don't think there will be any

[waterflow]

Patches hasn't had any kittens yet and I don't think she will. She just might be fat. She keeps meowing wanting more food but I am trying not to give her so much now and she seems to want meat more then dry cat food. If she is just fat she needs to go on a diet big time.

[leelee88]

A sure way to tell is to try squeezing her tits< dont know how else to explain it..lol and see if milk come out or any liquid...

[waterflow]

I can't bring myself to do that. She doesn't seem to be forming breasts. I know when my dog had puppies the closer it got to time she formed breasts or is it different for cats? I still keep feeling her tummy (which she has gotten used to know. she just lays there giving me that look until I'm through ) but nothing moving. If she isn't having kittens she sure is one fat cat. She does keep meowing when she wants food. I'm trying not to let her have so much but she will not give up until I give in. Any suggestions on that?

[leelee88]

Lol I think thats just a cat.. But its not good to over feed her, That might be why shes getting big..lol.. My suggestion is just feed her 2 times a day.. morning and night. That is the way I always did my kittys..

[waterflow]

I'll give the two meals a try tomorrow. She might attack me for food but I will stay strong. She had breakfast, lunch, dinner and a mid afternoon snack and she still wanted food for her bedtime snack. She has had half a catfish between supper and bedtime snack. Sure will be hard to resist those little eyes looking up at me.

[leelee88]

Wow.. You sure shes not a pig?..lol Just kidding.. You can always try cutting her back slowly..If she likes to eat more than twice a day just dont give her as much each time..

[leelee88]

Hey I found this online maybe it will help..

FREE CHOICE FEEDING
THE main reason for feline obesity (as well as obesity in other mammals) is the consumption of too much food. Deny it all you want but it is a fact.
What we do…
Many cats are fed “free choice”, which means there is food available all the time and the cat eats whenever it wants. (Pretty unnatural for a true carnivore that evolved as a hunting machine!) Free choice feeding has probably been the biggest single factor contributing to feline obesity.

What we should do…
Feed two to four small portions daily and control the amounts fed so that over a period of time the cat does not gain weight. Many pet owners must downsize what they think is a “normal” portion. A meal for a 175-pound human might weigh 16 to 24 ounces. A seven-pound cat weighs 1/25 of the 175-pound human. So a cat’s meal should proportionally be about 1/25 of a human meal. That comes out to between 0.6 and 1.0 ounce of food per meal for a seven-pound cat… about the same weight as a mouse. Cat owners must stop thinking in terms of “cups of food” and start thinking in terms of ounces of food.

[lnseagraves]

Leelee,

Thats a great article. I also remember hearing that 2 extra kitty pounds is equivilent to over 25 extra human pounds. It can be really easy to overfeed greedy kitties.... I know, I have my own greedy kitty who begs for food and handouts whenever I'm in the kitchen. She gets a 1/2 cup of kibble that she nibbles on daily and a 1/2 can of wet in the evening when we eat dinner. She sometimes will get 3 little whiskas treats OR a small handout of meat when I'm preparing dinner. I have a big breed cat though, her dad was 20 pounds and her mom was 15 and neither were obese, its the breed. Shes about 13 pounds.

[waterflow]

So, I'm feeding Patches as if she is a Puma. I am waaaaaaaaay over feeding her. Thanks for that information. Was thinking I only fed the dogs twice a day with a dog biscuit after their walks. Hmmmmm, something went wrong in my head with feeding a cat. Have to remember she is a small cat and not a dog. Thanks again for the help. Here I thought all this time she was having kittens. Little did I know she was having "food". She wouldn't eat her breakfast so she can munch on that during the day and I did find she likes to eat pop corn.

[SandyRN]

I don't think it's a good idea to feed a cat popcorn....they could choke on it, and it's not easily digested in cats. No more people food....she's a cat.

[kadi]

My cat loves food too & will get quite rotund if I let her. To control her weight, I give her 1/4 cup dry food am & pm. The morning feeding I do by vacation timer dish so that she doesn't wake me up pestering for food. That's worked really well, I think Katrina here suggested it

[lnseagraves]

waterflow,

Have you taken her to the vet yet? If not, the vet will weigh her and give you a better idea how much you should be feeding her based on what she SHOULD be weighing. My grandma's cat was put on a diet of a 1/4 cup dry a day b/c she was so fat! Eventually she'll be back up to a 1/2 cup dry a day which is normal.

[waterflow]

I called one vet back when she was first in the house. Asked the woman who answered the phone what shots, tests how much and all for Patches. She said rabbies and whatever I had done before with her. Told her she was a stray and I had no idea what shots if any she had done. She then told me to take her to the SPCA with a snotty tone. I didn't want to dump Patches I was keeping her. I really don't trust vets much at all. A good one is hard to find as much as a good doctor. After the kittens are born then I will take them all at once to a vet. Will call around tomorrow that way I have an idea on what needs to be done and the cost.

[lnseagraves]

vets

waterflow,

I know what you mean about nasty vets being as bad (if not worse) than nasty docs. When I looked for a vet, one of the things I did was call a bunch of vets and ask for their fees regarding basic and normal procedures (like spaying). Vets can basically charge whatever they want in those things. I picked a vet with a good combo of reasonable fees and genuine concern for the animals. (this vet even makes house calls) I do think its worth it to research the vet, you should be able to find a good one.

Some notes, Petsmart and Petco offer a shot program at cheaper rates than your vet, but you won't get the overall checkup. the SPCA will also give your cat shots and most will perform a spay as well for a cheaper rate than most vets. Come to thinko f it, maybe thats what the woman was suggesting?? The SPCA may have a record already for Patches as some people take stray kittens in for the shots if they find them...

[mary124]

I take one of my dogs to something like the SPCA (its called the Animal Trustees of Austin) and I pay a low fee on shots/spayings etc its not based on what you can afford. The other dog that I have she is too old for their basic care so I have to take her to her regular vet there, I'm charged out the kazoo but she is worth it.