Fostering stray cat with newborns

[mlaumuse]

About three weeks ago, I brought in a stray cat who was giving birth to kittens in my backyard. She was just birthing them in a trail and seemed to be leave by them behind as she was going. I heard one kitten just screaming cos it was all alone and mom just left her there.

I also have a chow chow who was posing a threat to these tiny newborns and mom so I decided to bring them all in (mom included of course) to provide a safer home for them for the time being. I am already planning on giving them up for adoption when they reach at least 8 weeks.

My main concern right now is I currently have 3 Chihuahuas in the house with me so I have had to keep mom and the kittens in my bathroom for now, but she will constantly scratch and bang at the door whenever I leave the bathroom. I am keeping my dogs separate from mom and kittens as I don't know how either will react if they meet.

I have never owned a cat, let alone a stray cat so I'm not familiar with their behaviors, so anyone with advice please don't hesitate to let me know. I have been trying to ignore these scratching behaviors and only revisiting her in the bathroom when I hear silence but she is starting to.damage the door and I don't know what else to do.

She does appear to give up after some time but scratching will typically persist for about 10 minutes after I leave. I bought her a scratch pad both vertical and horizontal, a little cubbie thing for her to get in and hide. She has plenty of food and water and a litter box as well. She was behaving really well in the beginning but has since started banging and scratching a lot. I bought one of the pheromone sprays to calm her but it doesn't seem to work very well. I also do let her out for increments of the day but have kept her confined to my bedroom, hallway and bathroom. She does not get free roam of the house as my parents are not too keen on me keeping a cat in the house. She is confined in the bathroom at night.

How do I get her to stop scratching, banging, and meowing everytime I leave?

 

[mani]

@mlaumuse we've moved your thread over here to Pregnant Cats and Kitten Care as the people here are pretty knowledgeable.

Your mother cat could have been fending for herself for quite some time.  It's wonderful that you have taken her in.  She will need to be spayed as soon as possible or you will find she will go on heat.  That could already be happening, thus her desire to escape.

How are the kittens?  Looking after them is quite a job in itself!

Let's see what those with a lot more experience than me have to say.

 

[StefanZ]

@mlaumuse Does she sems attached to you? Such behavaior isnt unusual with cats whom ARE fond of their rescuers.  In the cat world co-parenting with their biological momma or best pal, female or male, isnt unuusal.

And the solution is to simply be with them. Have the nest immediately at your bed, or if you put your matterasse in this bathroom....

But as you recently took in her, I gather she doenst know you much, and it was why it was my guess she is a so so momma...

 

[kittens mom]

About three weeks ago, I brought in a stray cat who was giving birth to kittens in my backyard. She was just birthing them in a trail and seemed to be leave by them behind as she was going. I heard one kitten just screaming cos it was all alone and mom just left her there.

I also have a chow chow who was posing a threat to these tiny newborns and mom so I decided to bring them all in (mom included of course) to provide a safer home for them for the time being. I am already planning on giving them up for adoption when they reach at least 8 weeks.

My main concern right now is I currently have 3 Chihuahuas in the house with me so I have had to keep mom and the kittens in my bathroom for now, but she will constantly scratch and bang at the door whenever I leave the bathroom. I am keeping my dogs separate from mom and kittens as I don't know how either will react if they meet.

I have never owned a cat, let alone a stray cat so I'm not familiar with their behaviors, so anyone with advice please don't hesitate to let me know. I have been trying to ignore these scratching behaviors and only revisiting her in the bathroom when I hear silence but she is starting to.damage the door and I don't know what else to do.

She does appear to give up after some time but scratching will typically persist for about 10 minutes after I leave. I bought her a scratch pad both vertical and horizontal, a little cubbie thing for her to get in and hide. She has plenty of food and water and a litter box as well. She was behaving really well in the beginning but has since started banging and scratching a lot. I bought one of the pheromone sprays to calm her but it doesn't seem to work very well. I also do let her out for increments of the day but have kept her confined to my bedroom, hallway and bathroom. She does not get free roam of the house as my parents are not too keen on me keeping a cat in the house. She is confined in the bathroom at night.

