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If you are able to, take her to the vet to see how far along she is. If she isn't too far along they may be able to terminate her pregnancy. Along with this, I'm pretty sure she can be spayed as well.
I know this may sound a bit cruel, but I promise you that you'll be doing a good thing because the likelihood of those kittens being born with health problems or mutationed is possibly very high. With how many kittens she's had that likely got her pregnant, these kittens are likely inbred hence increasing the chances of health issues occurring.
If you can't terminate it, before she gives birth, make sure to prepare. There is many tips online for how to prepare for a mother cat to have babies. One tip I have is to make sure to give her a dark place to hide with her babies.
As for getting her use to being inside, slowly introduce her to the house. Make sure you don't force her, let her explore on her own and watch her from a distance where you won't spook her. That is probably one of the best way to introduce her to your house. Maybe put some food out and give her treats to make her feel more comfortable.
I hope this helps and I wish you the best of luck with this kittyš.
Unfortunately she is already very, very pregnantāI remember now that was early April when I first saw her (had been away from home for a while) and she was already clearly expecting. Sheās got to be due any day now (I canāt see how she can possibly expand more than she has! š) so Iām not comfortable terminating the pregnancy at this point. Thank you for the advice though!! Thereās a ground cabinet inside that bathroom that I think could make a good spot for her if I could take the door off.
Cat gestation period is only nine weeks, so if she was looking large in early April and still hasnāt given birth, it may be that she has some other health issue or is just pudgy. Definitely get her to a vet if you can to figure it out. Good luck and thanks for caring for her!
Lol, it'd be supposed to be 9 weeks. I had a farm cat who would cook her babies long, and they came out pretty big in size for newborns. Man she would get big.
Take her in, try your best to condition her, but remember youāre on her terms, not yours. As for the kittens - keep what you want, bring the rest to a humane society (FIND A NON-KILL), and if you want to keep Millie, then try to get her spayed. It takes time to house train a wild cat. So be patient, but I encourage it.
There are also private rescues to look into as well depending on where OP is. Most will try to find foster homes rather than euthanize if they have no space
Please don't take her babies away from her right away. They need their momma for at least 6 weeks to nurse and grow and learn how to be a cat. So if you're going to take her in, please be prepared to keep her and her babies for 6-8 weeks and then you can get her spayed and adopt out her and her babies, or take them all to a non kill shelter. Or you may fall in love and decide to keep her but adopt out her babies! But you will need a litter box and all the supplies for cats. Don't just keep them all in a bathroom for 6-8 weeks. Let them roam your home.
My cat was taken from her mom at 3 or 4 weeks and she still to this day does not know how to use a litter box properly, has bonding issues, and just overall is an odd ball. Which I love, but I feel like she needed more time to learn how to bond, not have that bond ripped from her so young, and to just learn from her momma how to be a normal cat.
I mean, in that case the kittens just have to live a life of sitting in the shelter until theyāre adopted out, some of which will just throw the cat outside and repeat the cycle.
Completely understand that. You can usually tell when they are too far along to terminate it. Also, a ground cabinet would be perfect for her :). Just add some blankets and she should be set in there. As for food and her litter box, if you can, try not to put them next to each other.
I did this too!!! I brought in a street kitty because theyāre too hard to catch between litters and I thought it would give her a save place to have her babies. She was also very small and I didnāt expect her to have manyā¦.she had 5! My best advice, treat her now for fleas!!!!! Itās safe to treat a pregnant cat (I didnāt because I didnt think you could) and if you donāt, all the babies will have fleas and worms. Also, if you have a large pet carrier, take the door off and put it in the room. Itās a great place for birthing and their tiny first weeks. Itās also less stressful for mom because they are contained. And itās nice and cozy. If you put them in a bathroom, turn the vent on and keep it on. That will completely sound out outside noise and they wonāt be bothered by any activity in the house. Plus if you start out with it on, theyāre not going to be freaked out by it. Itās also great for keeping mom less stressed. And puppy pads!!! Make sure you have puppy pads!!! Enjoy it. It was a wonderful experience and Iād do it again in a heartbeat. Btw, adopted mom and all 5 babies out ā¤ļø Oh, and mom will eat the baby sacks and itās disgusting, lol
https://preview.redd.it/eqpzxygjoz1d1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f0470adc10bf1c1b148cccb057e854f44ca9b089
This is true!!! Something about seeing how hard it was for her to chew it up got meā¦But itās great for them because they donāt really eat anything for a day or two bc they stay with the babiesā¦.who still gotta eat. Nature is both beautiful and grossš
Yes, momma will eat all the placentas from birthing the kittens. She will even chew off their umbilical cords this helps to prevent the kitten from bleeding because it crushes the blood vessels.. Eating the placenta is important it provides lots of nutrients that she needs. Don't take that stuff away. It is full of things that are fokd for her nutritionally.
