By Perhaps you were slow to have her spayed and then your cat was found pregnant. Maybe you’re part of an animal rescue group which is the first time you’ve had a foster experience with a cat pregnant. What can you do from this point?
The first important decision you have to make is the decision of whether or not to allow your pregnancy to go on. The cats that are pregnant (called queens) are able to be spayed however, the choice is contingent on several factors that you need to discuss with your vet and family.
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can a pregnant cat be spayed?
Spaying a cat pregnant can lead to abortion, which is a term that can trigger a range of emotions. The majority of people don’t want to kill kittens who are still in the womb however their decision is based on rational argument. Opponents do not want the idea of taking lives under any circumstance, regardless of whether they are born or not.
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Spaying Helps Overpopulation
Many shelters for animals are able to spay or neuter a cat who comes to the shelter. Some shelters with no-kill policies allow mothers to have a baby, particularly when the pregnancy is not yet fully developed. There are rescue groups that do not spay a pregnant cat that has been rescued.
The massive cat overpopulation issue is partly due to cat owners’ inability to sterilize or spay their cats.1 Cat that is not spayed or neutered and is outside for long periods of time are likely to be pregnant. Be it owned, stray, or even feral the cats and remaining kittens continue to breed and their offspring from these matings will continue to mat. Unspayed females may become pregnant through one or more of their unneutered male kittens. A cat who is pregnant and her offspring can be responsible for the birth of several hundred kittens within two years.
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Spaying Can Help Animal Rescue Groups
Animal Rescue groups, humane societies, and TNR (trap-neuter-release) groups are overwhelmed in trying to control cat overpopulation, and “kitten season,” which extends for a long part of each year in many geographical areas, is met with dread by these groups. They are aware that the kittens this year is responsible for the demise of kittens from last year or older cats in shelters. There’s not enough space for them all and something has to give. It’s all about supply and demand, and the smallest kittens are in high demand.
Spaying a cat who is pregnant will help to reduce this cat overpopulation problem.2 There are too few homes to house the plethora of cats who are homeless. The prevention of an unplanned litter could aid in preventing the deaths of kittens and cats. Even when a female who is pregnant kitten is adopted by the person who found it and there are homes for the kittens she has adopted, there are some who think of each kitten as being in some way accountable for the demise of a homeless cat or kitten that could be adopted into one of these homes.
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Of course, there’s no evidence to suggest that those who intend to adopt the kittens and/or mother could have walked into an animal shelter. Maybe they didn’t look for cats until they learned that someone close to them, a neighbor or colleague was adopting kittens. Someone who is willing to keep the mother cat along with the kittens, or find suitable long-term homes shouldn’t be made to feel guilt-ridden for allowing the birth. Of course, the kittens and mother cat are required to be neutered and spayed as soon as is possible.
Pregnancy Can Be Hard on the Queen
If the cat that is pregnant is young, extremely old, or is in poor health, the pregnancy could result in more health problems. Sometimes, the best and most compassionate step anyone could do for one of the cats mentioned above would be to have her spayed or abort her litter.
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How to Decide if You Should Spay Your Pregnant Cat
What “far along” is the pregnant queen?
While early and mid-term spay and abortion of cats that are pregnant is not uncommon but late-term abortions are generally not performed. If it is your cat, you are able to estimate how much she’s advancing at the time that she had her most recent estrus cycle (heat). In other cases, a veterinarian will determine the duration for you.
How old is the cat?
Cats that are young (under one-year-old) or cats that are older (eight years old and over) tend to experience issues during birth, which could include kittens who are deformed or stillborn or the demise of the queen. Additionally, the birth and caring for kittens could be detrimental to the health of the mother.
What is the cat’s general physical state?
If she’s in good health and has reached the end of her pregnancy, you could choose to allow the pregnancy to progress until parturition (birth) in accordance with other aspects. If she is not in good physical health the birth, pregnancy, and nursing could pose a risk to the cat’s mother. Your veterinarian can assess the health status of the mother cat before giving birth.
What is the best equipment in your home for taking care of newborn kittens?
This is a significant commitment and everyone in your house is likely to be involved at some time or at a different point. In the event that you’ve got an area where you can keep the kittens and mother cat from the intrusion of pets, cats, small children other animals, you might be fine. In other cases (in the situation of a lost cat) it is best to give the task to professionals, like local rescue groups.
Are you equipped to take the kittens and cats to good homes?
If you’re one of the families with plenty of room for cats and can afford to take care of them, it could be feasible to keep the mother as well as the kittens. If you’re considering getting a new home for the kittens, make sure you are selective when you are deciding on a screening.
Which is the most ethical choice for a human being?
If you find an unborn feral or stray or stray, is it more appropriate to spay her and then put her back on the street, or attempt to help her recover in order to allow her to go to an appropriate home with or without kittens?
Caring for a Pregnant Cat
If you’ve chosen to allow your queen to have kittens, then you’ll likely have many concerns about taking care of your cat who is pregnant. The best place to begin is to talk with your vet. Your primary obligation will be to feed your pet a premium diet that is designed for growth, and maintaining a cozy and secure environment for your cat’s pregnant.
The gestation time of a queen typically ranges from 65 to 7 days, however, it is extremely variable.3 If you realize that she’s pregnant, she’ll be three weeks pregnant. At about six weeks the pregnancy will be evident. When this happens, your doctor can perform an x-ray to determine the number of Fetuses. The litter size can vary between one and eight kittens or more, with the average being between two and five kittens. The highest number occurs in queens that are between two and eight.
It is helpful to know the number of kittens that are anticipated before the mother cat has her first litter. A vet can give you an estimate of how many kittens are expected using a radiograph, or ultrasound. While your cat is not likely to require your assistance during birth and labor there are occasions when complications may occur. You can discern if she’s distressed between births of kittens when you know the number of births that are anticipated. You can observe her giving birth from an uninvolved distance, only intervening when there is an issue.