Need advice PLEASE!

[addy]

Originally Posted by Nano

First, I'm sympathetic to your situation and agree you are conscientious to be posting here.

So your >1 year old unvaccinated cat is going to have babies? Obviously this is a very suboptimal situation but you can still get things on track.

1. Prepare for the delivery by creating an isolated area somewhere in your house
2. Prepare for a litter of at least four kittens
3. Start saving money and stockpile supplies
4. Find a vet who is willing to give you an extended payment plan for all work
5. Start locating people who will adopt your kittens

I think this would be a good time to reach out to a local private rescue group and ask for help. You seen overextended and need to reduce your load. As for the feral cats, simply feeding a bunch of strays is not managing a feral community. It'd be best to either let them go or to turn it over to someone with more time and resources.

I was also a pet owner at age fifteen. But...we can't save every animal. I took in one stray and while it is rewarding, rescuing Nano has been a lot of work and is an ongoing challenge. And I'm an adult with my own place and sufficient resources for proper care. Each evening when I go for a walk I see at least five strays and I just have to keep walking -- I can't save every lost pet.

You don't believe in abortion and I can respect your views. But once you get this litter delivered and weened, you need to get them all altered so you can place them in new homes. Then please focus on your two housecats. Go for high quality of life for each of them -- quality food, shower with your attention and good vet care. Instead of many cats, save your resources and do nice things like get them professionally groomed twice a year.

It is tough...but you need to start transitioning where you don't have so many responsibilities and aren't so overextended. If you still have that extra energy, consider volunteering to be an attendent at the local adoption days. Today I saw a high school aged attendent spend 30 minutes with a family setting out exactly what they needed to do for the cat they were adopting.

Again, good luck...but I think you really have your work cut out for you.

I do shower my two house cats with attention. I groom them myself (except I am learning how to trim a cat's nails when they don't want them to be) and I am looking for a place to volunteer. I don't have a feral "colony," I just have feral cats. Three to be exact. Two females and one male. I care for them, I don't "simply feed a bunch of strays," as you said. And as for, "Each evening when I go for a walk I see at least five strays and I just have to keep walking -- I can't save every lost pet." You have no idea! There are many cats I have had to turn away, and though I hate having to do it, I do it, because I can't, in my ability, care for more cats. Also, my cat IS vaccinated, but not for FeLk, which is required for spaying.

I appreciate your advice, but next time, do you think you could word it a little nicer? The way you stated it sounded pretty rude to me, and made me think that you think I'm just a stupid teenager, who has no idea what she's doing. That's one of the things I hate... people belittling me because I'm young. Well, what people fail to ask is if I've raised kittens already. Yes, I have raised kittens since I was 7 years old, most of the time constantly. I just needed to see other peoples opinion on whether or not she was pregnant, which I have confirmed, because of her increasingly growing belly, and larger, and pinker, nipples. Don't get me wrong, here, though... I appreciate everyone's advice here, but please, don't belittle me because I'm young. Thank-you for your advice!

Originally Posted by KTLynn

Addy, you mentioned the (feral ) catS are tame - I thought you had only 1 feral mom. I'm confused: in one of your posts it sounds like the mom cat WAS spayed since you talked about aborting the kittens. Are there 2 mom cats?

Are you using a trap? I know you don't like taking them to be spayed when they're pregnant, so if they're getting pregnant as fast as you say they are, basically "back-to-back" pregnancies, how are you ever going to get them spayed?

Yes, there are two mom cats. Neither are spayed, because they are both still nursing kittens. One, however, is pregnant ONE WEEK AFTER GIVING BIRTH!!!!! That is my problem with the ferals. I know I don't like taking them to be spayed when they're pregnant, as you said, but I have to.

I hope that clears it all up!

 

[addy]

I have wonderful news! The feral cat, Topaz, whom I stated was pregnant, went into heat today, meaning she ISN'T PREGNANT! YAY! I won't have to abort her kitties afterall! I have her locked up, (with food, water, and litter, of course) so she can't get pregnant, and will get her spayed ASAP!!!! YAY! I'm so glad! I thought she was pregnant again, because of her swelling belly (which might have been from me spoiling her

[I PLEAD THE FIFTH!!!]) and growing nipples, which might have been from her last litter. I'm so happy I don't have to abort any kitties! YAY!

 

[maverick_kitten]

yay for Topaz!!!

and well done for catching her before she could get pregnant again