abort pregnancy?

Question
Dear Christina,

I asked this question of Debbie; curious to hear your thoughts as well.  I rescued a cute little kittie last week; no one has claimed her, so I guess she
will be my responsibility.  I have had her quarantined in a back room (my dog is
NOT happy about a feline in the house).  I took her to the vet yesterday to have
her checked out.  She is leukemia/AIDS negative, somewhere around 6 - 12 months
of age, and possibly pregnant - the vet could not feel any kittens, but her
nipples are swollen and pink.

The vet recommends a complete vaccination panel and a spay NOW; obviously, this
would eliminate the potential kittens.  I feel so torn ... I would love to
experience catbirth (ONCE!), but I am really concerned about the mother's
health.  She is emaciated.  The vet administered a dewormer, which may affect
the health of the future kittens.  Could the kittens be born with brain damage,
or malformities because of malnutrition?  It seems odd that I would save a cat,
only to consider eliminating unborn ones.

Any words of wisdom for a very confused new kittie mommy?

PS  Any ideas on how to get a jealous 50# dog to accept a 6# feline?

Thanks for any insight you can provide.  

Answer
I would absolutely listen to your vet in this case. Experiencing kitten birth should be left to professional breeders always if at all possible. And under the circumstances, it is best for the cat that you don't let her have kittens if there are any. Also best for you because you have enough going on; never know what complications could arrive with mom or the kittens.

As for your new cat and your dog, this will take time and effort by you. Many dogs kill cats so you must take care. You can start letting them see each other through a screen form different rooms and see what they do. If that goes Ok then you can try to let them in the same room but only when supervised carefully by you. See how that goes. Beyond that, its just slowly going, giving them more time together and seeing how it goes until hopefully eventually they are ok together and you are comfortable that they are ok together. There is no quick fix for this issue.