12-14-16 True Confessions

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Okay, so – I didn’t actually SAY Willa isn’t pregnant when I introduced her to y’all on Monday, did I?

“Who, me?”

The full story is this: last week (Wednesday) I was offered a pregnant cat – I was told (not by the woman who had her, but from someone at another rescue) – that she was hugely pregnant and delivery was imminent and the lady who had her could feel the babies moving. At first I said no, because that’s the responsible thing to do with Dustin in residence in the foster room and all, but YOU KNOW ME when someone dangles a pregnant cat in front of me. I dithered for a little while, talked to Fred, and then said “I’LL TAKE HER!”

So arrangements were made to get her the next morning, and I fretted all night long that she’d have her kittens before I got my hands on her. Thursday morning Fred and I drove to Decatur to meet the woman (B) who had her. When we pulled into the parking lot, Willa (she wasn’t named yet, of course) was actually sitting in B’s lap in her truck, laying there looking happy as could be and purring like crazy. While B and I talked, Fred went and got the carrier. I eventually suggested that we put Willa in the carrier, and B could fill out the surrender form (just to clarify: Willa didn’t belong to B, but since we were taking her from B, we needed a surrender form filled out and signed for Challenger’s House’s records.) B was very sad to be surrendering Willa, but she had 6 cats of her own and didn’t have the space for her, let alone any kittens she’d have.

When I picked up Willa to put her in the carrier, I thought “She… has a very small stomach. Huh.” But B has dealt with pregnant cats in the past (she had several of them dumped on her property a few years back, and having the mothers and kittens spayed and neutered and adopted out nearly bankrupted her), so I figured she knew what was what.

We got Willa home and let her out in the foster room. She looked around, checked out the food, and then sat by the door. She spent most of the first day pacing back and forth, and wanting us to OPEN that door and let her OUT. I was able to feel her belly a few times, and I said to Fred “She doesn’t seem at all pregnant to me.” The only thing that pointed toward a possible pregnancy was that she had – this is for you nipple-obsessed readers – prominent nipples. But I couldn’t get a good look, because she wouldn’t settle down.

I called the vet Challenger’s House uses and made an appointment to drop her off Friday morning so she could have a combo test (which tests for FIV and Feline Leukemia), an exam by the vet, and possibly some kind of opinion on whether she was pregnant.

Thursday evening she finally settled down, and while she wouldn’t roll onto her back for me – RUDE – she let me feel her abdomen, and there was just nothing that pointed toward a possible pregnancy to me.

So she went to the vet Friday morning, and they did a combo test (negative, yay!), and the vet examined her. The vet didn’t think she was pregnant, so they offered to do an X-ray, which I accepted. They did an X-ray, and saw nothing but a bunch of food.

BUT if she’s in the early stages of pregnancy, nothing would have shown up on an X-ray yet, either. Kittens don’t show up on an X-ray until after 45 days of gestation.

Ergo, because I really am pretty certain that she’s not pregnant, my post on Monday mentioned spaying her in a few weeks. I did go back and edit that out (which eagle-eyed Amy noticed IMMEDIATELY, you can’t sneak anything by her).

The plan for now is thus: we’re going to wait ’til the first week of January and see if there are any changes that make us think she actually is pregnant. That will make 4 weeks since we got her, so if she got pregnant the DAY we got her, she’d be 28 days along. We may go for an ultrasound (kittens will show up on an ultrasound at 21 – 24 days) just in case, and if she turns out not to be pregnant, then she’ll be spayed and we’ll proceed with vaccinations, etc. If by some chance she IS pregnant, we will have a party and then immediately begin harassing her to give us those kittens.

“What are kittens? They don’t sound like much fun.”

In summation: might be pregnant, but I don’t think she is. We’ll see!

They shaved her belly to check for a spay scar; there wasn’t one. (Look, Amy! Nipples! 😀 ) There’s a bit of a rash there, but it’s already improved.

Another shot of the belly.

On the one hand, I hope she isn’t pregnant, because that’s what would be best for her. On the other hand – wouldn’t she have GORGEOUS babies?

By the way, at about 1 year old, I would imagine she’s had a litter of kittens already at some point, which maybe explains the prominent nipples.

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Dustin, ignoring Unca Stefan, who clearly wants to play.

If you look to the left, you’ll see Dustin looking at me, clearly waiting for me to either sit down and play, or go away.

Checking out the Pounce toy with Unca Stefan.

Checking it out CLOSELY.

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Jake has gotten his holiday loons tuned. I don’t know whether it’s the marker or the dirty socks that are making him so particularly loony, but I find it best not to ask.

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Previously
2015: “She’s sniffing my tail again, isn’t she?”
2014: No entry.
2013: Paulie doesn’t have the most graceful of dismounts.
2012: DO NOT BE FOOLED.
2011: We start with the ducks, standing around looking confused (this is their natural state).
2010: Now, I ask you – how is that “just under” two pounds?
2009: Mike, on the other hand, would have slept on my face if I’d let him.
2008: No entry.
2007: If I got a really bad cold AND the cats made it a 24-hour barf-o-rama around here. That would be FABULOUS.
2006: It’s tough to pet 5 milling kittens when you only have two hands, believe you me.
2005: No entry.

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