How do I get her to stop scratching, banging, and meowing everytime I leave?

My experience was at about 3 weeks mama was ready to leave the nest for periods of time. Like you we had a living situation where the mother had to be confined.  Originally we intended to surrender the mama and babies to a no-kill when a place became available. Her two babies are now 7 months old, spayed and ours and the mother was just adopted into her forever home.

You might try some two sided tape to discourage scratching although this it sounds like she wants out not to scratch in the sense cats use their posts. Have you contacted the local no-kill rescues or cat rescues asking for help ? Mama will need to be fixed and have a home too.

I don't have any great words of wisdom to make this easier but for all the headaches, frustration and we took mama to the rescue when the kits were 3 weeks and finished hand raising them we have no regrets over the choice we made to make a difference. Thank you for caring.

 

[mlaumuse]

The kittens are doing well. I've been weighing them at the same time each day and they seem to be gaining a good amount of weight. They are finally mobile now and two have gained complete control of their hind legs so they can walk! [emoji]128561[/emoji]

For anyone wondering we decided to build her and the kittens a little house/cave on my patio and she seems to be a lot happier out there! Right now we are locking her in there as I'm afraid she will run away and not come back for the kittens and since they too can walk I dont want them running out either.

Yes I've contacted the feral cat coalition so far but I may just have mama and the kittens spayed at my dogs usual vet since I am familiar with them. I've already promised my friend at least two of the kittens and she will be fixing them.

I don't know if I should start a new thread but I've run into quite an issue regarding mama cat. I found these rice looking worm droppings and am suspecting tapeworms. I've contacted my vet already but am very concerned about travel as I've read cats get quite anxious in cars. They also told me that the kittens may be too young to treat assuming they have tapeworm as well. Although I doubt because they only just grew teeth a few days ago and begun grooming a bit. I'm just not sure if I will be going to the appt because they haven't assured me of any treatment plan they just kept saying they would have to see. They quoted me about $122 just for the exam but from prior experience they tend to always tack on the meds and tests after you actually go in. I want to make sure this is serious issue before I go since I will have to be paying for all procedures out of pocket. I've already treated mama with advantage 2 about 2 weeks ago but I suspect the tapeworms came into effect prior to that since I did find some fleas when I first brought her in.

Anyway, does anyone know if you can give tapeworm meds (I am thinking about getting the ones from Bayer) to nursing moms?

 

[mlaumuse]

Here are some pictures of the kittens

IMG_3221.JPG

• mlaumuse
• Apr 10, 2017

IMG_3211.JPG

• mlaumuse
• Apr 10, 2017

IMG_3219.JPG

• mlaumuse
• Apr 10, 2017

 

[StefanZ]

The kittens are doing well. I've been weighing them at the same time each day and they seem to be gaining a good amount of weight. They are finally mobile now and two have gained complete control of their hind legs so they can walk! [emoji]128561[/emoji]

For anyone wondering we decided to build her and the kittens a little house/cave on my patio and she seems to be a lot happier out there! Right now we are locking her in there as I'm afraid she will run away and not come back for the kittens and since they too can walk I dont want them running out either.

Yes I've contacted the feral cat coalition so far but I may just have mama and the kittens spayed at my dogs usual vet since I am familiar with them. I've already promised my friend at least two of the kittens and she will be fixing them.

I don't know if I should start a new thread but I've run into quite an issue regarding mama cat. I found these rice looking worm droppings and am suspecting tapeworms. I've contacted my vet already but am very concerned about travel as I've read cats get quite anxious in cars. They also told me that the kittens may be too young to treat assuming they have tapeworm as well. Although I doubt because they only just grew teeth a few days ago and begun grooming a bit. I'm just not sure if I will be going to the appt because they haven't assured me of any treatment plan they just kept saying they would have to see. They quoted me about $122 just for the exam but from prior experience they tend to always tack on the meds and tests after you actually go in. I want to make sure this is serious issue before I go since I will have to be paying for all procedures out of pocket. I've already treated mama with advantage 2 about 2 weeks ago but I suspect the tapeworms came into effect prior to that since I did find some fleas when I first brought her in.

