pregnant stray

there is this little stray cat that has been hanging around our house, and since we cant find the owner, it's basically ours. anyway, it recently became pregnant and although we have no problem with that, i just don't want the kitty to have it's babies outside, where it stays, because it might not be safe. also i wouldn't want her to have them in the garage, there's a doggy door for the animals to get in and out of there, because when she usually is in there she runs away once the door opens because it freightens her. i wouldn't mind if she has them in my closet, I just want to know what I should expect if I did that. would it smell bad in my room? how long would the kittens be in there? other than some newspaper, food, and a little bed for her what else does she need? she keeps trying to get in the house and i feel bad i don't let her him, what should i do?

Hi Fudd!

That is so nice of you to take care of the poor little stray. I moved your thread to the health and nutrition forum so you would get more feedback.

Good luck!

She sounds like she is feral, so you would need a trap first thing. You can usually get a humane cat trap from your local animal shelter, feed store or vet. Once you secure a trap, you can use the cheapest smelliest cat food you can find, or sardines work well. Dribble the juice all along the bottom of the cage and over the spring and put a shallow small bowl of food to the back of the cage, set it and wait out of sight.

Now you suddenly find yourself with this wild, spitting hissing feral. She is trapped in the trap and both of you are looking at each other from very different eyes. You are looking at her, thinking warm, fuzzy thoughts about lap naps, purring kitties, rubbing a soft tummy and she is looking at you with so much distrust in her eyes and thinking about dark corners, field mice, robbing garbage cans for food and she is wondering what the heck she did to deserve this sudden confinement?

So what do you do? First of all, you find her a spot in your home where she can stay safe. A quiet, dark, room away from any resident pets or small children. You want to be sure she has other spots in this room to go where she can feel safe if she feels threatened, and she will consider you a threat. After all, she has lived her entire life on her skill to survive, and one of those skills is how effectively she can hide. You will come to be surprised in the days ahead at how small this kitty can make herself and where she can hide from you in a room you swore you sealed up completely. So you provide her with a big cardboard box flipped over with holes cut in the sides big enough for her to pass through. You weight down the top of the box so she canâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t move it. You give her a nice big litterbox and mix just a little bit of outside dirt in with regular cat litter. Donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t use clumping litter, not just yet. Use regular clay litter. Give her a big pan of water, a bowl for wet food and one for dry. Instead of using your regular lights in the room, use instead night-lites. Bring in a CD player and put on a classical piece really low on endless play. Fetch up some old rags, or a blanket, something soft that as soon as she figures out the hard ground isnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t that comfortable she will seek out and use.

Now step back and survey the room. The first thing she is going to do when you let her out is run. So check shelves and counters if there are any and make sure she has a clear landing pad should she decide to go ballistic and run amok. If you want to give her air and open a window, you can go to any hardware store and buy a piece of decorative trellis and cut it down to fit the screen opening. Through the slits in this decorative piece the air will come through, but she will be unable to escape if she decides to press against the window and push the screen out. You can also used chicken wire, but the trellis looks better.

Okay, now you are ready for her arrival, so go and fetch her, and take her into the room, shut the door and turn her loose. Donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t go after her, watch where she goes though, then step out of the room and LEAVE HER BE.

Just let her get used to the room, donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t be going in to peek in on her for at least a day. She has food, water, a safe place to stay and so leave her alone for 24 hrs at least. Once you have done this begin to visit with her at scheduled times during the day. Sit on the floor and read softly to her, provide her with a big box that is high enough for her to get into but also high enough for the kitties to NOT fall out of. Spread kitty treats around you as you sit on the floor, bring in a peacock feather or something like that to play with her if she will let you. Chances are she will hide from you so you just want to get her used to your voice. Also take an old shirt of yours that you don't care for and do a work-out in it that would make Richard Simmons envious, get this t-shirt soaked with your sweat, then peel it off and leave it in the area that she is sleeping in.

If she does venture out, just don't stare her in the face, let her make the moves on you and gain her trust. It doesn't happen overnight, but it does happen. The main thing is to get her trapped before the kitties arrive and keep her away from any Toms that will want to hurt her kittens. Good luck!

