Need Advice From the Feral Colony Experts

[shadowsrescue]

It is fairly standard protocol that rescues will still spay the mama cat even when pregnant.  If not, then the kittens born need homes and also spay/neuter thus more cost.  It really is the best way.  If you allow Kit Kat to have her kittens then you will be responsible for her and all the kittens.  You will need to trap them all.  You really cannot claim innocence since you know about her and know she is pregnant.  There are so many cats running around in your area.  If you allow her to have the kittens, then there will be more.  Those kittens will then reproduce and there will be more.  Kit Kat will once again reproduce this summer.  The kittens will just keep coming.

Since you have not been close to Kit Kat and pet her, then you do not know if she is adoptable.  The kindest thing to do is to spay her now, get her ear tipped and feed her on your property.  If you later decide she is adoptable, then you could get her into a carrier and find a home for her.  Rescue groups do not have the man power to socialize cats right now.  That would be up to you.  She does sound like more of a stray that has some feral tendencies.  From my experience they do warm up quickly, but may still be very skittish.  Most places would have a very difficult time adopting her out.

Doing nothing at this point is really not an option.  I would just try to trap her and get her spayed, then re release her to you area or try to socialize her.  

I would ask the county or city to help with the huge feral cat population by the apartments.  The cats will just continue to come if nothing is done.

Right now, kitten season is upon us. Most rescue groups will be unable to help you as they are just swamped.  During this time period it falls on the individuals like us to help as much as we can.

 

[orange&white]

 
The kindest thing to do is to spay her now, get her ear tipped and feed her on your property.

That was the original plan a week and a half ago when she was sleek and slender and I thought she was probably a "he".

I would ask the county or city to help with the huge feral cat population by the apartments.  The cats will just continue to come if nothing is done.

The apartments are in the same zip code, which means the county will say it's the city's responsibility, and vice versa.

If you allow Kit Kat to have her kittens then you will be responsible for her and all the kittens.  You will need to trap them all.  You really cannot claim innocence since you know about her and know she is pregnant.

I don't see myself responsible, though I am trying to help.  I will do what I can if either the city or county will agree to take her for TNR.  I see the apartment people who are feeding these cats and not TNR'ing them as being responsible for the continual kitten/cat population. 

Thank you for your input.  I'll update when the rescue person replies to my email.

 

[Primula]

 The kindest thing to do is to spay her now, get her ear tipped and feed her on your property.  If you later decide she is adoptable, then you could get her into a carrier and find a home for her.

 

[orange&white]

Still waiting for a reply from the city to see if I can get TNR service....

 

[catwoman707]

At this point and seeing how short her gestation period is, while I am not a dishonest person, this would be an exception if it meant getting her spayed NOW.

Use a friend or family members address that does qualify and get her trapped before there are an additional 6 kits living homeless and mom prego again and again.

 

[orange&white]

When I took the feral kitten we trapped at my work warehouse to the county, I had to provide my driver’s license for name and address verification.   I can’t just give them a fake name and address.   When I picked up the kitten, I had to sign “adoption” papers with my name/address, again verified by ID, even though she was supposed to be released back outdoors to her colony.

My job is in a small town 25 miles outside the city, but in the same county which is now telling me that I can’t help this cat on my property.

When I called about Kit Kit, I fully described her as a tuxedo about 9-10 months old and pregnant before I gave my address and they said they couldn’t help me.   I argued a bit and told them I’m the same person who just brought in a feral from work with no problem in January, and a county resident.   No go.   “You live in the city limits.   We can’t help you.”   So I gave them full information.

My boss said to just tell them that we had another feral get into our warehouse and she’s from the same colony as the first.   But I’ve already described her in detail, and if they typed any information attached to my name, they aren’t going to buy it.   I’m not even sure that I couldn’t get into legal trouble for lying… like a Class C Misdemeanor and fine or perjury or something.

I’ll have to ask my boss if he would “lie with me” (that sounds awful….lol) and back up the story of her coming from our work address and getting trapped in the warehouse.   I am not a good liar.   That’s probably the best “story” though.

 

[orange&white]

I brought the humane trap home from work yesterday evening.  My boss said that he would back up the story that we had another cat get into the warehouse.  I called the county to ask when the first appointment was available for TNR.  May 1st. 

  Anyway, the receptionist said that if I trapped the cat in the warehouse that I could bring it in the same day without an appointment, but that it might take several weeks before they could get to the spay.  So that's good.

The apartment groundskeepers are mowing right now, and several of the ferals including Kit Kit have fled to my backyard.

The county shelter doesn't open until noon, so I'm going to set the trap at 11am.  I'll make history if I trap a cat with a bowl of water. 

