Stray kitty questions

[JickyJuly]

This is the pregnant kitty that showed up on our patio after our guy left. She's super friendly. So far the plan is to put a box in our carport and hope she chooses to give birth there. Then we can get them vetted, her fixed and try to find them homes. I contacted a few rescues. One replied saying that they could try to network and help with finding homes, but they were to overrun to physically take her in.

I'm super tempted to just bring her in, but we have 2 indoor guys and a large dog that she is afraid of just through the window. I don't want to create disharmony in my own pets or stress out the lil mama kitty. I don't know. It doesn't feel like I'm doing enough to help. I have a long history of bringing in stray animals, but I've never brought in anything that was in the middle of multiplying. What should I be doing?

 

[Brad]

We have introduced stray cats into our home before. We always keep the newest cat in our bedroom with food, water, and a litter box. Then we keep the door shut for a few days. After a couple of days they get settled and want to explore so we open the door and make sure everyone is getting along OK. This has worked well for us each time we have done it. If you have the room to do it you may want to keep the cat and it's upcoming brood away from the others until the kittens have some time to get settled in.

 

[RoxyGolightly]

I think you're doing the right thing not bringing her into the house where she might be scared. Providing a nice warm box and blankets and a bowl of water and food will probably be enough, if you can't get into the shelter before she gives birth. After the kittens come, don't worry if she wanders off now and then, she still has instincts to go look for food.

 

[LaceyRoyce]

cat behaviour is not something I know a lot about - most of my experience is dogs and wild birds, BUT I do know there is a plug in pheremone thingy for cats. Basically you plug it in and it releases a odourless pheromone spray, that is supposed to cats happy It sounds very new-age to me but several vets I know, swore by it and several times we've adopted cats to people who used it while introducing new cats and I never heard a bad review of it.

I can't remember the name but maybe someone here will know it, or a google search?

 

[Brad]

Never heard of it before Lolli. Sounds like a great idea.
:thumbleft:

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.j ... lInUS%2FNo

 

[SerenaMoon]

The other one I know of, is Comfort Zone, I got it at Petco, but it's marketed more to keep them from spraying or scratching. Saved a lot of furniture in my house I know that lol

 

[EmmaSage]

If you don't have a quiet place where you can keep her separated from your other animals, then not bringing her in probably is what's best for her. Stress can be really hard on pregnant cats and cause all sorts of complications. I was just in a similar situation, this pregnant cat just showed up at my door meowing and begging for food. I took her in and put her in my bathroom away from my other animals, but I think the stress was still too much for her and she aborted her pregnancy. Luckily she didn't have any other serious complications and is just fine now, but no longer pregnant. I dunno though, she may have lost the kittens even if I didn't bring her in. She's actually the mother of 2 of my cats, she's been around the neighborhood for a while. I've been trying to catch her to have her fixed but she used to be so feral, she wouldn't let me anywhere near her. I noticed she was pregnant again so I started bringing food to the little shed she lived under, but she wouldn't even eat until I was far enough away. Then she randomly showed up at my door a few weeks ago, rubbing on my legs and being a total sweetheart, it's like she was a different cat. She had the miscarriage 2 days later, so I really think she knew something wasn't right and that she needed some help. Smart kitty. We were going to take her to a rescue but Sergio fell in love and it looks like she'll be staying.

If she isn't too far along you can have her spayed still so there won't be any kittens, but I'm not sure how far along this can be done. That cat looks pretty fat already. She sure is pretty! I hope everything goes ok!

 

[Kradek]

cat behaviour is not something I know a lot about - most of my experience is dogs and wild birds, BUT I do know there is a plug in pheremone thingy for cats. Basically you plug it in and it releases a odourless pheromone spray, that is supposed to cats happy It sounds very new-age to me but several vets I know, swore by it and several times we've adopted cats to people who used it while introducing new cats and I never heard a bad review of it.

I can't remember the name but maybe someone here will know it, or a google search?

First thought-- plug it in to what?

