[emhorsechic]

Hello. I live on a small farm with a few barns. We have a few cats that live there, all fixed except one male who is feral. We found a new stray that is extremely friendly, who has been living here for a few months. It is a female, probably about 3-5 years old. I know nothing about her except that she is an affectionate female tortiseshell. I'm not sure if she's pregnant or has had kittens. She got fat, and has continued to get fatter. Her stomach is almost hard, and not flabby or distended. She was up in one of the barns by the hay for a few weeks, and I found some indentations, a larger one, and 3 or 4 smaller indentations. Then, she started hanging up by the deck by the house. I'm not sure if she had the kittens and they died, or she moved them, or if she's even pregnant at all. What signs should I look for if she is pregnant? Or any behavior changes/patterns if she's pregnant or had the kittens? Thanks

[Wondergirl]

Is she still fat? What do her nipples look like?

[emhorsechic]

Is she still fat? What do her nipples look like?

Yeah, she's still pretty fat. They're kind of pink, but not really distended or huge. I really can't tell much because she has like a thing about her stomach and doesn't really like people touching her stomach/abdomen.

[Wondergirl]

Yeah, she's still pretty fat. They're kind of pink, but not really distended or huge. I really can't tell much because she has like a thing about her stomach and doesn't really like people touching her stomach/abdomen.

It doesn't sound like she is nursing kittens. If she disappears for a few weeks, she has had them (60-day pregnancy) and will bring them around to you when they are about four weeks old.

[hheath541]

If she'll let you pet her sides, try to feel for movement or lumps. It doesn't sound like she's nursing, but she could be pregnant and trying to find a nesting spot.

If she is pregnant, she'll probably disappear for at least a few days, then reappear much skinnier. No matter how friendly she is, she'll probably keep her kittens well hidden, and you probably won't see them until they're old enough to wander out on their own (about three months). By that age, she should be weaning them, and it'll be safe to get her fixed, if that's what you're planning. Most vets will fix kittens once they reach about four months, but there are some who will fix them younger. The sooner she gets fixed, the less likely it is that she gets pregnant again.

Conversely, you can take her in to get fixed, and they'll do a spay abort if she is pregnant.