Mama Feral Not Looking Good

Hi everyone,

A few months ago I posted a story about Loki, a feral kitten I acquired by accident. (I still have him and he's doing great!)

We were never able to TNR mama cat and she got pregnant again. She is one smart trap-savvy cat. A few weeks ago she disappeared for about a week but showed up again not pregnant. A least she didn't look pregnant. However, for the last week or so she hasn't looked good at all. Her sides look swollen and you can see her hip bones. She's always been a thin cat, but I don't remember her looking like that. It's hard to tell though because she doesn't let you get that close to her.

Tonight she was sitting at the top of my yard and wouldn't come down to eat like she usually does. So I took the food bowl to her. She waited till I set it down but she didn't run and she did eat. Then she laid in the same spot before moving to a different part of the yard. It's too dark to see where she is now.

I am really concerned about her. We have no idea where she has the kittens and neither do the neighbors. If we take her to the vet (assuming we can get her), they'll be without her for however long and they can't possibly be old enough to be without her, 3 weeks tops.

Is it possible that she's still pregnant or has a stillborn inside her? Or maybe she hasn't had them yet at all? Of course nobody knows when she got pregnant. I got Loki on February 22 and she definitely wasn't pregnant then. If I had to hazard a guess I'd say early to mid March is when she got pregnant. She was showing by the end of April.

I don't know what to do and any advice would be appreciated.

Hey! Loki is doing well so that’s great to hear!
As for feral Mom, if you aren’t sure about her kittens then it’s possible she could be pregnant again. Eeh! I know! That won’t be great news. They can have young kittens and quickly get pregnant again! She could also , still be carrying a baby. Cats have troubles, just like humans. I wonder if she is just bloated and exhausted. If she is laying down and didn’t want to venture far from that spot, I have an idea that she may be hoping to lead kittens there to eat. I know this one is trap shy, I temeber your previous posts, but if she leads kittens there to eat and you can see that, you can use them as a way to trap her. This may be a chance for you to finally get her. I suggest you try to watch closely for the next couple of days. I bet that if you put the food back there and sit down somewhere discreet nearby, you spot babies. Babies are the perfect Mom lure.
Please keep us updated. I hope Mom is okay and just tired from caring for her babies. It really does wear them down.

Jcatbird said:

Hey! Loki is doing well so that’s great to hear!
As for feral Mom, if you aren’t sure about her kittens then it’s possible she could be pregnant again. Eeh! I know! That won’t be great news. They can have young kittens and quickly get pregnant again! She could also , still be carrying a baby. Cats have troubles, just like humans. I wonder if she is just bloated and exhausted. If she is laying down and didn’t want to venture far from that spot, I have an idea that she may be hoping to lead kittens there to eat. I know this one is trap shy, I temeber your previous posts, but if she leads kittens there to eat and you can see that, you can use them as a way to trap her. This may be a chance for you to finally get her. I suggest you try to watch closely for the next couple of days. I bet that if you put the food back there and sit down somewhere discreet nearby, you spot babies. Babies are the perfect Mom lure.
Please keep us updated. I hope Mom is okay and just tired from caring for her babies. It really does wear them down.

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Thanks for this. My first thought was that she was taking a break from the kiddos but she didn't come to eat like she usually does. I hope she's just tired or is getting ready to go into labor and that's all it is. She was a wonderful mom to the last litter, she really was. I wish I could get a rescue to take her and the kittens--we need a plan this time. We have to get them all at once.

If she had the kittens weeks ago and she had a stillborn inside her, she probably wouldn't have lasted this long.

I've been sitting here trying to remember when she started showing and I can't. I looked it up and gestation is 58--71 days. If she got pregnant in early to mid March then she should be due now, in which case she hasn't had them yet. When she disappeared I'd assumed she'd had them, but maybe not. But who knows when she got pregnant.

Loki is great and is a ball of energy. Magic and Poochy are his favorite playmates and Itty tolerates him, but Jenner mostly ignores him!

I always tell people who have kitties to lean towards trusting their instincts. We all tend to throw some worry in with them but I bet your first though was probably right! Just watch her and catch her as soon as you can. Hopefully she will bring her babies to eat and you can get everyone!
It’s great to hear that Loki and all your other babies are doing well. I guess Loki kind of livened things up.

Prayers and vibes that you can find a rescue to help with Mama Kitty and then get a way to capture & rescue her! I am thrilled that Loki is doing well!

Jcatbird said:

I always tell people who have kitties to lean towards trusting their instincts. We all tend to throw some worry in with them but I bet your first though was probably right! Just watch her and catch her as soon as you can. Hopefully she will bring her babies to eat and you can get everyone!
It’s great to hear that Loki and all your other babies are doing well. I guess Loki kind of livened things up.

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Yes he did! Right now he's running around eating everyone's breakfast. He looks like a teenage boy going through a growth spurt--all legs and half starved. He's going to be a big cat.

We've been trying to get her for 6 months. As soon as she shows the babies we'll try again, but I'd like to make arrangements with a rescue to take them before we do it.

catsknowme said:

Prayers and vibes that you can find a rescue to help with Mama Kitty and then get a way to capture & rescue her! I am thrilled that Loki is doing well!

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Thanks! I haven't seen her this morning but I will update!

Sorry, I know it's been awhile but I have an update on Momma Kitty.

After 7 months of trying, my neighbor trapped her last Friday. She had a vet visit today, and she is not pregnant and she is not lactating. When they tried to put her under, her breathing got wonky and they brought her out of it.

They removed 11 ounces of fluid from her abdomen. Whatever it is, it doesn't look good, although the list of what can cause such fluid retention and abdominal distension is very long. They're taking samples now, and they asked if they can make a decision if she takes a turn for the worse before I can get there. I said yes.