 

[SerenaMoon]

This is like one my worst moments as a human being. I adopted a cat when I was younger that was feral, my parents didn't know so I didn't get her fixed (I was 9 I think) and she got out one night and came back and must have gotten knocked up, when I realized she was pregnant it was far along and when I told my parents, she was due any day. But by telling my parents they brought her more into the household (they had never had cats)..... a household with two big dogs. The dogs loved her but she kept trying to snuggle back under my bed and unknowingly I would pull her out and take her back to the birthing box my Dad had set up for her. It got to the point where I locked her out of my room. She just never seemed to have her kittens, she got to the point where she had to be over due and my Dad had me work out when she had gotten out and did the math. I've never seen him so freaked out before. He put the dogs outside and called the vet who told him he must bring the cat in. We couldn't find her, finally I went to my room because he insisted I check even though I was sure I closed the door and I found her giving birth to 3 dead kittens.

Sometimes, if they don't feel safe, they just won't have the babies. Please don't stress her out in any way.

Sorry if this is gibberish the whole thing still makes me cry like a baby.

 

[RoxyGolightly]

Feliway is the pheromone scent that you can plug into an outlet, you can also get a spray bottle. Lavender oil works well to calm kitties as well BUT don't put the lavender itself anywhere a kitty can get to it as essential oils are bad for them. If you have her in a room you can put a drop or two of lavender on a cloth and then stash the cloth somewhere high. Their little noses are sensitive so a drop or two is sufficient to calm them.

However, as others have said, leaving her in the garage is good enough if she's likely to be scared or upset by the other cats. She needs to feel safe, and while we may find a garage cold or uncomfortable, it will be just dandy with a cat who naturally has a fur coat to keep her warm! If you can build a box for her perhaps under a table or shelf and fill it with soft pillow cases etc, and put a hot water bottle near/in it if your garage is especially chilly, I'm sure she'll love it. The most important things are safety, dryness, and a source of water.

Mostly you have to trust kitty to know what she's doing. As long as she feels safe and there is a source of water and food for her, she will know whats best for her babies. Don't crowd her too much when the babies are born, and if the shelf or corner where you end up putting her box is exposed, if you can drape a towel or something around it for more privacy (while still making it easy for her to get in and out) that would be great.

I'm no cat expert by any means but I volunteer with shelter cats and we get a lot of kitties going into labour brought in. The only thing they really need is to feel safe and have access to food and water, and privacy. You wouldn't want some strangers gawking at you while you gave birth!

ETA: and please do try to get her fixed after she's had her babies and you can. Her quality of life will really improve without constantly being molested by boy kitties and having babies all the time, lol.

 

[RoxyGolightly]

Sorry if this is gibberish the whole thing still makes me cry like a baby.

Jeeze louise that is a sad story. I've heard of this happening too, with a semi-feral barn cat who was being harassed by the new owners of the barn where she lived. I'm sorry you had to go through that.

Sounds like the lesson is: if kitty has found a space she is comfortable with, don't try to move her somewhere else, she's picked that spot for a reason.

 

[EmmaSage]

This is like one my worst moments as a human being. I adopted a cat when I was younger that was feral, my parents didn't know so I didn't get her fixed (I was 9 I think) and she got out one night and came back and must have gotten knocked up, when I realized she was pregnant it was far along and when I told my parents, she was due any day. But by telling my parents they brought her more into the household (they had never had cats)..... a household with two big dogs. The dogs loved her but she kept trying to snuggle back under my bed and unknowingly I would pull her out and take her back to the birthing box my Dad had set up for her. It got to the point where I locked her out of my room. She just never seemed to have her kittens, she got to the point where she had to be over due and my Dad had me work out when she had gotten out and did the math. I've never seen him so freaked out before. He put the dogs outside and called the vet who told him he must bring the cat in. We couldn't find her, finally I went to my room because he insisted I check even though I was sure I closed the door and I found her giving birth to 3 dead kittens.

Sometimes, if they don't feel safe, they just won't have the babies. Please don't stress her out in any way.

Sorry if this is gibberish the whole thing still makes me cry like a baby.

Awww Serena, don't be so hard on yourself!! You were just a kid and I'm sure you didn't know how bad it could be if she got out and got pregnant. Apparently miscarriages in cats are actually fairly common, even in perfect stress-free situations. I know it must have been traumatic and hard to experience as a little kid and you obviously blame yourself very much but don't be so hard on yourself, it's just the way nature works. :3some: I can't find a hug emote

 

[BlueViolet]

Stressing a pregnant cat out can cause all sorts of awful complications, but it doesn't take much to actually make them feel safe. Even with a large dog and two other cats.

