My kitten - Phantom pregnancy or not?

[sally-ann87]

I have a 10 month old kitten who had her first heat about 8 weeks ago and i caught her getting it on with another cat. She got a bit biggr and her nipples hav all come out but a friend says that i might be phantom. Just wondering does anyone know how to tell the difference between a phantom pregnancy and an actual pregnancy. I really want to know because i'm so excited about her "being pregnant". Thanks

[chelsea78]

it would be a matter of waiting 60-65 days or take her to the vet they will tell you

[~max~]

If she mated there is every chance she is pregnant. Why are you excited about it? Are you prepared to keep and take care of 4, 5 or six new cats?
There are so many unwanted kittens, a lot are put to sleep by owners. Please, unless you are a professional breeder, have your cat spayed.

[lankeela]

She is only a baby herself. Hardly anything to get excited about, letting her get pregnant so young.

[sally-ann87]

In relation to max's answer i am prepared to look after the kittens until they are 9 weeks old and although i dont know how many kittens she is having i have already found caring and loving homes for 3 of them and i am keeping one myself so that aspect of it is covered. Whenever she has this litter i will be getting her spayed, i just didnt realise she would have her first heat so quickly.

[sally-ann87]

At the end of the day if she was in the wild she would be pregnant anyway, at least shes in a loving caring home with good food and warmth and people to look after her and her kittens when she has them. I didnt mean for her to get pregnant but im being responsible finding her kittens homes and not destroying them at birth like most unexpected kittens.

[Illyria54]

My cat had 5 lovely kittens when she was just 9 months old, it was planned for her to have a litter, I could have homed them 3 times over I kept one of them, take her to your vet for a check up, and again about 2 weeks after the kittens are born, I can't remember how long after giving birth my cat was spayed it is so long ago, I lost her about 2 years ago she was 22 years old.
Hope all goes well.

[sally-ann87]

Thank you for being so understanding Illyria54. I will do that, thanks for your kind advice.

[gen2]

Unless things have changed in recent years, the vet won't spay your cat until after she has finished nursing her kittens. Once they are weaned, get her done straight away.

[Kleiber]

sally-ann87, you probably didn't realise she could get pregnant so young, but at least you've done the right thing and are looking for homes for the kittens when they arrive. Get her spayed as soon as she's weaned the babies (according to my vet, if you have her done while she still has milk, she can suffer from hair loss - and it won't grow back!!.) She probably won't have many kittens, as she's so young, but just keep her comfy, give her somewhere warm & secure for her to give birth (although she'll probably find her own place - usually somewhere you don't want her to have her babies, like in the airing cupboard, or your bed!!) She'll wean them at about 5-6 weeks, but I wouldn't let them go to their new homes till they're 8 weeks old. Please ensure that the new owners promise to have the kittens neutered when they are 6mths old. There are too many unwanted kittens about. Good luck, anyway! K

[sally-ann87]

Kleiber, thanks for your advice. no i didnt realise that she could get pregnant so young but i found out the hard way. Yes i have found three homes for the unborn kittens so i hope there is enough to go around. She will be getting neutered as soon as she hes weand the kittens. I thought she looked big until i seen her this evening whenever she waddled into the kitchen after a sleep. I dont think its kittens shes having, it might b an elephant. I counted 65 days from when i caught her with the tom cat and theres only 6 days left so i think shes pretty close. Thanks, sally-ann87

[Illyria54]

Start putting cardboard boxes at various points around your house now so that she can pick a place to give birth, if you notice her looking in a particular place put a box there, and then she will probably go and have them in a clothes cupboard somewhere like my cat did (my son's cupboard). When your kittens get to the exploring stage, wear thick jeans/trousers as the little devils just love climbing up humans legs and if you aren't prepared..................OUCH!!

[Kleiber]

Sallyann, you will let us know the outcome, won't you?

[showcatbenga]

As you are probably a new 'gran' by now I thought a few tips might help. Their eyes should open in 10 days - often sooner. Their ears will start to stand up after a few weeks.
Cats are socialised to make great pets between 2 & 7 weeks old. Handling & playing with the kits will do the job nicely. Try to remember not to pick up the kittens around their ribs, they can become easily bruised & sore. Take care to unhook their tiny claws. Don't drop them or place them off the ground - they can't jump down for about 5 weeks, then only let them get down from where they can climb themselves.
Get proper kitten food - this is what mum needs to nourish herself & feed the kits. Plus you need it for the babies to wean them.
Kittens need this food for the first twelve months.
- to start weaning use soft food & mush it up with water for the first few days, then lessen the water until they eat it straight -at most 7 days. they will need feeding 5 or 6 times a day to start with until they are about 8 to 10 weeks & can have as much as they will eat. Offer kitten biscuits all the time cos mum will eat them too. After this time frequency can be reduced to 3 to 4 times a day until they are nearly full grown (about 10 months) then twice a day as with most adults. Get a good book from the library so you can check out the milestones as they grow. Keep asking questions!

[sally-ann87]

Thanks for ur kind advice showcatbenga. I know now that it is definately not a phantom pregnancy, u can see the babies moving and kicking in her belly, Shs doing nothing but grooming and sleeping, eating too but nowhere near as much. I dont think that shes got too long left now. I have been doing nothin but reading and research and really appreciate ur advice, will let u know if anything happens. Thanks again