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Post by scrapmaven on Sept 29, 2024 15:18:59 GMT
Looks like one of the stray cats born in my yard Last August (2023) is about to give birth to her own litter. We could be wrong, but her stomach is like low hanging fruit and she's getting puffier by the week. Our rescues are packed to the gills. She is feral and though she no longer bolts when we are outside, she won't let us near her. We haven't fed her until now. We're worried about her getting enough nutrition. So, we're feeding her pellets and dental treats.
Is there anything we can do to keep her safe when/if she gives birth or to prepare her for that? I really don't want to be responsible for another cat and kittens. As much as I love cats, I have 2 indoor kitties and just can't take care of another. I don't want her put down at a shelter and I don't want to pay to have her fixed, since she's a stray and not my cat. I have 2 cats on the payroll, as it is. Any ideas from cat people would be very much appreciated.
ETA: Scroll down for photo of kitty. This will be the 3rd year in a row we've had kittens born in our backyard. I'm turning my backyard into a home for wayward kitty mothers.
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pantsonfire
Drama Llama
Take a step back, evaluate what is important, and enjoy your life with those who you love.
Posts: 6,273 
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Post by pantsonfire on Sept 29, 2024 15:25:47 GMT
Not a cat person but get a warm, safe area ready or her to give birth and keep her babies.
You con contact ASPCA or other trap and release organizations in your area to trap her, spay her, and release her. Many also take the kittens and foster them out to them get into homes.
We have about 5 in my area that do this.
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pantsonfire
Drama Llama
Take a step back, evaluate what is important, and enjoy your life with those who you love.
Posts: 6,273
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Post by pantsonfire on Sept 29, 2024 15:27:22 GMT
Make sure it is away as she will want to be alone.
So like a box with 3 tall sides and a smaller front ledge with towels or blankets. Lead food to there and have food near by.
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Post by scrapmaven on Sept 29, 2024 15:33:22 GMT
Thank you for your good suggestions, pantsonfire. Our feral rescues have been so packed that they haven't even had spare traps. I had planned to call again, tmw. |
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Post by Zee on Sept 29, 2024 17:10:05 GMT
I second googling local spay/neuter/trap/release organizations for help and guidance. The kittens could probably be fostered once weaned and mom released after spaying.
I love cats probably more than other people do but I don't feed strays, bc it upsets my house cats to have strays visiting and spraying in my yard. And feeding them attracts more, plus raccoons (shudder).
But the kittens!!! I'd probably be unable to resist making mom a box with straw and giving her water and food despite my reluctance to feed strays.
ETA you can buy a live trap if they don't have any available, but in general there are bound to be rescuers in fb groups who could lend one.
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Post by chaosisapony on Sept 29, 2024 17:30:54 GMT
I'll echo what the others said about local trap neuter release groups. You might be surprised to find out how many are in your area. Failing that, take a look into animal welfare organizations. My local one does feral spays for $40. There's a waiting list but it is at least affordable.
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seaexplore
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,878
Apr 25, 2015 23:57:30 GMT
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Post by seaexplore on Sept 29, 2024 22:10:40 GMT
See if you can set up with a feral cat group to trap her BEFORE she gives birth. They'll let her deliver and then find fosters for the kittens once they're of age and get mom spayed and released. They tip the ear so people know they've been fixed.
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Post by Zee on Sept 29, 2024 22:13:51 GMT
See if you can set up with a feral cat group to trap her BEFORE she gives birth. They'll let her deliver and then find fosters for the kittens once they're of age and get mom spayed and released. They tip the ear so people know they've been fixed. That is even better! Though around here, and in my home town, they are so overwhelmed they are asking people to let mom cat be and don't bring in any kittens. They don't keep feral cats and mom can't be spayed while she is pregnant, so they ask for her to be trapped after and it's easier to catch the kittens then. Definitely reach out and see what they recommend đŸ¥° And thank you for caring! |
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Post by scrapmaven on Sept 30, 2024 1:38:22 GMT
Thank you so much ladies. I'm very grateful for your sage advice. They will probably ask me ot let her have the kittens and then trap her once the kittens are old enough to be fostered. I just love cats so much and honestly, it's hard not to want both cat and kittens, but I also have 2 indoor kitties who will not appreciate the interlopers.
I'm going to call the feral rescue tmw and see if I can get someone to help.
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Post by scrapmaven on Sept 30, 2024 1:44:32 GMT
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Post by gryroagain on Sept 30, 2024 17:43:40 GMT
Thank you for looking after her! Cat traps are available on Amazon, and cats can be spayed pregnant. I TNR and do it all the time. It’s a harder recovery but ultimately for the best as the are just too many cats. Your ASPCA may spay for free, it’s worth a call. A TNR/community cat group will have resources too.
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Post by Zee on Sept 30, 2024 17:46:01 GMT
Thank you for looking after her! Cat traps are available on Amazon, and cats can be spayed pregnant. I TNR and do it all the time. It’s a harder recovery but ultimately for the best as the are just too many cats. Your ASPCA may spay for free, it’s worth a call. A TNR/community cat group will have resources too. Not this pregnant, surely! No vet would do that here. You might as well kill them all at birth. |
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Post by gryroagain on Sept 30, 2024 17:51:09 GMT
Thank you for looking after her! Cat traps are available on Amazon, and cats can be spayed pregnant. I TNR and do it all the time. It’s a harder recovery but ultimately for the best as the are just too many cats. Your ASPCA may spay for free, it’s worth a call. A TNR/community cat group will have resources too. Not this pregnant, surely! No vet would do that here. You might as well kill them all at birth. That’s what they do if they are that far developed, take them out and euthanize. In my neighborhood, there is ample food and shelter but the survival rate of kittens is about 50 percent still. That’s a lot higher than most. One female it took me forever to catch was pregnant 3 times and I never saw a single kitten alive. It’s a tough world out there, and tougher when you have to feed and protect 5 babies. Better they are never born at all. |
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Post by Zee on Sept 30, 2024 18:01:42 GMT
Not this pregnant, surely! No vet would do that here. You might as well kill them all at birth. That’s what they do if they are that far developed, take them out and euthanize. In my neighborhood, there is ample food and shelter but the survival rate of kittens is about 50 percent still. That’s a lot higher than most. One female it took me forever to catch was pregnant 3 times and I never saw a single kitten alive. It’s a tough world out there, and tougher when you have to feed and protect 5 babies. Better they are never born at all. Nope. Couldn't do it. Early pregnancy, ok, but I can't get behind this. I fully admit I am unable to separate my thoughts about age of viability for humans vs animals here--it just doesn't feel "right" that the cat doesn't get a choice. (Am I assigning human emotions and ideas to an animal, yes I am, and I admit that's not logical but there you have it.) I wouldn't do this any more than I would put them in a bag and drown them like they did in the olden days. Never gonna happen on my watch. If nature takes its course, that's one thing, but I'm not going to knowingly kill them. |
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Post by gryroagain on Sept 30, 2024 18:05:22 GMT
And that’s fine! I just wanted to give another option, many TNR people spay pregnant cats. I do, I’m in Mexico now but I have in the US and Korea too.
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