New to caring for a stray/feral and second-guessing myself and need some encouragement and support

Here is the picture of the night light ! :lol3:
She will become more and more calm as the hours go on. She knows she needs a safe place to have her kittens and will soon trust you are going to be her safety through all of this. Good to be making a connection with her now before she has the kittens. She will trust you by then!

I always have a problem with raccoons too so I only feed in the mornings. Have always done it that way. If I feed late afternoon, I will take up the food before sunset.

Question. Does the neighbor spay/neuter all of their cats? Because, you know what will become of that if they do not. So frustrating, upsetting and angering to hear of such irresponsible cat owners contributing to the feral cat population. It really breaks my heart that they are so careless. :shame:

Thanks for the  picture. I was at Wal-Mart today and didn't see any that did not have to be plugged in, but will check the local hardware store.  Small town so not many options.  I did buy an inexpensive night light and found one place I could plug it in the laundry room, but I had to plug it in upside down so the light shines down but maybe that's enough until I can find the other one.

She's trusted me for some time, since at least early February when she started running to me and rubbing around my legs purring. I'd only been feeding her since early December and it took a month for me to be able to get a few feet from her. I understand from others that this is sort of quick and that she probably wasn't feral but a stray who had been abandoned.  Of course, I don't know what this will be like with kittens and that's another reason the storage room is a good option. She won't feel the need to "protect" them as much if she doesn't sense Chaucer or strangers around, and the inside noises are not going to be there either to startle her or the kittens.

I'm pretty sure the neighbors have spayed their cats. There are two who come round regularly and since they are both Torties, they are probably female. The fat one has been that way since I moved here nine months ago.  The other one I thought might be pregnant hasn't really changed shape in the past two months she's come with the other Tortie. The intact male that is the father of the kittens seems feral and runs. I rarely see him, but he must have been with her at the other house as they are friendly and I think I saw him with her there. Hopefully, they are not litter mates.

People are so careless and think their cat doesn't need to be spayed/neutered because they are indoor cats. I would think the yowling and the spraying might be an incentive if the possibility of kitten didn't occur to them. I've been wishing I'd trapped Henryetta sooner but I was nervous about trapping for the first time with no one able to help me or to wait it out so I didn't get the neighbor's cats or a raccoon, etc.

Of course, you were nervous trapping a cat for the first time!! I think no matter how many times I do it - I still get those butterflies wondering how it will al turn out. It is such a huge responsibility but one I will always feel the need to take on - for the cats. So - be extremely proud of what you are doing, even if it is for one kitty. Believe me, rescuing/saving one cat may not make a huge difference in the scheme of the world BUT will make ALL the difference in the world to that one cat. :rub: :high5: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There are SOOO many careless cat owners out there contributing to more feral cats. That will never change and if so - the world would be perfect in my eyes. :9:

Feralvr said:

Of course, you were nervous trapping a cat for the first time!! I think no matter how many times I do it - I still get those butterflies wondering how it will al turn out. It is such a huge responsibility but one I will always feel the need to take on - for the cats. So - be extremely proud of what you are doing, even if it is for one kitty. Believe me, rescuing/saving one cat may not make a huge difference in the scheme of the world BUT will make ALL the difference in the world to that one cat.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There are SOOO many careless cat owners out there contributing to more feral cats.

That will never change and if so - the world would be perfect in my eyes.

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Thank you for saying those kind things and giving me some applause.  She's still in the laundry room until I can get the screens put on the doors, which may be next week, but I'm already thinking how I will miss her in the house. She's not running around in the house now but I know she is here.  We're sort of back to me just going in to pet and check on her and feed her since there is no place to play with her or even to sit.   Currently, she just sleeps on the dryer top and eats and doesn't have much running around space, so I think the bigger room will provide her with needed exercise. As it is, I can't tell if she is getting fatter or bigger with kittens. I'm still concerned about them being alive and well. I can't feel them move.

