Preggers

Serious drama with my colony!
Small white female with black spots is preggers. Can't tell how far along. Humane Society I take my ferals to for spaying/neutering terminate all pregnancies. Possible that I will trap her this weekend. What is peoples' take on this? Experience? Thanks! Much

I know there are some people that choose not to terminate the pregnancies. But most people who practice TNR do, though it depends upon how far along the cats are in the pregnancy. We don't have a low-cost spay/neuter clinic near us, so we use our vet for TNR. With pregnant females, they determine whether or not to spay. I don't know what guideline they use - I just know we've only trapped one female in 10 years that was too far along to spay. And she was so far along she went into labor in the trap and gave birth to four healthy babies at the vet!

It's heartbreaking to spay them knowing their pregnant. But no matter how morally difficult you find it... you're saving lives and potentially preventing suffering. There are too many cute kittens out there competing for homes as it is. And if you weren't there to care for the momma, who knows what would have happened to them?

Feralvr has an active thread up near the top in this forum - she just trapped a pregnant female and had the kitty spayed. It's hard... but it's for the best. (Though I did think there was a point at which it's healthier for the mom to have the kittens. I do find it kind of odd that they terminate ALL pregnancies, no matter how far along the mom is).

Just my worth. Please know that I don't manage a colony, I am merely someone who has been trying to stop the increase in the population of cats in my neighborhood so take this for what it's worth.

I would have her spayed and terminate the pregnancy if it's possible. Some are too far along and you just can't (from what I am told) but if you can do. I know it's a tough choice to make, but you have an entire colony of cats to consider. If these little ones are born, are you going to send them back out with the mother or are you going to take them into your home and foster them until you can find good homes for them? That can take a very long time and there is no guarantee of finding homes for everyone. If you send them back out, are you going to be able to catch them all again spay and neuter those kittens? What about the financial aspect of fixing the kittens and momma? Do you have a low cost clinic or are you going to have to pay full vet costs for 1 versus 5-7 cats (including momma) to be fixed? I know that money is not something people want to think about, but that is a factor.

Please do what you think is best and know that the people on this forum will support you in your decision. I know that they will, I am not a cat person but have found so much acceptance/assistance and amazing vibes from the people on here that I know you will be supported in your decision.

You are doing the right thing. Please get her in as soon as possible. IF >>>>> she is too far along in the pregnancy it would be dangerous for her to get spayed and abort the kittens, IMO, but still get her in and let them decide. I just trapped and had a pregnant feral cat spayed. She was early in her pregnancy though. I did feel very, very upset about the kittens. But my intellect told me otherwise. Those kittens would have been born basically to die most likely and a horrible death. Still, it turned my stomach a bit. I have never trapped a pregnant feral before, so it made me sad . It is much better just to go ahead and trap this female and let the humane society decide what to do. Just keep trapping, we all need to step up and try to control the feral cat over-population. Thanks for your love of the feral cats.