Pregnant Hello Kitty! needs help

Hello Everyone,

I'm so glad to have found your site as I am in need of advice. My son works at a greenhouse nursery in the suburbs and has been regularly feeding a little feral calico since April. He works there during the spring and summer months and had noticed her last year when she was a kitten but he could not get near her. She would come to him out in the field and meow for food but would only take it when he left her alone. A few days ago the owners found a litter of decomposing kittens in the greenhouse. There was also evidence that she was using the tropical plants for her lavatory. Needless to say she was bad for business and the owners wanted to do away with her. When my son arrived at work in the morning she was being held in trap and crying loudly.   He called and asked if we could take her in. I talked to my vet (we have a 2 year old male) and she said as long as I kept the two of them separate until I brought her in for spaying and a thorough check -up. The appointment was booked before I went to pick her up. I would only have to keep her in the basement for two days before the exam and operation. I did not get a good look at her until I brought her home and set her free in the basement. 

The poor thing is so far gone in her pregnancy that she is about to give birth any day. She was scared to death and ran around furiously and bumped her head into the wall a few times. I fear that she may have hurt herself but I can't get close to her. My vet has left for two weeks holiday, but before she left she advised me to leave her alone, in the dark with plenty of food and water and lots of warmth. The vet said my presence during labour would only stress her more and the best would be to let nature take its course as far as the kittens are concerned. We have radiant heat in the floors, and I have set up 3 little "caves" with blankets and pillow cases filled with towels. 

I would like to keep her but I don't know how well she will do with us. We let our neutered male come and go as he pleases and he stays close to home. He has a male feral friend who comes around from time to time for catnip and sometimes food and you can tell my cat really likes him. I think my cat would accept her without much fuss but one never knows. From the little I know about her she seems to have been a loner and not part of a colony.

I would greatly appreciate any tips from experience that would help me make her transition to a new life a little less painful and a little more inviting.

Today is day 5 and  she has not had her babies yet even though I thought she was in labor on day 2 as she seem to be panting every time I looked in on her. I really have no idea of how far along she is (she is almost as wide as she is long and her belly is quite low to the ground). ]]She doesn't seem as agitated when we come in to the room  now to bring food and change the litter. .She meows loudly but she is hiding more out in the open (under the pool table rather than behind the couch). She hisses if you come within 3 feet.

She is eating 3 little cans of fancy feast primavera, about a handful of kibble and 15 or so vitamine enhanced whiska's cat treats per day---mostly all at night.

She has good bathroom habits and is very regular.

Last night I slept downstairs for a few hours with her in the same room.

No reaction from her good or bad. She didn't try and run and hide but stayed away from me.

I only keep a dim light on at the end of the room during the day and turn it off at night. Do you think she will suffer from depression with the lack of light.on top of all the other stress she is going through? She is feral and hasn't been outside for fresh air and sunlight  for days and it looks like it's going to  be for weeks (until the kittens are weaned I presume).

Thanks to all

Oh my goodness!  Thank you so much for helping this little one.  I would have advised keeping her in a more confined space (one room) but she is safe where she is for now.  Just make sure there are no nooks and crannies she can escape to or hide in.

I would give her wet kitten food, as it is high in nutrients she needs now.  Once the kittens are born, she will need this even more.  Give her water, too.  She may not drink it but it is good to offer it.

Keep to the routine  you have established as much as possible.  She seems to have adjusted well and may not ne a true feral.  If she was born feral, she would most likely have gone ballistic when released from the trap.  As she did not do that, it would appear she is a stray - that she was socialized to humans at one point in her life.

That's good news, as it will help her adjust to being a "house" cat.  Sit near her every day; read outloud if you have the time.  Soft music playing will also help her acclimate to humans being near.

Your only problem may be getting her into a carrier for her first trip to the vet but, you know, I would worry about that later.  Bring a carrier into her area and leave it, with the door open, so she gets used to it being there.  A soft blanket inside might entice her to explore it.

Don't plan on letting her outside until after she's spayed, if then.  You may find she doesn't want to go outside anymore.  All of our rescues run the other way when any outside door is oepned in our house.