I don't understand abandoning pets. Take them to a shelter where they might have a chance for adoption or find a friend who might want your pet or might know someone who is looking. I was so fortunate someone brought in that litter of kittens to the local shelter and I got Chaucer. After the loss of my beautiful adopted Himalayan after 14.5 years of having her, I was looking for an adult female cat with long hair but ended up with a short-haired, male kitten.

HMMM - I think someone is falling for Henryetta - quickly. :heart3: Easy to do, right?! Do you have any idea when the kittens may be born? I know the vet gave you a guesstimate but do you have a date in mind? I have not checked your other thread in the Pregnant Forum but it is a great idea to keep that one going because you will be able to get much support on the How To's in that Forum as far as her pregnancy and birth go. I think the kittens will be alright !! :nod:

I am sure Henryetta will really appreciate the bigger space and the windows. You can even pick up a wand toy or two to go in there and see if she is interested in a bit of a hunt. Just make sure to put away the wand toys with the strings from both of your cats. Cats love to chew and eat strings!!

And, I have to ask. Are you thinking of keeping Henryetta after she is spayed? Do you think Chaucer would approve. I always think after proper introductions that two is better than one. I think cats do enjoy the company of their kind and hopefully if you try, they will become fast friends. Keep the updates coming !!

She's about 6 weeks pregnant. I saw her mating at the very end of February so another three weeks.  Yes, I am going to keep posting in the pregnancy forum.  Caring for a pregnant stray/feral kind of overlaps the two forums because they require similar maternity care but different caretaker care, I suppose. 

Currently, I am having to look at this as a foster situation until I see how she gets along with Chaucer after she's spayed. He's mainly curious about her and probably would like a playmate sometimes, but if the hissing/growling on her part do not settle down after she is spayed, she might do better in a one-cat household.  I have to think of Chaucer because he is my first priority, cat-wise.

We talked about it, so here is the storage room. I cleaned it up some this morning and put the rugs in there, along with allowing some "hiding places," but closing off those that would become inaccessible to me after the kittens arrive.  I hope it is okay for her. I've put a step stool near one window so she can jump up and down a little easier. Under a desk, I put a large cardboard box on it side and there is a blanket over the desk to provide a den-like environment. There is also an old  television stand  with two shelves. I put towels in there, just in case. Only one door is visible and I've blocked it.  After the screen doors are added next week, I will move her out there. It can't be fun being shut up in my laundry room, and I actually have to use that room, and this room, I don't have to. This room contains things from my recent move and things to sell off.

PERFECT - WOW !!! That looks like a kitty fun-filled adventure room. So much to explore, so many places to hide, and wonderful windows. This will be absolutely perfect for her and for her kittens. So glad that you even have this option. She will be fine for the next week in the laundry room and try not to worry. Good thing is that she will also have at least a week and a half to adjust to her new digs before giving birth.

The reason she was hissing/growling at Chaucer is because she is pregnant and does not know him at all. I would expect nothing else from her at this point. Once the kittens are weaned, she is spayed and recovered, THEN you can begin to incorporate her into Chaucer's life with proper and careful intros. We have LOTS of great suggestions for you here on TCS for many things !!! It is very, very rare that a cat needs to be an only cat. Most times it is because someone in their past made a terrible error in judgement by throwing cats together that do not know each other expecting them to be fast friends. Doesn't work that way for cats. HOW I wish it would, though. :lol3: The biggest problem most have is that they rush intros because they are impatient. Very big mistake. What is the rush, I always tell them. The cats will have a lifetime together so what is a few weeks of making sure their long term relationship begins on a positive path???!!!

