Feral cats and pregnancy

k lee

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We have been taking care of several Feral cats through the years, never did we have such an bad experience.

Recently we took a Feral cat to get fixed not knowing if we were dealing with a male or female.

Sadly, it turned out to be a pregnant female, her babies were terminated.  We were not comfortable with this situation, we want to help & save Feral cats.

Getting an appointment at the cat doctor in our area is not easy, sometimes we have to wait 2 to 3 weeks.  Then we have the ordeal of getting the Feral cat in the cage at the right time, it is all exhausting.

Still, what can we do to prevent killing unborn kittens?

K Lee
 

shadowsrescue

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I know that this is a difficult choice, but what would you have done with these kittens?  If they were released back outside they would all continue to reproduce.  If you kept them, they would have had to socialized.  This can be difficult when coming from a feral mother.

I would love to see if there are any rescue organizations in your area that help with TNR.  You need to use a humane trap to catch the cats and then keep them in the trap overnight.  There is no need to transfer them to a cage unless it is a female who had surgery.  Males can be released the next morning and females often can be let go shortly after.

Getting all of the cats in your area spayed/neutered and educating others about this problem is a start.  Involve your neighbors or others in your community.

Also check to see if there are any low cost spay/neuter clinics in your area.  Humane Societies or local ASPCA also may offer lower cost.

In my area were have a few low cost clinics.  No appointments are needed if the cat is humanely trapped.  The cats is dropped off in the morning and picked up in the late afternoon.  The cat is spayed/neutered and given a rabies shot.  The cost is $40-50 and there are also vouchers available to help defer the cost.
 

molly92

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I am sorry. It is not pleasant dealing with this kind of situation, but it is an unfortunate reality that there are not enough homes for all of the cats that need them, and kittens are going to die regardless. If you had gotten these kittens socialized and adopted out to loving homes, that would only mean that some other kittens were not adopted in an animal shelter and were put to sleep. It is definitely not morally clear cut, but that is the perspective and rationale for spaying pregnant ferals, especially earlier in the pregnancy.

Still, it should be your choice what you want done to the cat you bring in. The low cost clinic I've been to has standard paperwork that asks what you want to have happen in the event of a pregnancy. Maybe you can express your wishes every time you bring a cat in if they do not specifically ask. Also, the ideal way to do TNR if you have a low cost clinic nearby that's used to fixing ferals is to trap the cat, leave it in the trap, and bring it in for the surgery all within a 1-2 day period. It's the least stressful for you and the cat, and you do not have to try to get a feral cat into a carrier.
 
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