Hello all. I'm so glad I found this place because I'm freaking out about the step I'm about to take.
First the backstory. There is a yellow and white female (mama kitty) who has been living outside my workplace (in a wooded corporate park) since at least last October. She may have been there since last June. I rescued a litter of kittens in August and never saw the mother and I think it may have been her. The first time I saw her in October, I could tell she was pregnant. I didn’t see her again until December when she moved her two kittens into a broken down delivery truck in the wooded area behind our parking lot. She moved the kittens somewhere else when I put food out there. So for the next two months, she hid the kittens. She would come to eat every evening (I would come back after to work and on weekends to check on her) and in January started bringing the kittens maybe once a week. Due to the bitter cold and not knowing where she had the kittens, I couldn’t trap them. In February she moved the kittens back to the truck. The weather got a bit warmer so I trapped the kittens and found a home for them. I then trapped her and had her spayed and released her back. The vet said she did not tolerate people at all. She was very mad at me for a few days and wouldn’t come around when I was there. But she finally got over it. She’s never been afraid of me but would not let me closer than a couple of feet.
I’ve been feeding her every day since then. Her home base is the broken down truck. She usually was roaming during the day and would be there in the evening when I came to feed her. About a month ago she let me pet her. And she loved it! For the last two weeks she has been hanging around most days. She knows the sound of my car and comes out when I arrive in the morning. She also knows my voice and will come out during the day if I’m outside. She follows me around like a puppy. She wants petting more than she wants food. Last weekend she chased my car as I was leaving. Wednesday she followed me to the back door and sat looking in trying to find me. In other words, we have become bonded. She is not really afraid of other people but will not let them get too close.
I’m worried now that since she is running around the parking lot during the day, she is going to get hit by a car. She is very smart and she knows how to survive out there (she did get through the winter with two kittens!). But I want to take care of her (not just feed her) and I just can’t do that at work anymore. I put some Frontline Plus on her last weekend and I’m waiting on the worming medicine to get here. But I’d like to get her to a vet and then take her home.
My problem is that I have two indoor cats – a male who is 10 and a female who is 13. I'm really worried about upsetting them. I’m pretty sure mama kitty will be freaked out by being inside even though I think she was a pet before she ended up at work. I can’t put her outside because my neighbor is a cat hoarder and has a dozen cats at any time, most of whom hang out in my yard and on my porch. They would run her off. So inside it will have to be. I'm planning to put her in my office to keep her away from my cats. I've set up places for her to hide and of course will have food, water and a litter box in there.
Do you think she will do well because she likes me so much already? That's my hope but I have no experience with strays. I've only ever introduced kittens to other cats I've had. How do older cats usually respond to a new adult? I've read about the things you do to get them used to each other's smells and such but I'm feeling overwhelmed that I'm going to stress out these animals. I love my cats so much. I don't want to do anything that will hurt them. But I love mama kitty, too, and I just can't let her live in a parking lot anymore.
So of course, now that I made my decision, mama kitty was not around today. I'll have to catch her during the day to get her to the vet. I have no where to keep her overnight and don't want to bring her in until she sees the vet. I think I will be able to get her into a carrier that is upended. A couple of times I've picked her up by the scruff of her neck and she just goes limp. I have a large carrier for my 22 pound male and I think I can just put her down in it.
Any experience and advice will be greatly appreciated!
First the backstory. There is a yellow and white female (mama kitty) who has been living outside my workplace (in a wooded corporate park) since at least last October. She may have been there since last June. I rescued a litter of kittens in August and never saw the mother and I think it may have been her. The first time I saw her in October, I could tell she was pregnant. I didn’t see her again until December when she moved her two kittens into a broken down delivery truck in the wooded area behind our parking lot. She moved the kittens somewhere else when I put food out there. So for the next two months, she hid the kittens. She would come to eat every evening (I would come back after to work and on weekends to check on her) and in January started bringing the kittens maybe once a week. Due to the bitter cold and not knowing where she had the kittens, I couldn’t trap them. In February she moved the kittens back to the truck. The weather got a bit warmer so I trapped the kittens and found a home for them. I then trapped her and had her spayed and released her back. The vet said she did not tolerate people at all. She was very mad at me for a few days and wouldn’t come around when I was there. But she finally got over it. She’s never been afraid of me but would not let me closer than a couple of feet.
I’ve been feeding her every day since then. Her home base is the broken down truck. She usually was roaming during the day and would be there in the evening when I came to feed her. About a month ago she let me pet her. And she loved it! For the last two weeks she has been hanging around most days. She knows the sound of my car and comes out when I arrive in the morning. She also knows my voice and will come out during the day if I’m outside. She follows me around like a puppy. She wants petting more than she wants food. Last weekend she chased my car as I was leaving. Wednesday she followed me to the back door and sat looking in trying to find me. In other words, we have become bonded. She is not really afraid of other people but will not let them get too close.
I’m worried now that since she is running around the parking lot during the day, she is going to get hit by a car. She is very smart and she knows how to survive out there (she did get through the winter with two kittens!). But I want to take care of her (not just feed her) and I just can’t do that at work anymore. I put some Frontline Plus on her last weekend and I’m waiting on the worming medicine to get here. But I’d like to get her to a vet and then take her home.
My problem is that I have two indoor cats – a male who is 10 and a female who is 13. I'm really worried about upsetting them. I’m pretty sure mama kitty will be freaked out by being inside even though I think she was a pet before she ended up at work. I can’t put her outside because my neighbor is a cat hoarder and has a dozen cats at any time, most of whom hang out in my yard and on my porch. They would run her off. So inside it will have to be. I'm planning to put her in my office to keep her away from my cats. I've set up places for her to hide and of course will have food, water and a litter box in there.
Do you think she will do well because she likes me so much already? That's my hope but I have no experience with strays. I've only ever introduced kittens to other cats I've had. How do older cats usually respond to a new adult? I've read about the things you do to get them used to each other's smells and such but I'm feeling overwhelmed that I'm going to stress out these animals. I love my cats so much. I don't want to do anything that will hurt them. But I love mama kitty, too, and I just can't let her live in a parking lot anymore.
So of course, now that I made my decision, mama kitty was not around today. I'll have to catch her during the day to get her to the vet. I have no where to keep her overnight and don't want to bring her in until she sees the vet. I think I will be able to get her into a carrier that is upended. A couple of times I've picked her up by the scruff of her neck and she just goes limp. I have a large carrier for my 22 pound male and I think I can just put her down in it.
Any experience and advice will be greatly appreciated!