|
|
|
| |
auctions - advertising rates -
site news -
help -
contact
| |
|
Sunday Chat: 9 PM ET Pet Loss Support
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
auctions - advertising rates -
site news -
help -
contact
| |
|
Sunday Chat: 9 PM ET Pet Loss Support
|
Posted by jmccullough on January 22, 2003 at 14:29:00:
Here's the story:
A stray female adopted me on the first of November. She had what felt like small 'tumors' localized around her nipples. Her nipples were pale pink, but large, as though she might be pregnant or had babies (as opposed to a cat that's never been pregnant, where the nipples are very small). I searched for kittens, but none were to be found. The 'tumors', which I then took to be full milk sacs, eventually went away within a few weeks.
She went into heat the week of Thanksgiving and it lasted through that weekend. My male, neutered cat tried to mate with her several times. That was the last time she was in heat.
A few weeks later, her abdomin began to swell. At first, I thought it was just because she was eating so much, as strays tend to do when they aren't used to having food readily available. However, her belly continues to swell- it's quite large and awkward-looking now- and is very firm.
The articles I've read all refer to 'pinking of the nipples' as a sign of pregnancy, besides the lack of heat cycles and abdominal swelling. Her nipples, though they do seem slightly larger now, are not that dark pink referred to in other articles- they remain a light pink.
I understand that cats may have a false pregnancy after mating with a sterile male (and of course, for other reasons), but does this sound like that's the case here? After all, her last heat ended the very beginning of December- nearly 2 months ago. Would a false pregnancy go on this long? I also read that more typically, a false pregnancy means a possible 45 day delay in heat cycles and she's now around 50+ days since her last heat. And, as I said, the swelling of her belly continues. She's also eating even more and won't go outside often nor for very long (though, she did the same before, she's going out even less and sleeping more- which could just be because of winter).
I have also attempted to feel for kittens, but can't discern any outline of a head or any part of a possible kitten's body, nor have I been able to hear any 'extra' heartbeats.
Any thoughts on this? If I hadn't hear that the darkening of the nipples was a common occurance in pregnancy, I would have thought from the looks of it, she's pregnant. I did have a pregnant stray before- I do not recall what her nipples looked like, but her belly felt the same a few weeks before she gave birth.
What do you think? We will be going to the vet in the next week, but I'm anxious for some answers/thought. Thank you!!