So, I've been looking after a LOT of strays recently. I discovered one in the pathetic attempt for a garden round the back of my apartment building.. and then another.. then another. As of a few hours ago I thought there were a total of 7 (At least 5 of which are girls and at least 1 is male).. I've been feeding them, gaining their trust.. some now run up to me when they see me, others still run.. it's a work in progress.
Basically, I've been trying to work out what on EARTH to do with them all.. I live in Japan and the system is simply appauling here... appauling to virtually non existent you might say. None of these cats have been fixed, and there isn't a free way of doing so that I know of in Japan. I've talked around and heard that in my area, they'll do the process for a discounted amount if you use one of the vets who offer it, but it's still not cheap... and not something I as a poor student can afford for 7 cats!!!
Of course.. 2 days ago the inevitable happened. I noticed that one of the babies, a kitten of somewhere around 8 months looked HUGE. She's one of my favourites, and has taken to me now... so I went over to her and felt her nipples.. they're pretty, well.. huge. But I kept hoping to myself that she'd just been fed by someone else and that's why she was all ball like (she really did seem to get HUGE overnight).. but of course the next day was the same, and again today. She's OBVIOUSLY pregnant.
I've been angsting over that... went out tonight for a walk and a stray feeding session. Decided to go over and try and find the mother and kitten that I found once before in an area a minutes walk from my building. Well.. she was there.. as was her kitten... and another THREE kittens of identical age. (I'd say anything from 5 months but definitely under a year). Staring at a mother cat and her 4 kittens, realizing the number of strays I look after has now shot up to ELEVEN.. I just wanted to cry.
Oddly, this family of 5 all have beautiful long tails.. as does the giant ginger male I'm sure is the father of EVERYONE (all the cats except one have orange in them).. All the other cats have the little stumps characteristic of stray cats in Japan. Not quite sure WHY they have no tails but... I found it so weird seeing strays WITH tails. That's beside the point...
I could have been wrong but.. the mother cat looked a little rounded too.. I'm kind of worried she's pregnant AGAIN. x_x
Simply put, I'm at a complete loss. I know I'm rambling here but.. it's kind of inevitable!! I'd been debating taking in the pregnant cat, letting her have her babies here and then try and find homes for them... but then what? Every single one of the female cats out there could be pregnant right now!! And I have 2 cats of my own (a 5 and a half month and a 3 and a half month kitten) who would NOT take kindly to a newcomer right now.. I'd have to keep them seperate for now, which I could do.. but they'd sense there was another cat in the house.. and then suddenly there'd be kittens?!
My brain is going to explode...
Basically, I've been trying to work out what on EARTH to do with them all.. I live in Japan and the system is simply appauling here... appauling to virtually non existent you might say. None of these cats have been fixed, and there isn't a free way of doing so that I know of in Japan. I've talked around and heard that in my area, they'll do the process for a discounted amount if you use one of the vets who offer it, but it's still not cheap... and not something I as a poor student can afford for 7 cats!!!
Of course.. 2 days ago the inevitable happened. I noticed that one of the babies, a kitten of somewhere around 8 months looked HUGE. She's one of my favourites, and has taken to me now... so I went over to her and felt her nipples.. they're pretty, well.. huge. But I kept hoping to myself that she'd just been fed by someone else and that's why she was all ball like (she really did seem to get HUGE overnight).. but of course the next day was the same, and again today. She's OBVIOUSLY pregnant.
I've been angsting over that... went out tonight for a walk and a stray feeding session. Decided to go over and try and find the mother and kitten that I found once before in an area a minutes walk from my building. Well.. she was there.. as was her kitten... and another THREE kittens of identical age. (I'd say anything from 5 months but definitely under a year). Staring at a mother cat and her 4 kittens, realizing the number of strays I look after has now shot up to ELEVEN.. I just wanted to cry.
Oddly, this family of 5 all have beautiful long tails.. as does the giant ginger male I'm sure is the father of EVERYONE (all the cats except one have orange in them).. All the other cats have the little stumps characteristic of stray cats in Japan. Not quite sure WHY they have no tails but... I found it so weird seeing strays WITH tails. That's beside the point...
I could have been wrong but.. the mother cat looked a little rounded too.. I'm kind of worried she's pregnant AGAIN. x_x
Simply put, I'm at a complete loss. I know I'm rambling here but.. it's kind of inevitable!! I'd been debating taking in the pregnant cat, letting her have her babies here and then try and find homes for them... but then what? Every single one of the female cats out there could be pregnant right now!! And I have 2 cats of my own (a 5 and a half month and a 3 and a half month kitten) who would NOT take kindly to a newcomer right now.. I'd have to keep them seperate for now, which I could do.. but they'd sense there was another cat in the house.. and then suddenly there'd be kittens?!
My brain is going to explode...
