Um, I think ones pregnant... what do I do?

klag

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Okay, not positive but of the 3 regular feral visitors that visit my backyard one is quite plump and sluggish... I think she might be pregnant.

The cats are totally feral, but I do leave out food/water and shelter for them.

What should I do? I've been leaving food out and daily fresh water as well as a winter shelter for the last few 3 years but this is a new one!

Should I leave anything out back like a blanket or box of blankets? Do I scoop them [the kittens] right up and take them to a cat shelter before they become too feral? Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated.

Here are a few pictures, to maybe help shed some light. These are OLD pictures, before the cat looks pregnant.

View of my back yard.



The cat we think is pregnant



The pregnant looking cat is always with this male, they travel together.



Them together.



This is a similar looking but different gray cat. This one is male, and does not get along with the other two. He only shows up when they are not around.
 

kscatlady

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Can you catch her and have her spayed? That way you don't have to feed her kittens and their kittens and thier kittens......
 
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klag

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Originally Posted by kscatlady

Can you catch her and have her spayed? That way you don't have to feed her kittens and their kittens and thier kittens......
I think it might be too late for that, she looks pretty plump like she's pregnant already.
 

kscatlady

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I bet you still could. I would look into it. My humane society does low cost spays and neuters if you have a feral colony.
 
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klag

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Originally Posted by kscatlady

I bet you still could. I would look into it. My humane society does low cost spays and neuters if you have a feral colony.
What I mean to say is that this cat looks like she could have kittens any second. I don't even know if this is someone elses cat(s) that just come to my backyard for a snack. I could definitely attempt to trap and have spayed one day in the future, but if she were to have kittens like tonight, or tomorrow.... should I leave anything out for her like some blankets or a box or whatever? Do I quick grab the baby kittens and take them to the humane society right away?

I just leave some food/fresh water and winter shelter out for the skinny neighborhood strays, I don't have any experience with pregnant cats/super young kittens.
 

kscatlady

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If she's a feral then I think she'll be fine. You could be feeding them all kitten chow though. It's just extra calories which ferals and pregnant cats could use.
 

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I just took my latest group of 4 in for spay/neuter. The mama cat, Matilda was very pregnant. I was told this morning that they can still spay and neuter if the cat is pregnant. When I asked what the cut-off was for when they would not spay, I was told, "We don't have a cut-off, we can spay any cat no matter how far along they are."

We just brought her home and she's doing fantastic. She was rather plump, but I thought she was just fat. Hope this helps.
 
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klag

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Does help. Especially the kitten chow tip, that's just what I was looking for. I'll pick some up tomorrow for sure.

Thanks!
 

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I've never dealt with feral cats, but I don't think taking newborn kittens to a shelter would be the best thing for them unless you can trap the mother and keep the kittens with her. They really need their mother's milk to survive the first few weeks.

Blankets tend to collect moisture and could end up being colder than something like clean straw. If you do put a blanket in the shelter you'll need to change it out as soon as she has the babies so they won't be laying in the mess.
 

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What makes you think she's ready to pop? Just her size? Have you noticed any nesting habits? I know it's hard to tell in a feral, but maybe she's staying in a more secluded, comfy area? If not, then I would still try to have her spayed. Every vet is different, but some vets will still spay up to the week they're due. Call your vet and ask their policy. But one thing to be aware of is spaying this late, especially when you stress out a cat not used to human contact, it can make a more difficult recovery. I've seen several very pregnant cats, especially ferals, die a few hours after surgery for unknown reasons. Gosh knows what she's got going on with her health. But then again, many heal just fine with no problems. So maybe waiting until after she has these to spay her? Put then you've got babies to deal with.... It's a tough call.
 
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klag

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Originally Posted by CatNurse22

What makes you think she's ready to pop? Just her size? Have you noticed any nesting habits? I know it's hard to tell in a feral, but maybe she's staying in a more secluded, comfy area? If not, then I would still try to have her spayed. Every vet is different, but some vets will still spay up to the week they're due. Call your vet and ask their policy. But one thing to be aware of is spaying this late, especially when you stress out a cat not used to human contact, it can make a more difficult recovery. I've seen several very pregnant cats, especially ferals, die a few hours after surgery for unknown reasons. Gosh knows what she's got going on with her health. But then again, many heal just fine with no problems. So maybe waiting until after she has these to spay her? Put then you've got babies to deal with.... It's a tough call.
I'm actually not familiar enough with this cat to notice any change in habits.

