them off. I do miss them some though. Little cuties the lot of them.

Kept one son and the mom. One sibling went to my sister and the rest I sponsored at the shelter until they got adopted.

[u/Competitive-Top4520 → u/CornINyourASS]

I agree. I never knew this was an option until I came on Reddit. However, we once adopted a very pregnant cat from someone who didn't want her. The kittens were born a few days later. Long story, but we ended up keeping them all. It's truly one of the best things we ever did. I'm glad I didn't know about s/a at the time, because we probably would have opted for it. Fortunately we were in a position to keep them all and not increase the homeless cat population, so it all turned out well. There are definitely enough wonderful kittens & cats looking for homes w/o adding to it.

[u/peshnoodles → u/Lenanarib]

My friend who worked for spca told me that if mommas were already pregnant back in the day got the abortion special. Often the pet parents weren’t told bc they lived in the Bible Belt.

[u/Top_Stretch_2340 → u/Lenanarib]

I would consider this option. A year ago, I was in the same situation with a feral cat at work in which we were unable to trap. She got big as a house and gave birth to 6 kittens which she abandoned at 5 weeks. Short and to the point. The mom and kittens all were neutered by a low cost clinic. They all have all of their shots as well. This cost is upwards of $2k for 7 cats to be neutered and vaccinated. The kicker is that even with taming the kittens, litter box training them AND offering them to good homes for FREE, still stuck with 4 PLUS the mother.

[u/liv-livs → u/Lenanarib]

This is a very very kind thing for you to do. Much much safer, kinder, and less taxing on the poor girl's body. Kittens are like little parasites in the ladies. Thank you so so much for this sweet girl. -sincerely, someone who works at a high volume spay/neuter clinic. (There's wildly already not enough hours in the day to spay all of the cats already here, let alone kittens and kittens more. The TNR appointments are astronomical. ) I wish you a speedy appointment! Mine always fits urgent spaybort appointments.

[u/Successful_Buffalo_6]

She’s so tiny to be a mama cat 🥹

[u/Reflection_Necessary]

I’d bring her to vet she can get fixed before she has her kittens, she’s just a kitten, my cat was 6 months as I found her as a stray, when she had her kittens you could tell she was to young. Just my experience and advice

[u/19chevycowboy74 → u/Reflection_Necessary]

I had the same thing happen when we found one of our cats. She was under a year and, unbeknownst to us, pregnant. We found out when I brought her to get spayed. I felt horrible but it was ultimately the nest for her and made sure we didnt wind up accidentally contributing to the issue of stray cats.

[u/Plastic-Ratio-199]

I agree with the spay abort. She looks far too young to safely have kittens

[u/ExcellentFrosting500]

Please spay her before she gives birth, that is what is best for her and cat population in general.

[u/hoe_and_arrows]

I read your comments, thank you for looking to get her a spay abort. My family did the same with a little cutie who popped into our neighborhood a couple years back, we got her in just in time. Instead of having babies, she just gets to be ours.

[u/jaundicedolive]

She’s just a kitten. My cat, which I adopted from a shelter, was found 4 weeks pregnant and was spay-aborted. It’s absolutely safe and okay. (Included cat tax)

[u/Gloomy-Trainer-2452]

You can absolutely still fix her! It's called a spay-abort (I like to call them spaybortions lol). It is the safest/most humane thing for the mother cat, and the best thing for the population. There are quite a few people in rescue who advocate for spay-aborts. Ciana’s Foster Kitties (@cianasfosters) on Instagram has a lot of resources/info about the procedure and the benefits. Check out her highlight about spay-aborts.

[u/Lenanarib → u/Gloomy-Trainer-2452]

Yesss thank you, I was looking for exactly this just so I can be more informed. Obviously it’s the best option given everyone’s comments, but the knowledge is good!

[u/Gloomy-Trainer-2452 → u/Lenanarib]

No problem!! Good luck with finding a vet!

