How will I know when to spay mom with kitten

Our feral little girl we have been feeding for several months, had kittens or a kitten. We aren't totally certain how many, but we've only seen a flash of just one kitten on four separate occasions. When we did see it, first it came flying across the lawn like a flash of lightening in the dark. Twice, mom and baby were curled up together on my doormat out on the porch. The other time mom was laying on the porch and baby came flying out of the little house we built for the mom (even though we have rarely seen here use it).

Bootsie (mom kitty) is a tiny little thing, and probably not much more than a year herself. She never got very big at all, and the only way that I even knew she was pregnant was because her nipples were pink and swollen. As a matter of fact, we thought that she was still pregnant until a week and a half ago. Then we thought she had just had babies, because she would leave abrubtly in the middle of eating, hollering as she was departing in a brisk and determined fashion.

Of course we were wrong, because two days later was the first kitten sighting. Obviously she hadn't just had them. The kitten has been such a fast flash, that if we blinked, surely we would never have even seen it. So, determining how old, we have no idea, and are totally inexperienced with this kind of thing.

We love Bootsie, and have really made some good strides with her getting to trust us. She will now eat with my hands in dish, lick off the spoon and lick off my finger, still afraid to be pet. We get a few good swipes in now and then while she is eating. She has rubbed up against me a few times, and she rubs the heck out of the front porch railing and the steps.

Our intentions were to have her spayed before she got pregnant. Well, we missed that boat didn't we. We were trying to build up the trust enough to get here to the vet. We have just recently found out about this TNR thing. After we found out that she was pregnant we thought we could try to get a hold of the kittens to tame them and find homes for them. Of course now that maybe there is only one we would just probably keep it as well.

The big question is when do we get her spayed before she is in danger of getting pregnant again. We would at some point have to get kitten fixed as well. Just don't know when its okay to do it. We don't know if she is still nursing or if baby is weening yet.

Please......advice or experience in this matter is welcome and appreciated.

Well, the baby is obviously quite mobile, so it's probably safe to spay her now, if the vet is willing to spay a cat who's still nursing. If you've seen the baby eating solid food, it's definitely safe. She may already be pregnant again. . .some cats get pregnant right away after giving birth, or after a month or so. But not all do, and if she's small and skinny she may not be as fertile as a healthier girl.

Kittens CAN be spayed as soon as they get to be 2 pounds, but not all vets like to do it that young. So talk to your vet to determine the best timing.

Thanks Willowy, I have been waiting to her from someone thru a local service that spays and neuters feral cats and gives them rabies shots for a $30 donation. I finally spoke with someone yesterday. Bootsie can be spayed on 6/9. They only do it once a month. They said they won't take the kitten until about 4 months old.

I did schedule the appointment, and I can borrow a trap from them for a $50 deposit. I did want to try to tame the kitten a bit, but so far it is not showing itself at all. I am not sure what to do now. If a set the trap for the kitten/kittens I'm afraid that I will catch mama too soon, and then won't be able to catch her later for her appointment. If I wait to catch kittens, there will be no hope for taming and socializing.

I'd like to have bootsie tested as well, but not sure how to go about that. We did rescue a kitty that was set free to fend for himself for several months after his owner became ill. He is an inside kitty kitty now, but desperately wants outside. He was an inside/outside cat with his first owner. We are actually in the process of building him a spacious outside enclosure that we will allow him to access thru our bedroom window. Right now he constantly escapes outside when when we let the dogs out, of course we scoop him up and put him back in the house.

If you trap mommy too soon, is there a way you can keep her inside until her spay app't? I know this is getting overwhelming but you are right. If trapped now, she won't be trapped again. If you have a spare bathroom, can she stay there for the duration? If you trap the kitten, he or she can stay with mom. It will give you a socialization window for both. Good luck, whatever you decide!

I love the idea of your enclosure. They are perfect for inside/outside cats.

Thank you first off for taking the right path with this cat and her kitten(s). I agree that if you trap mom now it would be best to confine her until her appt. on 6/9. OR could you bump up the appt. date? Most times these TNR vets will understand these dilemma's when trapping feral cats. A very large dog crate will do temporarily. You can even keep the cat carrier inside of the crate so it will be easy for you to close the carrier door to take her to the vet. I always look at it this way. The plan is to get them all trapped and neutered anyway. So just start trapping. Have either a large dog crate all set up with necessities and the cat carrier inside OR a very small bathroom with hiding cubbies for the momma/kittens. I know it seems like a lot of work but it is so worth your efforts. Even IF she is pregnant again, the best thing is do get her spayed anyway. More kittens are not a good thing. It is a hard reality in working to help feral cats. All my best to you.