young female kitten 6 mos or so in heat has found me

I do not know what to do. A gorgeous kitten either was left at my driveway or wandered here. Extremely friendly with 6 toes. She loves it here. I really cannot afford to keep her have two males already in house only. But I adore this cat. I took her in overnight and my other cats are curious. She cannot be fixed for another week or so at the local welfare society and I do not have the money to do so. Can I let the cat outside during the day and bring her in in the evening?? To keep her in a closed room is just not fair when she loves the outside. I have a lot of land and there are not any cats around.

If you do that, she will most assuredly get pregnant.  In addition, there's no guarantee she'll stick around.  She may wander off looking for love, food or shelter.

Whether it seems cruel or not, I'd keep her inside for the duration.  She'll get used to it - by the end of two weeks (a week before the surgery and the week's worth of recuperation).  It will will help you assess her for the possibility of being adopted and find a rescue or maybe (fingers crossed) another home.

Thank you for taking on this on - many people would have ignored her.

Well I guess I am going to keep her. She is so lovable, definitely someones cat/kitten?? My other cat I think is getting jealous! I guess they will get use to each other. This cat craves affection eats well. She looks alike a maine coon but is just a  Polydactylis cat I guess. Her hind legs and front feet are big and her face is so small. Either she is going to grow into a big cat or thats just the way she is.

batrice said:

 
Well I guess I am going to keep her. She is so lovable, definitely someones cat/kitten?? My other cat I think is getting jealous! I guess they will get use to each other. This cat craves affection eats well. She looks alike a maine coon but is just a  Polydactylis cat I guess. Her hind legs and front feet are big and her face is so small. Either she is going to grow into a big cat or thats just the way she is.

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Ah, its very important to be VERRY pleasant with your resident!   Give him all the love you can, show him he is still your number one.

You are not unfair to the newbe. The new cat is new and knows her postition is unsafe and unsure, she will be happy with whatever she gets. If you are just kind and friendly to her, she will be happy with it.

You dont want your resident to feel justly irritated on the newbe.  Give him love, and he will be able to give love to this newbe.   You must have, to be able to give, no?  So it with cats too.

And we want pics, we do demand pics!

Kiss them both from me, will you, please!

Good luck!

I have two other cats inside . This is going to be hard as I am caring for an ill mother as well who does not live here. Do not know how to attach a pic

batrice said:

 
I have two other cats inside . This is going to be hard as I am caring for an ill mother as well who does not live here. Do not know how to attach a pic

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Im a fan of "animal aided theraphy",  I do believe friendly cats can help with quite a few ailments and conditions.   I dont want to ask in the open about your mom, but is there by any chance any possibility this new cat could help her?  Just by being there, or by laying in her bed??

Adding photos ist quite instincive on this forum.  Even I did managed when I tried.  When you write an reply, there are two rows with symbols and icons above, no?

The second row, the symbol first to your left, looks for me like a factory silhuette.   If you move the mouse over it, it says "Insert image".   There.

Good luck!

Mom has alz alives in her own place with her 3 cats. I am the sole caregiver and go back and forth. But this kitten I just adored (5 or 6 mos). I have coyotes, bobcats and foxes here and to just leave her outside and wait till she finds her way home is risky. Its a very countrified area. For anyone to have just let this cat out is beyond me. Perhaps they could not take her heat. Which she seems out of. I did take her in the last couple nights for safety. I have ads up all over. Its been a week. After staying overnight I do let her out and its not like she darts out so I wonder how she got out and was not recaptured . I figured since she was out of heat maybe she will find her way home. If she comes back later thats it she will stay here. If an owner comes forward fine at least she not going to be killed by "wildlife". My neighbor I think feels I'm taking someones elses cat in. Her motto is don't feed it let it stay outside so it can find its way? I have given it chances and if someone is so concerned why arent there posters up etc as there are for other dogs and cats. She needs to be fixed and the animal welfare society is willing to do it perhaps in a couple weeks.

Nay nay dont let her out.   Give her the help and shelter you can, and advertise around after owners - IF she sneaked out.

You dont even need coyotes and foxes - this is the usual rule of thumb in such cases.

Also, consider a soon spaying.  Being alone outside and in full heat, the probability is she is no longer virgin, so to speak.   So better spay now than when pregnancy is confirmed.   Many people find this unpleasant, even if the pregnancy is still early.

