Pregnant Feral Cat HELP!!!

SweetieKitty

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Hi I have a sweet feral cat that I had in my yard when I moved in about 14 months ago. Then she was a super skinny guessing 9 months old, maybe younger. She got pregnant, had a litter of kittens. 4 that I know of as she brought them to my deck. She never had protruding nipples etc she got a fat tummy, I never could see them move and 1 day she came for her feeding, and her stomach like dropped and you could see them all in there, didn’t see for 3 days came back and skinny…..

fast fwd. I am now able to pet her but that’s it. Face, head, neck. Well she ran heat and IK she is pregnant as she has the descended tummy, can approx. when all the Tom cats were crazy but know she is maybe within a week. Well it’s super cold here and I want to allow this poor girl the chance of warmth and no stress about where to have them, and feel safe. So I captured her in a dog crate, it’s larger than what the pets are kept in SPCA but after reading that she needs to pace, and it’s messy etc etc. and she is super loving me today… I don’t know how easy it will be to get her into a larger crate, if she can nurse at all.. last time I bottled fed 2 of the 4 kittens, she seemed to care less about them just leave them etc etc…. I keep working w/ her and attached to her hoping to keep her some day as an indoor pet. Anyhow, any help advice what I can do, with her. During this time. Leave her in the crate not to traumatize her trying to move her into a larger one, as she was quite crazy when I first captured her… she don’t try to leave the crate when I spend time with her I leave the door open… HELP!!
 

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Hi SweetieKitty SweetieKitty

If you can pet her at all that is HUGE! Where is her crate now, in your house? If you can set up one room as the cat and kitten room I suggest you do that and them move her crate there.

Here's an article on kitten proofing her room.

Kitten Proofing Your Home: 13 Practical Tips - TheCatSite

If all you have is a small bathroom or closet that is fine too. I've raised a litter of feral kittens in a walk-in closet before. You need to make sure there is nothing in the room that could hurt the kittens and also block off any potential hiding areas they may get stuck in. Provide them with covered cardboard boxes that the mother cat can nest in. Cats like a variety of nesting spots and usually move the kittens several times in the first few weeks.

If you want to keep her crated but just give her a larger crate then put the two crates door to door and fasten them together with zip ties.

I'm going to suggest a couple of videos for you to watch that show how other people helped raise stray mothers and kittens.

The feral mother in this first one is super hissy! I'm lucky, none of my girls were quite this feisty.



Keep us posted! I'm sure the mother cat will be suitable as an indoor cat by the time her kittens rare weaned but, even if things don't work out and you have to release her back outside make an appointment now to have her spayed by the time her kittens are 6 weeks old! She will come into heat again after giving birth and you don't want her trapped in the cycle of going into heat and having a litter any more.

:goodluck:
 
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SweetieKitty

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Hi SweetieKitty SweetieKitty

If you can pet her at all that is HUGE! Where is her crate now, in your house? If you can set up one room as the cat and kitten room I suggest you do that and them move her crate there.

Here's an article on kitten proofing her room.

Kitten Proofing Your Home: 13 Practical Tips - TheCatSite

If all you have is a small bathroom or closet that is fine too. I've raised a litter of feral kittens in a walk-in closet before. You need to make sure there is nothing in the room that could hurt the kittens and also block off any potential hiding areas they may get stuck in. Provide them with covered cardboard boxes that the mother cat can nest in. Cats like a variety of nesting spots and usually move the kittens several times in the first few weeks.

If you want to keep her crated but just give her a larger crate then put the two crates door to door and fasten them together with zip ties.

I'm going to suggest a couple of videos for you to watch that show how other people helped raise stray mothers and kittens.

The feral mother in this first one is super hissy! I'm lucky, none of my girls were quite this feisty.



Keep us posted! I'm sure the mother cat will be suitable as an indoor cat by the time her kittens rare weaned but, even if things don't work out and you have to release her back outside make an appointment now to have her spayed by the time her kittens are 6 weeks old! She will come into heat again after giving birth and you don't want her trapped in the cycle of going into heat and having a litter any more.

