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- May 19, 2013
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We began feeding several feral cats who took up residence behind our shed 2 years ago. Out of the three cats, 2 male and 1 female, only the female came close to the house. She never allowed us to touch her, but she waited for us to come home and walked us to the door. She even laid out on the patio with us, although she would never come in to the house no matter how cold it was outside.
We noticed her belly increasing in size and on July 11, 2012 she went into labor. It was a very hot day. She delivered her first two kittens under my neighbors deck, they cried very loud. This is how we knew where they were. I kept an eye on her and she went under my car. I guess it was cooler. When I coaxed her out, I noticed the third kitten was stuck, hanging halfway out of her. She pushed a few times, but I knew the kitten was dead. She delivered the fourth kitten sometime that night. When I checked on them the next day, two had died and the other one seemed okay. She stayed away for three days, then came to get food and milk. I checked on the kitten daily, while she continued to move him between my yard and my neighbors. He grew into a healthy, beautiful golden tabby. We continued to care for both cats, acclimating the kitten to people.
In March of this year we noticed her belly swelling again. On the hottest day in April we have had so far this year, she went into labor. She stayed close to me on the patio throughout, wandering away a few times. She pushed for almost six hours and I never saw or heard a kitten. Our Sweetbird did not know what was going on with his mother. He followed her as usual wanting to play. At dusk, no kittens. The last we saw of her, she went into the sewer. She never came back for food or milk. It has almost been six weeks.
I am concerned, even though she never allowed us to get close to her we love her. We care for her older kitten, Sweetbird. Is she staying away because her older male kitten would have bothered the kittens? Or did she die trying to give birth? I really think we would have seen or heard the kittens crying, or she would have come around. The weather has been cool and damp. Should I assume she is gone?
Giraffelady
We noticed her belly increasing in size and on July 11, 2012 she went into labor. It was a very hot day. She delivered her first two kittens under my neighbors deck, they cried very loud. This is how we knew where they were. I kept an eye on her and she went under my car. I guess it was cooler. When I coaxed her out, I noticed the third kitten was stuck, hanging halfway out of her. She pushed a few times, but I knew the kitten was dead. She delivered the fourth kitten sometime that night. When I checked on them the next day, two had died and the other one seemed okay. She stayed away for three days, then came to get food and milk. I checked on the kitten daily, while she continued to move him between my yard and my neighbors. He grew into a healthy, beautiful golden tabby. We continued to care for both cats, acclimating the kitten to people.
In March of this year we noticed her belly swelling again. On the hottest day in April we have had so far this year, she went into labor. She stayed close to me on the patio throughout, wandering away a few times. She pushed for almost six hours and I never saw or heard a kitten. Our Sweetbird did not know what was going on with his mother. He followed her as usual wanting to play. At dusk, no kittens. The last we saw of her, she went into the sewer. She never came back for food or milk. It has almost been six weeks.
I am concerned, even though she never allowed us to get close to her we love her. We care for her older kitten, Sweetbird. Is she staying away because her older male kitten would have bothered the kittens? Or did she die trying to give birth? I really think we would have seen or heard the kittens crying, or she would have come around. The weather has been cool and damp. Should I assume she is gone?
Giraffelady
