Accepted Answer

Hi,
Thanks for taking care of a stray cat who needed some good nutrition and love!

A pregnant cat will have more pronounced nipples than a non-pregnant cat. The length of pregnancy is about 9 weeks, so if she looked pregnant 5 weeks ago, I would think you should see signs of her being really thin (or finding the kittens) in the next couple weeks. If another month goes by, then I would be more suspicious that she has a lot of worms or some other disease that is causing a bloated appearance (although most of those diseases tend to be fatal and she might not make another month).

You should look for some Strongid T (pyrantel pamoate) either from your vet or possibly a pet store/feed store. I dose it at 1 ml per 10 pounds body weight--if she is a normal-sized cat (not petite), then I would mix 1 ml of the dewormer in with some canned food. Hopefully she will eat it. Repeat every 3 weeks to help keep her worm-free.

As far as catching her, I would contact your local humane society and see if you can borrow one of their live traps (usually called a HaveAHeart). These work quite well and the cat won't be able to bite or scratch you through it (unless you stick your finger through the wire...) If need be, your vet can give her a sedative through the cage so that she can get a good physical, be tested for feline leukemia and feline AIDS, get vaccinated, etc. You might also be able to try feeding her in a carrier and see if you can close the door while she is eating.

Hope that helps!

Expert:	Dr. Scarlett
Pos. Feedback:	100.0 %
Accepts:
Answered:	8/25/2009

Cat Veterinarian

I am a practicing small animal veterinarian with 13 years experience.