:goodluck:
I wanted to thank you so much for all the advise, and the feral mama video helped me alot. I have the 2 crates together, and got a birthing box in there with a heating pad under the box, and I bought her a mat on Amazon that is self heating as well so when the kittens come. Ordered formula, baby bottles etc, she is all set, just need them kittens to come. Last time, when she was pregnant I remember her stomach dropping and thats the 1 and only day I could see the kittens formation and moving and pretty sure is the day she gave birth as then didnt see her 3 days.... she acted normal all the way up till I didnt see her for three days... ran up to my deck to eat etc wanting here food, talking to me... . Her stomach hasn't dropped, but what little bit I can touch it today its very firm, tight. I def, guessed her date wrong! and hope she has them very soon. As moved her from the storage on the side of the house to into my room and now my poor cat who is velcro to me cannot sleep or be in my room. Which makes me feel terrible. She isn't super active, just laying around comes out of her box to eat, which is a lot less, and use the litterbox. Only time she will lay outside the birthing box seems is when I am by her, feeding her canned food, she has to eat it off the spoon, how we established our trust. Trying to attach pics so you can see her tummy. She is a slim cat and trying to get a pic of her belly is hard, or to where it shows how descended it is ....
 
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SweetieKitty

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Hi - how are things? What did you end up doing?
I got her in my room now, 2 crates zipped tied, she has a birthing box, heating pad, bought her a mat that regulates heat via her body hear, bought all will need for the kittens in case of ... and now I just need her to give birth. Thought she would of had by now.
 
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SweetieKitty

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Hi - I realize it’s hard to judge by pics but was really thinking she would of had the kittens this week, which clearly my guesstimated date is wrong. She is a slim, petite cat. Last time she never had any protruding nipples etc … and not sure if she ever even nursed any of them. She had 4 … she left me 2 of them, not sure what happened to the other 2 of them. She didn’t seem to careless about them. I had even taken a baby outside to her and it was meowing for her and she was just like yeah whatever. Last time, she got a bigger tummy, but about it till the day she showed up with her stomach dropped to ground almost and could see them kittens… took off 3 days came back slim.

it’s really hard to feel her stomach, she def will smackmy hand pretty quick. Her belly now feels tight,firm.


Last couple of days she is just laying in her birthing box. Comes out to eat, use the litter box. Keep in mind just moved her to my room as well so she might be traumatized but doubtful as you see her just relaxing when I come sit next to her.

I know the Tom’s were crazy around Jan 25th chasing her around etc…

thanks
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Norachan

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Wow, she looks ready to pop! But she looks so happy to be safely inside.

It's hard to tell exactly when she will give birth. As long as she is eating well and seems comfortable there is no need to worry. You just have to be patient and let nature take it's course.

Have you read some of our Pregnant Cat articles so you know what to expect?

How Do I Know When My Cat Will Give Birth? - TheCatSite

Pregnant Cat? What To Prepare For The Birth - TheCatSite

Help! My Cat Is Having Kittens! - TheCatSite
 
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SweetieKitty

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Hi,

Me again, asking a couple more questions regarding Sweetie who has yet to give birth. So, I have no clue when she got pregnant! I know she was in heat around the 25th of January, as all the Tom's were chasing her around and I made a comment to my son in text and scrolled up to find it. I keep thinking this is the day, and yeah nothing. She is fat and miserable, and has become moody....

As of late she is laying in the litter box, all day just chilling whether its clean or dirty, which I know cats usually are about cleaniness... not sure if she is in the 2 crates together, which is a good amount of space, or if its for another reason.

And I will be petting her like she wants and is pushing my hand into her head. I will be petting her and she will just bite me, not a little bite either today she got me really good. She got one tooth in my thumb and bite down and held down, I ended up yelling as it hurt, unexpected and she wouldnt let go. The minute she did, my finger was gushing blood, had to apply pressure to get it to quit bleeding. Immediately poured rubbing alcohol on it, washed with soap, then perixode, some neosporin and wrapped it... No clue why she is doing this? second time now she has done it to me..

