A Pregnant Stray

by Olivia
(Singapore)

Hi,

I have been feeding a stray since 2 weeks ago. I found her under my blk with her tummy bloated and very big. I thought she might be pregnant. I went to Google on the symptoms of pregnant cats. She seems to fit into the criteria. I did spot her pink nipple, but its just only one. She eats a lot and is very loving. She keeps wanting my boyfriend and I to pat her and brush her.

So I assume she is pregnant, but I could not see any visible movement of the kittens because she is quite protective of her tummy. I just want to know, when do I know she is going to give birth? As I just began to feed her 2 weeks ago, its hard for me to gauge how many weeks of pregnancy she is in. I'm afraid when she gives birth and I couldn't find her.

There are other male strays keep disturbing her and children from my block. I'm afraid something bad might happen to her. Do you have any tips for me to know when is she due for labor? I couldn't be with her 24/7 as I need to work, but every night I will go and look for her. I couldn't bring her home because of my parents. So I'm thinking of making a cozy corner for her so that I could know where she is when she has give birth and look after them instead of searching for them frantically.

Sorry for the long essay. I really hope you could help me. Thanks so much! :)


Dear Olivia,

Without seeing the cat in person, there is no way for me to know for certain whether or not she is pregnant. For more information on feline pregnancy, please read Pregnant Cat Symptoms or visit the Table of Contents under the Feline Reproduction heading for a number of pages including other readers' questions on this topic!

There is no way to know without a physical examination by a veterinarian if this cat is pregnant or how far along she is, so I cannot tell you when she will give birth. I would recommend that you bring her to a no-kill shelter, if possible, or do as you have been and continue to try to encourage her to use a safe "nesting" place.

Best wishes,
Dr. Neely