Anyway, does anyone know if you can give tapeworm meds (I am thinking about getting the ones from Bayer) to nursing moms?

These from Bayer should be safe.  Im not sure if they actually says its OK, but them being a reputable firm, they want to be double guarded.  So as long they dont expressely say its dangerous,  it should be OK.

She being a stray, could get tapeworms from food (mice) or from fleas.

Kittens dont get tapeworm from momma - roundworms they may get - but if they were flea infested they can get tapeworms too.

If momma has that visibly much "rice" and shedding, she must be rather heavily infested...

Its somewhat peculiar the vet want to do a full exam "just" for prescribing a prescription free dewormer...

Bayer has here   the Drontal, both from roundworms and tapeworms, and Droncit, mainly for tapeworms.

Do you have access to Milbomax?  works for both round and tape.  These are possible to give to young kittens too.  I suppose Drontal is also possible, but they dont say so expressively.  While Milbomas does.

 

[StefanZ]

I see again you are doing and thinking excellently.  Along the best of manuals.

 

[Sarthur2]

M mlaumuse

Yes! The tapeworm tablets from Bayer are safe and they do the trick. I use them all the time. I order the ones for dogs on eBay, and get more for my money by breaking them in half. They are the exact same ingredient, just more of it. I pill my cats by putting the pill inside of a small hunk of butter.

You'll need to give a second pill 2 weeks later to kill the worms at different stages of the life cycle. Do put Advantage II on her neck (also safe while nursing), or she will get worms again.

I also buy Advantage II for extra large dogs, and use a syringe to measure out the .08mL dose. One tube treats 5 cats at my house. Again, same exact formula as for cats but greater amount. I buy Advantage online as well. Much cheaper!

 

[mlaumuse]

She doesn't have that much "rice" shedding but I've found a few here and there around her area. I looked through her poop and didn't really find any though so I'm assuming the larvae are at a different stage right now I'm not sure... I've ordered the ones from Bayer already so they should be arriving soon.

The vet told me they would be giving her an injection that would kill the tapeworm immediately, but its concerning that they said they may not be able to treat the kittens yet. I might reschedule my appt till when the kittens reach 5 weeks or so since mom would probably need a new dose anyhow. I just don't want to do so much transporting as mama cat gets easily spooked and I'm not even sure she's ever been to a vet... Plus from prior experience wait times are pretty long even though vet visits are all appt based.

I have already treated her with advantage 2 a couple of weeks ago and have not noticed fleas since so I don't think it would be a reoccurring problem.

Thanks for all your help!

 

[mlaumuse]

Does anyone here know of any low cost spay/neuter places for a stray and her kittens in the San Diego area? I took them all in 5 weeks ago and it appears mom is in heat as she is trying to escape all the time now. I don't think I can use typical feral/stray resources because the mom cat is way too friendly and I'm sure the clinics will think she's a pet. I can't use the litter abatement programs because I have already found homes for the kittens so I'm afraid I may have to pay out of pocket for them all. I'm looking into animal welfare organization as well as the humane society SD, but they are vague on cost regarding have them all fixed (besides litter abatement). I will be releasing mom once she is fixed because I already have a multi pet household and she doesn't even like being inside.

 

[shadowsrescue]

Here is an article that offers some low cost spay/neuter clinics by state. It is towards the end of the article
No Money For Vet Care? How To Find Help And Save Your Cat's Life

Also, the low cost clinics I use here will take strays as long as they are in a trap.