Just find a bedroom or closet in a bedroom that is away from all the other animals and people that no one really goes into very much. It doesn't have to be huge or anything, most pregnant cats aren't terribly active. Sometimes I'll wait to take them inside until they are really close to giving birth--you can tell when a cat is about to go into labor because their nipples will start to get really hard and can be seen through their fur and about 48 hours before giving birth, their nipples start producing milk.

It doesn't take much to check to see if they are producing milk, just gently squeezing their nipples works. If I notice a pregnant female in that state, I always will bring them inside. They'll usually accept any nesting box you provide and won't typically leave it except to eat or drink if they know the kittens are coming soon, and then after giving birth they won't really get out of the box very much at all for a few weeks, so keeping them in a small space like a closet, bathroom, or bedroom is perfectly fine and they'll feel safe knowing it's smaller and harder for predators or scary dogs and other cats to get to.

On the subject of spaying, I do believe most vets perform gravid spays up until the kittens are due. I don't think that most vets (at least around here) have a cut off point, it will just cost a lot more if the cat is pregnant. A cat's gestation is only about 63 days, so those kitties develop quickly.

 

[SerenaMoon]

This is like one my worst moments as a human being. I adopted a cat when I was younger that was feral, my parents didn't know so I didn't get her fixed (I was 9 I think) and she got out one night and came back and must have gotten knocked up, when I realized she was pregnant it was far along and when I told my parents, she was due any day. But by telling my parents they brought her more into the household (they had never had cats)..... a household with two big dogs. The dogs loved her but she kept trying to snuggle back under my bed and unknowingly I would pull her out and take her back to the birthing box my Dad had set up for her. It got to the point where I locked her out of my room. She just never seemed to have her kittens, she got to the point where she had to be over due and my Dad had me work out when she had gotten out and did the math. I've never seen him so freaked out before. He put the dogs outside and called the vet who told him he must bring the cat in. We couldn't find her, finally I went to my room because he insisted I check even though I was sure I closed the door and I found her giving birth to 3 dead kittens.

Sometimes, if they don't feel safe, they just won't have the babies. Please don't stress her out in any way.

Sorry if this is gibberish the whole thing still makes me cry like a baby.

Awww Serena, don't be so hard on yourself!! You were just a kid and I'm sure you didn't know how bad it could be if she got out and got pregnant. Apparently miscarriages in cats are actually fairly common, even in perfect stress-free situations. I know it must have been traumatic and hard to experience as a little kid and you obviously blame yourself very much but don't be so hard on yourself, it's just the way nature works. :3some: I can't find a hug emote

*hugs*

It's the reason I started volunteering to help animals with different rescues and shelters.

But like Roxy said, definitely, if she finds a place, let her have it. Maybe the sooner you set one up the better, she will be more used to it when she is ready to pick her safe place, and there is a better chance she will use it.

 

[Jupiter551]

A comfortable box in your carport, that has some privacy maybe a blanket or some newspaper - basically they want somewhere secure, private, maybe even face the box opening to a wall so she feels like she's got protection from all sides. When I was a kid our cat had her kittens in our woodshed, even though she could have them indoors - I think the privacy etc is what she needed.

 

[JickyJuly]

We put a moses basket in the carport behind an old cushioned chair that was out there for the stray that just left us. It's too late for the gravid. Her stomach can actually be seen moving around. I'm still fighting the urge to just bring her in, but today is the first time she's even let me near her (usually only my husband can get in her space). So, I don't want to pounce at her. I do have some lavender oil and I'll pick up some ComfortZone in case my self control fails me. Thanks guys! Does anyone know if Advantage flea drops are okay for pregnant cats? I noticed that she's icky with them, and it's too late to call my vet tonight.

 

[Brad]

We put a moses basket in the carport behind an old cushioned chair that was out there for the stray that just left us. It's too late for the gravid. Her stomach can actually be seen moving around. I'm still fighting the urge to just bring her in, but today is the first time she's even let me near her (usually only my husband can get in her space). So, I don't want to pounce at her. I do have some lavender oil and I'll pick up some ComfortZone in case my self control fails me. Thanks guys! Does anyone know if Advantage flea drops are okay for pregnant cats? I noticed that she's icky with them, and it's too late to call my vet tonight.