As for her stomach, keep watching for contractions but not seen any, have seen the babies moving but nothing crazy active. Also, noticed when I bet her butt / tail areas they like, she is gotten skinny there, like her bones are sticking out ... is that something to do with the pregnancy? and still cannot tell about her nipples as no matter how she lays, I just cannot see them as she has alot of hair on her stomach.

Any help / knowledge would greatly appreciated it. thank you!
 

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You may already know this, but don't neglect that cat-tooth puncture wound. Pouring alcohol/peroxide on it is not enough. Please take this seriously. I have experienced family members with cat bites that rapidly escalated into a bad infection.

At the very least, watch closely for swelling, fever, or fatigue. I'm sorry if I'm telling you nothing you don't already know, but I feel compelled to bring this up whenever I learn of somebody's cat bite that resulted in a puncture wound.
 

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DO watch that bite!

Now, as to her behavior, she's barely socialized, and heavily pregnant. I know she trusts you as much as she trusts anyone, but she's almost certainly in a state where she is easily triggered, and something that would not ordinarily set her off, does.

If there are no regular ripples, you have...hours? days? before the appearance of kittens.
 
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SweetieKitty

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You may already know this, but don't neglect that cat-tooth puncture wound. Pouring alcohol/peroxide on it is not enough. Please take this seriously. I have experienced family members with cat bites that rapidly escalated into a bad infection.

At the very least, watch closely for swelling, fever, or fatigue. I'm sorry if I'm telling you nothing you don't already know, but I feel compelled to bring this up whenever I learn of somebody's cat bite that resulted in a puncture wound.
DO watch that bite!

Now, as to her behavior, she's barely socialized, and heavily pregnant. I know she trusts you as much as she trusts anyone, but she's almost certainly in a state where she is easily triggered, and something that would not ordinarily set her off, does.

If there are no regular ripples, you have...hours? days? before the appearance of kittens.
Thank you for the reminder and concern, it’s very sore, throbbing, and appears to be a little swollen. I have a telehealth doctors appointment so I will bring it up then…. I am sure he will prescribe w
 

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Thank you for the reminder and concern, it’s very sore, throbbing, and appears to be a little swollen. I have a telehealth doctors appointment so I will bring it up then…. I am sure he will prescribe w
If you start to feel fever/chills, extra fatigue, etc., you really should seek emergency medical attention. I don't mean to cause alarm, but these things can progress rapidly in some cases. Bacteria in cats' mouths can be particularly nasty to some humans, in some cases, after entering the bloodstream.

See this article for more information about symptoms to watch out for, and when to seek medical attention...
https://www.healthline.com/health/cat-bite

Also I didn't mean to derail the topic of this thread. It's just that I've seen some cat bite cases firsthand so I felt the need to talk about it.
 

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Also, noticed when I bet her butt / tail areas they like, she is gotten skinny there, like her bones are sticking out ... is that something to do with the pregnancy?
I've never had pregnant cat so don't know if her skin would stretch to make her bones poke out. Does she have food available all the time and is she eating it? If so I'd guess that ok.
 

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I think that everything is just fine... (with what i read and no photos...) !

Of course she is going to be more aggressive (bites, scratches, etc... ), she is pregnant... so it's normal to be more protective for her babies... (we suppose to give them a little more space, and to be little more alone, so they can feel more comfortable... !?)
My cat likes to bite me friendly when i pet her, or sometimes aggressively scratches me when i had to give her some medicines... but i never had any infection... just a some medicinal alcohol and i was good to go... !
And about her weight loss, i think it's normal too... !
And i think it's better to make new bed - nest from a cardboard boxe and put inside some old clothes, and put it near in the litter box, or near the food, probably she is going to be more comfortable - nice and cozy there, and she will give birth in the box... !

Just my opinion... ! Have a good one... !
 