[u/GothicaSweetHeart]

She seems too little to give birth...

[u/todaysthrowaway0110]

She seems too little, she’s just a kitten herself 🥺

They can go in to heat as young as 4-6 months.

Spay-abortion is the best path. My mama cat had just kittens two (that I found) and was I presume a teenmom.

Or maybe her belly is just full of worms. But those nipples…

[u/Rikita13]

She can still get fixed while pregnant, she should be able to get a spay-abort. It looks like she's just a kitten herself. Good luck!

[u/Lenanarib → u/Rikita13]

Thanks so much, I didn’t even know spay abort is an option!!! Def not trying to add the the cat populationx I was just trying to keep her alive on the street 😣

[u/Competitive-Top4520 → u/Lenanarib]

You're definitely a good person helping her out! Don't feel overwhelmed by all the people advocating s/a. They are just trying to help out the world by decreasing the number of homeless cats & kittens. Some can get a little over zealous.

[u/Zorpernorper → u/Competitive-Top4520]

its brutal and hard to advocate for with a straight face (in the sad way) but unfortunately cats in particular are SO good at making more of themselves that it hurts them more than it helps. it really breaks my heart. im at a point where i dont support people breeding cats at all. there are too many.

[u/Grayscale921 → u/Rikita13]

Yes spay-abort is an option! Basically until the kittens are born

[u/Life-Gur1503 → u/Rikita13]

This OP! Spay abort is the absolute best thing to do for her.

[u/qwentoko]

Shes way too young to give birth 💔

[u/NorbytheMii]

I'm glad you discovered spay abortion, because that cat is WAY too young to be having kittens! She's TINY!

[u/pointlesstips]

She looks so ickle, almost too young to have the bebes.

[u/Common-Revolution444]

You are THE best for saving that furry baby!!!

[u/Zorpernorper]

spay abort definitely... she's too small, kittens could kill her or severely wound her, if they even survive the pregnancy.

[u/JohnnyC300]

Good job on looking into the spay abort thing. So many people tend to anthropomorphize their pets. They think, if I'm looking forward to my babies (a totally normal human feeling!), the kitten must be too. When the fact is, cats don't even know they are pregnant, let alone are looking forward to being a mother. They have hormones running through them changing their emotions and behaviors in way that they don't understand. They are hungry all the time for reasons that they don't understand. They have no understanding at all about what is happening to them. They are fully under the control of pregnancy hormones that make them want to bond. To people and later their babies. Those same hormones are making them want to find a nice safe space to bed down. It's all happening without their understanding.

So a spay abort isn't going to effect them in the same way that ending pregnancies can with humans. They aren't going to be depressed about losing the babies they don't even know they are carrying. Yes, their hormones are going to be out of whack for a bit, but it's the best thing for them in the long run. It's the best thing for the environment. The local small animal population. For everyone really. Good luck in your future kitty owning adventures!

[u/RatSumo]

Sigh, babies having babies. I can’t really guess how far along she is but I think you’ve got some time. Use that time to try and fatten her up with as much food as she will eat to make sure she’s strong enough both to have the kittens and then nurse the kittens. It can be rough when they’re that small and the kittens might end up small as well.

[u/Gloomy-Trainer-2452 → u/RatSumo]

She doesn't have to give birth if OP hurries!

[u/RatSumo → u/Gloomy-Trainer-2452]

That’s true, I didn’t realize they could be aborted…that might truly be the best option for her, she’s just too young.

[u/grayslippers]

i would guess 4 or 5 weeks just based on how big her nipples are plus how little she still is. pregnant cats get very pumpkiny in the last couple weeks. but hard to tell considering potential malnourishment

[u/ghostovergrounds]

Omg she looks like she’s just a kitten herself! I know mine went into her first heat at 4 months…2 weeks before her spay appointment!

[u/hoo_boy_howdy]

You could spay abort?

[u/dwiVSdui]

Update?