One male cat has basically lived in my backyard by himself for 2 years. From time to time another visitor would stop by for a snack, but not actually take up residence there. About 6 months ago I first saw this new kitty (the one I think is pregnant) tagging along with another male cat. Those 2 just stop by for food and fresh water, and when it gets really cold they both stay over night in the shelter I built for them. But they don't stay for more then a snack and a quick nap and then are gone again for a few days or more at a time.

The only reason I even thing she might be pregnant is because she is so plump, extremely nervous/skittish and a little sluggish. In all honesty, I can't even be sure this is a female... she's so nervous that she bolts away at any movement or even me just watching her through the glass.

EDIT: Basically what I'm getting at is that I'm in over my head. I just wanted to leave some food and water for all the starving strays, and shelter for the freezing ferals. Trapping/spaying/kittens is more then I bargained for.
 

kscatlady

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Originally Posted by klag

EDIT: Basically what I'm getting at is that I'm in over my head. I just wanted to leave some food and water for all the starving strays, and shelter for the freezing ferals. Trapping/spaying/kittens is more then I bargained for.
lol, that's exactly how it started for me...but I realized I would have more and more to feed if they kept having babies. I'm lucky though, there are two places that do low cost spays/neuters. A clinic specially for that (haven't tried yet) and my humane society does it for people who maintain a colony. If I'd had to pay $130 a cat, or even $70 like my local vet charges, there's no way I could have done it. If you decide you want to start trapping call around, there's this group here that would even pay for the trapping and neutering for me. I'm sure there are people who might help you. And keep coming here! There are SO many knowledgeable people here. I've learned SO much and I've just been here since January.
 

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See if you can find a rescue that works with ferals, strays and TNR programs. I know there are resources listed somewhere on this site. Frankly, even if she is someone's pet, she keeps coming on your property. To me, it sounds like she's stray/semi-feral.
 

cat-tastrophe

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I wouldn't spay her if you think she's pregnant. Thats really hard on the mom and just plain awful! Imagine paying to have little babies cut out of their mama's belly and thrown in a trash can. I would just let her have the babies and than get mama spayed when they're bigger. You should put a spacious doghouse out on the deck and put towels in it. Put her food by it or maybe in it to get her used to it. They are both some of the most beautiful cats I've ever seen. I'm sure her babies are going to be real cuties!

Feral cats have always intrigued me, and I have a great appreciation for them. Me and my sister's got one feral tomcat to the point where he'd walk up to us, meow and let us rub his back. He started off so wild that he'd dart away like a bullet when we came near.
 

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I've actually dealt with this about a dozen times. She doesn't look like she's about to pop, but that's just the picture... usually when you are dealing with strays, etc... they get all bony-skinny (legs, etc) and the big belly. You can also touch the sides of the bump and feel the kittens moving.
If I suspected pregnancy I would just start feeding them kitten chow.

Cats tend to nest as they are about to deliver and find a place kinda "hidden" at least from other cats and animals. They also tend to come out to eat when nobody is around or looking. Once the kittens are born, I would just leave water and kitten chow out for the mom near her nesting area. I would not try to attemp picking any of the kittens up. I've seen moms leave the kittens out to die when they leave, stray or get picked up by humans (that's how I ended up with Leela and many other cats). Just note that if she leaves a kitten out, then you may pick it up, attempt to put it back and observe if she leaves it out again. Then you can take and bottle feed it, etc.
Once the kittens are walking around by themselves, then you can take them to a shelter, give them away or whatever.

As far as spaying mom soon after delivery, that may not be a good idea... I think their milk may dry out, so give it a couple of weeks. Watch out though, because they can get pregnant again within a month after delivery. We had this one cat who (I kid you not) had 4 litter in 1 year!!! We finally caught her (set a trap) and got her spayed.