NOW its nothing, and the vet is just happy to be sure she isnt in actual heat any more.

I see your mom does has help of friendly cats.  Otherwise it would be my suggestion.  Like a sending from Above, so to speak.    And cats are good help for oldies and folks with memory troubles - like the Alz.   They get splendid results with that in the nursing homes for oldies.

Myself, I got help with my rheumatical aching knee, in half immobilizing me.   Till my oldest resident took as his custom to rest or sleep between my knees...

And this experience I got in two different seasons, so I do believe more than in half it was his help.

As said, I do believe in "animal assisted therapy".

Well I guess I should have kept her in but it was not even a week that she came here. I fed her and gave her shelter for two nights. Her heat stopped but she seemed very anxious inside come mornings. Plus if her heat stopped I figured she would find her way home. Kept her in fri and sat nights and she came back each night. Come Sunday i said I'll giver her one more chance so I let her go she proceeded to the neighbors as I heard my friends cat growling. Its a very wooded countrified street. I went after her she was just looking at the other cat as I approached her she looked at me then started running down the hill and kept looking back at me as I stopped and kept calling her. She then it looked like found HER driveway. She took one last look at me and turned left onto this very long driveway with two gorgeous homes at the end. They have the money if its their cat to fix her. I waited up all night to see if she would come back but did not. It seemed she knew where she was going. But I am very upset  as I really loved her and she adored me. But in reality I thought if it was lost I had to give a chance to find her way back home. I feel she did but deep down I hope she comes back. I gave a previous cat almost two months at my moms ads and all. Cat had collars etc (that were tooo tight) cat never left . I eventually took him in. It just amazes me how people do not put signs up or anything after days of being missed. Its not a hard thing to do. So I keep my fingers crossed this cat comes back. They say if you feed a cat they will never leave. Well it seems that does not hold true here?

Yeah, lets hope for the best!   

Tx a lot for caring!   

Just to add. I cannot stop thinking about it. The animal welfare group I feel think I did the wrong thing by letting her go. But she was here a whole week.(2 days in)  I fed her took great care of her. You cannot just take cats in. But I guess I do realize now that the best thing to do now a days is to take them in and wait till an owner comes forward then see. Not everyone can take cats in their house and you have to give them a chance to find their way home. I am one to take a cat in to keep it especially this one. But my gut said let her go and if she comes back that night after being free all day and watching her go down the street and going up a neighbors driveway I felt she found her way. She has not been back. I suppose I could  call these people to see or leave a note. But I'd rather remain mum and see if someone puts up a sign of found cat or hopefully she will return if in heat again. Not sure if they wander more in heat or not??? I feel the heat issue is what led to someone letting her out I do not know. I have to live with this unless of course I do approach the neighbor way up a long long driveway and find out. This cat had NO fleas and NO ticks on it? Lets keep our fingers crossed that she comes back IF she is not owned?

batrice said:

unless of course I do approach the neighbor way up a long long driveway and find out.

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Yeah, I too was thinking on it.   You go up there (or drive in if you do have a car - feels perhaps more comfortable).

You CAN do it, why not?   You are doing them a favor of sorts, arent you?   If it is their cat.

You dont need to tell she was with you in your home, if it is embarrassing.  You can say you saw her go around, so you followed and wanted to be sure she went home. Otherwise you were ready to help her.

Also, you can surely find out what telefon numbers they do have, and phone these folks, if it feels easier.

If nothing else, its a way to get a sure knowledge, if it IS their cat.  You perhaps can even come to a situation where you can recommend them to let spay her.  "you saw such recommendation on this cat forum  I do read sometimes"

Good luck!

Its an extremely long driveway. You cannot see the houses from the rd. Plus people are so security conscious these days you have to be careful. I cannot find their numbers I guess unlisted. There is something I found but don't feel to comfortable calling out of the blue.

Just don't know

Well how weird is this? I finally got the nerve to drive up this long driveway where the cat went. Its very long. One house had 4 dogs no one home the other no one home. I began thinking she went up that driveway but  not ncessarily way up to those houses. So I came home 11am this morning and there she was. Panting and very hot. I grabbed her and put her in a little room she seemed to calm down and is sleeping. But before that she was spitting and yet wanted to be touched perhaps it all was from the heat outside. She is not in heat anymore. Now the other tow cats are curious but I'll just deal with it . At least she's back. Coyotes would definitely get her and with all the fireworks going to happen I was already worrying about her