Appreciate any feedback..

Hello, I'm new to The CatSite and want to write about what happened with one of the feral girls in our complex.  She was on her second litter, about to burst...we kept waiting for the day to come and her belly kept getting larger and larger, while the rest of her seemed to get tinier.  She was hunting around my friend's villa for a safe place and coming for food regularly.  And crying a lot to us, like she was trying to let us know something.

Two days ago, she was found dead under a neighbor's car.  There had been 2 stray pitbulls loose in the complex that may have charged her, but the maintenance guys told us that when they removed her body, she had no lacerations and there was no blood loss around her.  She was still full of babies, sadly.  So we couldn't place blame automatically on the pitties.

Could she have not been able to give birth properly and subsequently passed away from that?

Or maybe, because she was small to begin with, the stress of the babies on her body?

I'm still learning about our ferals, even after 2 years, so any insight would be welcomed.

Thank you!

the most probable is the pits stressed her into death, even if she managed to escape them.

another option is, they dont always kill by biting. not seldom they do shake holding by neck, till the prey is dead.    Feral toms are not seldom killing kittens this way too.

In these cases there are often no outer mark.

A good vet could have found out by obduction.

But as she was found under the car, the death was probably NOT this violent death.

there may be other possibilities too. Perhaps someone poisoned her. 

It MAY have been overall stress,  but it is not common.

Occams razor, shawing knife: the simpliest good explanation is usually the correct.

So I do guess on stress by these pits.

What an idea, to let two pits together to be loose!  If they arent unusually kind dogs, they could be dangerous to anybody!!!.  Especielly someone old, drunken or a child.  Ie any easy prey, not behaving as usual. And them two together acting up each other...

Great pity nobody helped this high preg cat, although there were kind people and she begged for help.

Best help  by taking her in, next best by making a nest for her in a safe place. Including food and water.

Please, as you ARE interested, devise some routine to take in high pregs, esp if they seem friendly.

This way you can easily foster the kittens and adopt them out. You may even succed in fostering the mom at the same time.   And of course, spaying the mom too.

Dont let this death be in wain.  Please.

Tx for caring!

Welcome!

Good luck!

ps.  Yes, please try to work on TNR above all. Very efficient.  But if another high preg comes anyway,   look above.  

OMG how very, very sad. I do think she might have been telling you something with her cries. I am sorry to say Please see about getting the feral cats all TNRd... I am sorry about what she went through and the babies inside her. It is a rough and cruel life for a feral cat. Please look into your local TNR organization to get assistance in trapping the cats in the complex.

Thanks so much for your responses!  The pitties were taken away by the police, we suspect they were from the neighboring streets outside our development and got out of their yard. 

We do have mini-colonies here of feral/stray kitties.  I have had my own little girl for a year and a half now--she had a litter a year ago, her babies were all adopted out-yay!....then, thanks to a local cat rescue, I was able to get her spayed.  It has made all the difference for her, and her "territory", my building.  She has it all to herself, plus, the toms don't have the interest. 

I help to watch over one colony outside another building here.  Due to lack of funds and no transportation, I haven't been able to get any of the kitties up to the shelter that performs spay/neuter.  There are others who feed these guys and girls, but no committments seem to have been made.  And the local cat organizations are maxed to their limits, including the kind ladies who helped with my girl.

The little girl who passed away this past weekend was from this colony originally.  She migrated all the way to our end because we had food and comfort for her.  But yes, I know, it was not enough.  We were prepared to help her with her babies and get her trapped and spayed, whatever we could do with the limits we have.  Might not be able at this time to take care of everyone, but we were prepared to try with her.

Stefan, thanks for the insight into what might have happened.  You mentioned things we did not think of. 

Feralvr, thank you.  My friend and I who tried to watch over her the last few weeks, really believe she was trying to talk to us.  She was never vocal at all when she lived farther down the complex.  That she was "speaking", was something I noted right away.  My friend and I kind of "joked" today (it's not a joke) that she was saying, "Hey, Ladies---get me to an ob-gyn, STAT!".  Like I said, it isn't really a joke at all.

Bless this site and this forum...it is great to have folks who know about our feral friends to share with.

Lucy - I do wish you luck in finding an organization that can help with the colony of cats you talk of. Otherwise, there will be more and more of these types of incidences and many more kittens. Many of these orgs. will assist in coming out (volunteers) and help set traps and assist people without funds but have good hearts - like you. I pray you will find one :cross: That is the most important thing to stop the suffering is to stop the breeding. Glad you found us.