Thanks for sharing the pictures of the storage room. Now I can see what we are talking about and where she will be living.

i have gone from 10 one from my mechanics in december  to 15 5 feral additions in the last 2 weeks, somebody was evicted, opened her door and left there were 9 cats, one hit by car, my mechanics are working on the remaining 2

go to amazon order the iris 3 tier cat crate for 76 + 18 shipping, put her in that cover it i have each of mine in various kitty crates but for your purposes, this will make life easy while you follow the advice of other folks, you can pay 130 or more to others but orangeonions seller name is doing me a favor, good luck, i am so tired of being clawed, hissed at, cleaning litter but  i can do it

best wishes enjoy the babies, look for cat confidential to get more fun read on interacting cats,

ok i  saw your early posts and know the second guessing, congrats on the storage room, great move, you may still want a crate just to limit the amount of mess you will be seeing

don't worry about worming vaccines effect on kittens development they will be beautiful, 99.99% sure and $100 says i'm right put some pics thanks for your care

Thanks, everyone. 

Cmmullig, I appreciate the support and suggestions. I hope the kittens will be okay and will post a photo if they are.

tulosai and Feralvr, the storage room is a good place but I will miss her. It's more for the kittens because I cannot keep them in the house/laundry room for months. She's been inside the storage room before. I used to leave the door open in the hopes she would want to stay there. She would run to the closed door but did not want to be shut up in there.  I don't know how she will act to me after the kittens are born. She's been very friendly to me since early February, but she was in heat and then pregnant. I hope her trust in me continues. If it does, then I may consider keeping her after she is spayed. Glad to know her reaction to Chaucer is more a pregnancy-related thing. They used to have breakfast every morning with the screen/glass patio door between them. At first they would jump at the screen at each other with her hissing and him not. Later it was more them batting at each other with her only occasionally hissing.  When I introduced them the first morning she was in the house, they had no problems until I stepped on her foot.  I can still pick him up, carry him into her presence and hold him without her growling.  I used to do that when she was outside.

I thought I'd responded to this but it seems I didn't.  Thanks, cmmullig. I hope the kittens are okay too. Wow, you have a lot of cats to care for. Impressive.  Actually I'm impressed with all of you as I find having two cats to be challenging, but that may be because I have to keep the pregnant cat completely separated now. And I do hope the hissing and growling at Chaucer will stop after the kittens are born and weaned and I a lso hope it doesn't start with me when they are born as part of her protective instinct because she's been very loving towards me.

Feralvr, I bought a night light at Lowes. It looks a little different and was a bit more expensive than I thought but as I told my friend, it could be useful in an emergency since it is battery operate and gives off a good LED light.

tulosai, thank you for your encouragement.

I did discover that my screen doors are 30x80 and 42x80 and the measurements for the wooden doors to the storage room are 32x80.  I'm hoping my handyman can make one of them work though by adding or subtracting some wood. I'm going to have one screen door, if I can, since I've blocked off the other entrance from the inside. I also looked at the pet gates but stepping over them could be a fall hazard if I'm trying to leave quickly and have to step over it and the door step. I'd prefer not to break a leg or arm.

Oh not all of us have so many cats I have 2 and in  all honesty, though I might get a third if the circumstances were ever right (by which I really mean fell in love with another one) I find 2 to be enough for me and think another would be a hard adjustment, not just for my resident cats but also for myself.  I do also foster liters of kittens but somehow find that not to be the same as ownership... even though there are more crises there is less stress somehow.

tulosai, I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one with only two cats at the moment. I'd imagine fostering kittens might be less stressful because they are so little and can be socialized a bit easier than an adult stray/feral, plus you know you can't keep any or all of them.

Probably just broke the "rules" but I let Henryetta out for a little while in the enclosed kitchen/breakfast area/den. She's been shut up in the laundry room for 10 days now and I felt she might like some exercise but won't let her have access to the rest of the house. I've put Chaucer in the other part of the house. I also need to do my laundry!

There are no rules for how to care for a stray or feral when taking them inside your house. One of my feral kittens jumped the baby gate after a week and took over the house, another one stayed in her room for a month and took another 3 months to venture downstairs, and my stray just walked inside after I fed him for a week and made himself at home with the other 3 cats and never had a room to himself. Go with your gut and your intuition and you will be fine!

