Is she pregnant?

Question
There is a female cat that was left behind when a family moved from next door.  She is approximately 8 months old and I think she may be pregnant. She is strictly outside, comes and goes as she pleases, etc.  I have noticed, even though she was never "mean" she was always very shy but over the last 2-3 weeks she has become more and more affectionate, she lays on her side and rolls around for me to rub her tummy.  I did notice about 4-5 days ago some greenish-white mucus type discharge from her vaginal area, and also her nipples are rather "erect" all the time but they are not pink.  They are grayish-black on the tips and the rest is a pale yellowish or cream colored.  Her belly does seem a little more round than it used to be.  
Even though I've had several cats in the past, none were female, and this is the first time I've even had a female cat around period and end up being pregnant.  
So any help and advice is greatly appreciated.


Answer
Hi Misty.  I'm afraid the vaginal discharge you're seeing may be indicative of an infection.  It could signal a vaginal infection, which isn't always serious but does require antibiotics to clear up.  Or it could be a sign of a uterine infection called pyometra, which is life-threatening.  I lost one of my Siamese to pyometra.  So you definitely should get her to the vet.

It might be too soon to tell if she's pregnant if her nipples don't look pink, but some vets can tell by feeling the belly.  The uterus is divided into two horns, and the kittens are lined up in the uterus like peas in a pod.  Around three weeks along, vets with a lot of experience may be able to feel the very small soft fetuses lined up in a row.  If the vet feels something more substantial, then an x-ray may be able to confirm a pregnancy.  Usually the skeletons are visible around 5-6 weeks along.

It could be that she's in heat, though.  The hormonal changes that come along with that can cause the teats to swell so much that I've suspected pregnancy in a couple of my cats in the past.  And it will certainly cause extra affection, too.  It would be a good idea to have her spayed.  If she's not pregnant yet, she will be soon!