by Sarah Chase
(Greenville, Pennsylvania)

I am taking care of a stray mother cat and her kittens. The kittens got sick so that's why I started taking care of them. The kittens are now almost 3 months old and I think the mother cat may be pregnant again. Her stomach is getting bigger on both sides. I really can't afford to take care of more cats but all the shelters around here are full. Please help me!


Dear Sarah,

Without seeing the mother cat in person, I could not say whether she is pregnant again or not, but it is possible that she is pregnant again, even though she just gave birth to a litter of kittens 3 months ago. For more information on signs of cat pregnancy, please visit my Pregnant Cat Symptoms page.

If this stray cat is, in fact, pregnant again, I would suggest trying to bring her indoors and providing shelter for her in which to give birth. After her litter is born, or if the cat is not pregnant, contacting local shelters or humane society groups to find a low-cost spaying program would be wise, as she will likely continue to mate if she is left outdoors.

Best wishes,
Dr. Neely