In my case, once the kittens were walking around (2-4 weeks) I would pick them up, bathe them (they were always infested with fleas) and took them to my mom's school to give them away. I ended up keeping the ones that were sick or left behind (i.e. Bob who lives at my mom's house).

this can get a bit pricey and I've lost a lot of hours of sleep looking after sick kittens, etc.
 
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klag

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Originally Posted by happynadia

I've actually dealt with this about a dozen times. She doesn't look like she's about to pop, but that's just the picture... usually when you are dealing with strays, etc... they get all bony-skinny (legs, etc) and the big belly. You can also touch the sides of the bump and feel the kittens moving.
If I suspected pregnancy I would just start feeding them kitten chow.

Cats tend to nest as they are about to deliver and find a place kinda "hidden" at least from other cats and animals. They also tend to come out to eat when nobody is around or looking. Once the kittens are born, I would just leave water and kitten chow out for the mom near her nesting area. I would not try to attemp picking any of the kittens up. I've seen moms leave the kittens out to die when they leave, stray or get picked up by humans (that's how I ended up with Leela and many other cats). Just note that if she leaves a kitten out, then you may pick it up, attempt to put it back and observe if she leaves it out again. Then you can take and bottle feed it, etc.
Once the kittens are walking around by themselves, then you can take them to a shelter, give them away or whatever.

As far as spaying mom soon after delivery, that may not be a good idea... I think their milk may dry out, so give it a couple of weeks. Watch out though, because they can get pregnant again within a month after delivery. We had this one cat who (I kid you not) had 4 litter in 1 year!!! We finally caught her (set a trap) and got her spayed.

In my case, once the kittens were walking around (2-4 weeks) I would pick them up, bathe them (they were always infested with fleas) and took them to my mom's school to give them away. I ended up keeping the ones that were sick or left behind (i.e. Bob who lives at my mom's house).

this can get a bit pricey and I've lost a lot of hours of sleep looking after sick kittens, etc.
Lots of great info, thanks much! Yea, those are quite old pictures way before she (looks) pregnant. She's very jumpy and usually runs away when she sees me at the door, so haven't been able to get any good pics of her while she's all plump. I've since switched to kitten food from the advice of this forum. She probably wont nest in my yard, she's too jumpy for that I think.
 

ldg

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Feral moms can get VERY friendly when they're close to giving birth. Many have trapped momma kitties that showed signs of nesting or getting really friendly, brought them inside for them to have their kittens, adopted out the kittens around 10 weeks old or so, and then had momma spayed and released if she gets all ferally again after the kitties are gone. One we trapped this summer stayed friendly, so she got adopted out.


I don't know where you live, but if it's in the states you can search here for either rescues to help or low-cost spay/neuter clinics, and borrow a trap from a rescue:

http://www.pets911.com

Or you can scroll through the petfinder pages in your area - all cats have an org associated with them, and all orgs have some kind of contact page available, if not a link to their website:

http://www.petfinder.com

It was a petfinder "e-mail" campaign we conducted that found a foster home for our pregnant momma while she had her kittens.

And yes, pregnant mommas can be spayed. Our vet will not do it if the kittens are developed enough to live, but up until that point, they will. I don't know how they determine that. We always have early term mommas spayed - there are too many cats that need homes, and we've been involved for rescue to long to bring more homeless cats into this world.


It sounds very cruel, but really, if you are not going to trap and spay and neuter, it really is best not to feed them. They will find other sources of food, and for all you know, they'll find some place to eat where someone IS having them sterilized so they cannot produce more homeless kittens.

If you want to learn more about trap-neuter-release, feel free to click on the link in my signature line. http://www.alleycat.org also has LOTS of information - it is what they do.

You can also search for TNR help by contacting Alley Cat Allies to see if there are any Feral Friends in your area: http://www.alleycat.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=355

Same thing with the Best Friends Network - you can contact them to see if there's anyone to help with the TNR in your area: scroll down and you'll find the link for animal help: http://www.bestfriends.org/nomorehom...ts/thenetwork/

We got started by borrowing a trap from our vet and working out a payment plan.

Laurie
 

cat-tastrophe

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Originally Posted by LDG

Feral moms can get VERY friendly when they're close to giving birth. Many have trapped momma kitties that showed signs of nesting or getting really friendly, brought them inside for them to have their kittens, adopted out the kittens around 10 weeks old or so, and then had momma spayed and released if she gets all ferally again after the kitties are gone. One we trapped this summer stayed friendly, so she got adopted out.


