QSL or other rescuers....

We are going on a trapping mission on Monday to try and catch a pregnant cat. :(

We can't go before then due to work and the house being a fair distance away.

Story is stray cat moves into a ladys garden, she has fed the cat for a year and in that time she has produced 2/3 litters. A lot of the kittens died but four lived, Two are 3 months old and two are 7 months old.

Problem is 'cat got herself pregnant again' says lady :mad: No, cat was not altered.:rolleyes:

She wants to keep mum cat and the four kittens but not the yet to come kittens.

We are hoping to catch mum and house her until she has her kittens and return mum cat after a spay and give kittens to the local RSCPA kittens are always homed quickly.

We are also going to help her borrow a trap and with help from the local cat shelters get a cheap or free spay for the four older kittens

Could the cat be pregnant in January or is the house owner mistaken ?

Do we need to take special actions to trap and or house a pregnant cat ?

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Could the cat be pregnant in January or is the house owner mistaken ?

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With cats, ANYTHING is possible. The thing to look for are the nipples. If they are large and pink, then it is possible.

If she isn't too far along, the kittens can be aborted. I know this sounds kind of awful, but it's done all the time. They remove everything, the plumbing (ovaries, tubes, etc.) the whole uterus intact with the fetuses in it. The kittens never take a breath, never meow and are not alive.

There is nothing different about trapping a pregnant female. Is she feral? Is your neighbor able to pick her up and pet her? Are her older kittens feral? Do they respond to her? If they are terrified of her when she approaches, then they are feral. Unless this woman wants to spend the time (it takes a LONG time to tame feral cats that have been out in the wild) to socialize them, then she's wasting her time keeping them.

Socializing them takes time, patience and alot of love. Unfortunately, feral cats are deemed unadoptable by shelters.

When you do trap her and her kittens, you need to not feed themfor 24-48 hours. This will make them very hungry. Place the trap in the area where they are known to hang around. Put staw inside the trap to disguise the trip plate and the metal mesh. Set the trap and put a towl over it so they don't see it. Cut a piece of paper plate in the shape of a piece of pie. Put the smelliest sardines or canned cat food you can find in the back of the trap, past the trip plate. Make sure you check the trap. Better yet, go somewhere where you can't be seen, but can view the trap. It's a waiting game.

I'm sure other people here can give you more advice than I can. I wish you alot of luck. It takes a big person to step up and do what you're doing. I commend you, PIF!! Please keep us posted!

Mum cat is wary but takes food out of the lady's hand if hungry, doesn't spit but lady can't pick her up or stroke her. I would say stray rather than feral.

The kittens vary from friendly house cat to very nervous cat which stays outside all the time. Mum cats brought the kittens to here at around 8 weeks old so though they could of done with more socialisation, I think the kittens will tame eventually but as she is keeping them it is not too much of the problem.

The lady is happy to care for the cats she has but has finally realised that unless stopped the mum will keep on pumping out kittens. The last five kittens died...how sad is that :(

Lady said cat is getting big like she did do next time.. I am worried and I wonder if I can get off work early Friday and have a go at trapping then :(

Hope you can trap her before she gives birth! She sure sounds pregnant if she's been getting consistantly wider. Pregnancy in cats knows no seasons sad to say! If the kittens are bound to go into the trap instead of the mom cat, try controlling the door with a long piece of rope. Tie it to the door (one door trap I hope ;) ) and run the rope over the top of the trap and sit out of view if possible, or a distance at least. Put a lot of food into the trap if the kittens are getting pushy and let them gorge until they are full. Problem is if the mom cat goes in at the same time as a kitten or two...what will you do? I'd drop the door anyway on however many are in the trap, and in a closed area such as the car, use a cinch-cord laundry bag, and try to separate the mom from the kitten. I have a divider fork which is especially useful for segregating several cats in the trap. Be prepared for some bouncing off the windows if you aren't careful! Hopefully only the mom cat will go into the trap before the kittens are born. Indoors, if she's going to have them, prepare a large cage for her to use. Cover all but the front door, and put litterpan, and food near the door so she doesn't bolt out. If you have anyone handy around with some scraps of plywood a shelf can be made up quite quickly. Cut the wood so it comes out 12 or so inches from the back of the cage, and cut to the width of the cage. Drill holes around three sides (you don't need many holes) and run wire wraps (used to bundle wires together) to affix the shelf to the back& side walls mid-way up. Staple carpet remnants onto it and it will provide a spot for mom to get away from the babies as they get bigger, and it makes it a LOT easier to clean the cage as well! OK...this is getting long winded lol! If you need any more tips..holler! ;) And keep us posted! :)

Thanks I might see if I can finish work early in the next day or two and get a trap down to her and show her how to use it.

We can only get down at 7pm by which time it is pitch dark and no cats to be seen but Monday we'll can go out earlier.

At the weekend Steve is working and I am away to visit my depressed brother, I can't cancel it will make him worse.

I am both hoping that one she isn't pregnant and two if she is we catch her before the kittens are born. :(

We don't really have the space to foster another cat but if she is pregnant, she'll have to go in with Annie (after clear blood tests and vet exam) She lost the last litter due to the cold, so we have to try :(

Thanks for the tips, I'll let you know how things go.

Sdaly,it probably,is possible,and I would try,the Salmon,or Tuna,in a Humane Trap,if you are there,to make sure that the Little Momma Cat,does not panic.

I left work early today and went down to the lady's house, I set the trap and had a string attached to the door as suggest by QSL.

Three of the four kittens were happily running in and out of the cage but mummy (sadly she does look very heavily pregnant) sat watching the kittens mere inches from the cage door didn't move into the cage at all.

After stood freezing outside for a couple of hours holding a string, I had to give in (for today) and return home :(

I have left the trap with instructions that the lady can try and trap her following my instructions OR tie the door open and feed ALL cats in the trap for the next few days and see if we can get mummy eating in the cage before Mondays trapping attempt.

Wish me luck in trapping mummy cat hopefully before she has her kits.

PS. Our ex-feral kitten Whiskers goes to her new home on friday and two more kittens may have found homes too :)

It's not easy using the rope...lots of patience needed, but I've managed to catch entire litters with the mom cats included by doing so. Do you have any idea where the cat gives birth when she does? If she has kittens before you can trap her (and you know where they are) you can use her kittens as bait for her if worse comes to worse. Thing is, you have to wait it out for close to a week, otherwise she won't be bonded enough to go into a trap for them. Having the door tied open is a great way to get her less trap shy as well. Hopefully the trap doen't have the odor of other previously caught animals in it. Also be sure there's some sort of flooring for it. I use rubber car mats (with nubs on the bottom to prevent sliding) and make a trail of food leading toward the main course. They are easy to bleach, and leaving the mat in place allows them to leave their scent on it day by day. Keep me posted, and GOOD LUCK! ;) ;)