Pregnant kitty?

Question
Hi Diana,
My boyfriend's daughter's kitty, who is quite young, only about 8-9 months, seems to be pregnant.  She was living with an unneutered male cat, and was caught..."in the act" so to speak.  

My boyfriend and I have taken her in to assist her throught the pregnancy, if she really is.  I can see that her nipples are pink, and she has definitley packed on the weight over the last month or so.  The problem is that I have 3 other cats (spayed females).  Is there any risk of the kittens being hurt by the other cats when they are born?  My three are generally friendly, but one is very upset and jealous that this new cat is in the house.  Also, can a vet determine how far along she is?  I know gestation is about 65 days, but I don't know when she became pregnant.  I know to make a warm, private bed for her to deliver in, so I'll do that right away.  Any other advice for me?  Thanks so much.  Rosemary.

Answer
Because of variation in different females and their individual kitten size and growth rate it may be difficult for your veterinarian to pinpoint how many days along she is.  In order to monitor her and have some indicator of when she will go into labor you can monitor her temperature.  Approximately 24 hours before birthing you will find her temperature dip from over 100 degrees Fahrenheit down to 98 or below.

In most cases the domestic females will live peacefully alongside the new kittens, but there are cases of the opposite, so I would suggest separating them when first born and introduce your other females to the kittens in your presence so that you can watch their reaction.

I hope this helps.  Please let me know if you have further questions.