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Hi, in the past month I started putting food out for the various stray/feral cats I always see around my town home. Usually, they bolt as soon as I open the back porch door. My purpose was to trap them and get them neutered/spayed and release them again. However, one cat had been hanging out for a couple weeks on my porch waiting for me to come home from work to feed it and it (I now know it is a she) is very friendly, crashing her head into my hand when I feed her.
Well, I noticed an abscess on her back which I figured was from another cat attack and her eyes are very runny. She is docile and sweet, so I decided to just grab her and take her to the vet. Vet said she is in pretty good health. Of course, it turns out that she is pregnant (I guessed as much when I felt her belly picking her up to take her to the vet but it was surprising because she is really tiny). The vet said she will have her kittens within three weeks or so and I had her tested for feline leuk/hiv and the test was negative and he gave me some antibiotics to give her. So, I set her back out on the porch and left some food and she bolted. I figured I might not see her again, but sure enough she was there 2 hours later again, despite the trip to the vet.
I have no idea how to care for her, and I certainly do not know how to care for a litter of kittens. I already have two indoor cats and I do not feel comfortable subjecting them to a new cat and a bunch of kittens and I dont want her giving my indoor cats any diseases.
Anyways, what should I do? I put a box out there for her to hang out in (now she is scratching my glass door whenever I get near there to come inside). She goes somewhere at night, but I have no idea where. In the morning she will be laying on my outside table and when I feed her she is very friendly.
I will continue feeding her, but once the kittens come will she be able to take care of them without my intervention other than food, and will they be safe on my porch, which is protected by a wrought iron fence? Will other feral cats attack the kittens? I have a garage, but there is not much room and I would need some sort of pen in there because it is the only place me and my wife can park our cars.
She is a feral cat I assume, however she is also very friendly compared to every other feral. Does that mean her kittens will be able to be adopted by someone or are they too wild? Anyways, I kind of wish I had never set food out there in the first place, but I did so now I have to care for her. My wife has been pretty understanding about all this although she was slightly annoyed about the pregnant cat but then said "you have a big heart and we will just deal with it when it happens."
This is a long story, so I guess my basic questions are this:
1. How will I know when she is ready to have her kittens?
2. Do you think she will choose my porch as the location to have her kittens?
3. Will she be able to care for them on my porch, if she chooses that location? I plan on getting her fixed after this and if the kittens are going to be ferals then getting them fixed as well.
Honestly, I don't even know what questions to ask because I have never done this before. Please help if you can. Thanks.
Well, I noticed an abscess on her back which I figured was from another cat attack and her eyes are very runny. She is docile and sweet, so I decided to just grab her and take her to the vet. Vet said she is in pretty good health. Of course, it turns out that she is pregnant (I guessed as much when I felt her belly picking her up to take her to the vet but it was surprising because she is really tiny). The vet said she will have her kittens within three weeks or so and I had her tested for feline leuk/hiv and the test was negative and he gave me some antibiotics to give her. So, I set her back out on the porch and left some food and she bolted. I figured I might not see her again, but sure enough she was there 2 hours later again, despite the trip to the vet.
I have no idea how to care for her, and I certainly do not know how to care for a litter of kittens. I already have two indoor cats and I do not feel comfortable subjecting them to a new cat and a bunch of kittens and I dont want her giving my indoor cats any diseases.
Anyways, what should I do? I put a box out there for her to hang out in (now she is scratching my glass door whenever I get near there to come inside). She goes somewhere at night, but I have no idea where. In the morning she will be laying on my outside table and when I feed her she is very friendly.
I will continue feeding her, but once the kittens come will she be able to take care of them without my intervention other than food, and will they be safe on my porch, which is protected by a wrought iron fence? Will other feral cats attack the kittens? I have a garage, but there is not much room and I would need some sort of pen in there because it is the only place me and my wife can park our cars.
She is a feral cat I assume, however she is also very friendly compared to every other feral. Does that mean her kittens will be able to be adopted by someone or are they too wild? Anyways, I kind of wish I had never set food out there in the first place, but I did so now I have to care for her. My wife has been pretty understanding about all this although she was slightly annoyed about the pregnant cat but then said "you have a big heart and we will just deal with it when it happens."
This is a long story, so I guess my basic questions are this:
1. How will I know when she is ready to have her kittens?
2. Do you think she will choose my porch as the location to have her kittens?
3. Will she be able to care for them on my porch, if she chooses that location? I plan on getting her fixed after this and if the kittens are going to be ferals then getting them fixed as well.
Honestly, I don't even know what questions to ask because I have never done this before. Please help if you can. Thanks.