Need advice re: stray cat asap

azmom

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I would really appreciate any suggestions as to how to proceed.

Hubby and I are cat lovers- (have 3 of our own). A few weeks ago started noticing a darling Calico

hanging out, looking rather thin, etc. So we set out food and water.  Eventually, we realized she was pregnant.

We canvassed the neighborhood, and only one neighbor knew this cat, but it wasn't theirs. Just sometimes noticed she slept on an old vehicle in their side yard.

We tried to capture her before she had the kittens, but no luck. After being missing for a few days, she showed up, hungry. Obviously had delivered. She was  VERY friendly. allowed me to pet her quite a bit. Meowed, licked my hand and so forth.  I noticed that her teats did not seem to have much if any milk.  I immediately was concerned for her kittens, but have no idea where they might be.

We have continued to see her come for food for several days now, and she still does not appear to be nursing.  Feels mostly flat and dry when I rub her underside. We have the feeling her kittens didn't make it, but can't be sure!

We want to do the right thing, and would like to take her to a no kill shelter, and pay for her to be spayed, but are so afraid that somehow, she may have a surviving kitten or two.  I would just continue to feed her as a stray, but I know she'll be in heat again very soon, and don't want that to happen! 

What would you advise?  
 

feralvr

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Welcome to TCS! This cat sounds just so very sweet. If she did have kittens then I would think that you would know she has milk and is nursing. Her nipples would be pinkish too. I wonder if she was really pregnant :dk: I have to agree with you in that if her nipples are flat, then I think she is not nursing kittens and if they were born are now gone... :sniffle: I think if I were you, I would wait another week or so. Check her underside daily and if you see no change.... Then I would take her to be spayed and find her a good home. She sounds like a doll and needs some help. Good luck and keep us posted... :vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes:
 

catwoman707

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What I would do is watch where she comes from, or goes, if there are surviving babies, when you get close (remember do not make any sounds other than footsteps) babies think mom is coming and start to cry.

If they hear talking, etc. they will be silent, knowing you are not mom.

Look in hiding spots, where a momma cat would feel that her babies were protected from predators, like thick bushes, this type of spot.

'I did this once recently, a man called that he had found a newborn on the sidewalk, so I rescued that one but went back to hunt down more, I just knew there would be.

I scoped out any and every bush, and once you rustle the bush a bit, stand there silent, waiting, babies will make little sounds. We would hear something, then when we searched, it went silent again, we'd wait, sure enough, more sounds. Took all afternoon but found 3 more!

A hungry baby will cry.

I'll bet there are kittens out there. You might want to delay her spay, her milk has to be dried up anyway for it, which takes about 10-14 days.

If she gets prego before then, she will be aborted when she gets fixed.
 
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azmom

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Thanks so much for the reply, Feralvr!

First, to make a long story short, yes, she absolutely was pregnant.  She first came to our attention back in January.

At that time, assumed she was just a neighbor's pet that got out. She was in heat then, and we'd gone outside to find out what all the noise was about....  There were two males after her!

Anyway, after that, we didn't notice her around  much until February, and then started seeing her off and on, frequently.  By mid March, it was quite clear she was expecting. She was cautious, but let me briefly touch her side, and I think I could feel babies.  That's when we schemed to capture her, to no avail.

I will heed your advise and that of another poster telling me to wait, and to search bushes, etc.

Being that I'm in a suburban community in Arizona, there aren't a lot of thick shrubs around, but there are

some. 

I so agree with your motto - if you feed them- don't let them breed!
 
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azmom

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Thank you, Catwoman 707!

I'll take your advise.  Will go out tomorrow and search everywhere I can nearby. We live in an Arizona suburban community. Lots more desert type landscape than green bushy stuff, but there is some.

I'll try to follow her after her next visit. Trouble is, the last two times she was here to eat, she became almost aggressively affectionate. Not leaving until I finally made it back into the house.  Checking after a few minutes, she's gone. One time I saw her general direction, but that's it.

Sorry for the double post- I now see I have replies in two places
 

StefanZ

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One of my coworkers, being in very similiar position, followed the mom, talking sweetly and quietly the whole time.

The first time she was led astray. But the second time the mom led her to the nest, An american mile away (1,5 kilometers).  But they ARE wery good with sweet talking. This was their method of fostering all the ferales into loving outside kitties.  (essentially a mom with two different litters)

Also the fox (!) nearby. Not even to mention the moose (elk) family visiting them occassionally.    :)

I shall ask a mod to merge together both your treads.