MsAimee said:

 
There are no rules for how to care for a stray or feral when taking them inside your house. One of my feral kittens jumped the baby gate after a week and took over the house, another one stayed in her room for a month and took another 3 months to venture downstairs, and my stray just walked inside after I fed him for a week and made himself at home with the other 3 cats and never had a room to himself. Go with your gut and your intuition and you will be fine!

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Thanks.  It went pretty well.  She didn't carry on much at the patio door as she did a week ago and though she went under and behind the sofa, she wasn't scared but was just looking at things. When I finished the laundry - four hours later- she was resting, so I got some of her canned food and she followed me back into the laundry room. I left her happily eating and didn't hear a peep out of her after that. When I checked later on, she was back on a rug looking at me with sleepy eyes.  The storage room is still probably best for privacy when it comes time for the birth and then afterwards with the kittens.

What great progress though with allowing Henryetta out of the laundry room to investigate the other part of the house! Yes - it is best for her and for her kittens, when they are born, to be in that storage room for privacy and away from Chaucer. I know you say you will miss her BUT you will have many, many years to share with her after she is spayed and fully recovered and ready to join you and Chaucer. She will appreciate the storage room for caring and raising her kittens. Remember..... take you time when it comes to the point of introductions but it really sounds like Henryetta and Chaucer already have some inclination about each other!! Also - I know this is a concern - but I do think that she will readily accept you interacting with her kittens in that storage room. You two are building a nice solid relationship from the sound of it and it will only get stronger when she has her kittens and you help care for them along side her. :nod:

For the screen door - bummer on the size!!!!!!!!!!! BUT - I do think it can be built up to temporarily install that screen door OR you may want to just make it permanent. Those vintage screen doors sound really cool! I would love to see a picture once installed.

My handy man is going to work with the screen door and put it up today!  I'll be moving Henryetta out there later today.  I'm worried she'll get out and run off if I can't get in the doors quick enough.

Henryetta got past me yesterday morning during feeding time. She and Chaucer touched noses and then she hissed at him and he stepped back. I grabbed the cat treats and put a little on the floor about three feet apart for each of them. They ate them, with Chaucer looking at her from that distance. She walked closer, sat on her brisket and growled at him. At that point, I picked him up and put him in the other room. I was able to lure her back to the laundry room with a bit of roasted chicken. She never turns down food of any sort!

I'm not able to feel the kittens moving and she is due in a little over two weeks. If I don't feel them by the end of this week, I'm taking her to the vet (the new vet) for a check, if I can get her in the carrier.

Chaucer said:

My handy man is going to work with the screen door and put it up today!  I'll be moving Henryetta out there later today.  I'm worried she'll get out and run off if I can't get in the doors quick enough.

Henryetta got past me yesterday morning during feeding time. She and Chaucer touched noses and then she hissed at him and he stepped back. I grabbed the cat treats and put a little on the floor about three feet apart for each of them. They ate them, with Chaucer looking at her from that distance. She walked closer, sat on her brisket and growled at him. At that point, I picked him up and put him in the other room. I was able to lure her back to the laundry room with a bit of roasted chicken. She never turns down food of any sort!

I'm not able to feel the kittens moving and she is due in a little over two weeks. If I don't feel them by the end of this week, I'm taking her to the vet (the new vet) for a check, if I can get her in the carrier.

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Great news about the handy man coming today!! Oh yes - that is a worry about Henryetta door darting. I would suggest keeping a broom with a long bristle base outside the door and using that first when you open the door to go in and make a SSSSSSing noise. Teach her to stay away and the broom may help and confuse her enough to stay back. She won't become afraid of you for this! Don't worry - it is more important that she NOT door dart with you coming and going. Do whatever it takes to teach her to stay back. That would be bad if she were to escape as you already know. :nod:

I think taking her into the vet in a week's time is a great idea. Have her checked out again. I hope the kittens are alright and I hope that she will be too. :cross: