took in a pregnant stray, need reassurance

Hi everyone, I am new here but I have always been a cat lover. I am hoping to just get some advice, because I am feeling a little overwelmed at the moment. Here is my story:

I have a 9 month old cat named Banjo, and for the past month or so i have been wanting to get a second cat. I was kind of hoping i would just come across one, but after some debating i filled out an adoption application for a city rescue. The day after I put in my application i got home from work i saw that something had dug through the trash on my porch and licked clean an empty can of cat food. I was sitting inside watching tv and then i saw the culprit... A pretty grey and white cat, with a big round belly. I stood up, and she saw me, and turned around and ran into some bushes. I heated up some canned food and went outside with it. I sat outside for a minute and then i heard a little mew from the bushes. She poked her head out and must have smelled the food, because she stood mewing and watching me for about 30 seconds, then slowly made her way over and dove in. She was hungry, i had to take it away from her because she started gagging she was eating so fast. She warmed up to me pretty quickly, let me pet her head and rubbed up against me when i took her food bowl away. I ran inside and got my carrier, put the foodbowl i side and was able to get her in it.

I took her to the vet, got her tested for fiv/felv and we got an x-ray. While I was at the vet I was petting her the whole time, and was even able to carry her from one exam room to the other with no complaint. Tests were neg and they think she is 60 days along with only one fetus, that appears healthy and they think she will be able to deliver without a problem. At that point I made the decision that I would like to keep her and her baby. 

So i brought her home, and put her her in my bedroom since I didnt want her to get near Banjo. I set up a few different boxes for her with blankets in them, and her water dish and litter box. She came right out of the carrier and didnt seem scared or skittish at all. She actually just plopped right over on her side and seemed very content to be there. I would bend down and she would come right to me, rubbing my hand and letting me pet her. Then I must have moved the wrong way, because she turned and hissed, and took a swipe. It was nothing unexpected, as I had put her through a lot that night and i just sat back and let her get acclimated. I slept in my bedroom with her, she left me alone all night, and when I woke up and said good morning, she jumped up on the bed and climbed right on top of me, purring and wanting love. Then she did it again, hissed and swiped. So i pulled away from her and she jumped down. 

I decided to be more careful when i pet her, so i was very careful to pay attention to her body language, not to make eye contact, etc. I waited for her to come to me, and I only petted her on her cheeks where she was rubbing against me. Then she hissed and bit me, bad enough to draw blood and leave a bruise. So I went to the doc and got a tetanus shot and antibiotics. The health department called today and luckily in my county as long as i keep her quarantined for 10 days and she shows no ill symptoms everything is good. It just has discouraged me a little, I have never been afraid of a cat before like this. I used to work at an animal hospital and I had dealt with ferals before, but this situation is so different because she is just sooo unpredictable. She is the most lovingist cat ever, and then just snaps. I went in there today to feed her and I put on a leather garden glove so I could try petting her without fear of a bite. I held my hand completely still, and she came and rubbed on me, then hissed and bit again. It wasnt as hard of a bite, and she only got the very tip of my glove, but the fact that I did not move at all and she still bit really concerned me. She is also very demanding with food. She comes right to the door when I open it and meows and puts her front feet on my legs. I know that she can sense my fear so I feel like I am making the situation worse instead of better. 

Now my fear is that she will get even more aggressive after she has the kitten. Am I being completely crazy imagining her actually attacking me when I walk in the room if she has had her kitten? 

Keep in mind I have only had her since tuesday night, and it is now friday. The fact that she seems to trust me but acts out makes me think that maybe its just hormones, since she is due any day now I am sure she is not feeling too good. I also am assuming that the smell of an unfamiliar cat (Banjo) even though he is neutered, is probably threatening to her. She is not showing any other signs of discomfort. She has used the litterbox perfectly, which makes me very happy. 

So my question is this, how do I combat this aggression? Should I try to feed her and pet her, or should I just wait it out until she has the kitten and I get her spayed? I have been feeding her with a spoon instead of just dropping the food and running, I am still scared to touch her though. Do you guys think that this is just an environmental reaction, could this be something I always have to worry about? I am especially concerned for Banjo's safety. I obviously dont plan on introducing them until she has calmed down considerably. Any advice is appreciated, and I am sorry for this being so long, I have never taken on anything like this and I have a million things running through my head right now. Thanks so much

First, I would like to hug you and thank you for rescuing this girl. 

who it is said:

Do you guys think that this is just an environmental reaction, could this be something I always have to worry about?

