How do I help this pregnant stray?

[Jewelsg]

Could you please advise me? I have been feeding a stray female who is pregnant. I think she is getting close to delivery time. I feed her in the morning and that is it. I was going to bring her into my home for this delivery of o you think just let her be? Once she delivers she may not be back for awhile. Thank you for any advice you give me.

 

[Norachan]

Hi J Jewelsg

If it`s possible to bring her indoors, then please do so. Cats can have complications with labour, they can have kittens that need extra care or they could have an easy delivery of healthy kittens that are then very vulnerable to predators, disease and parasites outside.

Can you handle the cat at all? If you`ve never touched her before it would be safest for both of you if you used a humane trap to get her indoors.

Do you have a spare room you could use as her safe room while her kittens are growing up?

 

[Jewelsg]

Thank you for your help. I have 5 cats right now. I can touch her. She comes up to me. I spent a lot of time Saturday petting her and telling her she would be okay. I have a spare room for her. I read last night that putting a cat in a strange place might complicate the birth. I don't have a birthing box. Plus I have my cats. Plus I am not too trusting with my current Vet right now. Here is a photo I took Saturday. I named he Hope.

Any advice you all could give me I would be very appreciative!

 

[Norachan]

All things considered it`s always a lot better for cats to have their kittens indoors rather than outside. So many thing could go wrong outside.

We have lots of information in our Pregnant Cats And Kittens Articles

A cardboard box lined with newspapers and an old fleece and covered with a blanket makes a perfect birthing box. You don`t need anything fancy.

Thank you so much for helping her!

 

[Jewelsg]

Thank you. I will check it out.

 

[fionasmom]

My experience with pregnant cats is confined to ferals and I want to encourage you to bring her inside, especially since she is at least somewhat friendly. It will be much easier for you and will give you control over the kittens welfare. If the kittens are born in the out of doors, it will present an issue with subsequent breeding and the necessity for trapping them long after the fact.

With only one exception, every birth I have witnessed or been aware of has not had complications, so don't worry ahead of time about the vet.

 

[Jewelsg]

Thank you very much for the encouragement. This morning She was accepted into a foster program. I will adopt her and the kittens will go out for adoption when the time is right.
I attempted to put her in a carrier twice today. I will say this, for being pregnant she is one fast cat! She did get out of the carrier before I could close the door and ran out into the driveway sitting there. She did not run away at all and continues to let me pet her and comes when I call her. I think I just need to be patient with her.

 

[Norachan]

It might be easier on you and her if you use a humane trap. You should be able to borrow or rent one from a shelter, local TNR group or a vet that treats feral cats. You won`t need to touch her, just put her food inside the trap, wait until she goes in and springs the trap and then bring her indoors that way.

That`s great news about the foster program. I:m so happy to hear she and all of her kittens have got a much better future ahead of them now

 

[Jewelsg]

I have a very smart stray cat. I put food in the trap like some videos showed and she wasn't having any of it. Tomorrow I am going to try again. Would I be out of line to kind of gently push her inside the trap? I don't want her to stop coming. Is this a matter of waiting her out?
I appreciate any suggestions.

 

[Sarthur2]

It’s best to not set the trap until she’s eating in it easily. Then close the door and quickly cover it with a towel except for one end. If the trap is all metal, put a piece of cardboard on the bottom so she doesn’t injure her paws or claws. The process can take a few days.

 

[Jewelsg]

Thank you so much! I was about to admit she had beat me.

 

[Norachan]

Hi J Jewelsg Some cats are very smart and it can take them a really long time to go into the trap. Don`t try to push her or shoo her into the trap as she`ll start to see it as something to be scared of.

Put the trap in the place you usually feed her and wire the door open. You don`t want it to slam shut and scare her before she`s gone all the way inside. You want her to see the trap as just another piece of garden furniture, so once you have it in place don`t move it. You can either cut a piece of cardboard to fit on the floor of the trap or get a handful of straw to cover the wire mesh. Some cats won`t walk on the wire. BUT, make sure you don`t cover the trip plate or block the door from closing all the way! Do a few test runs before you leave the trap open.

