Whisper - pregnant and wild

[Country Cat]

Firstly, Hello! I’m new. Second, sorry if this is the wrong place to post this.
Around September, I noticed a seal point Siamese cat hanging around our country neighborhood road. We have a Facebook community on our road, and I asked if it belong to anyone. My next-door neighbor commented that it was a stray and she was trying to tame it. Wanting to help with the teaming process, I started talking to it and calling it “kitty kitty” not knowing if it was male or female. My neighbor didn’t know either. When winter set in, I felt sorry for it and started feeding it a little here and there. Then I noticed it had made a home underneath my porch. It’s a cold cement sIab. I continued to feed it regularly once a day and then twice a day and before I knew it I had made a feeding station out of a cardboard box. I had also named it Whisper, because whenever it meowed you could barely hear it.
We found out she was a female for sure around February, when a gray striped maleTabby cat came around and started courting her. We really didn’t know how old Whisper was, but I thought she couldn’t have been more than a year or just barely a year at that. I was shocked to find out cats can become pregnant as early as nine months.
I was just feeding the poor thing to help it out during the winter months, but now we’ve decided we want to adopt her and help her with her kittens to find proper homes. And also get her fixed after she gives birth and after the kittens are weaned.
If she is in fact pregnant that is. We’re really not sure. I’ve been looking for the pink up nipples and she hasn’t shown any signs yet. But I do you notice a small little bulge in her tummy that isn’t soft but hard.
I have gradually earned her trust but she is still a bit skittish here and there. She lets me pet her though and she follows me here and there on occasion.
My problem is I have a Northern Inuit dog, Arya, female. Every time we go outside Arya will try to chase her. We own a cat, Willow, a female, and Arya likes our cat and I think Ayra just wants to play with Whisper, but she is too aggressive and too big. I’m afraid Arya might hurt Whisper and her unborn kittens on accident. I want to bring Whisper in, but our place is very small and I’m not sure where I would put her and keep our dog away. I’m also still in the taming process with Whisper and I don’t want to lose her trust. I have set up one of Arya‘s old crates as a birthing bed outside the door and I’ve put a tarp over it and lined it with cardboard for privacy. I’ve also put another cardboard box in it with a soft blanket and I put her feeding bowls in there. It would be easy for me to trap her in there but I don’t want to give her stress and keep her cooped up in there without being able to run around the house. I need to keep her away from my other animals until she gets some vaccinations and get checks out by a vet. But she’s not able to get any vaccinations until after she’s had her kittens. I am at a loss of what to do. I don’t want her to have her kittens out in the wild and I might not be able to find them. Or worse a dog could get them or they could get run over. Or the male cat could kill them. I live in the country and dogs are off leash here. Cars also zoom up and down the road without any monitoring.
Any suggestions would be welcome...

 

[fionasmom]

Arya...didn't they use the Northern Inuits in GOT in place of wolves? They are gorgeous dogs.....I am a very experienced dog owner of mostly GSDs along with the cats I have always had and have now.

It is very kind of you to want to help Whisper.

The Silent Meow – TheCatSite Articles

This might explain the silent meow and clarify a little bit of Whisper's behavior.

Can the neighbor help in any way? Even if kittens were born is it possible that down the road she could foster after they were weaned? Do you have any social network that is close enough to help like Nextdoor or rescues which are reliable? Do you have a bathroom or laundry room of any sort that could be used? I once kept three kittens in a bathroom for 5 months due to circumstances and they were fine.

In the short term, in order to protect Whisper, the large dog crate is a good idea. Yes, she will be confined, but it buys you time to work with your dog who probably does want to play, especially given that she is fine with the other cat. The kittens will be fine in a crate for quite a while, even if you begin to work with Whisper and Arya to socialize them to each other.

If I am understanding your situation correctly, there are not a lot of other options for Whisper and her possible family. If she has the kittens in the wild they will more than likely not survive, as she might not as well for the reasons you have mentioned. If all you can do for her is to keep her in a large dog crate for the time being it is a huge improvement over what her life would be if she had not found you.

I am sure that Arya is a lovely girl with a good heart. Can she be taught a command to leave Whisper alone and retrained a little bit? I once had to bring an adult male GSD rescue to my house ( and ended up keeping him for the rest of his life) and at first he chased cats but he was very quick to learn "kitty no no" and to receive a treat for good behavior. Arya does not need to be trained to avoid Willow and will probably understand that.

 

[Country Cat]

Yes the NI’s are they used in GOT. She could definitely be trained to leave her be. But until Whisper is vaccinated, I need to keep her confined in the crate. It’s a 42” crate. Would she be ok until after she gives birth and weaned her babies? My bathroom is too small. My laundry is in a closet. Also too small. Thank you for replying.

 

[Country Cat]

Oh I forgot, my neighbor has 2 Saint Bernards and a cat. She’s not really committed to another animal.

 

[fionasmom]

Definitely keep Whisper confined until she is vaccinated; I think that a 42" crate is fine. I have kept kittens in a 30" crate which is a little small given that they needed their supplies as well but everyone made it just fine. The kittens won't need much room for quite a while and Whisper should be fine in there as well. This is the one alternative that you have and they are lucky to have it and to be safe and cared for.

 

[Country Cat]

Thank you! My next concern is quietness. She will have a safe place, but it will be in the living room. It’s not so quiet there sometimes. Will she get used to it?

 

[jefferd18]

Thank you! My next concern is quietness. She will have a safe place, but it will be in the living room. It’s not so quiet there sometimes. Will she get used to it?