Wow, thanks for the info. one thing, it's not a feral though, it's someones cat, it still has its two colars on from when i found it. for some reason it just stayed, though, i like it better than my cat i have now for he seems way too stressed out. i keep the cat (the stray, which is basically mine now) outside, but have let it in to sleep on my bed (snuggled up next to my dog, believe it or not) and i think that's why it has taken a liking to my room and especially my closet. i've replied to ads about lost cats in the paper and no one claimed it so i just kept it. some ugly disgusting feral though, was the cat that impregnated this one though. ew, was the kind of cat you'd have nightmares about. , scary. anyway thanks again.

is there anyone who has actually had a cat give birth in their house? i really would like to have her give birth in MY closet... I know she wants to go in there (she tries to sneak in the house everytime someone opens a door) because I know she'd be safe. i just want to know if it is worth it though.

Guess I gave out to much information. I assumed it was feral because you mentioned it ran away everytime the door opened, and also that it was a stray. Plus I rescue ferals so I am in that mind set a lot...

If she allows you to have contact with her, then put her in your bedroom and make her a birthing box inside your closet. Feed her good quality food inside that closet and see if she takes the hint. I have had a litter of kittens born inside a sock drawer, under my bed and several under the house. The mama cat will go where she believes she will be safe and undisturbed to give birth. Good luck! I would also remove those collars as soon as possible, unless they are break-aways. And as far as the Tom that got her, he was probably a feral, but not ugly or disgusting, just scared, street smart and trying to survive following his own natural instincts. Might of belonged to someone somewhere along the way until they decided instead of neutering him it would be better to ditch him somewhere and let him fend for himself. Happens all the time because many people are not responsible pet owners. Others who rescue cats are swamped with kittens this time of year for that very reason. Good luck with your female.

My cat, Niko, gave birth in my apartment, which is TINY, and there's no real problem with smell. As long as you swap out the bedding regularly, provide her with a litterbox nearby and keep that clean, you shouldn't have much of a problem. If you're thinking it's anything like a tomcat spraying, stop worrying... I don't think in the wild stinky litters lived very long (Attracts predators). There will be blood during the birthing, so make sure to line the birthing box with something you don't mind stained, and keep your clothes off the floor, lest she pick another nest in your dress shirt.

If i were you, I'd let her in now and keep her inside until the kittens are born and weaned. Otherwise she's going to have them outside somewhere, and you'll NEVER find them. Make sure to get her some kitten food, and give it freely to her. She needs all the nutrition she can get.

When it's time, she'll let you know if she wants you there or not. Niko came out and got me when it was time. Just be quiet and don't intrude, unless it's obvious she's in serious distress. Remember, birthing HURTS, so she'll likely yowl when the kitten comes. Still, it shouldn't take more than a few moments for the kitten to emerge once it comes. It can take several hours for all the kittens to be born (Niko's only took an hour, but she only had three).

After that, most Moms can take it from there, as long as you provide enough food and water.

You have gotten some great advice from the members here. I can't think of anything to add at this point.
You did say "some ugly disgusting feral though, was the cat that impregnated this one though. ew, was the kind of cat you'd have nightmares about. , scary" The only nightmares you should be having are the ones that caused this poor male cat to be left out to fend for himself. He is this way because he was left outside without anyone to care for him. The only thoughts anyone should have for these cats are sorrow. His days are filled with hunger, fights, cold and heat, and no knowledge of kind human attention. This male cat will be lucky to live just a few short miserable years.

VERY well said, Sandie!!!! I agree!!!!!

wow, thanks very much for all the info. just so you don't think too poorly of me, the tom was cut up pretty bad, and frankly scared the hell out of me when I first saw him with my new little kitty! i did feel bad for it, but i first thought that he was attacking the kitty (i don't really have a name for it so i call it "mew mew" which is from how the dad in "meet the parents" called for his cat, jinxy) and i was about to run out there, and in my mind i pictured that the tom was just standing over mew mew (haha) after just killing her for she was on the gorund and not moving. when i got out there, however, i realized that she was just playing around and rolling on her back. the tom hissed at me and then walked only a few feet away from me (that was the nightmarish part, a grey colored, BIG cat with scars and some cuts on his body and face, not scared, hissing at you only to attack you right as you wake up, it's just my imagination running though). the tom wasn't injured or limping around like that, and was fairly friendly for what you would think of of a stray-veteran cat. he stuck around for maybe a day and then ran off.

edit: very loosely fixed me sum grammor and speling errors