Start by putting her food in front of the trap, a meter or so away from the open door. Every day move the food bowl towards the open door, but only about 10 cm at a time. You don`t want her to notice she`s getting closer to it. Eventually you`ll be able to get her to eat inside the trap door. you want her to be comfortable with going all the way into the trap before you attempt to unwire the door and trap her.

If you`re unsure about her stepping on the trip plate and springing the trap you can try the soda bottle trick. Get a large soda bottle and fill it with water. It needs to be large enough to prop the trap door all the way open. Tie a length of rope around the bottle and when she goes all the way in jerk to the rope to move the bottle and close the trap door.

I suggest you have lots of trial runs when she`s not around so you get used to how to spring the trap when she goes inside.

 

[Jewelsg]

It’s best to not set the trap until she’s eating in it easily. Then close the door and quickly cover it with a towel except for one end. If the trap is all metal, put a piece of cardboard on the bottom so she doesn’t injure her paws or claws. The process can take a few days.

Thank you.

 

[Jewelsg]

Hi J Jewelsg Some cats are very smart and it can take them a really long time to go into the trap. Don`t try to push her or shoo her into the trap as she`ll start to see it as something to be scared of.

Put the trap in the place you usually feed her and wire the door open. You don`t want it to slam shut and scare her before she`s gone all the way inside. You want her to see the trap as just another piece of garden furniture, so once you have it in place don`t move it. You can either cut a piece of cardboard to fit on the floor of the trap or get a handful of straw to cover the wire mesh. Some cats won`t walk on the wire. BUT, make sure you don`t cover the trip plate or block the door from closing all the way! Do a few test runs before you leave the trap open.

Start by putting her food in front of the trap, a meter or so away from the open door. Every day move the food bowl towards the open door, but only about 10 cm at a time. You don`t want her to notice she`s getting closer to it. Eventually you`ll be able to get her to eat inside the trap door. you want her to be comfortable with going all the way into the trap before you attempt to unwire the door and trap her.

If you`re unsure about her stepping on the trip plate and springing the trap you can try the soda bottle trick. Get a large soda bottle and fill it with water. It needs to be large enough to prop the trap door all the way open. Tie a length of rope around the bottle and when she goes all the way in jerk to the rope to move the bottle and close the trap door.

I suggest you have lots of trial runs when she`s not around so you get used to how to spring the trap when she goes inside.

Thank you for the wonderful suggestions. My inexperience is showing. I don't want her to mistrust me at all. Not having gone through this before I am concerned she is getting close to delivery. Additionally it has been so very hot and humid the past week I am putting pressure on myself to get her inside.

 

[Norachan]

I understand. It can be very nerve wracking, even for experienced trappers.

Do you have any idea when she mated?

 

[Jewelsg]

Not exactly. She didn't show any signs of being pregnant till second week of July.

 

[Jewelsg]

I understand. It can be very nerve wracking, even for experienced trappers.

Do you have any idea when she mated?

We have racoons in our neighborhood. Should we be concerned about them going after the kittens? I don't think racoons feed on cats but it would be an unpleasant experience.

 

[fionasmom]

I am certainly not a raccoon expert, but I have seen them kill young possums and I believe that they would possibly go after kittens, although I have never seen them take on any of my adult ferals.

The soda bottle trick can be very helpful. I did it once from inside the house with the string outside a window.

 

[Jewelsg]

Thanks. There was a stray cat killed by a possum in my neighborhood several years ago. The raccoons are a big problem in my neighborhood. A cat was attacked and killed about 4 weeks ago. We (my neighbor and I) have decided it is time to act. She has a plastic carrier large enough for a medium size dog. Tomorrow I am going to feed her like normal and my neighbor will approach with the carrier from another side. I will be able to keep the carrier the entire time of her pregnancy up to adoption. I know this may not be the usual way to handle a situation like this however, between the raccoons, peregrine falcon and loose dogs we both believe we need to act and have a sense of urgency. I appreciate your time and kindness in answering my questions.

 

[fionasmom]

Please let us know how everything goes and good luck!