Hi everyone! There has been a semi feral cat That comes to eat at my house who we think is pregnant. She is petite but has a big belly and looks rounded from the back. She is very young, should she have the kittens and take them away when they are old enough to? I have a feeling they will be born in my garage as I have seen her in there before. She lets us pet her when she is hungry. How do I know when to take the kitties away? She will obviously get spayed after we take them away. Thx for any advice in advance!!
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Feral cat pregnant! Let her have kittens?
- Thread starter orangepoe
- Start Date
This is always a tough question to answer; and, ultimately, the decision comes down to you and what you are comfortable doing.
A few things to ask yourself:
1.) Could you keep mom contained in the garage from now until kittens are weaned (usually around 8-10 wks of age...but, can be done earlier if necessary)?
2.) If she is allowed to have kittens, will you keep them or try to find them homes? We are entering the prime of kitten season, so will not be in short supply.
3.) Are you financially able to care for mom and kittens (this includes vet care, food, litter...)? Can you afford emergency care should mom's delivery not go as expected?
A few things to ask yourself:
1.) Could you keep mom contained in the garage from now until kittens are weaned (usually around 8-10 wks of age...but, can be done earlier if necessary)?
2.) If she is allowed to have kittens, will you keep them or try to find them homes? We are entering the prime of kitten season, so will not be in short supply.
3.) Are you financially able to care for mom and kittens (this includes vet care, food, litter...)? Can you afford emergency care should mom's delivery not go as expected?
To add to CatPacks post.
The problem is, if its OK for you with spay-abortion NOW. If so, this is always a major consideration. Most forumites are very reluctant, but quite a few are OK with it.
Myself I tell, that is not pleasant, especielly not if the foetuses had began to move. but on the other side, its not as bad as it sounds compared to humans. Human babies can survive even after 5 months pregnancy, if the hospital is good enough. 6 - is almost standard with a good neonatal ward. 7 - no problems, even in a poor country hospital, if they use the Kangaroo method.
Not so kittens. More than 3 days premature and its usually hopeless. True, we do have at this moment in the Pregnant and Kittens forum a 4 day early premature, who seems to be OK and will make it if nothing evil happens. But its rare, the next step on the probabilitity and statstics is to see shadows of witches flying around if you look closely enough.
So, if spay-abortion now, is acceptable for you, and you do have a vet who is knowleable and willing, this is fully possible to do. It may even be the recommendation, especielly as she is very young, and its the kitten season - extra difficult to find homes for them.
You must decide for yourself.
Good luck!
If you are unwilling to spay her now, then arrangements need to be made for her to be safe when she has the kittens. I would trap her and keep her confined - in a large cage in your garage or in a room in your house. She should see a vet at least once but whether you can do that may depend on how feral she is.
Kittens are a lot of work, even when mom is there to do the majority of it. You will need to have access to them to socialize them, so you can finds homes for them. If mom won't let you near her, she's going to have trouble letting you near her kittens, so you need to conside that, too.
Thank you for taking on this challenge. Whatever your decision is, she is far better off with your help!
Kittens are a lot of work, even when mom is there to do the majority of it. You will need to have access to them to socialize them, so you can finds homes for them. If mom won't let you near her, she's going to have trouble letting you near her kittens, so you need to conside that, too.
Thank you for taking on this challenge. Whatever your decision is, she is far better off with your help!
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The short answer is no, but this is a very personal decision and it just depends on what you are comfortable with. If I am TNRing feral cats and some show a little, I will generally proceed anyway, considering some don't give you that many chances to catch them, but it is difficult.
I got my cat in a similar way. She arrived pregnant and eventually brought 2 week old babies to my porch. I got her spayed when the kittens were weaned, even though I witnessed a tom mating with her again (she was semi-feral and still roaming at this point). Enough was enough. After the surgery the vet confirmed she was already pregnant with 5 babies. I felt terrible but it had to be done.
Good luck with the cat and let us know what you decide to do.
I got my cat in a similar way. She arrived pregnant and eventually brought 2 week old babies to my porch. I got her spayed when the kittens were weaned, even though I witnessed a tom mating with her again (she was semi-feral and still roaming at this point). Enough was enough. After the surgery the vet confirmed she was already pregnant with 5 babies. I felt terrible but it had to be done.
Good luck with the cat and let us know what you decide to do.