Blessings on you and your son for taking on this challenge.  She's a lucky little kitty!

Thanks  for the reply Ondine, already things seem a little better----you are right about the talking she seems to like it. The kitten food also sounds like a good idea. I will supplement with some fresh raw liver.  I will definitely spend more and more time with her now that I know that my presence isn't  completely stressing her. I find it very interesting that your rescues had no desire to leave the house after they were neutered and I am relieved to hear that. I  was worried that her being kept indoors when she is used to being outside would cause her more anxiety than she already has.

Thanks again for your encouraging words, I am new to caring for ferals in the house and I really want to help this girl.

Cheers

Just when I thought that things were going well I seemed to have lost the little cat I was caring for. She is somewhere in the basement for sure but I cannot find her anywhere. I did not have a small separate room for her, so I kept her in a part of the basement that was closed off from my over-full crawl space and home office. This morning we could not find her but heard faint mewing from her. Somehow she must have pushed a heavy glass swinging door and entered the office (found feces by the window), and the door must have swung shut. She must be incredibly strong because I have never had a cat that could do this. 

Now it is very clear to me that I should have constructed a small enclosed space to keep her under control.

I am not sure what to do to draw her out of a possible dangerous hiding spot (cleaners, paint chemicals etc. in the crawl space).

Should I take up her food and wait until she comes meowing and looking for it?

Or should I leave all areas open in the hopes that she will eventually come out of hiding and we can locate any kittens if there are any. She is usually fairly vocal when we enter the room but except for one faint mew early this morning there is absolutely no sound from her.

Any suggestions would be most welcome.

The problems with drugs is that many times, when the cat gets drugged, he has time to run and hide.  Many times, you won't find him until the drug has worn off.  There are people who have used drugs while trapping so maybe one of them can chime in.

Have you talked to your vet about them?  He or she may have an idea ...

Oh, boy.  You may need to bait a trap for her and try to trap her again.  Do not leave food in the area except in the trap.  You may have to starve her out of hiding.  Mean as it sounds, its the only way right now.

Try to remove as many of the solvents, cleaners, etc. as you can, too.

If there is any way possible that she could escape from the crawl space, please try to secure those areas.

Good luck!

Just thought I'd let you know that we found her behind some boxes in the crawl space and when we moved them she ran straight back into the other room were all of her food and blankets were waiting for her. The room is now secure and no one is the worse for wear. I thought being in my recreation room would feel confining to her but obviously she would prefer a much smaller area with hardly any area to move around. I am trying to "think" like a feral but I guess the pregnancy complicates matters and I'm am not quite sure of what  her special needs are in this situation. 

I will set up some boxes around the room. Maybe she WANTS to feel more confined.

Thanks again for the follow-up. I really appreciate you taking the time to share your knowledge and extending your care  because at the moment I don't know anyone who has done this sort of thing. 

Great news!  The boxes for hiding places is an excellent idea.  She will be happier with a limited territory all to herself.  Put out some blankets (some inside the boxes) and she can pick her nesting area.

Establish a routine and stick to it.  Try to keep things as quiet as possible and she will soon be used to her new life.  Talk to her whenever you enter her room - just let her know you are there and what you are doing. 

BTW - a baby gate at the door to the office will keep her from lying in wait at the door and dashing out when you open it.  This may be a possibility as she gets more comfortbale with her renvirons.

Thank you so much for updating us.  Keep us posted.

Bless you O old possum for saving this cat. I pray your girl has an easy delivery. I am so glad you are getting excellent advice here from others with experience with feral/strays. I am fortunate that my Claire has had several weeks to get used to all of us in my home and was not as stressed as your girl. I will be following along so I hope you will keep us updated.