It sounds like you're doing a fine job. I checked and the Advantage info says to consult a vet first for a pregnant animal. While we have plenty of experience with stray cats, I have none with pregnant ones so I don't have any good advice on if it is safe to use that. This is the info;

Hazards to domestic animals: Advantage II for Cats is for external use only. Do not use on cats under eight weeks of age. As with any product, consult your veterinarian before using this product on debilitated, aged, pregnant, or nursing animals. Individual sensitivities, while rare, may occur after using ANY pesticide product for pets. If signs persist, or become more severe, consult a veterinarian immediately. If your animal is on medication, consult your veterinarian before using this or any product.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/p ... atid=23035

And a huge THANKS for looking after the cat. (what can I say, I love cats)
:thumbleft:

 

[RoxyGolightly]

Seems like she might have to deal with the fleas for now. Maybe call the vet tomorrow to see if they have any tips? I would definitely resist the urge to bring her in, let her give you the cues about what she wants. I'm excited for your future kittens!! Post pics!!

 

[BlueViolet]

Thanks guys! Does anyone know if Advantage flea drops are okay for pregnant cats? I noticed that she's icky with them, and it's too late to call my vet tonight.

It sounds like you're doing a fine job. I checked and the Advantage info says to consult a vet first for a pregnant animal. While we have plenty of experience with stray cats, I have none with pregnant ones so I don't have any good advice on if it is safe to use that. This is the info;

Hazards to domestic animals: Advantage II for Cats is for external use only. Do not use on cats under eight weeks of age. As with any product, consult your veterinarian before using this product on debilitated, aged, pregnant, or nursing animals. Individual sensitivities, while rare, may occur after using ANY pesticide product for pets. If signs persist, or become more severe, consult a veterinarian immediately. If your animal is on medication, consult your veterinarian before using this or any product.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/p ... atid=23035

Yeah, I think I've heard of people using Advantage on pregnant cats safely, but I'm always wary about it those sorts of medications personally while they are pregnant. I know that with ones that can be used on pregnant cats, you aren't supposed to treat the kittens until they are weaned so they don't overdose (directly on them, then an extra dose through the mother's milk).

Technically flea medication is a type of poison in order to kill the fleas so it might not be so good for developing kittens. But when they are born, it gets difficult because if the mother is infested--they will get infested, and an infested kitten is more prone to anemia and weakened immune systems that could cause sudden kitten death.

I've just always left the mother untreated until the kittens are weaned and used Dawn dish washing soap on the kittens every week or so to limit the numbers and bathe the mother if I could as well. I also prefer to use vaseline and lice brushes to catch the fleas and eggs on kittens under 3 weeks old because it's better on their skin and not as traumatic...

If you can find a flea medication that has been proven safely on pregnant and nursing cats, I would go with the medication because it is terrible for a cat that badly infested to also have to nurse kittens as well as feeding all of those fleas and if she stays outside then it's harder to bring those numbers down without medication.

 

[Jupiter551]

BTW Jicky the world would be a much better place if everyone treated each other with the same amount of compassion as you've shown a stray pregnant cat

 

[LaceyRoyce]

There is a flea pill you can give to pregnant dogs that is an instant kill. I have no idea if it works on cats or if its safe for them when pregnant but other than t hat my understanding is that flea shampoo and manually de-fleaing is your only option till after the birth..

 

[EmmaSage]

There is a flea pill you can give to pregnant dogs that is an instant kill. I have no idea if it works on cats or if its safe for them when pregnant but other than t hat my understanding is that flea shampoo and manually de-fleaing is your only option till after the birth..

Capstar! I've given it to stray dogs before and it works great. According to Google its safe for pregnant and nursing cats :thumbleft: You can get the generic stuff on Amazon for really cheap

 

[Nordling]

My ex-mother-in-law had a mature female cat as a pet, then she got a new, younger female. The new cat instantly fell in love with the older cat. Unfortunately, the feeling was not reciprocated. (hiss, snarl, whap, etc) after a week of keeping the two cats separate, she fill a bucket with tepid water and vinegar, and dipped each cat in this solution. After drying them lightly, she put them together in an extra bedroom. They became tolerant, and, after a few days best pals.

I guess this might be the poor man's pheromone formula.

Oh, and for fleas, a safe non-invasive product that apparently works like a charm: Cedarcide™.

 

[EmmaSage]

My ex-mother-in-law had a mature female cat as a pet, then she got a new, younger female. The new cat instantly fell in love with the older cat. Unfortunately, the feeling was not reciprocated. (hiss, snarl, whap, etc) after a week of keeping the two cats separate, she fill a bucket with tepid water and vinegar, and dipped each cat in this solution. After drying them lightly, she put them together in an extra bedroom. They became tolerant, and, after a few days best pals.

I guess this might be the poor man's pheromone formula.

I might have to try this, my Nova Kitty is not enjoying the new cat in the house. I don't know how they'd react to being dipped in a bucket of water though... Maybe they'll at least be able to bond over their shared hatred of me afterwards.

 

[JickyJuly]

So, the vet said that I could put Advantage on her. I did that yesterday afternoon and planned to bring her in today after it had time to kill off her bugs. Of course, she showed up this morning having given birth already. She did not make use of the set up I made for her opting instead to make her own nest in a trash covered neighboring yard. I tried to follow her, but she ditched me. Then we knocked on the door of the house and a crazy old woman answered. She yelled that it wasn't her cat and slammed the door in our faces. Excellent. I feel like a failure. I guess I'll just keep feeding the cat and hope she lets me follow her to the kittens at some point and the old woman doesn't have any weapons? Anyone have better ideas?

 

[BlueViolet]

Oh geez. How big and accessible is that yard? I know it's not the most legal or appropriate thing to do, but if it were me, I'd probably wait until the middle of the night and sneak over. If you can hear from your yard, kittens aren't the quietest creatures and will let their mother know when they are hungry. You can get an idea of where she's hiding them when they start mewing for her, and they'll mew even if she's laying next to them.

If you go and pick them up, the kittens will start crying and screaming and momma cat will follow them immediately, so you could pick them all up and carry them to your yard and momma will follow along without hesitation. If you get caught or she calls the police or whatever, claim the cat is yours and she got out of the house and had kittens and you were just trying to get your cats/kittens.

 

[JickyJuly]

Will the mama kitty try to maul me for grabbing her babies? It's 2 yards over from mine, but there aren't any fences to jump. So, I could try a sneak attack.

 

[BlueViolet]

Will the mama kitty try to maul me for grabbing her babies? It's 2 yards over from mine, but there aren't any fences to jump. So, I could try a sneak attack.

Sneak attack. Mama kitty will not maul you, she'll probably meow and make a fuss so grab them quickly, but she'll most likely just look severely alarmed and worried, pacing around, trying to figure out how to snatch them from you. But if you are holding her kittens and the kittens are mewing (which they will) she will just immediately follow her kittens and you.

I've had cats try to swat their kittens from my hand when I picked them up at the mama cat's level, but if you are standing up, she'll just pace and chirp back at her kittens a bit stressed out, but I've never heard of or had a mama cat try to attack. They are probably hidden underneath something, but if you stand outside long enough close to the yard, you'll definitely hear them at some point.

Good luck!

 

[southsamurai]

i did the sneak attack with a handful of kittens once. mama was not happy at all, and she was a neighborhood stray that was friendly with my family (enough to come inside occasionally on her own volition) its not like your situation where the kits were at risk, but i couldnt get to them easily enough to make sure they and the mother were healthy. they stayed in the nice, warm well padded box i set up for them under our house for all of three hours. then the mama cat took them one by one back to the damp, dirty and hard to get to crawl space across the street lol. luckily our neighbors were friendly and understanding and said i could keep an eye on them there.
if you decide to pull a rescue, make sure that food and water is set out when you do it. that way the mother will be more likely to consider the new place as superior to the one she picked (no guarantee there though, cats be effin weird lol)

 

[JickyJuly]

After a few failed missions, she finally led my husband to exactly where she has the kittens. They're in the neighbor woman's locked shed, and she enters and exits through a hole in the roof. Pretty brilliant. My husband is trying now to talk to the woman again. Not sure that's a great idea. Ugh.