Hi,
ed
It really all boils down to Whisper and her personalty. I have had skittish cats in the past and for the most part they have adjusted well but there were a couple where you could tell that noise still really bothered them. You won't know until you tried. I would suggest trying to keep the volume down for awhile on everything, dog, voices, t.v., stereo, ect.... until she gets use to things. Don't stare at her and keep the dog from doing the same. Maybe put something in there that she can fit into when she wants to get away.

 

[Country Cat]

Hi,
ed
It really all boils down to Whisper and her personalty. I have had skittish cats in the past and for the most part they have adjusted well but there were a couple where you could tell that noise still really bothered them. You won't know until you tried. I would suggest trying to keep the volume down for awhile on everything, dog, voices, t.v., stereo, ect.... until she gets use to things. Don't stare at her and keep the dog from doing the same. Maybe put something in there that she can fit into when she wants to get away.

Hi,
ed
It really all boils down to Whisper and her personalty. I have had skittish cats in the past and for the most part they have adjusted well but there were a couple where you could tell that noise still really bothered them. You won't know until you tried. I would suggest trying to keep the volume down for awhile on everything, dog, voices, t.v., stereo, ect.... until she gets use to things. Don't stare at her and keep the dog from doing the same. Maybe put something in there that she can fit into when she wants to get away.

Thank you!

 

[Country Cat]

Ok... my next worry is... is she going to hate me? I’ve built trust with her, but she is still skittish. Will I lose her trust and have to build it back again.
mom also trying to figure out how I would change her litter and feed her without her escaping. The crate door is big.

 

[Country Cat]

I trapped her this morning. She was not happy. Started climbing the roof of the crate trying to find a way out. My husband and I carried the crate in and put it in the corner away from activity. She can hear what’s going on but not see it.
I tried to pet her, to reassure her...mistake..she clawed me a good one.
I made a duct CJ style door out of cardboard so I can feed her and change her litter. She’s probably never even seen litter before, but I’m hopeful she’ll figure it out.
I left the top uncovered for a while until I heard a tiny meow. Then I thought maybe she would like it covered. So I put a huge towel over it. I also have her next to a window and thought she might like to look out, but I’ve closed it for now too. She’s looks tired and hopefully will sleep.
Anything else I could do to make her feel more secure?

 

[Country Cat]

Is there a way to edit? I mean to say I made a Dutch style door out of cardboard.

 

[fionasmom]

You are doing fine. It is a major accomplishment that she is now in the kennel. Don't feel that you need to try to pet her or rush things. Let her get used to the kennel and relax and see what is going on in your house. Covering the kennel with a blanket on two or three sides is a good idea as it will relax her a lot. You can't do much about the fact that there is noise in your house so don't sweat what you cannot control. Bringing in a cat like this is a multi layered experience and you are at the beginning. She has only been in your house for a few hours and is confused. When I brought my last two ferals in, one being my avatar, one of them threw herself against the door and clung to it and pawed it for at least a day ( it was a grab and bring inside situation with no trap) and over the course of the next couple of weeks decided that it was much nicer inside and relaxed a great deal.

https://thecatsite.com/c/how-to-help-an-abused-cat-recover/

Whisper may not have been abused but some of the information here might help. Playing soft music or even cat music like David Teie which is on Prime and Spotify, using Feliway might help as well.

 

[Country Cat]

Thank you! That does make me feel better about it.

 

[Country Cat]

Whisper is doing well today. She finally ate last night and drank some water. She spent some time, while we were in bed, trying to escape, but settled down after a while. I noticed this morning she used her litter box! I can’t get to it though as she is sitting right beside it. Hopefully later I’ll be able to clean it out.

 

[fionasmom]

This is great progress for a very short amount of time. As she relaxes you will be better able to access her cage and if she is a fastidious cat she will understand that something happens which suddenly gives her a nice clean litter box.

 

[Country Cat]

I was able to clean her litter pan while wearing thick gloves just in case. She did not swat at me or growl, but did look uncomfortable of me cleaning it.
yesterday I cleaned it without gloves and she was ok with it. And for the first time last night I was able to pet her a little. She chirped and purred and rubbed herself against the box. Today she seemed to understand why I was cleaning her box. So things are progressing well.

 

[Willowy]

I was shocked to find out cats can become pregnant as early as nine months.

Cats can get pregnant as early as 4 months! So keep that in mind if you keep any of her kittens. The most common age for first heat is 5-6 months but it depends on a lot of factors, like what time of year she was born, food supplies, the availability of tomcats, etc.

I'd cover the crate almost completely with a large blanket. It'll make her feel more secure; she won't feel like she has to look behind her all the time. Once she's more comfortable you can uncover the front half during the day.

Kittens will be able to slip through the crate bars, so you'll have to figure something else out once they're mobile. Some people ziptie finer mesh to the crate, or you can look for a used small animal cage with narrower gaps between the bars. But the crate should be fine until they're 2-3 weeks old anyway.

 

[fionasmom]

That is great news! If she is chirping and purring means that she is coming around and is recognizing you as the person who is caring for her. Don't feel bad about keeping the gloves on even if she is friendly until you are sure that she won't swat which might be in the near future. I do believe that cats like this understand that something really great happened in their life once they settle in a little bit.

 

[Country Cat]

Whisper is settling in well. She allows me to pet her without fear and even allowed my husband to pet her too! He has been giving her treats.
I’m hoping to post some pictures. I’ve put a nice box for birthing but she never uses it. She also has a window she enjoys looking out of. She needs a better litter pan though. That tiny box is too small, but I don’t want an oversized litter pan to take up all her room.

 

[Country Cat]