She's been at my friend's house since we got her. I always thought that ascites causes appetite loss, but she is eating like a little piggy. Yesterday we went through 2 cans of wet food with NO vomiting. She was constipated but I gave her some pumpkin and that seemed to work--no further issues with that.

I feel awful right now. I know you can't save the world, and I'm glad that whatever happens, she at least knows that people care about her. She's becoming quite an affectionate cat and this is breaking my heart.

Thank you for having the courage to post this update - I know it wasn't easy to write. You have done so much for Mama Kitty and no matter what, she will get relief from having that liquid drained off. And at the end of the day, if it is not the outcome that we have hoped and prayed for, remember that "nothing's sure but death and taxes" and an easy passing is one of the best gifts of a lifetime.
Please keep us posted.

Thank you. I appreciate that a lot.

But hold that thought. I was bawling the whole way to pick her up. When I got there, they brought her out in a carrier. For a cat that almost didn't make it out of anesthesia, she looked good. I thought I was going to be there when they put her to sleep, but I was told that I could do that, but I wouldn't be able to be there with her. And I wasn't about to leave her alone.

I started asking the tech questions which I guess she couldn't answer, so she went and got the vet who was kind enough to sit down and talk with me for about 15 minutes.

The issue wasn't that she should be euthanized right away. It was how far we're willing to go to treat her. There are a lot of different things that could be wrong, and they're not a full service vet. (To back up, this was supposed to be a routine spay appointment at the Humane Society.) When I mentioned how much she's been eating, the vet got a curious look on her face and asked me how much she's eating--I told her we went through two cans of wet food the day before. And she said, "That changes things. It could be a foreign body obstruction" and explained that when she palped Miss Trixie, she could feel something in the stomach area but without X rays there's no way to know what it is. She said they took a sample of the fluid if we need it.

By this time I'm feeling a little more hopeful. She's a young cat (no more than 3 years old) and while the vet didn't rule out cancer, it makes it less likely. So I called my friend who is keeping her and we talked about it. She wants to do whatever it takes to make sure there's nothing that can be done for her. And I agree with that. So I made her an appointment with my vet for tonight. We'll get her X rays and a blood sample and go from there. We agreed that if she needs surgery we're just going to do it. She is such a sweetie and deserves every chance she can get. My concern is the anesthesia, but we'll deal with that when we get to that bridge.

When I got her back to the foster's and took her into her room, she perked right up. She knew she was home. I went and got her some food, and she ran out of the carrier straight for the food. She ate that whole dish plus half of her dry food.

Edit: As skin and bones as she is, after they drained the fluid she still weighs about 6.5 pounds. I don't see how and can't help but wonder how much she weighed before. She's never been a big cat.

Also, her breathing is still a little wonky. They drained the fluid from her abdomen, but there could be some in her lungs. We'll find out tonight.

WoodstockGirl said:

When I got her back to the foster's and took her into her room, she perked right up. She knew she was home.

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Bless you both for looking out for this cat!! She sounds like she is a true survivor with a warrior's spirit - she doesn't give up and neither do you

Continuing prayers and vibes that you all get an awesome outcome

catsknowme said:

Bless you both for looking out for this cat!! She sounds like she is a true survivor with a warrior's spirit - she doesn't give up and neither do you

Continuing prayers and vibes that you all get an awesome outcome

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Thanks! Will update when I know more, hopefully this evening.

Okay, well.

She was riddled with cancer with so much fluid in her lungs she had very little room left to breathe. We put her to sleep and I stayed with her. We brought her home and buried her under her favorite tree in my backyard.

Rest in peace, sweet Trixie. I'm so sorry we couldn't do more, but at least you knew you were loved.

Godspeed and tailwinds west, sweet Trixie. I am sorry to read this but I am grateful that she went easy, with your love to light her way to the Sky Trail (Milky Way) - gone to be with the ancestors and those yet to be born. And she left this realm knowing that Loki is safe with you. My thoughts are with you tonight.

catsknowme said:

Godspeed and tailwinds west, sweet Trixie. I am sorry to read this but I am grateful that she went easy, with your love to light her way to the Sky Trail (Milky Way) - gone to be with the ancestors and those yet to be born. And she left this realm knowing that Loki is safe with you. My thoughts are with you tonight.

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Thank you. Last night was rough but I feel a little better today. She was suffering and it was for the best--it's still hard, though. She was a real sweetie.

I pray you can feel in your soul that you were there when she needed you and you saved her from a lingering death full of pain and suffering. You gave her everything she ever wanted, food a place to call home, and most importantly of all, someone to love.
My thoughts and prayers are with you, I know how much this hurts to lose someone you care so very much for. RIP dear Trixie, you were so very loved, you will be dearly missed and will forever be held in a loving heart.

I have been reading this thread and wanted to tell you how sorry I am that Trixie was so sick. You were prepared to do anything you could to save her and it turns out she needed you to save her from suffering and pain. Thank you for staying with her as she passed and for taking her home for a proper burial under her favorite tree. She left this world knowing she was loved.

Avery said:

I have been reading this thread and wanted to tell you how sorry I am that Trixie was so sick. You were prepared to do anything you could to save her and it turns out she needed you to save her from suffering and pain. Thank you for staying with her as she passed and for taking her home for a proper burial under her favorite tree. She left this world knowing she was loved.

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Thank you.

WoodstockGirl : So many beautiful posts in honor of Trixie! Her life was short-lived but full. She knew the joys of motherhood, the happiness of being part of a real family, the satisfaction of touching the hearts of many - even her vet team showed exceptional devotion