Last Monday I said something along the lines of “Just two more weeks ’til I can have babies back in this house! I can’t wait!” to Fred. We had agreed that we’d wait the whole six weeks of my recovery before we had more fosters.
Then on Tuesday I got an email from the shelter manager asking if we could take a pregnant cat, though she assured me that if we couldn’t, it was okay. I hesitated long enough to call Fred at work and say “THERE IS A PREGNANT CAT WHO NEEDS FOSTERING I WILL START SCOOPING THE LITTER BOXES AGAIN IMMEDIATELY I AM GOING TO TELL HER YES, LOVE YOU, BYE!”, and then emailed her and said “GIVE TO ME THE PREGNANT CAT!”
Fred, who has been scooping the litter boxes since I had surgery was only too happy to turn the scooping back over to me and had no complaints about bringing a pregnant cat home. Fred, if I haven’t mentioned before, LOVES the Momma kitties, and the Momma kitties love him back with an unsettling crazy-eyed passion.
Friday, after Fred got home from work, we went up to the shelter to get her.
(She was rescued from a kill shelter in Tennessee, and had to go to the vet for testing, and then be delivered to the shelter, which is why we didn’t have her immediately.)
She is a total sweetheart.
The shelter manager estimates her to be about 8 months old. I believe it – she is one tiny cat. We don’t know how far along she is, though she’s visibly thick through the middle. I did some Googling around this morning and due to the fact that we can’t actually feel the babies in her midsection, let along see them moving around, I’m going to guess she’s less than seven weeks pregnant.
That’s pure conjecture on my part, though, of course. She doesn’t like to have her belly touched, but she was laying on her back letting me rub her chest yesterday afternoon, and I stared at her belly the entire time. There was absolutely no movement, and on the rare occasion she does let us touch her belly, it just feels like muscle. No distinctive little kitten heads or elbows or feet to be felt just yet.
Whenever I go into the room to hang out with her, she spends the entire time purring and rubbing up against me. I’ve gotten her to play a few times, but she’s more interested in love than in playing. She kneads on anything she happens to lay her paws upon – the floor, a toy, my leg, my arm – which necessitated the clipping of her claws. She put up with it, though she didn’t like it, of course.
I swear, she’s the most laid-back momma cat I’ve ever seen.
We (Fred) moved the chair out of the foster room because I was pretty sure she’d end up going under there to give birth, and while I’m not opposed to her giving birth where she’s comfortable, I wanted to be able to get to her if I need to.
I set up two different nesting areas for her, giving her the choice between a very large plastic storage bin on its side, piled up with towels and blankets, and a kennel piled with towels and blankets. (When we had Kara, we put a cardboard box on its side in one corner of the room, and that worked just fine, but when the babies got older, they peed in the corner of the box, and I wanted something we could clean and reuse.) She appears to have gone in and dug around in the kennel, but every time I go into the room, she’s either headed toward the door because she heard me coming, or she’s asleep in one of the cat beds on the floor.
Did I mention she’s a sweetheart? She totally is.
At this point, we haven’t named her. I was leaning toward giving she and her brood (whenever they arrive!) Irish names in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, but if the little ones aren’t going to be here for a few more weeks, I don’t know. Maybe, maybe not. “Maura” is Celtic for “Raven”, and I think that’s a pretty name. I’ll have to think about it, though. We’ll see!
Fred wanted to name her “Floozy.” Ha!
Just call us the Love & Hisses Home for Wayward Teen Mothers!
Jake is 93.8% sure he’s not supposed to be in the back yard, even though I’ve repeatedly assured him it’s okay. Whenever I approach him and he’s outside, he runs for the back door, sits on the steps, and watches to see what I’ll do next. If I take even one step toward him, he races up the steps and through the cat door. He’s such a nut.
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Hi
Oh my gosh!! I found all your email notices in my spam folder!!!! I’ve un-spammed them now!
Look at Gorgeous Momma Cat – oh she’s just too adorable. I’m so glad she’s found you to foster her especially now when she needs love and care for her and her babies. She’s only 8 months old too, bless her little furry heart!
Take care
x
She’s beautiful. She looks like a tuxie with that little hint of white on her chest and belly. I would be very, very careful though. She looks like someone who would love to stay permanently.
Aww what a lovely mummy to be kitty!
What with this little lady here and Minnie at 50 Kittens there are going to be some really cute baby kittens around!!
My little black girl cat has exactly the same white spot on her belly 🙂 I like the name Raven – what if you named the whole litter after birds? Wren, Lark, Robin, etc?
She’s a sweetheart! I can’t wait to meet her and her babies. What a treat to meet the new little family right from the beginning.