Good luck!   *vibes*
 

feralvr

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Just checking in tonight!!! Any news??? I wonder also if you could "follow" her :dk: if at all possible. Unfortunately, though, if you think she has no milk then those babies might be gone :shame: BUT is wold be possible that the kittens are out there. If so, it would be best to try to find them right away for obvious reasons.... and socialization. :cross: :vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes:
 
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azmom

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Thanks for your concern...

Yesterday, searching for kittens, I hunted around my neighborhood's common areas and also took it on myself to walk around in the back yard of an empty home on our street.  Saw nothing even remotely promising as a momma cat den.

Calico kitty showed up late morning yesterday. Again I felt her undersides and she is mostly flattening out and dry feeling.  She lounged around outside my house for a few hours. Tried to come into the house, etc.  I am thinking that a mom with kittens wouldn't stay so long.

She didn't come by today at all.  Not sure what that means, but she has been intermittent before. Maybe I just missed seeing her.   I just wonder if she does have a "home", but if she does, they must not care much.   I'm thinking our best bet is to try to get her into a shelter.  There are a few, very decent, no-kill places, but I have learned that you cannot take animals directly to the rescue places. Not even for a fee.  They (rescue groups) partner with the county, go to the county shelters and select which animals to take in. The county charges a fee for a person to "surrender" animals, but won't specifically say how long they will hold an animal they consider "adoptable".    Its so worrisome, but that would be the only way she might have a chance. She's so pretty, I just know she'd be a good candidate for adoption.    Anyway, perhaps she'll come by tomorrow.

Here she is:

You can see a nipple in the second picture.  She is SO sweet.

 

krz

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She is so beautiful! I hope you can find the kittens and that they all will find good homes, especially her.
 

feralvr

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:love: What a beauty!!! She looks very, very sweet and loving. I am certain you might be able to find a home for her :cross: I honestly don't know IF she even has kitten's. Best to wait a bit longer though before taking her in to be spayed. ALSO - IF you could, just a thought.... quickly crate her and take her to the vet just to have her checked to see if she is nursing. :dk: :vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes:
 
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azmom

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Hi again...

Update- Calico kitty returned.   No idea where she went for a full day. Each time I see her, I make certain to feel her underside, and can't feel any "fullness".  Yesterday. I tried gently pressing the rear teats, (which seemed the least "flat") and nothing happened.

Also, yesterday, she spent hours near our house,  Laying alongside the house, etc.   We left, went shopping, and returned about an hour later, and she was still here.  All together, I guess she hung around for over 3 hours, then vanished.  I never seem to be in the right place to see her coming or going!  (Our house doesn't have front windows except in a bedroom)

I am more convinced than ever that she no longer has kittens. Momma cats don't leave young ones that long.  By our estimate, kittens were born no earlier than mid March - somewhere between the 13th and 18th.

As the weather heats up here in AZ, it will be dangerous for her to be outside. I doubt she could survive the brutal heat, even with access to water.    Spay and release is not a good answer here in the low desert.

The time has come for us to get her into the "system", so that she has a chance for adoption.

We would love to keep her, but just can't do that.  We have already adopted 3.
 

clynn11

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I had a semi-stray momma cat who actually had given birth to her kittens across the street, under a neighbors porch that she had gotten under through the SMALLEST hole. I couldn't notice any milk, and I tried to follow her but could never find the babies. She would stay at my house for HOURS, sometimes almost the ENTIRE day- so I came to the conclusion you did, that there were no kittens.

Then one night, when I estimated the kittens would be about 8 weeks old, I heard my cat door flap twice, turned around and saw a little kitty sitting under my table, a couple minutes later momma returned with another, and then two more! Little did I know she had been caring for them the whole time. The reason I know they were under the porch was with the last kitten I watched her climb in there, then appear with the last orange kitty and trot across the street to bring them to my house. She must've known it was time to bring them to food.

So there's definitely the possibility they're still out there. As for adoption, have you tried putting ads on Craigslist or Petfinder? You can usually find a good home through there and not have to chance her being put down in a shelter if she is not chosen for adoption.
 
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azmom

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Appreciate that story, clynn11!

Another poster on this thread suggested taking her to the vet to access her milk status.