 

[mlaumuse]

Thank you.
I was wondering if you guys have any advice on calming mom down right now? I won't be able to get her in to be spayed this weekend as I'm working all day saturday and vet offices are normally closed Sundays. I believe she is in heat and I don't know if I'm equipped to handle this. She keeps trying to escape. I have basically been neglecting my dogs because she is causing so much rucus that I literally have to sit here with her. when I put her in her house she tears everything up and spills all the food, water, and litter. I don't understand why she acts up like this randomly. This is the second time this has happened. I have absolutely no peace of mind right now. Is there anything I can do to calm her? How long will this episode last? Does it last the entire spring season?

 

[orange&white]

Call your feral TNR resource. I don't think they will differentiate or turn her down because she is a friendly stray. Wouldn't hurt to ask. Around here, you sign a form stating that you are not the owner of the cat and they'll take them for TNR. If the kittens are weaned now, then she can be spayed. Not sure anything else will solve your problem.

 

[Sarthur2]

A heat cycle usually lasts for a week at a time, and a cat will cycle in and out of heat every couple of weeks.

It's miserable for the cat because she is being driven by hormones to go out and mate. It's miserable for people because the cat is noisy and extremely restless.

There is not much you can do other than putting her in a room to herself at least while you sleep. Sometimes a good rub down will calm the cat a bit.

You can also try a plug-in pheromone diffuser such as Feliway.

Spaying is the only real solution, but aren't her kittens only 3 weeks old? It's too soon to spay if so.

 

[mlaumuse]

The TNR that I've used before (feral cat coalition) said specifically no pets and that if they suspect you bring in a pet (basically they fail feral/stray criteria such as coming towards you in humane trap as opposed to shrinking back) they will charge you full price. She is super friendly and always greets me when I visit her in her house so I'm sure everyone would think she's a pet. She is also very comfortable around new people which is strange. I may just have to cough up the money for my normal vet as I don't think I can wait to schedule a reservation and all that. That is just too long to live like this.

Her kittens will be five weeks tomorrow night. I started this forum when they were three weeks and she started her first heat cycle I believe. I've read that she can be spayed once they reach 5 weeks. Just the kittens need to be 8wks and 2 lbs. 3/4 kittens are moving on to canned food already so I think they will be fine for a few hours.
I was just looking for a quick fix to calm her down for the weekend, but I guess there isn't much I can do for now.

 

[orange&white]

That's a shame that the feral cat coalition won't help friendly strays. But if you're not planning to release her back outside, then I guess she is a pet, or will be adopted as a pet. It just doesn't seem like you should have to pay out of pocket for a foster cat though. I fostered animals for Humane Society several years back, and the shelter took care of any medical needs that came up, including spay/neuter of course.

A week ago Friday, I dropped off a feral cat at the county for TNR. She had four kittens on Tuesday night. They told me they will keep her for 6-8 weeks to wean the kittens plus 2 more weeks for her milk to dry up before they spay her. I wouldn't think you would want to spay the cat before the kittens are fully weaned.

 

[talkingpeanut]

If mom is so friendly, maybe you could try to find a home for her too instead of releasing her.

 

[Sarthur2]

I agree with finding a home for mom rather than releasing her since she is so friendly. I hope that is a possibility!

She can be spayed at 6 weeks and continue nursing her kittens. It's a little early but should be okay. Do ask your vet for 3 days of pain meds for her after the spay. She will need it.

 

[mlaumuse]

I thought I could spay her at around 5 weeks? When the kittens were able to eat wet food (they are now). They told me she could still nurse after the surgery. The main concern is the time apart. I need to do this asap as she's destroying everything and trying desperately to escape.

I've asked around, but most people i know are recent grads and to be honest the funds and time aren't as readily available. Im already running really tight. I have a feeling this lady on the corner of my block is feediing stray cats and not using a tnr program so they have just been breeding. I think the mom cat has originated from there. Im unsure if she considers them her cats though because I've seen so many hang around there... i just don't want to approach her because I'm afraid she will take mom cat and not fix her and I will be dealing with this problem again.
But anyhow, I want to fix her and see if that was the issue. If so I may be able to keep her. As I said before she was doing fine for awhile before this behavior started.