Missing Pregnant Feral

missymae

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I have a small colony of ferals that come to my yard to eat. All but one, eat on my front porch. The other one eats in the very furtherest part of my back yard in my garage because he was bullied away even though he was there first. That is another matter to be discussed later. Right now my biggest concern is that I had a very very pregnant female feral who is now missing. Though I keep the traps on the porch as a familiar fixture with the food bowls, and they eat fine around them. Every time it was trapping day, she would either lay on the porch for hours with the food in the trap, waiting for me to bring out the regular bowls, or walk away and leave without eating.Very stubborn girl. She first appeared around the same time that 2 others did. Leads me to believe that they were traveling together and possibly related. One was another long haired  tortie like her, which I was successful with TNR and the other was a light orange buff tabby tom also successful TNR. I know the girls are related because they were so loving to each other that they were practically attached at the hip half the time. They rubbed up against the tom sometimes too, and he was always guarding and watching over them, loving and protective, and he always let them eat first, and tried to keep the immediate area clear of all other toms. If any others came to feed, he was right there to warn them away. He is my bully tom whom before he was neutered, would go around back and relentlessly try to start trouble with my inside cat that has an outside enclosure with 24 hr access thru a kitty door from the bedroom window , who is also a neutered tom. These kitties only arrive and hangout at night and return to the woods during the day, even though we have built shelters for them.Besides my outcast young tom that comes in the back yard to eat, I have 2 other toms that are occassional visiters. Also, a new comer that looks half starved who just happens to be long haired as well. I suspect it to be a male and wonder if it isn't related to the girls and either got separated from the group or was bullied away, and has now found his way back to them.

I had a kitten that only showed himself 4 times after TNR last year, it has been 6 months since his last sighting. Also, my very first feral which was my heart and sole, went missing on my birthday and has been missing for 6 month now. We do have a mean neighbor, hawks, owls, and there were coyote sightings within a mile or so of here last year.

Anyway, back to the pregnant kitty. She spent a good part of the nights laying on my front porch. My son, his girlfriend and their large german shepherd came to visit this past week.They stayed in the RV, which is parked in the front driveway. The dog was walked on a leash or lead to the back yard, which is fenced in when she needed exercise and potty breaks. They were told to stay clear of the kitties and and give them ample space so they didn't feel threatened and they did as told. We ourselves have a 5 yr old rescued walker/pointer hound and a 6 month old German Shepherd, that are in the house or in the backyard, which the kitties are used to but stay clear of. First 2 days all was well, and she still would lay on the porch some. Third day she never showed, but the other girl did. Fourth and fifth day, the tom and the other girl showed but not my pregnant girl. The last 2 days, only the tom has come to eat. So now it has been 5 days that she hasn't showed up for food, and my company is gone now.. I assumed when she didn't show up at first, that she had her kittens, but how long can she go without food, especially when she is being drained by the kittens. I worry that something happened to her with complications of childbirth, or mean neighbor got her and did something (but I haven't heard complaints or threats from him in quite a while). I don't know if he would truly hurt them or not, because he doesn't just complain about the kitties, he complains about many things with all the neighbors, just because he is a grumpy old man that likes to have something to complain about, so maybe he is harmless.

I really wanted to catch her before she gave birth and now I am sick with worry. It has been pretty mild and nice outside, but yesterday and last night we had a lot of rain which has now brought the cold winds and some almost freezing nights. So I'm now worried about her and the kittens being cold and wet.  If she did have kittens out there I will never find them either, woods are too thick and too big of an area. I feel helpless and I don't know what to do. Could she still be okay and have stayed away this long with out coming to eat, especially with possible kittens?!!!   
 

di and bob

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She COULD stay away that long, I would bet she did have the kittens and is hiding out with them. A week wouldn't be unusual.I pray too that every thing went all right.She's either catching some prey or is starving a bit and may show up yet to eat. A strange dog late in a pregnancy probably had her very scared and that might be why she is so reluctant to come back.  If she does have her kittens out there, sooner or later she'll bring them in to eat, she knows where the food is. I know how much it hurts to worry so much, I'll pray everything turns out all right. Good luck and keep us posted!
 
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missymae

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Thank you for the response and prayers. I do hope all is well. I will keep you posted.  Think it is possible for the other girl kitty that she is so close to, would help her watch the kittens and allow her to at least go on a quick hunt? Or does she have to protect the kittens from her and the other male?
 
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missymae

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Well, some good news! My "Cinder" girl, my pregnant kitty showed up in the broad daylight looking for food. She is no longer pregnant of course, but she is safe and she looks good. Bless her heart, 5 days without food was her limit, what a good mommy. She lapped up some Whiskas Cat Milk pretty quickly and had a little wet and dry food and even let me sit out there with her while she ate, which is a first. Unfortunately I won't find those babies until she brings them around. But my girl is safe!!! 
 
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