I don't know where you live, but if it's in the states you can search here for either rescues to help or low-cost spay/neuter clinics, and borrow a trap from a rescue:

http://www.pets911.com

Or you can scroll through the petfinder pages in your area - all cats have an org associated with them, and all orgs have some kind of contact page available, if not a link to their website:

http://www.petfinder.com

It was a petfinder "e-mail" campaign we conducted that found a foster home for our pregnant momma while she had her kittens.

And yes, pregnant mommas can be spayed. Our vet will not do it if the kittens are developed enough to live, but up until that point, they will. I don't know how they determine that. We always have early term mommas spayed - there are too many cats that need homes, and we've been involved for rescue to long to bring more homeless cats into this world.


It sounds very cruel, but really, if you are not going to trap and spay and neuter, it really is best not to feed them. They will find other sources of food, and for all you know, they'll find some place to eat where someone IS having them sterilized so they cannot produce more homeless kittens.

If you want to learn more about trap-neuter-release, feel free to click on the link in my signature line. http://www.alleycat.org also has LOTS of information - it is what they do.

You can also search for TNR help by contacting Alley Cat Allies to see if there are any Feral Friends in your area: http://www.alleycat.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=355

Same thing with the Best Friends Network - you can contact them to see if there's anyone to help with the TNR in your area: scroll down and you'll find the link for animal help: http://www.bestfriends.org/nomorehom...ts/thenetwork/

We got started by borrowing a trap from our vet and working out a payment plan.

Laurie
Its sad what the world is coming to. Aborting little kittens and thowing them in a trash can. I don't care what your excuse may be, to me its SICK. I can't believe that you would actually pay to have that done and walk away with a clear conscience. Very unimpressed by this modern way of dealing with feral cats. They're wild, like birds and deer, what's so sad about that? Unless they were pets at one point, I don't see why so many people obsess on "over population." Give me a break. There's not really an overpopulation problem, there are just many more people putting cats in these well meaning, but overcrowded shelters, than there are people who adopt cats from shelters. Very simple logic.

Once we can get people to find homes for their own pets instead of dumping them at shelters, and once we can get people to stop trapping and bringing every cat they see to the shelter, then we will make some progress.
 

ldg

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Cat-tastrophe, I take exception with the way you express your opinion. There is room for many opinions, and I certainly respect anyone's decision not to spay a pregnant female. However, I think experience and education affect such decisions. One can value life and still make that decision.

I don't know where you live, but the deer and bear "over"population issue is a real problem in the rural area in which I live. Nature is not killing them "quickly" enough, so to speak, and the growth in human population is crowding out their natural living areas. Bears are turning up in people's kitchens, and deer kills by cars (or injuries, where someone then has to go find them to shoot them to put them out of their misery) are a serious problem, both for the deer and the drivers (and the people who have to shoot them if necessary). It is a seriously heated debate about how to deal with the problem. There is no easy answer, and it is very sad - for the people, for the deer, and for the bears.

I understand you morally have a problem with aborting kittens. I understand that, and that is your right and your choice. But are you actually proposing that nothing be done about feral cats? They should just be left alone, like wild animals? Sadly, too many people do not agree. Condominiums, with many abandoned cats, call animal control to have them come, trap all the cats, and then they are all euthanized. How do you propose to stop that?

Out here, the farmers were getting fed up of all the cats. They either put poison out for them or they were drowning the kittens. Talk about painful, horrible deaths. We fought long and hard to work with these people to let us trap and sterlize the cats. There are only homes for so many cats in any given community.

You say, "there's not really an overpopulation problem, there are just many more people putting cats in these well meaning, but overcrowded shelters, than there are people who adopt cats from shelters."

You acknowledge that there are more cats than there are homes for them. So putting a cat you don't want out on the street because it has a peeing problem is OK? Because if it goes into a shelter, it will likely be euthanized. Which is more humane?

Are you proposing that shelters be closed? That unwanted cats should just be put out, left on their own?

Estimates of feral cats in the U.S. range from 60 million to 100 million. Either way, it is a depressing number - to me. And that is feral cats, not the unwanted, formerly "owned" cats. Cats do not eat berries or bugs, like birds. They do not eat foliage, like deer. They are opportunistic feeders, which means that while they will hunt birds and small mammals, if garbage is available, they'll eat that. Have you ever seen a cat die of salmonella poisoning?

"Only" approximately 8 million animals enter shelters each year. Approximately 50% of those are euthanized.

Most shelters automatically euthanize feral animals (cats and dogs). When SO MANY cats that "had" people are abandoned or surrendered, why should we allow the feral animals to procreate when there is a more humane option?

Feral kittens can be socialized, and one of the functions of this forum is to fight the traditional notion that feral kittens can only be socialized if 8 - 10 weeks old. We've helped people socialize ferals that are 1, 2, 3 years old.

If someone wants to take in a pregnant female, let her have the kittens, and adopt them out, I think that is wonderful. We are here to help anyone through that process. But to people new to rescue, they may not know abortion is an option. Whether it is something one chooses to do or not is entirely up to each individual. But I beg to differ with your opinion that it is sick. I think farmers drowning unwanted kittens is sick. I think people putting out poison to kill cats is sick. What I want to do is sterilize the feral cats so they cannot procreate. Sadly, too many people allow their cats to roam - or put them out - without spaying or neutering them. People like me and many of us at TCS are here to clean up their mess. But the domestic cat is NOT a wild animal. They are resourceful, they are survivors. It is something I admire about them. But they are NOT cougars, they are not bobcats, they are not jaguars - they are Felis Catus, the domestic cat.

If you will note in my post, I did not recommend the poster have the mother spayed. It is what I would do, if possible. Because I think it is far more humane than allowing more homeless cats to be brought into this world. Any home a feral kitten takes up is a home that does not adopt out of a shelter - a cat that already exists that is in need and has a 50% chance of being murdered.

I do, however, feel VERY strongly that if someone is not prepared to trap and sterilize, then the roaming cats, feral or otherwise, should NOT be fed.

I don't know if you've been involved in rescue, where you've been involved in rescue, or how long you've been involved in rescue. The world of rescue in which I now live is not at all black and white. To make the decision to spay a pregnant female is a moral choice. My morals, in this instance, are affected by experience and information. The world of rescue in which I live has many shades of gray.

Laurie
 

sarahp

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Cat-tasrophe - The reality of the situation is that it's better to spay a pregnant feral cat. Please do not project human feelings onto animals. The cats do not have emotions about "abortions" like we do.

If you allow the pregnant feral to have the kittens and leave them outdoors, the kittens are at risk from all the outdoor dangers and are most likely to die anyway. If you catch the kittens immediately, then someone has to bottle feed them every few hours day and night, and they won't get the essential nutrition they need from their mothers milk. If you try to bring the feral cat inside, she will most likely be highly stressed, and not react well to the situation. You then need to keep her and the kittens for at least 10 weeks before the kittens can be adopted out, and they need lots of human interaction which is very difficult with a feral mother cat guarding them. It also gets very expensive - particularly as they won't be particularly healthy.

I do feral cat rescue trap-neuter-return also, and any kittens I find I socialise and adopt out. Any pregnant cat gets spayed, and the kittens aborted. In most situations, it's very hard to tell if a feral cat is pregnant, or has a good food source, and it's better to get them spayed either way as it's better for her health in the long run. By the time you discover they are pregnant, they have been put under anesthesia which humanely kills the kittens anyway.

We're not talking about pet cats here, we're talking about feral cats. Whether or not you think there's an overpopulation, I'm sure you'll agree that there's no shortage of cats, and particularly unwanted kittens. At a big shelter near me, 85% of animals get euthanised. What's the point of letting the cat have kittens that may never be completely socialised, going to all that expense and effort only to have no loving home for them to go to?

To the OP - it really is best to trap the cat and get her spayed. You don't know for sure if she's pregnant, and you don't know how far along she is IF she is. If you DO have the time, space and money to be able to keep her inside, let her have the kittens, socialise them, get them vaccinated, and spayed AND find them good homes, them go for it. If not, you need to get her spayed ASAP.
 
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