very new here

@PattiCakeHi there! Patti here. Just joined in search of a lifeline for my situation. There has been a feral black & white cat who would be in my yard on & off for maybe a year or more. I saw her coming out from under my storage shed many times. As the weather has gotten cold I began putting comforters out in a makeshift cat shelter, which I am still doing. Have been putting a dish of dry and canned cat food out twice a day. She is still quite skiddish and will not let us approach her, but she is there on my bench every morning like clockwork for her breakfast.

Just last week my friend in the neighborhood who volunteers for a shelter, spoke of the need to trap a couple of ferals near her and get them spayed at a clinic that has cat special on neutering every few months. The concept of trapping is new to my psyche. feel like if I "trap " her, all trust will be gone.,.HOWEVEVER,where I thought this skinny little thing was filling out from some regular feedings, I began my research on feral...I was a day late & a dollar short. This cat is PREGNANT! VERY PREGNANT!

She still won't come to me and runs to the woods as I approach. The weather has been bitterly cold this week( for the south). I still keep my cat shelter as comfortable as I can ( near the shed where she has been hanging around) also keeping the food coming twice a day. I am reading about pregnancy in cats and trying the best to make good decisions for her, as my meager income can afford.

I should have thought about neutering last year, but I never really thought of her as 'mine'. Alas, here we are.
Any info anyone wants to share, please do. I am a nurse, but birthing kittens in cold weather by a feral who will not let me get near her is all new. I really do not want to trap her to take her to a vet while in her delicate situation. I will working on getting the whole family neutered when all are safe and well. I pray for God to help her be safely delivered which looks to be soon. Thanks y'all for listening!

Hi PattiCake

I'm sure others with more experience will weigh in here, but in my experience ... well yes you need to get your girl spayed, but if she is so far pregnant that it would be a risk for her (plus the trauma of trapping) you may be in a situation to let her give birth and deal with the spaying later.  Hopefully there are low cost spay-neuter facilities near you?  Feral or stay-gone-wild cats will likely deal with the birthing without help unless there are complications, it sounds as if your role for now will be to keep the shelter and the food coming, bearing in mind that a nursing mother will need plenty of food (including wet food and water) and may be very reluctant to interact with you while she is nursing. 

Hi, Patti. Welcome to TCS! We have all been in your situation at one time or another.

Is it possible that your friend can help you trap her? A humane trap is the easiest. You bait it with smelly food and the trap springs, closing the door. It is startling but not horrible. She may react by trying to get out; she may hunker down.

In any case, in this weather, you must keep watch on the trap, so she spends no time in it out in the cold. Cover it immediately and bring her inside. You can put the whole thing in the tub or shower until you are ready to transport her to the clinic. Again, cover it as this will help keep her calm.

Once she's home, you should provide her with a space (a large dog crate works well). She'll need a bed and litter box. She needs to recuperate for three or four days - a little longer if she was pregnant.

I would definitely ask you friend for guidance and support. If she has those babies now, in this weather, they most likely will not survive.

Good luck with this - keep us posted!

Thank you so much for stepping up to the plate for her.

patti1916 said:

@PattiCakeHi there! Patti here. Just joined in search of a lifeline for my situation. There has been a feral black & white cat who would be in my yard on & off for maybe a year or more. I saw her coming out from under my storage shed many times. As the weather has gotten cold I began putting comforters out in a makeshift cat shelter, which I am still doing. Have been putting a dish of dry and canned cat food out twice a day. She is still quite skiddish and will not let us approach her, but she is there on my bench every morning like clockwork for her breakfast.

Just last week my friend in the neighborhood who volunteers for a shelter, spoke of the need to trap a couple of ferals near her and get them spayed at a clinic that has cat special on neutering every few months. The concept of trapping is new to my psyche. feel like if I "trap " her, all trust will be gone.,.HOWEVEVER,where I thought this skinny little thing was filling out from some regular feedings, I began my research on feral...I was a day late & a dollar short. This cat is PREGNANT! VERY PREGNANT!

She still won't come to me and runs to the woods as I approach. The weather has been bitterly cold this week( for the south). I still keep my cat shelter as comfortable as I can ( near the shed where she has been hanging around) also keeping the food coming twice a day. I am reading about pregnancy in cats and trying the best to make good decisions for her, as my meager income can afford.

