Is there a way to tell if she has kittens somewhere?

[Graceful-Lily]

I've been feeding this cat for a few days now. I named her Fendi. With this colony, I've noticed that the females look distinctively different than the males. I don't know if this is an actual thing but I can tell by a cats frame, face, and tail if they are male or female in this colony. I suspect Fendi is a female. She eats like she's scared or in a rush. She doesn't come by at night but early morning and several times throughout the day to eat. Because of this, I'm wondering if she might have babies somewhere. I don't want to take her in if I don't know where they are or else they could die. How would I find out?

 

[vince]

Don't know about tracking down the kittens, but mom might bring them to eat once they're weaned in a few weeks. You might end with more kitties that way, but you'll know they're being cared for. It might not be a bad idea to put out a nest box too, to see if she'll move them there.

 

[Graceful-Lily]

I'm not sure about a box. We have issues with rats and mice in my area and there is a lot of traffic by my house and we are right by the main street. There are also two schools in this area so lots of people walking by and passing. It wouldn't be quiet.

I don't have any lumber or any old containers right now, I checked. The only thing I have is MDF wood but it would get soaked. I don't know if tung oil would protect it enough.

 

[poolcat]

Does she eat everything that's left, like she's starved? Nursing mothers usually do, especially if they have intestinal parasites.

How close does she let you get? If you have, or can borrow, a pair of binoculars, it might help you confirm her sex.

A nesting box wouldn't have to last long. A cardboard box inside a slightly bigger one, with newspaper between the two as insulation, then covered with a plastic trash bag... should hold up for a while. You'd need to come up with a way to keep it from blowing away.

 

[Graceful-Lily]

Does she eat everything that's left, like she's starved? Nursing mothers usually do, especially if they have intestinal parasites.

How close does she let you get? If you have, or can borrow, a pair of binoculars, it might help you confirm her sex.

A nesting box wouldn't have to last long. A cardboard box inside a slightly bigger one, with newspaper between the two as insulation, then covered with a plastic trash bag... should hold up for a while. You'd need to come up with a way to keep it from blowing away.

If she is startled, she will run away but come back to finish. She comes by at least 4 times a day or more to eat and she's very skittish. She doesn't let me get close at all. If she sees me, she runs off.

 

[CatladyJan]

Do you see teets? If she does have kittens and is still nursing or just finished nursing she will have large teets.

 

[Graceful-Lily]

I can't see anything. She has a very fluffy coat.

 

[Margot Lane]

Do you know your neighbors? Perhaps they have heard mewling?

 

[Graceful-Lily]

I'm in a bad area. We don't talk to each other. I'd be scared to go around asking. Some people can be aggressive/mean. Maybe I could try following her the next time I see her?

 

[poolcat]

If she is startled, she will run away but come back to finish. She comes by at least 4 times a day or more to eat and she's very skittish.

Well, if she has kittens, she's probably got them in a good enough spot for now. The most important thing is to make sure she's getting enough to eat, and water to drink. If/when you start seeing young ones, you can decide if you need to do something more--trap them and get them neutered, for sure!

 

[Graceful-Lily]

Well, if she has kittens, she's probably got them in a good enough spot for now. The most important thing is to make sure she's getting enough to eat, and water to drink. If/when you start seeing young ones, you can decide if you need to do something more--trap them and get them neutered, for sure!

Will do. This is my goal.

Thank you, everyone!

 

[tarasgirl06]

Will do. This is my goal.

Thank you, everyone!

Thank you so much for caring and putting your caring into positive acts! Yeah, you can't see her underpinnings if she's got floof. But if you see or hear any babies, thank you for doing TNR for them! You can use a large plastic storage box (the kind people store clothes in) which you can get very affordably at most big box stores (Walmart, etc.) and keep the top on; cut a door out of the side, and smooth it with sandpaper so edges are not sharp. Line with blankets, straw, old towels/clothes, etc. This can be cleaned and will last.

 

[Avery]

Following her after she eats is not a bad idea and would be worth a try. Several years ago, a semi-feral cat had kittens in my next door neighbor's yard. I fed the mama cat, who was still nursing, and made plans to trap them all and they hung around for a while. However, the mama got suspicious and moved the kittens three times. All three times I was able to find them. The first time they were only two houses away and a neighbor alerted me. The second time, I was able to very carefully follow her and found the kittens in a backyard shed one street away. We made plans to trap them there, but she moved them again. The last time I saw them, they were playing under a car on still another street, but after many attempts to ascertain where they were living, all but two of the kittens disappeared. Sadly, one of the kittens was killed by a car, but the mama led the other kitten back to me for food and they are now both happy indoor cats in my home!

Long story, but just wanted to suggest that she might lead you right to the kittens if you can make yourself kind of invisible and follow her! If there are kittens, they probably are not too far away.

 

[fionasmom]

My avatar and her identical sister, along with the rest of the litter, were born under a house on my street where a contractor had neglected to put the cover back on a crawl space opening. Good luck with locating them, if there are kittens, and thank you for being concerned enough to be involved.

 

[Graceful-Lily]

My first rescue cat brought her kittens to me when they could walk but that was summer time so I'm more concerned about this one since it's really cold outside and it's been raining. Dogs also run loose in this area often.

 

[tarasgirl06]

My first rescue cat brought her kittens to me when they could walk but that was summer time so I'm more concerned about this one since it's really cold outside and it's been raining. Dogs also run loose in this area often.

All the more reason to make them a shelter. We had a catflap in our garage door, two locations ago, and beds in there. If you own, that's another possibility. Also, we made some modular shelters with sleeping cubicles with beds, and porches where we put food and water. Some were attached; one was completely modular and detached.

 

[Graceful-Lily]

How do I stop starlings from eating all the cat food? They have been emptying the dish and not leaving much for Fendi...

 

[fionasmom]

Build a Feeding Station

 

[vince]

I'm not sure about a box. We have issues with rats and mice in my area and there is a lot of traffic by my house and we are right by the main street. There are also two schools in this area so lots of people walking by and passing. It wouldn't be quiet.

I don't have any lumber or any old containers right now, I checked. The only thing I have is MDF wood but it would get soaked. I don't know if tung oil would protect it enough.

I don't think the rats or mice would be likely to nest in an area where there are cats or kittens. I think they'd dispatch them pretty quickly. The shelter doesn't have to be much--just a lean-to out of the MDF, with perhaps a little covering of something.

 

[Graceful-Lily]

Build a Feeding Station

But can't the birds just go inside?