  Kit Kit seems to only be interested in drinking water here and eating whatever the apartment people are putting out.  Yesterday evening I offered her a bit of cooked pork by the rain barrel and she did eat one bite then walked back toward the apartments.  So, if I can get her to eat just one bite inside the trap, that'll be enough.

There's room for optimism again.

 

[orange&white]

Major update:

I trapped Kit Kit this morning and brought her to work until the county shelter opens at noon.

My boss won't be happy about me taking (unpaid) time off work, but I wasn't able to trap her on Tuesday or Thursday (I only work this job M-W-F) and Kit Kit isn't getting "less pregnant".

Anyway, the city humane shelter feral program manager never returned my second email asking if he was giving me an exception for service, so I'm taking her to the county and saying she was trapped in our warehouse, same as the feral in January.

When I initially called both shelters, unlike the city shelter which would abort the kittens, the county shelter told me that if the cat was "obviously pregnant" they would try to find a foster home until the mother has the kittens. Not sure how that will work this time of year while they are backed up on spays/neuters for 2-3 weeks, and I'm sure, short on foster homes.

I pulled the towel up to look at Kit Kit when I got to work to make sure the trap didn't injure her. She is not a happy camper...hissed and swatted at me, eyes dilated. Leaving her alone and covered until we leave for the shelter. Hope she doesn't need to pee or poop.

 

[shadowsrescue]

Yea!!! Such good news. I hope the best for Kit Kat. Let us know how it goes. You are doing such a kind thing for her.

 

[orange&white]

Kit Kit just got dropped off. I asked again what happens "if" she's pregnant and the receptionist paused. So I said, "Never mind. I don't want to know."

Anyway, I hope for Kit Kit that they find her a foster home to have the kittens and perhaps a foster home can socialize her enough to be adopted to an inside home as well. If not, then I guess they will kill the kittens and call me to pick her up after spay, and I can see if she wants to hang around.

 

[shadowsrescue]

Any updates on Kit Kat?

 

[orange&white]

It's "Kit Kit"...No, I just dropped her off yesterday. When I called early in the week, they told me the first TNR opening was May 1st, but that I could drop a feral off anytime, and just expect it to take 2-3 weeks.

I feel really bad for her having to stay at the shelter that long. Hoping they'll realize she's pregnant and find her a quiet foster home.

I'm planning to call to ask about her once a week. I think they do spays/neuters on Tues/Wed, so I'll call Wednesday.

 

[surya]

I have had a hard time dealing with the responsibility of having kittens aborted. I don't feel bad if the cat is in the early stages of pregnancy, but I feel horrible when the cat is really showing. But because of all the unwanted kittens being murdered in shelters, I feel it is the right thing to do. I still feel crappy about it, but I don't want to find anymore unwanted kittens in the dumpster and I have to do whatever I can to stop that.

 

[shadowsrescue]

Sorry about misspelling her name. I forgot that she had to stay there for a bit before the spay. I hope they get to her soon.

 

[orange&white]

Update on Kit Kit: She had 4 kittens last night at the county shelter. The girl didn't sound hopeful about finding a foster home because Kit Kit is wild. Not many fosters available for feral cats. She said Kit Kit is in a "private suite" in the "Feral Hotel", and there she will stay until the kittens are weaned, 6-8 weeks, plus two more weeks for her milk to dry and they spay her.

I'm still praying for her to find a foster home and maybe she can be socialized enough to also get a good home. If she's too wild for all that, then I'll go pick her up and release her back to where she started.

 

[shadowsrescue]

Wow! You got her just in time! At least her babies will be safe and they can find homes for the. I do hope that Kit Kit is adoptable too, but if not at least she can go back to your property where she will be spayed and you can care for her.

Thank you for the update.

 

[orange&white]

I'm wondering if she didn't give birth prematurely from the stress of being trapped, then thrown into the "feral hotel" with a bunch of strange cats, smells, and noises. From my notes here, she was lean and muscular on March 26th, and on April 3rd I started to "think" she "was a she" because of a very slight change in shape. Other posts in this site indicate that cats start showing at 5 weeks, which would only have put her at 6-7 weeks. 8 weeks is "normal" gestation, right? She wasn't what I would call "huge" last Friday. I don't know. Don't guess it matters now.

Anyway, she's safe and so are her young ones....they'll be the first generation of "domestic cats" born out of the motley feral crew in awhile.

 

[orange&white]

I got a very brief update on Kit Kit. They asked me to email instead of calling, so I'm not getting much info.

Kit Kit is reported to be a good and extremely protective mother. She and all the kittens are in good health.

 

[shadowsrescue]

So happy they provided you with some information. I am happy she and the kittens are doing well!