Ok, she is a cutie! I have absolutely no suggestions for names though – I do like the idea of bird names but what would be good for boys – they all sound like girl names to me (although my uncle did get the nickname Robin, so I guess that it doesn’t really matter). I just have to ask the stupid question – if you can’t feel the babies, and don’t see them moving, how do you know that she is pregnant?
I like Fred’s suggestion of Floozy – it reminds me of a girl I knew who had friends with a barncat that kept getting pregnant (this was a LONG time ago, like jr. high long ago) and they called her Slutcat.
And poor Jake – you can tell he is a little concerned in that picture. He looks very cute!
Oh gloriously beautiful girl! How lucky she is to have found her way to you. And so young!
I have the name Maeve on my kitty list – it means “intoxicating”. : )
Amy – good question! 🙂 I only know she’s pregnant because I was told she is by people who are more experienced with pregnant cats than I am. It’d be funny if it turned out that she’s just kind of chunky, wouldn’t it?
“Fred wanted to name her “Floozy.” Ha!”
That is so funny!
You are lucky to have such an animal loving hubby. 🙂
Wahoo! That’s terrific news! Mama is absolutely gorgeous, too! Young though, holy moly. No kidding, floozy – lol!
Can’t wait to hear about her progression. We weren’t certain how far along Rosie was when we got her either, but I could see lumps moving around in her tummy, so I knew it was going to be quick. It’s good if she doesn’t pop right away for you, gives you that last couple weeks to finish your full recovery. Then you’ll be ready to go when she goes! Plus, it’ll give you some time to get to know each other.
She is adorable, and I love how it’s obvious that she’s kneading the floor in pretty much every picture 🙂
I had a kitty who got impregnated at six months. She was tiny, too, but gave birth to five healthy babies, and she was as good a mama kitty as one can ask for. I hope to foster someday, and I look forward to the pregnant mamas the most.
I just love your “conversation” with Fred lol. What a lucky lady to have ended up in your household.
I had to view the picture of Jake in full screen mode because the look on his face is hysterical 🙂
wow what a beautiful, gorgeous girl :). Based on the photos, I can see that she is pregnant. Look at her tummy :). It’s round and adorable. Please keep us posted 🙂
Floozy is too funny :).
Oh, this is just toooo good!! I agree with Anna about the conversation with Fred. Then your, “GIVE TO ME THE PREGNANT CAT!” just did me in! ROFL!!
Are her nipples prominent and dark pink yet? That’s a pretty sure sign she’s with kittens. And eating a lot (but if she’s not preggers that could just = chunky… LOL!).
And now the hard part, patience! We’re all going to be checking in hoping for kittens from your lovely momma every day!
Oh wow, she could be the sister of a dearly beloved handsome cat I used to have with that little white bit 🙂
Maura would be lovely!
Awwwww! She’s beautiful. I just love black kitties. I know they’re always the last to get adopted, but I love them so much. I’m sure she’ll have purrfect babies!
Oooooooo! I LVOE the fact that there will be newborn kittens to read about now! Whoo-hooo! GIVE TO ME THE PREGNANT CAT! That really made me laugh. If you name the kittens after birds, you must name one Robin II.
She is so pretty – and very lucky to have found your home for wayward teen kitties! I am so looking forward to kitten news, but I agreet that it would be good if you had a couple of weeks to get to know one another (and for you to finish healing) before the kitten marathon begins! Please give her a snorgle for me!
Eight months, wow…She’s just a kitten herself!
YAAAYYY!! You getting kittens!! I was wondering how long it would be! I’m gonna call her Scampie, as she looks like the last love of my life who passed about 2 years ago. You can call her what you like, but she’s called Scampie from now on to me!
http://www.freyacat.co.uk/2009/02/a-terribly-sad-day.html
I’m so pleased there’ll be kitten pics soon! And an all-black kittie is EVEN BETTER!
she is so little and cute! I love black cats to death
shes going to have such cute babies. Cant wait to see them!
Okay, I guess I’ll be the one to ask:
Your shelter doesn’t spay pregnant cats?
I don’t do rescue anymore, but we used to spay everyone, regardless of pregnancy.
It’s difficult and heartwrenching. We just had so little resources, not enough foster homes, not enough money, and basically not enough good homes.
I am thrilled with this rescue; black cats are my special loves. They were always the last to be adopted, and the first to be euthanized in our local kill shelter, and in my rescue days, I admit I was biased toward them.
She’s a beautiful panther girl, and so very lucky.
Being of Irish descent I must say I am not so crazy about the name “Mick”. However, Murphy would be a great name! Maura Murphy and her Marauding Mob.
She is a lovely cat! I LOVE your blog and am glad you are on the mend.