I have a problem...(cat related)

Ok, I have lived in my house for almost 8 years and ever since we moved here we have had "neighborhood cats" that just rome around and do what they please. Well, one old calico female that gets prego all the time and has babies somewhere but I never see them. I started petting her and feeding her like most everyone around here does and she stays around alot. Well, one day about 2 years ago I let her have a litter of kittens inside and she did well and I found good homes for the babies. Then about a year ago I let her in again to have a litter because it was raining but something was wrong with her nipples (they were gone!) smoothed over no nipples nothing?! So, I went to the vet and bought milk to hand feed the kittens. That night went ok with feeding the 4 kittens so I went to sleep and woke up a few hours later to check on her and when I looked down she had a kittens head in her mouth eating it YES EATING it! I screamed and ran out crying because I have never seen this before! The kittens legs were still moving as she was consuming its head! So, I went back to the bedroom and waited...fell asleep, then went back in to see her and all 4 kittens were gone.. just a large blood stain in the box. I have NOT let her in the house since then. Well, yesterday she decided to give birth to 3 kittens again right outside my front door. So, I picked them up and put them in a basket in the bushes where I can not see them.
Is this bad? I know I should get her fixed or something..but she is quite old and not really my cat. ??

I've heard of animals eating their young, like in the case Hilda said, where if they can't provide, they will kill them rather than let them die.

That's sad though. Poor little kittens. Maybe you should go out to the bush get the kittens and nurse them yourself? Just separate them from the mom.

I feel bad for her and the kittens but.. the litter she had yesterday one was hardly breathing and I just dont want to see that again.

I hope knowone thinks bad of me. :-(

Maybe you could check and see if theres a rescue group in your area and someone could get her and have her spayed that would be the best thing in the world for her, or if shes friendly maybe you could put her in a cage and they would come get her or you could take her to a low cost or free spay and neuter clinic, it's awlful to have her keep going through that and having the babies have to suffer also. I am sure there are groups close to you ...Good Luck

Originally Posted by halfpint

Maybe you could check and see if theres a rescue group in your area and someone could get her and have her spayed that would be the best thing in the world for her, or if shes friendly maybe you could put her in a cage and they would come get her or you could take her to a low cost or free spay and neuter clinic, it's awlful to have her keep going through that and having the babies have to suffer also. I am sure there are groups close to you ...Good Luck

Click to expand...

You don't think she is too old to have spayed? When I moved here 8 years ago she was a grown cat, so she is probably 10+yrs old.

Thanks.

Originally Posted by Hilda>^..^<

Well I'll tell ya, when our rottie did that, I just took all the rest of her pups away from her! There were 7 altogether...I tried feeding them and most of them died after the first 24 hours...only one survived and I bottle fed him & raised him...he was my sweetheart...named him SurVivor!...and that's a whole 'nother story I'd love to share with y'all and maybe I will but not now.

Anyway, I've also heard it said that sometimes animals eat their young because they can tell there is something wrong with the baby...maybe the momma could sense there was a problem with this little one.

Hun, if you don't want to try with them, maybe you can take them to a shelter and explain what happened...that's she's not your cat...but you don't want the babies to die...maybe they will care for them...its worth a try for the little ones sake as well as for your own, so you don't feel bad or anything...

Hilda>^..^<

Click to expand...

The shelter here is over run with cats. The last time I was in there they had every cage full of cats and kittens it was terrible! My husband went in there last week on a disturbance call (he's a cop) and saw that all the cages where full up front and back. They kill at this shelter and I dont want to take the mom there. I did take a litter of her kittens there once I forgot.. they said they can try putting them with one of the other moms with kittens but if that dosent work they would have to kill them. :-(

Originally Posted by themanxcatlady

I know I should get her fixed or something..but she is quite old and not really my cat. ??

Click to expand...

I have one simply rule at my house. If you come by and eat my food then I get you speutered. Seriously, the strain of litters year after year is going to kill her someday. If she can't care for them once they are born, why put the mom thru the stress when the babies won't survive anyway?

Please try to get her spayed if you can. This breaks my heart.

One of our "barn cats" was fixed when she was 12-13 years old. She developed a hernia & had a subsequent surgery to repair that. But, she's still out there reigning over the other cats in the garage over a year later. I know she's not your cat, but if you get her spayed, she can continue to live around your neighborhood.

Originally Posted by Sicycat

Please try to get her spayed if you can. This breaks my heart.

Click to expand...

I'm with Sicycat. You have already said you have no heart for watching an animal die. You don't want to have to continue to turn litters of tiny kittens over to a kill animal facility. It seems to me that even if she isn't your cat (she is nobody's cat, is she?), if you want to rest easy, you ought to go ahead and get her spayed. If she's healthy enough to breed, even if the kittens aren't properly formed, trust me, she's healthy enough to be spayed.

Even if the local shelter is full up, ask if they have any reduced cost vet services they can offer. Or if they know of any low cost spay/neuter programs near you. Or if there is a local veterinary school (students need to be shown how to do spays and neuters, so your costs are lower there). Or, hey, take up a small collection from among the neighbors who all feed and occasionally pet this cat and any others. Make it a kind of block project (maybe even hold a "She's spayed" block party once surgery's been done?)!

Not only would it be a help for your peace of mind, it would be a true gift to your neighborhood to take this on. I am hoping one of your local charitable organizations will see that, and be willing to help out.

Best,
Linda