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I truly think this is a combo of stress and hormones. She's going through a lot!! It's actually amazing she's handling it as well as she is. I had a similar situation with a pregnant semi-feral cat that I trapped and confined to my spare room. Even though I could pet her and she was quite affectionate (also due to hormones) she would fiercely attack my hands and arms if I touched her food dishes or her blankets, or moved too quickly. It was freaky, I have to admit, but I found the best way to handle it was just freeze and be as calm and quiet as possible (hard to do with claws and teeth imbedded in your wrist!). If I reacted in any way (jerked my hand, yelled in surprise, whatever), it would upset her more and exacerbate the situation, reinforcing her fearfulness. You'll be happy to know that once the kittens were older, this behaviour completely stopped and she's now the biggest love-bug of all my cats. 

Yes, it is surely like you both thinks, a comb of stress and hormones.

How are her swattings, claws out or soft paw?

You could try with a Feliway diffuser. Cant hurt but could ease up the tensions.

Soft, calming classical music could also be tried. If it works with ferales, it may surely work with high preg with temperament, no?

You do have right with not introducing Banjo as yet. No point of adding extra stress, not mentioning other points.

You do handle it all just  along the best handbooks.   

Good luck!   *vibes*

I took in a mother cat with kittens and she was like you've described. She was also aggressive to my own cats, but since the kittens have grown up she's completely changed and become a really sweet pet. Hopefully you'll find the same, but I wouldn't expect things to change while she's nursing the kitten. It took around 5 months here for everything to settle down.

We made a kitty door and sleeping niche in a wooden shed for a feral mother and her kittens and trapped them and had them fixed. a neighbor was allowing cats to breed on his overgrown and junked property. The mother cat was terrified of us, and remained outdoors for her life. That family warded our property, and although the number of ferals in the area remained high, they drove away competition. At feeding only that family attended. They were hunters, and violent, often carrying much larger prey in their mouths.

One day a new female appeared at feeding. Those terrible cats gave her space, standing back while she was at the door waiting for food. I spoke to the new cat who was attentive and felt she was abandoned (since she was so thin) rather then feral, and felt that because she seemed to recognize me in a different way. I put out my hand for her to smell and she reared back and jabbed me many times with her claws. I forgave that easily and fed her. Later I went to the shed and found that she had driven the tough ferals out of the niche and birthed five kittens. I was able to move her and her litter to the house.

Those kittens went up for adoption and I kept the mother. Named Saffy Cat, she was a lovely Maine Coon - Persian mix. Although she had at first attacked my hand, her mood changed completely and I found her to be a delight. That cat routed 5 territorial feral cats to birth her litter! That was really something.

Saffy Cat passed away last year. I have two new cats now.

Thanks everyone! I feel much better that others have been in the same situation and she turned out to be friendly.

StefanZ said:

How are her swattings, claws out or soft paw?

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Claws out! Extra needle sharp ones at that, I trim banjo's regularly and he uses soft paws, so Its been a while since I have felt a really sharp claw, not fun!

I actually have a feliway diffuser in her room right now, and I have my alarm clock playing a classical radio station for her. She seems to be nesting...the bedding in the boxes I set out for her have been re-arranged. I lock Banjo in the bathroom everytime I go into my bedroom where she is, because she immediately runs out everytime I open the bedroom door like she is looking for him. The poor guy wouldnt stand a chance against her, he is about as tough as a Teddy Bear. But he has been sniffing under her door and making his little chirpy noises talking to her, so I am sure she knows he is there. If I wasn't worried about Banjo I wouldn't be so stressed. I also have a vacation planned in about 2 months and I honestly dont know if I trust anyone else to take care of them. If they slipped up and she got to Banjo I feel like it would not end well. We will just have to take this one day at a time I guess, and I hope that she has this kitten soon!! Thanks again everyone, I will keep you all updated. BTW, we named her Minnie(her face and skinny tail remind me of a mouse)

Here are some pictures of her:



And here is Banjo, taking a walk on his leash. (didnt want him to feel left out)  

who it is said:

 BTW, we named her Minnie(her face and skinny tail remind me of a mouse)

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 Right.  She should be called Jonathan ("Given by God"), as she appeared just the day after your applicance for a shelter cat...  Just like send from Above.

But Jonathan is a male namn.

Lets hope her kitten is a boy.

Good luck!  *vibes*

ps  When the kittens are 6-7 weeks they got a little less aggressively protective.

At that time you can try with a supervised meeting in a neutral territory (not near her kitten).