Hi Everyone, 

I'd just like to say that the little feral calico that arrived at my doorstep in a trap 9 days ago is now giving birth to her kittens. We haven't really had  a lot of time to make  friends but I think she was starting to warm up to us a bit since yesterday. I noticed her nesting today for the first time. She had been quiet all day---she usually meows or hisses when we enter the room. I just checked on her now and I can hear mewling kittens but she is curled up in a little bed under a counter draped with a blanket and I am not able to get a good look. I really don't want to disturb her too much as she still looks really fat and she is panting a bit. I can hear her intensely licking but I don't know if it is her licking herself while birthing or licking a kitten. I know that this is not her first littler as a previous littler was found decomposing  at the greenhouse where she frequented before being trapped. I think that all is going well. I am going to have to put my faith in Mother Nature as I am afraid of stressing her out with too much prodding or interference. 

If anyone has any suggestions that would help her feel more secure I would surely be open to them.

Thanks to all on this site. I have spent a good part of the last several days reading posts and learning a lot---not just about feral cats, but also that there are quite a few really kind human souls out there.

Caring for this poor little cat has given me a new lease on life as I have been in mourning over the death of a loved one for the past year. I must say life had very little joy or meaning until the call for help came. I haven't been this active or excited in months. Right now all that matters is that the cruelty has ended for this cat and from now on her life gets better. I have a feeling that she will be a good mom this time around. 

I have to go now and think of a few names and maybe take another peek at Mom.

Good Night All

Hoping all goes well tonight! Put her food, water, and litter box nearby, and give us an update tomorrow. I love hearing that she has brought new-found joy and purpose to your life. I have been there and understand. The healing power of pets is amazing. Blessings to you and your mama cat and her new kittens.

I am so excited for you O old possum
I agree with sarthur2, caring for an animal in need is a very healing experience. Claire has brought much excitement to my house also.

I can't wait to read your updates. I pray all goes well for your mamma cat. You will need to give her a name now.

Thanks so much sarthor2. Having people like you and the rest of this community to turn to for advice or share love and devotion has  opened up a whole new world for me.

I was loosing my faith in human kindness, but now it has been reborn. 

Life is good.

Hi Jeapa507,

thanks for the good thoughts. I feel so thankful that I am not alone in this awkward journey. Your story and photos really gave me confidence during the anxious moments before the cat gave birth. I was really second guessing my decision to take her in, but after following your story there was no doubt at all---just sweet anticipation.

I haven't been able to get close enough to her little nest to see all the kittens, but for sure there is a black and white and I can only hear the others. She "The Queen of Sheba" is not pleased if we get too close. I think my offerings of delicious food  at this time will really start to break the ice. 

I hope all is going well at your house. I know litter box issues can be a pain, but this amazing community of cat lovers seems to have most of the answers.

Good Luck to you and yours!

Cheers to our new families

old possum said:

Hi Jeapa507,
thanks for the good thoughts. I feel so thankful that I am not alone in this awkward journey. Your story and photos really gave me confidence during the anxious moments before the cat gave birth. I was really second guessing my decision to take her in, but after following your story there was no doubt at all---just sweet anticipation.

I haven't been able to get close enough to her little nest to see all the kittens, but for sure there is a black and white and I can only hear the others. She "The Queen of Sheba" is not pleased if we get too close. I think my offerings of delicious food  at this time will really start to break the ice. 

I hope all is going well at your house. I know litter box issues can be a pain, but this amazing community of cat lovers seems to have most of the answers.

Good Luck to you and yours!

Cheers to our new families

Click to expand...

It is good to hear Queen of Sheba and her kittens are doing well. Do you know how many she had? This experience is so amazing isn't it? I think having a stray/feral grow to trust and love you is one of the most rewarding experiences. I can't wait to see photos of your Sheba with her kittens once she is more comfortable. You have done such a wonderful job with her and I know she must be feeling so less stressed to have a safe warm environment to be with her babies. My guess is that before long she will be greeting you when you bring her food down.

I am off to the store to hopefully solve my litter box problems. I'll check back later for your updates.

O old possum

I read your update on your new litter of six on J jeapa507 's thread.

Can you put some of that information here on your thread?

We'd love to see pictures too once you sort out how to do it.

I also love the idea of the kiddie pool as a nest, and think you should go ahead and set it up in her room. She will check it out and may voluntarily move her litter into it herself. They will surely enjoy the space!

Also, are the kittens all nursing well? You should weigh them in front of mama. That way she will get less upset.

