To help a young mother cat with her kittens

Hello. My name is Dominika.

On April 26, 2025, I rescued a homeless cat from a small village near a forest.

At her first veterinary visit, I was told she was about 8 months old. I planned to have her spayed, but the vet recommended waiting until her first heat and observing her in the meantime. After she had adapted to her new surroundings, we also planned to test her for FIV/FeLV and give her vaccinations.

Unfortunately, the cat – whom I named Myszka – started having diarrhea, which led to several follow-up vet visits. I noticed she was rapidly gaining weight and her nipples became enlarged. An ultrasound confirmed that she was pregnant. At a later visit, the vet estimated there would be at least four kittens.

All vaccinations had to be postponed. It turned out Myszka had become pregnant shortly before I took her in. The vet informed me that the pregnancy was already too far along for them to perform an abortion. I didn’t want to take any further risks with her health, fearing complications.

On June 20, Myszka went into labor. The first kitten was born after about an hour, but the second got stuck. I called every vet I could reach in Poznań, but everyone referred me to a 24-hour emergency clinic.

At the clinic, the vets tried to assist with the birth manually, but without success. They had to perform an emergency cesarean section along with spaying.

The cost of the procedure far exceeded my financial capabilities. The total expense, including medication, was 3339 PLN. On top of that, there are still other medical visits due to Myszka’s health issues, as well as the cost of feeding and caring for the kittens properly.

Thankfully, Myszka recovered well from the surgery and anesthesia. Sadly, one of the kittens – the one that had gotten stuck – did not survive.

When the time comes, I will make sure that the surviving kittens are placed in safe, responsible homes. <3