Pregnant stray help?

[Sarthur2]

You may want to buy a plug-in Feliway diffuser to put in your room. The pheromones it emits will help to calm her.

 

[Primula]

She gave birth to four little kittens today, in one of our closets, but because I have a male cat of my own, I've relocated her to my room in the back of the house where my boy doesn't go. My issue now is she doesn't like me leaving the room without her but I can't leave my door open because of my boy wanting to get near her kittens. She's already ripped a hole into my carpet!! I have to leave the house at some point. Is it best to place her in a crate?

Be sure not to let any other cat near the kittens. There's a very sad thread here where a newborn kitten got its foot bitten by a male cat in the house. The kitten has since died.

 

[xlastpetalfalls]

My boy is kept far from her. He tries to pop into the room when I'm in it for some attention but I always take him back out. He's not aggressive, a little jealous, but not aggressive and the momma has ready set him straight so they have no issues between the two of them. I've just been taking extra care to keep them separate because I've heard of stories of the males doing those things or the mothers harming the babies out of fear.

 

[xlastpetalfalls]

We moved her to a large crate for when we all do have to leave the house but she has since calmed down a lot and now doesn't mind me leaving the room. She still runs over for some pets and loving when I return but only thing on her mind now are the babies... although she does still stand by the door from time to time with a very sad face because she wants back out. I keep telling her a few more weeks and a trip to the doc's and she'll be ready to go. Haha.

 

[Sarthur2]

It sounds like all is well, other than mom wanting a break from the room. It's for her own good and that of the kittens, and she'll be okay. Is there a window she can look out of?

 

[xlastpetalfalls]

Oh, I meant she stands at the front door with a sad face, not the bedroom. Shes welcome to the rest of the house as long as someone is home with her. She just no longer feels like she needs to be glued to my side as much anymore. There is a window in the room and throughout the house she can sit in and we have the wood door open more now so she has the screen door as well.

 

[xlastpetalfalls]

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• xlastpetalfalls
• Mar 30, 2017

IMG_1746.JPG

• xlastpetalfalls
• Mar 30, 2017

 

[xlastpetalfalls]

I posted before about taking in a pregnant stray. She had four babies, I moved her to a crate and everything has been good. They turned a week old today. Suddenly, out of the blue she started chirping and she's now moving her kittens into my bed. She will not leave them in the crate. I don't understand since nothing has changed. I changed the towels and blankets in the crate thinking it was because they were dirty or smelled or something, didn't work. I have work in the morning and they'll be home alone so she has to keep them in the crate. Is it safe to just make her stay in the crate?

 

[xlastpetalfalls]

The only thing I did right before she started moving them was change her litter box. Well, it was a 'dirt' box since it's all she would use. I JUST changed it and added litter. Could that have made her react that way?

 

[mistercheddar]

Cats are super sensitive to their litter or maybe she just wants to hijack your bed! =p maybe she's moving them over because she trusts you and has decided to adopt you!

 

[xlastpetalfalls]

Lol I knew she's comfortable with me since she wouldn't give birth unless I was in the same room and then she got super clingy afterwards but that passed. She's still chirping and kind of whining now even though the babies are now moved and I'm worried.

 

[xlastpetalfalls]

She just used the litter box with no hesitation or anything so I guess that's ruled out.

 

[danteshuman]

Worried?!? It sounds like the mama cat has adopted you plus the bed is warm when you are in it. Maybe build a barrier U around the kittens in your bed? or a box the mom can jump in & out of?

 

[xlastpetalfalls]

This is my first time with a female cat, my first animal pregnancy too! I don't know what to expect! Haha! I keep reading her chirps as her being alarmed. I put her in a box on my bed now so I don't have to fear them getting smushed or rolling off but I've been keeping her in the crate so when I leave, I can place her inside without fear of her ripping my carpet again. now she doesn't want the crate anymore. unless I move it onto my bed, I guess. Yikes. Lol

 

[Sarthur2]

It is not necessary to close them in a crate while you are at work. In fact, it's best not to. Mom trusts you to bring her babies into your bed! [emoji]128522[/emoji]

The chirping is called trilling, and that is how mama cats call their babies and communicate with them.

Also, moms move their kittens to wherever they feel they will be safest and happiest - this can be in closets, under beds, in beds, behind washing machines, etc.

It's great she's using real litter now!

Enjoy your kitty cat family! [emoji]128571[/emoji]

 

[foxxycat]

Sounds like she wants the kittens near you and likes the scent of your bed. She is showing you she feels trust in you to put her babies in your bed. Plus the babies can't regulate their body heat until 3 weeks old.

yes the chirping is her talking to the kittens. The kittens won't be able to see or hear for I think 7 to 10 days so maybe she's trying to see if they respond.

Have you weighed them and does momcat sleep on your bed with kits at night? My sister's cat always gave birth on her pillow...she just prefers to be with my sister. I am still working on getting her momcat spayed.

I love the pictures of your babies! don't forget to not let her outside until she is spayed about 8 weeks after birth. Mom cats can get pregnant even though she's not in heat.

 

[xlastpetalfalls]

I'm honored she feels that way with me! I just wish she knew how anxious it makes me lol
She was chirping at me more than she was at them that's why it was confusing.
I haven't weighted them because I can't find my scale still but I've been watching them and they've all definitely grew in the past week though two of them are smaller than the others and the white one is huge compared to he rest.
I've moved them back into their original box and placed it on my bed so it's a bit safer and less stress on me. Momma has so far been feeding and bathing them, and mostly sleeping with them at night but during the day she seemed to sleep more on the bed separate from them.
She hasn't been let out at all and do intend to get her fixed. We're going to speak more with our TNR program here and try to get the other cats fixed as well. There are two other cats pregnant in our neighborhood (so far). The issue we've been having is our TNR doesn't have the funds and we can't afford to neuter them ourselves. 25$ a cat and there's about 11 cats.

 

[Sarthur2]

That's $275. Would neighbors chip in? It would be awesome to TNR the cats.

 

[mistercheddar]

We have a bus/rv that drives to neighborhoods and spays/neuter animals right there in the rv. Maybe your city has a resource to help!

 

[xlastpetalfalls]

We are really strapped on money. I don't work. One neighbor wants to handle the two of them, one of the pregnant ones and the other wants to do another two, the second pregnant one included, but no one else wants to and there's likely more than 11. We live right behind animal control, people release their pets all the time as for our TNR, it seems like it's one woman running the whole thing although my friend and I did just discover another group. The main woman told us the $25 was the best she could do because the money still hasn't come in and we would have to bring them. people have even taken her cages so she doesn't have much of those either. None of that is an issue though, it's just the money part.