I also think mama's appetite will return once she has digested the placentas. Sometimes eating that many can result in diarrhea. Just so you know!

I look forward to your next update!

Thanks sarthur2, I appreciate your guidance. As you can see I have never used a forum so I think I got a bit lost. I just realized what "a thread" was. Even though I'm a bit of an old possum, I can feel like blind kitten when it comes to computers and on-line communication. Thanks for the nudge in the right direction. I know I'll soon get the hang of it. In the meantime, surfing around here is such fun!  I am now able to serve The Queen of Sheba with more confidence than ever before. 

@old possum  don't feel bad. I often have to ask my son for help in figuring out how to do computer stuff. He is the one who showed me how to post a photo...laughing here. I am looking forward to more updates about your Queen of Sheba's family.

You are perfectly welcome to post on any thread! But if you put regular updates on your own, we can advise and support you on your thread regarding your babies!

Hi, I just wanted to let everyone know that  The Queen of Sheba, formerly known as "little feral calico", gave birth to six kittens on July 9th-10th.

When I went to check on her on Thursday afternoon she was unusually quiet. Every other time I visited her she hissed and meowed loudly. This time she was nowhere to be seen but I could hear the faintest mewling sounds from one of the "birthing caves" that I had set up around the room. The Queen insists we keep a good distance and the closest I have ever gotten to her was the day before that (after reading the cat poems to her for about an hour and bringing her fancy feast) and she actually  came to within 3 feet of me.  I was only allowed to get within 5' or so to have a look. I stayed there mesmerized for a long while. I had heard if you blink and half close your eyes when approaching a cat that it indicates that you are a "friendly" so I did that. I'm not sure if it meant anything to her but she didn't seem too upset that I stayed. I could see 2 very healthy looking kittens, a red/white and a black and white. She was nursing and panting and purring it seemed all at the same time. I left her alone so she could focus on her babies instead of being on guard with me there. That was around 4:00p.m. I checked in again at around 11:00 p.m and again all I could see were the two babies. I was worried that she had given birth to more but that some didn't survive.  Two vets had instructed me to leave her be as much as possible due to the circumstances. I couldn't see any discarded kittens so after about an hour or so I left her on her own for the night.

On Friday morning I brought her breakfast and noticed another kitten, this one a tabby. It wasn't nursing and it was lying by her tail, it was moving but not crying. I watched as it finally made its way to a lower nipple. Mom looked pretty content and I saw that she had eaten all of her food from the night before. I left her feeling quite sure that all was well and that 3  babies was a good number for a cat who was quite neglected. 

Later on that day, about 4:00 p.m I went to visit and oggle the kittens. Holy Cow, this time there were six!  

4 red and white

1 tabby

1 tuxedo

They all look to be a good size.

2 were not nursing but as I watched they pushed others away and moved right in so in the end I watched as everyone got some.

I wish that I could show you the look on her face (camera/computer lessons coming soon), she seems completely blissed out. The kittens are sliding up and down her body, some are nursing, some are just feeling around. 

None of them are mewing and all are active so I'm taking this as a good sign that they are not hungry.

Short of getting a chain-mail glove and mask I will not be able to pick these kittens up for weighing and/or hand feeding any time soon.

I slept in the same room with her for a few hours last night and she didn't seem that upset, but she still won't let me near.

I will make more frequent visits and stay longer to see who is nursing and who is not. If I have to I will make every effort to get them but I have to say that I'm a bit scared to do so. I am no stranger to cat bites and a fear-bite from any animal can be the worst.The sad truth about nature is that some may perish so that their brethren can flourish. I will help as much as I can to prevent this from happening.

I'm in a bit of a catch-22 position: she does not trust me, therefore there is a part of me that can't trust her either. The Queen of Sheba may well be a tiny cat but she has Popeye-sized forearms--she can push big heavy glass doors as I mentioned in an earlier post. She has been on an emotional spiral (for good reasons) from day one. I know that this is not her first littler and she has probably had others in her short life, so she at least has some experience to go along with her excellent instincts.

I will keep everyone posted on our progress now that I have found my "thread".

Thanks All