I should have thought about neutering last year, but I never really thought of her as 'mine'. Alas, here we are.
Any info anyone wants to share, please do. I am a nurse, but birthing kittens in cold weather by a feral who will not let me get near her is all new. I really do not want to trap her to take her to a vet while in her delicate situation. I will working on getting the whole family neutered when all are safe and well. I pray for God to help her be safely delivered which looks to be soon. Thanks y'all for listening!

Click to expand...

about where in the south are you?

Hello Patti.  Cats are amazing creatures and Im sure your momma feral will be just fine.I would however replace the blankets with straw.Blankets can get wet and therefore hold mold.Not good for momma or her babies.And she will be much warmer in the straw.

Im taking care of a feral too.I trapped her back in November and had her spayed free of charge.In my county theres a place that care for ferals.Look online...maybe you have one too.Look up TNR.(trap...neuter...release)

Anyhow...trapping her didn't hurt the trust shes built with me.Cats don't seem to hold grudges.:-)

For now....just keep Mommas place warm and dry.I wouldn't spend too much time near the shelter as she may fear its not safe for her to give birth.

Don't worry so right now.LIke I said....cats are amazing creatures and Im sure she will be fine.You can trap her after the kittiens are old enough.Hopefully theres a TNR clinic near you for all of them.

I live in the northeast and my feral who is only 8 months is surviving a hard winter.Her shelter is working out great.

Oh...don't put her food and water near the shelter.It could attract other animals therefore making momma not feel its safe for her babies.

Thank you for caring for a feral.

She picked your place for home.

That right there is her first step in trusting you.

Thank you for your stories & advice. Will keep all posted!

Oh yeah, we're in South Carolina near the coast, wooded area. Rarely have snow, but getting down in 20's this past week. Today I made another makeshift cat house that I read about. A lg styrafoam cooler and cut a hole for entrance. Filled with shredded papers (on the sides),made a little padding with unbleached muslin, and further insulated with my comforters that I placed over the enclosed box.All of this is located under a bench where she comes to eat and lie down on the bench in the sunshine.(waiting for me to bring food in am). Just trying to support her and offer alternatives to being pregnant, hungry & cold. I want to help this kitty all that she will accept from me.

Thank you so much for helping her.  A tip to trap her is to start feeding her in the unset trap.  Just zip tie it open and begin to feed her in it.  You can start with the food right at the front of the trap and each day move it farther back.  Then on trapping day, just set the trap and hopefully it will be easy to get her.  If she is leery to go into the trap, be sure the bottom is lined.  You can use newspaper or puppy pee pads.  I prefer the puppy pee pad as they don't make much noise.  I get a 4 pack from the Dollar Tree.  You can also sprinkle a bit of cat nip to entice her.

Be sure to check her shelter often as the shredded paper and blankets will get wet and cause mold.  You might want to see about getting straw (not hay) and stuffing the shelter with it.  Straw won't get moldy.  Blankets are fine for the outside, but unless the shelter is completely out of the elements, it will get wet inside. 

If you find she is reluctant to use the shelter, be sure you have an exit and entrance.  Some cats won't go into a shelter if they are afraid of getting trapped if a predator comes along.  It makes it so hard because having 2 holes makes the shelter not as warm. 

I haven't seen her today. Just put the shelter out yesterday..the food was eaten from the bowls,though in the same way she always ate. It's been raining on & off today,so the shelter kept the food dry. I am hoping she is OK. I usually see her looking for me when it's breakfast time, rain or no rain...just being a nervous mom as she gets closer to delivery. Somehow I sense that she will not have these kittens near me because I am human.( just updating & venting )

You are probably right about her having the kittens elsewhere.  Depending on how far along she is, she may already have built her nest.  If you can, make a separate feeding stattion and keep the food out of the shelter.  It may attract other critters.  A Rubbermaid tote turned on its side is a simple one.

Take any food up at night, as leaving it out will also attract other critters.

If you start putting the foor inside the trap now, she will get used to eating in there.  With some luck, you can get her trapped before the kittens are born.  In the rain, I cover the trap with large plastic bags or tarps - anchoring the sides with bricks or rocks so it doesn't blow around.