Help please!!!! Problem with feral cat and kittens...Advice needed!!!!!

Hi folks,

I am in need of advice,

To start, I should say that I live in rural Ecuador, we don't have the same

shelters, or animal control departments as in the states or other western countries.

About 5 wks ago I started getting a visit from what appeared to be a pregnant cat.

Turned out she was nursing.

She was getting into my garbage, and eating anything that was left on the counter.

I should also mention that I have an outdoor kitchen.

I dealt with garbage placement and decided to leave out food for her, she would eat my

Chihuahua mutts food anyway.

A week later she moved her litter into my bedroom closet when I was gone. They were about 2-3 wks old.

I set them up with a safe and comfortable bed inside and outside, and have cared for all of them.

Healthy food, love, vet visit etc....

About a week ago, I accidentally stepped on a flattened cardboard box that had a kitten underneath,

There was a lot of screaming and blood from the kitty. It was a traumatic scene at my little house.

The mother cat, who didn't witness the accident, came in and attacked my dog. And since then has moments of

stalking and attacking "Chica". Who is living stressed and in fear of momma cat. She wont cross her path and momma cat is always on guard. With me she is warm and affectionate, and she trained her kittens to use the litterbox so I can assume she had human owners in her life.

I am working on finding homes for the 7wk old kittens, there are 3.

I want to keep the one that I squished, which has healed nicely but still may have health issues

down the line from such a dramatic head injury.

Now what do I do with the momma cat? I can't keep her because of all this.

Not fair to my primary pet.

How can I send momma away, and keep her kitten?

It sounds cruel, but keeping her and finding her  a new home here will be near impossible. Also.... Cats here are almost always outdoor pets.

No shelters here that offer these services. I'm at a loss.

I can't have this cat running my household and abusing my dog.

I wont do anything till the kittens are ready to separate from the momma, which is soon.

So, can I realistically "shoo" away a cat that I have fed for the last 5 wks? Can I do something to help the relationship btwn her and my dog? I wasn't looking for a cat to own, yet I feel responsible for the one I injured.

I'm at a loss and would love some input.

I Want to do right by all the animals that have adopted me. Especially my Chihuahua mutt.

Thanks in advance

Muttly

This sounds a lot of how i ended up with one of my cats a long time ago.

If she has food and shelter, she will probably not want to go away.

There are no shelters where i lived, so when i could not take care of a stray (specially kittens) i left them at a veterinary. Usually they take care of them to try find homes. They just ask for some food or some deposit to help pay for the cat's food.

I do hope you can find someone to help you out.

One more thing. Having the kittens with you will help them get used to people.

This will help a lot to find them homes. I had a litter that would not go anywhere near people.

I wish i could help more.

Good luck
 

AWWW what a story and I am so sorry for how awful you must feel about stepping on that kitten. I can't believe the kitten survived that..... Oh my... That momma cat sounds just like one of my cats, Pipsqueak. My cat blames my dogs for everything and anything that gets out of control in the household. Loud noises, if the dogs bark too loudly, if one of my other cats yowls out for whatever reason, Pipsqueak comes racing in to attack the dogs. I did finally put Pipsqueak on Elavil - an anti-depressant and it worked wonders for his aggression and stress. This is something you could try with your momma cat - if you can pill her. The medication you could get from your vet. :cross:

I do think this momma cat will calm down after the kittens are completely weaned and more on their own. I am sure she is still quite concerned for her injured baby and is still thinking the dog did it. So this could take some time for her to get over. I honestly do not know how to tell you to send her away, I don't think she will go at this point. As soon as she stops letting them nurse, then you could talk to the vet about putting her on an anti-depressant. AND this would only be temporary - maybe even a month. Pipsqueak does not take the Elavil anymore and has been SO much better. It just seemed to help him realize that there was no need to get so over-the-top about anything and everything that goes on in the household. He seemed to be re-educated on how to stay calm. Your little dog, Chica, is a sweetheart. It is stressful for the little dogs when a cat goes after them like that. I think in the days to come, things might :cross: settle down and Chica and this momma cat will learn to trust each other again. Let us know how things are going. AND how the little kitten that has an injury is doing. AWWWW - loads of hugs to you for taking them all in. Please update :nod:

Thanks for the replies

Kitty, "Monkey", is doing great, I appreciate the concern.

I really didn't want to take on additional pets, even though owning a cat here is a great asset,

especially with an exterior kitchen and country mice and rats.

So that's the deal I suppose...get adopted by a cat and her litter and your responsible for them for the rest of their days huh?

I'm not alone here, the local cats seem to know that infiltrating a house with a gringo means a lifetime of food and healthcare.

Woof!

It's also common here to poison loose pets.

Many friends have lost their 4 legged companions to poisoned meat that  gets dispersed around the roads.

It's a horrible thing to watch and I keep Chica out of harms way.

I will re-evaluate the situation after kitties are weened. I will try to teach the cat of her bad behavior, or try and distance her from

making this her permanent home. It's a very clever and pushy cat,I'm  hoping she'll "get it".

If not I will look for alternatives, my dog comes first here.

Elavil is an interesting suggestion, not sure if it's available here. Many medications are not.

Thanks again

Muttly

muttly said:

Elavil is an interesting suggestion, not sure if it's available here. Many medications are not.

Click to expand...

Many preparates you can get online, say via Amazon or Ebay.  Or Online-pharmacias. Big bet stores do have also much, and they may be online.

If Elavil need vet prescription, your vet can prob take it in, being a vet.

Money may be an issue, but the problem of getting these preparates as such can almost surely be solved.

For the cat you can also try with a Feliway diffuser, having it near where she usually is.  OR where Chica is... Preventing attacks...  Feliway lesses tensions, gives feeling of safety

Is in spray or diffuser (set in the electrical...)

For the dogs there is something similiar,  DAP it is called,  Spray.

Tx a lot for caring!

Good luck!   *vibes*

Can you get her neutered once her kittens are 8-9 weeks old?  That might help a lot, especially once her kittens are rehomed or grown up.  Right now she is being a good mother, protecting her kittens.

I thought of a few things, first, be sure that the area where the kitten was stepped on is cleaned up very well, so her sensitive nose can no longer smell her babies blood, otherwise she is constantly reminded.

It is natural for this momma to protect her babies from danger and predators. I feel sad for her, she was starving until she found you.

Please give it time, once the kittens are weaned, she will be much calmer. A new momma cat is in a different mode of protectiveness. She might be a loving and easy going cat who does fine with the dog.

I agree with the others who think your  momma cat may calm down and take her place in the household after the kittens are gone.  If you can be patient, you'll welcome the live pest control work.  She may even go back to living mostly outdoors, once the kittens are gone, but stick around closely enough to get some help with food in return for helping you out with the rodents.

My grandparents were farmers, and had cats living outdoors, with shelter in the barn, to keep the rodents from eating all the grain.  The cats got fed once/ day; they didn't go hungry, and they didn't stop working at catching rodents.

I recommend giving Momma cat a name and a chance. 

Cheri