Strays, including a VERY pregnant momma...

I have been feeding some strays outside my door for a couple weeks now. At first I thought it was only one, a male who looks to be under a year old. However, I realized maybe a week ago that a VERY pregnant momma stray has also been eating here, and hanging around the yard. She is the same size as the male (only with a huge preggo tummy,. of course) and loosk to be the same age as him. These cats are very scared and wild, and will not let me very close to them before they run away. I put a box under my room (which is a travel trailer), with a towel in it and a little sprinkle of catnip. It is under my trailer, near the food. I am hoping the momma decides to have them there rather than in a bush or under someones house. I am worried that she may have them somewhere unsafe, where a predator may get to them, etc. I would think she would want to have them somewhere closer to the food I have been providing, but she is so scared and runs when she sees me, usually. Do you think she will decide against having them here because I am in and out of my room and it freaks her out? The poor kitties. They are both so thin, although I have noticed a significant difference in them since I have been feeding them. They look healthier already.

Does anyone have any ideas on what I can do to get her to feel more safe here? She has let me stand a few feet away and watch her eat once. It was night and I shined my flashlight near her to watch, and she did continue to eat, although she looked up at me several times if I'd move or anything, and then she ran off when she was full.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions or advice. I know it would be best if I could somehow trap her and bring her in, but she doesn't trust me at all, and she looks like she could have her babies any day. I am not ready to try to borrow traps or anything like that....yet. I don't want to upset her and cause any problems with the babies. Right now, I just want her to learn to trust that I will not hurt her or her babies and that she is safe here.

Do you think she will decide against having them here because I am in and out of my room and it freaks her out? The poor kitties. They are both so thin, although I have noticed a significant difference in them since I have been feeding them. They look healthier already.

Does anyone have any ideas on what I can do to get her to feel more safe here? She has let me stand a few feet away and watch her eat once. It was night and I shined my flashlight near her to watch, and she did continue to eat, although she looked up at me several times if I'd move or anything, and then she ran off when she was full.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions or advice. I know it would be best if I could somehow trap her and bring her in, but she doesn't trust me at all, and she looks like she could have her babies any day. I am not ready to try to borrow traps or anything like that....yet. I don't want to upset her and cause any problems with the babies. Right now, I just want her to learn to trust that I will not hurt her or her babies and that she is safe here.

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Truthfully, the BEST thing you could do is actually borrow a humane trap, trap her and bring her indoors and keep her in a room until she delivers. No matter what you do to try to make the outdoors more "safe" for her..she is still outside...which means that she could end up having them elsewhere or even moving them elsewhere. Then you not only have an intact mother...you have several intact kittens. Then you have to trap her when she is feeding her kittens or waiting until she brings the kittens to be fed....which is 5/6 weeks away and chances are she will be pregnant again.

There are several TNR groups in CA, I would recommend that you contact one:

http://www.alleycat.org/orgs.html#ca

Katie

Thanks for the link. I contacted one of the Bakersfield ones, and asked some questions. I will contact some more as well. Thanks so much.

Originally Posted by TrixtersMomma

Thanks for the link. I contacted one of the Bakersfield ones, and asked some questions. I will contact some more as well. Thanks so much.

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No..thank YOU for caring!!!

Katie

Awwww *HUGS!* I can't help but to care. Its in my nature. I love animals, and it makes me sick that people are SO irresponsible and these precious babies suffer for it.

Has your mom delivered yet? Mine hasn't. I think I will go chew on the rug for a while.

lol, nope. no babies yet here either. I saw her eating this morning, and she is still huge There is also ANOTHER pregnant momma stray now, and she looks like SUCH a baby Ughhhhhhh. this is driving me insane....

You know, I feel so good that I got my feral family TNR'd last year, it certainly has saved me a lot of heartache, but I know from the amount of food that is disappearing here, more than my family is eating here. I wish that people would be more responsible about the animals they choose to take in. If that were the case, there wouldn't be any ferals. Keep up the good work, but please remember you can only do so much. Blessings and hugs.

Thank you so much. I appreciate the kind words. I want to find a TNR program, but I live in the boonies and we don't have anything like that locally. In fact, I have read recently that all of the shelters in my county don't even obide by the regulations for shelters. It makes me so angry....

Originally Posted by TrixtersMomma

Thank you so much. I appreciate the kind words. I want to find a TNR program, but I live in the boonies and we don't have anything like that locally. In fact, I have read recently that all of the shelters in my county don't even obide by the regulations for shelters.

It makes me so angry....

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Ah....but even in "the boonies" there are probably people who are TNRing cats...you just have to find them to help you. I would really recommend that you contact Alley Cat Allies:

http://www.alleycat.org/contact.html

Explain your situation and ask if they know of anyone who is TNRing in your county.

Also, you could join this site and see if anyone knows someone who is conducting TNR near you:

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/feral_cats/

Katie

Thank you so much. You're awesome, Katie. I appreciate your resourcefulness very, very much! <3 I will look at both sites and ask.

Yo girl!!! Any action on yo' mamacat?

Believe me, there is none here. I going to fix a long, tall cold one, skip the ice cubes and the mixer. Just down it straight. You betcha!!!!!

AAAARRRRRGGGHHHHHH

lol, nope. still no babies that I know of. But, I have not seen her for 2 days. I have been gone a lot, though.

Hi, any news on Mama yet? God I think I am losing it. I think I drank my shower water and washed up in vodka!!!?????!!!

LOL awww. *HUGS* Yes, the momma stray had her babies. I saw her this morning, eating, and she is SO much smaller now! She kept looking over at the opening under the neighbors trailer while she ate. And then she went straight back under after her tummy was full, so I am pretty positive her babies are under there. I would go try to look, but I really dont want to invade, OR get attacked by all the male ferals under there. I will wait. In a few weeks or so, I should start seeing them sneaking out of there. Hopefully i can catch and love on them, and when theyre big enough, take them in. I'd love to find homes for them. I have gotten a few emails regarding wanting to help with the TNR of these kitties. Hopefully soon I can start to get this going. Wish me luck! <3

P.S... I am sorry Tammy has not had her babies yet!

Originally Posted by TrixtersMomma

Awwww *HUGS!* I can't help but to care. Its in my nature. I love animals, and it makes me sick that people are SO irresponsible and these precious babies suffer for it.

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couldn't agree with you more! I am a sucker for any cat who appears homeless... we were in italy at the start of the year for 6 months and I took in 2 stray kittens - beautiful yet obvioulsy ferral. i had every intention of taking them with me. A week later they were close to the house and very ill, we could do very little as they were still very scared. After a few days we never saw them... we feared they had been poisoned and gone off to die. We asked around and apparently its common to put down poison food - i just couldnt believe it.