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SweetieKitty

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You may already know this, but don't neglect that cat-tooth puncture wound. Pouring alcohol/peroxide on it is not enough. Please take this seriously. I have experienced family members with cat bites that rapidly escalated into a bad infection.

At the very least, watch closely for swelling, fever, or fatigue. I'm sorry if I'm telling you nothing you don't already know, but I feel compelled to bring this up whenever I learn of somebody's cat bite that resulted in a puncture wound.
Hi- thank you for the post regarding such w/ the bite. Yes, I was on it. I am a diabetic at that so trust me super hyper diligent with such. I also see my PCP tomorrow and will tell him, and have it looked at. It’s swollen a little today, had a tetanus show in 2017. Sure do to my health history he will prescribe something as safety measure. Thanks!
 
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SweetieKitty

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DO watch that bite!

Now, as to her behavior, she's barely socialized, and heavily pregnant. I know she trusts you as much as she trusts anyone, but she's almost certainly in a state where she is easily triggered, and something that would not ordinarily set her off, does.

If there are no regular ripples, you have...hours? days? before the appearance of kittens.
Hi- thanks for the response. I am not sure if it’s the babies moving or if they are ripples, as they look they could be either. And her poor miserable self just lays all day in the same spot pretty much all day. I work from home so check on her Constantly… and the girl just laying there sprawled out…. Barely can get her to get up for her treats having to feed her thru the cage vs it being open & her coming to me. But do all cats like the hair off around their teets? As I can’t tell if she has or not and Leaning towards she hasn’t done that at all.
Well hopefully it’s soon, and she will be less miserable, and hopefully she will feed them not like the last litter.
 
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SweetieKitty

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I think that everything is just fine... (with what i read and no photos...) !

Of course she is going to be more aggressive (bites, scratches, etc... ), she is pregnant... so it's normal to be more protective for her babies... (we suppose to give them a little more space, and to be little more alone, so they can feel more comfortable... !?)
My cat likes to bite me friendly when i pet her, or sometimes aggressively scratches me when i had to give her some medicines... but i never had any infection... just a some medicinal alcohol and i was good to go... !
And about her weight loss, i think it's normal too... !
And i think it's better to make new bed - nest from a cardboard boxe and put inside some old clothes, and put it near in the litter box, or near the food, probably she is going to be more comfortable - nice and cozy there, and she will give birth in the box... !

Just my opinion... ! Have a good one... !
Thank you! Currently, she is in 2 large dog crates and we zipped tied them together so I can access her from one door on the side or lift the lid of the other. I do have a nesting box in there, with some soft fleece baby blankets and under the box a heating pad and her entire crate currently have puppy pads down as well. So easily toss it all.
Hope so, excited to see her babies, how many she has, and see her be a good mama this time around as she isn’t out in the elements and maybe can concentrate on them more instead of moving them constantly and stressing out. Get this girl fixed when they are big enough and get the kittens all taken care of
 
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SweetieKitty

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I've never had pregnant cat so don't know if her skin would stretch to make her bones poke out. Does she have food available all the time and is she eating it? If so I'd guess that ok.
Of course she has dry & canned out, fresh water daily, treats galore. Thanks
 

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Thank you! Currently, she is in 2 large dog crates and we zipped tied them together so I can access her from one door on the side or lift the lid of the other. I do have a nesting box in there, with some soft fleece baby blankets and under the box a heating pad and her entire crate currently have puppy pads down as well. So easily toss it all.
Hope so, excited to see her babies, how many she has, and see her be a good mama this time around as she isn’t out in the elements and maybe can concentrate on them more instead of moving them constantly and stressing out. Get this girl fixed when they are big enough and get the kittens all taken care of
Excellent, no worries, everything is going to be just fine !
 

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I would give her a box or two on it’s side with a towel draped over half or 3/4’s of the entrance. Put a bed or folded towel in the box. Also keep everyone out of her room. A cat in their litter box is a very stressed out cat. So I would work to reduce her stress as much as possible. I might even try feliway.
 
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