how long between feral cat pregnancies ?

hi
does anybody know when a feral cat has had kittens,how soon after they are born can she get pregnant again,
i need to know as we are trying to catch a feral that has had litters of kittens in the past,she has a litter that is about 5-7wks old now,we do not want to trap her if she might have newborns,please if anybody could give us any advise

cats can get pregnant just a little bit after her current litter has been born, she is most likely pregnant again.

you can trap her and if she is pregnant, have her spayed and then she won't have the babies.

hi jen

thanks for your prompt reply jen,i am in turmoil as to when to catch her she does look a bit tubby round the belly and she does need neutering,but i dont want to leave any kittens to starve,the place where she is having her litters is in a railway banking which is so innaccessible by undergrowth i dont think we would find them,

Originally Posted by furryferals

hi
does anybody know when a feral cat has had kittens,how soon after they are born can she get pregnant again,
i need to know as we are trying to catch a feral that has had litters of kittens in the past,she has a litter that is about 5-7wks old now,we do not want to trap her if she might have newborns,please if anybody could give us any advise

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Cats can get pregnant shortly after giving birth...the problem with "waiting" to trap her is that you may not ever find a time when she isn't pregnant or nursing. You do have the option of trapping her and asking the vet to spay her even if she is pregnant. Oftentimes, when ferals have litter after litter the subsequent litters aren't as healthy because mom's body is worn from having so many litters.

Katie

Originally Posted by furryferals

hi jen

thanks for your prompt reply jen,i am in turmoil as to when to catch her she does look a bit tubby round the belly and she does need neutering,but i dont want to leave any kittens to starve,the place where she is having her litters is in a railway banking which is so innaccessible by undergrowth i dont think we would find them,

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I would try to trap the entire family at the same time and then socialize the kittens.

Katie

thanks katie

we have been looking after this family for a while ,feeding, trying to get them to trust us,we have two kittens from previous litter that we have homed with us,the mother won't come near us she scurries away at the slightest noise,i think trapping her is going to be a lengthy process,it is such a shame for the mother she is beautiful,(as are all animals)i think some would call her a tuxedo,she is very bushy,(i dont know how she keeps herself from matting fur,)

Originally Posted by furryferals

thanks katie

we have been looking after this family for a while ,feeding, trying to get them to trust us,we have two kittens from previous litter that we have homed with us,the mother won't come near us she scurries away at the slightest noise,i think trapping her is going to be a lengthy process,it is such a shame for the mother she is beautiful,(as are all animals)i think some would call her a tuxedo,she is very bushy,(i dont know how she keeps herself from matting fur,)

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Trapping isn't so much about trust as it is about getting her to go inside a humane trap so that she can see a vet. Many people want the cat to be friendly and trusting first..but a humane trap doesn't involve her walking up to you in order to be trapped...it means setting up a schedule of feeding so that when you are ready..she will walk into the trap to be fed. Has she ever brought her kittens to be fed??

The following information may be useful for when you are ready to trap this cat:

http://www.alleycat.org/pdf/trapguidelines.pdf

http://www.alleycat.org/pdf/stressreduction.pdf

Katie

thanks for your help katie and jen

i have to sign off now as its 12.15 in the morning and they will be waiting for their dinner so gotta go feed the hungry kitties now thanks again for your help,hope to speak to you soon,will let you know how it goes,

My foster Sugartoes had 3 litters in 6 months. Just go ahead and get her trapped soon, and the vet can most likely spay her quickly. The vet will be able to tell if she recently had a litter (I think) and then you will know to rush her back to her babies. But most likely she hasn't had another litter yet, so this is a great time to spay her. Best of luck!