Spaying a feral cat question

How soon can I get my feral spayed?  She's still feeding her babies right now and they are only a week old but I would love to bring them upstairs to begin socializing and I can't until she gets to the vet.

Welcome to TCS!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you for caring for feral's :heart3: You cannot get this momma cat spayed until the kittens are weaned. . Not before that time. You can still socialize the kittens - as this is very important. Hopefully this mother cat will allow you to touch the kittens? I would wait till they are two week's old and then start picking them up and handling them each and every day. I would wait till the kittens are even older than two week's before you start taking them upstairs for sessions of play time. But that is a great idea and very important so they can all get adopted out. Much luck !!! Keep us posted

Agreeing with Feralvr, one addition.

If the mom allows you to touch and take the kittens, try to weigh them every day.  IF something is not as ist shall, knowing their weigh every day, gaining or not, is very useful.

If the mom too nervous - you must perhaps abstain, but surprising often the semiferale mom allows, if you are respectful to mom and kitten.

In a real emergency it is possible to spay earlier, with a little luck they can nurse anyway. But you are nowhere in a emergency here...  So please wait till they are weaned and not nursing any more.

Good luck!

To add to the already great advice, here's an approximate timeline.

About 8 weeks old, all kittens should be eating dry kitten sized food on their own, and pretty much supplementing with momma's milk, so long as none are small/runt.

At this point mom needs to be separated from her kits, (I always dread that part as it's sad) far enough away so she can't see or hear them cry, this will allow her to dry up and not be producing milk so she can be spayed.

It takes at least 7 days, closer to 10 for her to dry up enough to be spayed.

Although mom is feral, her babies won't need taming, so long as you are interacting with them regularly by the time they are about 2 weeks old. By 3 weeks you should be handling them.

Is the mama cat truly feral? Or is she more of an outside pet/stray? That would be different. Do you have her and the litter inside now, or are they outside?

Anyway, call your vet to ask about the best time to spay her. My vet said when the kittens are 9 weeks old, but your vet might have a different opinion.

Hello everyone and thanks for all the great advise.  I did call my vet and they told me the same thing...I have to wait 2 weeks after the kittens are weaned.  I just feel bad because the mom now has to wait to get any socialization.  I do sit by the crate in my basement and talk to her solftly, I clean the litter box and feed her 2x's a day and I put treats in with her 1x a day so she is getting some attention.  I just wish I could bring her upstairs with her kittens but I have to wait until she sees my vet.  I'll keep everyone posted on how the kittens are doing and post some pictures

luisa0099 said:

  I just wish I could bring her upstairs with her kittens but I have to wait until she sees my vet. 

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Wait, here you are again. What is the problem?  I understand she shouldnt met your resident before she gots a vet check up and clear papers, but what has it to do with spaying?

Is it a problem for you to get to the vet so you want to do everything in one occasion?

Or do you have fertile studs as your residents?

:scratch: I am a little confused Did you take the kittens away from the mother cat to be permanently upstairs? Or are the kittens still with mom in the crate? Also, if the kittens are not nursing from the mom anymore and you are hand-raising them, then the mom cat can be spayed soon and socialization can begin...... Like Stefan above, I am not understanding the situation clearly. Thanks for clarifying so we can offer good advice

I re-read your post.....Are you able to take the kittens from mom and go upstairs for socialization of kittens..... Then return them back to mom ?? Maybe that is what you mean :dk: Just a bit unclear :lol3: If so, this is a good sign that the mom cat is trusting you. Do you have a secluded room upstairs where you could keep the crate so your resident cat's don't have access? Sorry for the many questions, want to help :heart3:

Yes, it's going to be a problem getting her to the vet so I will do everything in one visit.  She's in my basement in an extra large dog crate with her 5 kittens and I know she has fleas so too much contact right now is not an option plus when she is ready to go to the vet I have to take her in a trap...how i'm going to get her to go in that again is going to be a challenge.

Hi, sorry for the confusion.  The mother cat is feral so I can't get too close, she's in an extra large dog crate with her 5 (1 week old) kittens.  I will handle the kittens starting next week but only for a short time because of the fleas.  I will keep trying to get some frontline on the mom but until I can get that under control the kittens have to stay downstairs.

luisa0099 said:

until I can get that under control the kittens have to stay downstairs.

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The advice taking the kittens upstairs and let THEM meet the residents was though if they were a little older. We were a little cofused about the ages.

1 week is way too young. 

Although later on, it is only good they do meet others, friendly cats, friendly dogs, and even children, to get socialized even better.

Good luck!
 

Thanks for the explanations :lol3: Very clear now. Again, bless you for doing this.... quite a challenge you have before you and it would be great to get that Frontline on her or Revolution. Not sure it is safe for nursing kittens though :dk: I honestly do not know about that one. I would ask a vet before putting that on her. I am sure it won't be a problem for the kittens :cross: Poor kittens - they must have fleas too. Continued We are here to support you how ever we can