Last December, a little black-and-white cat showed up in the yard. Extremely afraid of humans, super skinny. We tried to trap, but she was too smart for the traps, so we started leaving food out and built her a warming hut.
Back then, we couldn't tell if the cat was a "he" or a "she" ... but we started to win her over by sitting with her as she ate, inching closer, until she let me pet her at the end of January. She had started looking a little thicc, so I scruffed & crated her and immediately whisked her off to the vet. That was on Feb 2.
Turns out she's a "she", and she's pregnant. No chip, no collar, nothing. On Feb 2, the vet said she was probably 2 or 3 weeks away from giving birth. XRay showed 4, possibly 5 kittens (one much smaller than the rest). We set her up in a very tiny room in the house (slightly larger than a powder room). She has a birthing box, heated pad, blankets, a small cat tree, food at all times and water, a few toys that she doesn't know what to do with, litterbox, etc. She's in quarantine since she can't be vaccinated until after her kittens are here (at which point she'll get spayed, too) because I have 4 other resident cats. She's FIV/FeLV negative.
I'm no stranger to neo-natal kittens since I do a lot of foster and rescue work, but this is the first pregnant queen I've had who will give birth in my care.
Her temperment is SO hot and cold -- one minute she'll be head booping me (I always let her initiate), and the next she'll be hissing and swatting at me. She's tried to bite both me and my partner (to the point where I'm the only one that will interact with her now to keep her stress down). She'll come sit in my lap, but then start growling. She frequently attacks my feet one moment, but then is rubbing against my legs the next. Before we put a nesting box in the room with her, we had a floor futon that I would sit or lay on and she would come snuggle with me, but now every time I go into her room it seems to agitate her.
Part of me wants to assume this is all because she is young, probably a first time mama, is suddenly locked in a small room when she's used to her freedom, is probably still semi-feral, and she's uncomfortable with how big she's getting and feeling vulnerable and hormonal. We've been watching for signs of rabies just in case because of how her temperment's been, but so far see no other signs. We did touch base with our vet and they offered no suggestions other than to "keep an eye on her". I also haven't seen any imminent birthing behavior - no licking, no pacing, no nesting (we have a ring camera in the room so I can keep an eye on her)
Are my assumptions reasonable, or is there more of a reason to be concerned here? Is the hands-off approach the best option until the kittens get here, or should I continue to try and socialize her/win her trust?
Back then, we couldn't tell if the cat was a "he" or a "she" ... but we started to win her over by sitting with her as she ate, inching closer, until she let me pet her at the end of January. She had started looking a little thicc, so I scruffed & crated her and immediately whisked her off to the vet. That was on Feb 2.
Turns out she's a "she", and she's pregnant. No chip, no collar, nothing. On Feb 2, the vet said she was probably 2 or 3 weeks away from giving birth. XRay showed 4, possibly 5 kittens (one much smaller than the rest). We set her up in a very tiny room in the house (slightly larger than a powder room). She has a birthing box, heated pad, blankets, a small cat tree, food at all times and water, a few toys that she doesn't know what to do with, litterbox, etc. She's in quarantine since she can't be vaccinated until after her kittens are here (at which point she'll get spayed, too) because I have 4 other resident cats. She's FIV/FeLV negative.
I'm no stranger to neo-natal kittens since I do a lot of foster and rescue work, but this is the first pregnant queen I've had who will give birth in my care.
Her temperment is SO hot and cold -- one minute she'll be head booping me (I always let her initiate), and the next she'll be hissing and swatting at me. She's tried to bite both me and my partner (to the point where I'm the only one that will interact with her now to keep her stress down). She'll come sit in my lap, but then start growling. She frequently attacks my feet one moment, but then is rubbing against my legs the next. Before we put a nesting box in the room with her, we had a floor futon that I would sit or lay on and she would come snuggle with me, but now every time I go into her room it seems to agitate her.
Part of me wants to assume this is all because she is young, probably a first time mama, is suddenly locked in a small room when she's used to her freedom, is probably still semi-feral, and she's uncomfortable with how big she's getting and feeling vulnerable and hormonal. We've been watching for signs of rabies just in case because of how her temperment's been, but so far see no other signs. We did touch base with our vet and they offered no suggestions other than to "keep an eye on her". I also haven't seen any imminent birthing behavior - no licking, no pacing, no nesting (we have a ring camera in the room so I can keep an eye on her)
Are my assumptions reasonable, or is there more of a reason to be concerned here? Is the hands-off approach the best option until the kittens get here, or should I continue to try and socialize her/win her trust?
If you hadn't said she was siamese, I would have assumed a tortie... 
