Pregnant Stray/feral Cat In My House

[Guinea21]

Hi, we moved in to our house in September. We noticed a feral cat around but over the last few weeks she's spent time waiting for me to feed her, and lives in the hay loft. I noticed she was getting rounder and got in touch with an organisation firstrays, they fisiad they are full of kittens and the kindest thing to do washing to take her to the vet and have them removed. Sadly I agreed as it can easily hit -20°c here and I know of three kittens who were frozen last winter.There are many strays here and after snow and -10°c temperatures at 8am (were in the French Alps) I realise dit sa snow or never, we trapped the cat easily and I left her in my spare room awaiting her lift to the vet... When she warmed up and unfluffed I noticed how round she was, like a balloon. The lady arrived and we decided we couldn't take her... Although she's not freindly and I can't pet her I felt the cat knew I didn't mean her harm, as she would seek out our door before i caught her. I kept her inside thinking I'd eventually socialise and neuter the kittens. He has plenty of hides and is eating and drinking, peeing and pooping... But I don't know if the kittens have been born, or if I'm doing the right thung'. She hissed at me twiemce for just being in the room with her, which she hadn't done before. If I let her go I think she will go far, there is one other farm but the tom and other cats live there. It will be a hard winter fir herkittens, and I will not be able to retrap and neuter her if I let her go now. She hides all the time when I am near, even if I sit in the corner not looking. I am using feliway, she has started mewing at night... The same kind of mew my cats use when they've shut themselves in a room or cupboard...
She didn't seem so unhappy yesterday, I barely saw her but she was quiet and eating, I could hear her walk around the room. Now she is jumping off thing and won't let me see her at all. I go only to the door, I keep everything close so as not to disturb her much

 

[Guinea21]

Hi, we moved in to our house in September. We noticed a feral cat around but over the last few weeks she's spent time waiting for me to feed her, and lives in the hay loft. I noticed she was getting rounder and got in touch with an organisation firstrays, they fisiad they are full of kittens and the kindest thing to do washing to take her to the vet and have them removed. Sadly I agreed as it can easily hit -20°c here and I know of three kittens who were frozen last winter.There are many strays here and after snow and -10°c temperatures at 8am (were in the French Alps) I realise dit sa snow or never, we trapped the cat easily and I left her in my spare room awaiting her lift to the vet... When she warmed up and unfluffed I noticed how round she was, like a balloon. The lady arrived and we decided we couldn't take her... Although she's not freindly and I can't pet her I felt the cat knew I didn't mean her harm, as she would seek out our door before i caught her. I kept her inside thinking I'd eventually socialise and neuter the kittens. He has plenty of hides and is eating and drinking, peeing and pooping... But I don't know if the kittens have been born, or if I'm doing the right thung'. She hissed at me twiemce for just being in the room with her, which she hadn't done before. If I let her go I think she will go far, there is one other farm but the tom and other cats live there. It will be a hard winter fir herkittens, and I will not be able to retrap and neuter her if I let her go now. She hides all the time when I am near, even if I sit in the corner not looking. I am using feliway, she has started mewing at night... The same kind of mew my cats use when they've shut themselves in a room or cupboard...
She didn't seem so unhappy yesterday, I barely saw her but she was quiet and eating, I could hear her walk around the room. Now she is jumping off thing and won't let me see her at all. I go only to the door, I keep everything close so as not to disturb her much

I feel she's likely to eat her kittens, I had hoped she'd trust me more if I gave her food and state din the room silently for a few minutes like I had done with her in the loft. She would eat next to me before when it was her choice, now she I inherited corner and that is it. The food is midway , I pushed it over slowly... normally it is by the door so I don't have to really go in very far. I feel awful and don't know what the best option is.
I don't know when she is due, or if it her first litter, although I imagine it's not the first. What can I do to gain her trust, and how long is it a danger of her eating the kittens? Is that a danger even if the first weeks pass?

 

[ashade1]

Do you have a crate that you can cover and put in the room for her? She would appreciate a place to hide and feel safe, it also would serve as a nesting box when she has the kittens. Give her a few days and she will settle in just fine! You are doing a great thing by bringing her in out of the cold for her to have her kittens in a safe place! She will see soon that you aren't there to hurt her and that you bring food and good things! Can you post a picture of her? You can start feeding her kitten chow unlimited so that she can get the nutrients she needs for the babies!

 

[Guinea21]

Do you have a crate that you can cover and put in the room for her? She would appreciate a place to hide and feel safe, it also would serve as a nesting box when she has the kittens. Give her a few days and she will settle in just fine! You are doing a great thing by bringing her in out of the cold for her to have her kittens in a safe place! She will see soon that you aren't there to hurt her and that you bring food and good things! Can you post a picture of her? You can start feeding her kitten chow unlimited so that she can get the nutrients she needs for the babies!

Thanks for the response. I put in a few boxes, one with a little hole to go through, another that's open at the tip but I draped a blanket over half the top, and also made her an area at the bottom of a shelving unit... Instead she has crawled under another shelf where there isnt a blankets, which isn't where I'd hoped. I don't want her to freak out. I'll try to make the other boxes more hidden, or maybe place her food in the so she at least tries them. I saw her in one with a blanket draped over but she doesn't appear to have used it since I saw her in it. She was climbing the walls and meowing a lot last night.... She wants to get out I'm not sure if it is the right thing having her in here...
I'll try for a photo but I doubt I'll see her. I sat motionless in there for an hour with her last night but she didnt come out of hiding.

 

[ashade1]

I do believe she will calm down soon. Just give her her own space for now. Just make sure she has food and water and let her calm down! Her hormones are probably an awful mess right now too!

 

[Lauren4883]

The best thing also when she has the kittens is do not try to touch them. Give her space don’t stress her as this is when issues can arise. I had a friendly stray give birth in my room 3 years ago and I didn’t touch the kittens for 2 weeks. She probably wants out to go find somewhere she’s happy to give birth but u said it’s freezing I think so it’s best to keep her where she is and just don’t disturb her as much as possible

 

[Guinea21]

I won't dream of even looking at them! I'm so worried shell eat them; I'm not sure when she'll have them so I'm kind of hanging out quietly or talking gently in the corner for a few minutes when I feed her or do the tray, then she's left alone. I want her to know I'm not going to hurt her. She still not had them, I saw her briefly earlier

 

[Guinea21]

Best photo I could get without getting close

 

[Willowy]

Frequently the mothering hormones take over when the babies are born, and she may become friendlier with you (but also protective of the kittens so watch out!) at that point. Especially once she figures out that you bring the food . You'll have to start handling the kittens when they're 2 weeks old so that they grow up tame, so the time between birth and 2 weeks should be spent trying to get her to trust you. Chicken baby food (or just pureed meat; I don't know if jarred baby food is so popular in other countries) on a long spoon (taped to a stick if she won't let you close) can really help.

 

[Lauren4883]

Well it sounds like u are doing the best I can also pregnant and lactating mothers need more calcium so I have heard that kitten food (extra calcium) can be good for the mother at this stage too. Keep us update when the kitties are born!