Pregnant Feral And Two Kittens

[Dogncatlady]

Last December when I was on my way to work, I noticed an older blue and white kitten, but while she was clearly hungry, she quickly trotted away from me when we made eye contact. Despite being a dog owner, I oddly enough had cat food on hand and put out some for her just in case she came back. For MONTHS, I fed what I hoped was a cat with a mixture of wet and dry food every day until we finally saw her saunter up up on the property this past April. When we started to see her, she appeared much larger than she had been when I first saw her, which I first accounted for by her growth. I did notice she had slimmed down, but I thought I simply wasn’t feeding her enough and increased her daily meal. A few weeks later, she was meowing and trying to get inside when I prepared her meal, so I tried to slowly approach her until she became comfortable with my presence to no avail. She wouldn’t run away, but she still won’t eat without at least a screen door in between us. Unfortunately, I realized why she was meowing when I saw a few tomcats escorting her to her meal one day a few weeks ago, and since then, I have been trying to increase her daily food intake while also trying to gain her trust in hopes of getting her and her future kittens spayed.


What I didn’t realize was that I had already missed a litter. Like I said, it wasn’t until about two and a half months ago that we finally saw her, so I thought maybe the change in her size was my imagination playing tricks on me until I saw a little blue kitten, maybe 9 weeks old, wander up to eat from Jack Frost’s bowl. As I tried to entice her with food, she about hurt herself trying to get away, but I hoped she’d come back. Sure enough, I saw her following Jack Frost around the other day, but Jack Frost wouldn’t let her eat from the bowl with her. The kitten kinda hung out but waited for her to finish before it came to eat, but when I left extra food out for it, ANOTHER little blue kitten wandered onto my porch to eat it. How do I make sure these kittens come back and eat their food instead of attracting other cats? They look to be from the same litter, but they’re pretty young. I’d like to catch and trap them to keep them safe from the neighborhood foxes and coyotes, but I don’t know how to get them to come back. The other kitten that showed up appeared right when I was about to take up Jack Frost and the kitten’s food at night. This one seemed less scared, but I didn’t dare try to approach him since it was so late and my doors aren’t quiet. I haven’t seen that one reappear, but the one who wandered up with Jack Frost has been seen playing in the garden again. Help?! I want to take care of them, and I know that doesn’t necessarily mean being able to take them indoors. I just want to provide the best solution for them. We have four dogs, so I can imagine they’re even more scared with that. Nonetheless, we’ve begun to clear out a part of the house for the cats to come in at night if we can convince them. If anyone has any advice as to how to attract them to sleep in the property as well as how to slowly approach them when they run away on site of a human. Jack Frost has also become more skittish around me since the kittens have appeared, but I’d like to bring her inside before she gives birth or at least give her somewhere safe from predators and neighborhood dogs if it’s possible. Getting them all fixed and healthy is my priority, but first, I need to get them to start regularly coming over here to eat. Anyone have any advice or ideas?

 

[StefanZ]

The best way in such cases of shy ferales is to catch them with a humane trap, NOT wait out till they get enough trust to get inside by themselves.

They wont feel it as high traison, they dont know the trap is your doing. Quite the oppsoite, you are the one whom relieves them out from the trap into their prepared safe room.

This is much better than the Catch as catch can, which otherwise happens so easiily!

Also, taking them in a trap you have the possibility to directly take them to a vet for a check up, inside the trap. Its of course good the vet is used to handle shy semiferales, and also is warned you may come.

You dont need to take them immediately to the vet, you can wait for the opening hours even a full 24 hours.
Shy cats are used to be in a dark hidey hole that long, so its not heartless as it sounds.

Anyways, do have their safe room prepared, gears in place etc. Becuase, whom knows, you MAY have luck, they may spontaneously come in, or some strike of luck suddenly happens. So be ready

 

[Sarthur2]

I agree with Stefan. You need to begin feeding any and all cats and kittens inside a trap. As you trap them, get them spayed or neutered (except for pregnant mama).

I suggest buying two traps so you can move this along.

The sooner you get the older kittens, the better chance of socializing them inside your home so they can be adopted.

Hopefully you can quickly catch the pregnant mom and bring her in to have her litter.