what do I do with this pregnant cat

I have this cat that I found by a park she looked abandoned so I brought her home and gave her some food(she was so hungry!). she seemed to have gone for a while until she showed up on my porch pregnant and wanting food. shes been around ever since but wont come inside for very long. I dont know how to take care of a pregnant cat especially a wild one. she is very lovable and seems to trust me but i dont know how to get her into a pet bed or a box or something to keep her warm. any advice on how to do that or to get her to stay inside would be helpful

Hi Sweetie,

If it were me I'd keep her. Make her a little area in a bathroom. You can buy a cheapy lil cozy "round" kitty bed for around 10.00 at your local Walmart. If she gets accustomed enough she'll birth there. I strongly urge you go start feeding her protein rich foods, typically kitten food will provide that plus there's some great stuff called KMR and it's GREAT for preggo queens/lactating/nursing mamas.

You'll want to keep her there for a long while before letting her roam the house to. You'll want to know where to look for "hamsters" when the time comes. You can contact your local "no kill" facility and ask for some help. Sometimes if kitty is feral they'll help w/ food/litter/etc--

Congratulations grandma! LOL

Elyse

Hi nikki-

Here is a link to an article I wrote specifically for the catsite. I deal in ferals and I hope the article helps you decide. You do need to bring her in to a room and soon. Anyway here is the article.


Handling ferals

turns out ok! I'm so excited, I hope she shares the birth stories, what the kittens look like--who whole nine yards!!

E~

Dear nikki, I am so glad you have her trust--somewhat, at least. Please do keep her inside where the kittens will be nice and warm. They will then grow up to trust human beings. Please keep us informed of your progress with mommy kitty, and let us know about the babies. I'm so glad you care!

thanks a lot for your advice the fifth kitten just arrived less then 20 minutes ago and the mother is resting right now. turns out this morning she wanted inside and found her way to the back of a closet all by herself I had no idea she was due so soon! of course my other cat is a boy so I've never had kittens before. they are adorable two black and white and the other ones are either gray or black I cant tell yet since they are way back in the closet.

since i have never had handled newborn kittens before i am not sure what to do. can i pick them up right away? or should i not even touch them? I dont know if i should even try to go near them or not the mother doesnt seem to mind me petting her but what would she do if I pet her kittens?

I have helped my Siamese with the birthing of her kittens. Of course, she loves me and wants me with her. With a stray I would be very cautious. Other than sexing the kittens you shouldn't have to handle them unless one seems to need more nourishment. See if Mommy will allow you to touch a baby head. Be cautious, though. They will have to be socialized, but not picked up a lot at this age! Congratulations on being a foster mommy!

I hope all is going well. How many boys/girls?

E~

well there are 3 boys and 2 girls the mother let me hold them as long as they were still right there with her. they all are so sweet I cant wait until they open their eyes!

Is your boy cat neutered? If he isn't you might want to keep him away from the kittens even though he is bound to be curious. Don't handle the babies too much at first, let them get used to being next to mom. Just sit with her and talk to her. Stray moms can on a second turn around and nail you for touching their kittens, so please be careful. It can happen before you even notice, they are that quick! Glad the mama came inside to have her family.

nikki, I had to laugh. The boy/girl ratio may be wrong. Kittens have to grow into themselves so to speak. Even my vet, as good as he is has problems sexing newborns. Just wait a bit and see if the count is still right... Keep them warm as you can, even with mom they need to stay really warm. 90 degrees is good.

I had no idea how to tell them apart one of freinds was over here and told which was wich but never told me that it wasnt a sure thing thanks for the info

For the kittens I'm fostering I had to wait a bit until they developed...still I know where to match up the holes, lol--too cute. Well hope all continues to go well!



E~:laughing:

the kittens have opened their eyes they are a pretty green. For some reason the mother keeps moving them back and forth between under the dresser and in the closet where she was originally. a little two year old was over here the other day and picked one up before I could get to him are these things related? or is this normal? she may just want more privacy but then why does she move them back to the hall closet?

Yes, the fact that a little child picked up the kitten is no doubt the reason Mother cat moved her kittens. It's not wise for anyone to be handling them right now. They're very young. Mother cat usually has a couple of favorite spots, and if someone keeps discovering her babies, she will continue to move them. I dearly love two year olds. They are so adorable, but I'm sure you know it just isn't safe for the little one to handle the kittens. We'll look forward to pictures! Keep us posted!