So we actually were able to get her to our regular vet this afternoon.  They first checked for a micro chip- (none- no surprise there, but needed to be sure) then the vet said  "Calico girl" has a small amount of milk... The vet thinks it's less than expected for a nursing mom, but still there's a little bit. The vet suggested she "may" have lost her kittens and is drying, but isn't there yet.

She said we should keep feeding her and checking her glands for another two weeks before we give up.  She didn't think the long visits to our house were proof that there aren't kittens.

So, that's what we're going to do!

We just couldn't take her away if there's any chance she has babies somewhere.
 

feralvr

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Appreciate that story, clynn11!

Another poster on this thread suggested taking her to the vet to access her milk status.

So we actually were able to get her to our regular vet this afternoon.  They first checked for a micro chip- (none- no surprise there, but needed to be sure) then the vet said  "Calico girl" has a small amount of milk... The vet thinks it's less than expected for a nursing mom, but still there's a little bit. The vet suggested she "may" have lost her kittens and is drying, but isn't there yet.

She said we should keep feeding her and checking her glands for another two weeks before we give up.  She didn't think the long visits to our house were proof that there aren't kittens.

So, that's what we're going to do!

We just couldn't take her away if there's any chance she has babies somewhere.
Excellent and thank you for taking her in to the vet :hugs: :clap::clap:. I am sad to say that I agree with you and your vet, that she is drying up. :sniffle: Poor little kittens... such a hard life for these strays/ferals. Breaks my heart. I would wait a couple more weeks time and then take her in to be spayed and then she can begin her new life and journey to find a loving home :heart3: :rub: Keep us posted !!! :vibes::vibes::vibes:
 
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azmom

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Update

I "think" we may have discovered Calico kitty's hiding spot- and perhaps where the kittens may be...

Let me back up a bit first... since we have been feeding her so regularly (wet food twice a day and all the kibble she wants) her teats have actually plumped up! 

Now, it seems very likely there are kittens.  Here's the rub- I have have seen her come and go several times from a spot on the roof of an empty house! (see picture)  She goes into that little opening at the place where the surfaces join. Fits completely inside!

The problem is, this is a tile roof. Besides the fact that is would be trespassing,  tiles can break very easily when walked on... We're trying to figure out how in heck to get up there and get to that spot to see if our theory is correct.    So far, we have thought about getting a tall ladder, and then maybe crawling over, on some sort of padding.  Hubby is NOT really up for doing this, but he's pondering.   It was over 90º today... it must be pretty warm up there for kittens, if they are there!
 
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azmom

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So- turns out, hubby managed to get up there...  (he's a saint!).  Unfortunately, he couldn't see a darn thing. The space went in about 24 inches and then makes a left turn, beyond his range to feel or see.   He didn't hear any sounds. 

The good part is, if there are any kittens, they are well protected and relatively cool, for now.   I guess they'd be approximately 3 weeks old.   

All we can do for now is feed mom and be patient.
 
 

feralvr

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WHAT AN UPDATE :shocker: I bet you are right, about her having kittens somewhere since her teats are plumping. OH boy, there is not much you can do IF the kittens are in the roof tiles. Your hubby IS a saint :D :clap::clap::clap::clap: Just keep stuffing momma kitty with food, as much as she will take. I can almost guarantee, since she is so friendly, that when the kittens are old enough, she will start bringing them around. Kittens will stay put exactly where mom moves them when they are young. So they are safe, wherever they are, in the roof :eek: or elsewhere. Momma cat is smart if she did put them up there, scary as it is, she knows that predators can't reach them up there :cross: WOW - this is getting to be quite a story now. Please keep us posted :vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes:
 
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azmom

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Hello everyone!

Well here's the latest update.... Turns out "Calico" (the mom) has three kittens up on the roof!

At this point they must be between 8  and 9 weeks old.

So far, they have not seemed interested in following their mother down from the roof, and they are very skittish. Run to their hiding spot with loud noises, etc.  We (hubby the saint and I ) have been getting up on a ladder and bringing them wet food and kitten kibble each day and trying to "sweet talk" when they see us. They watch from afar, but will not approach. They do observe the mom cat coming to us for petting, so that helps a bit. 

It's a minor miracle that they are still okay, as its been very hot here in Arizona, but their hiding spot under the tiles must keep them  somewhat cool/out of the direct sun.  The only liquid they get is from the mother's milk and the wet food.

Not sure what we can do next. Its a waiting game until they are ready to follow the mom down, I suppose!

Here's a photo taken while they were having supper with their momma today:

 
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