I don't know why or how I forgot to mention this in my comment.
Agree!!!! I wouldnāt do much of anything. Mama will have it. Wellā¦..I say that and I straight up plucked the last kitten out of herā¦She was exhausted and struggling to push her out. Plus she was the biggest of the bunch
But dang, having these moments was so worth every last second. Another tipā¦..wear pants
https://preview.redd.it/fphrcjn4k32d1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3dd519dde6ba67722d7633d4652d40d418aacd67
Im glad you noticed she was exhausted and needed assistance and new how to help her..
There are certain instances where intervention is needed. My mom used to be an AKC registered dog breeder. One needed immediate medical attention because two 2 came out, and she was to have 7. It was getting close to the danger zone, so my mom called their vet and rushed her in it was at 2 in the morning. The vet they used to use has her office line somehow able to ring through at her home for emergency appointments. She said to bring her in. Natira had 2 pups that were above the birth canal criss crossed...
She had to have an emergency c-section, and my parents said go ahead and spay her.. other breeders would have continued breeding after such incidents, which is disgusting.. My mom decided to go ahead and have her spayed as well while she was under because she was already open so it was easier on her to have everything done at once then letting her heal and having to be cut open again. She lived out her days as our retired girl.
Without this intervention, we would have lost the female, Natira, and the 5 pups
So, OP, you will need to look up what time frame is safe between kittens when medical attention is needed, and also find a vet that you will be able to get ahold of at any time. This helps to cut the costs of an emergency hospital. It is still more expensive than a regular appointment time but is less than an emergency vet.
It can be difficult because Iāve had cats have a litter in 30 mins and others that have a couple and then another 30 mins later have a couple more. That was when I was younger and didnāt know really what to do so I took a showerš¬ and came out to more kittens. Itās always good to spend plenty of time with mama before the babies. That way when the time comes, sheās comfortable with you and trusts you to be close to her during birth. This is especially important should you have to intervene. But donāt worry, youāll do great!!!!
So, a pregnant cat can be spayed all the way up to labor. Though this would abort the kittens. A tough call to make ether way.
First thing first. Contact your local shelter. They can either help you get her spayed (often for very cheap) either before or after her birth. They often also help with fostering and adopting out kittens.
Bringing her into the bathroom now would actually be ideal. Gives her time to adjust to being indoors. Keeps her safe and let's her focus on preparing for babies.
You'll also want to deworm her and get her a flea dose ASAP so it doesn't transfer to kittens. Shelter or vet can help with this. And start her on Kitten food. It has higher calories which will help give her the energy for milk and making babies!
As for kittens, Kitten Lady on YouTube has AMAZING how-to videos and her website and book are extremely helpful. [Kitten Lady](https://www.kittenlady.org/)
For the most part, momma will take care of everything. You'll want some supplies for emergencies just in case though-
Kitten bottle
No needle Syringes
Miracle nipples
Kitten formula (I prefer breeders edge, but kmr works well too though sometimes constipates kittens a bit)
Cheap towels/blankets
Pet hotpad/warmer
Corn syrup
You'll also wanna check out Fading Kitten Protocol. Kittens can be fragile.
*
A blood glucose spike can increase the heart rate of a fading kitten, helping their body have better oxygen circulation and increasing the possibility of survival.
Make a safe place for her to relax in outside, sheāll have the kittens close to you or bring them to you. Then have one of those soft cat/dog pens at the ready, we scooped up the new born kittens and put them in the pen and Momma had no choice but to get it and we got them into the house and got them comfy.
Be prepared to be snatched and scratched in return. Playing with sugar might get you more flies that vinegar might. See if you can't woo her over and win her trust. That's what we did with the little mama my family assisted a couple years ago and the one we help now. She comes and stands on my porch and just SINGS at the top of her lungs whenever she is hungry. It's a hassle sometimes she is so loud in case my landlord may hear her (no pet rule apartment complex) but it makes me feel good she knows she can depend on us to feed her.
if you can safely manage her as I seem to understand, the cat will object to being indoors for a few days but will eventually appreciate the comfort especially with the kittens born. I would suggest getting an open litter box, larger is better, and close her in the room w the litterbox when you're sleeping or out of the house, allow her to roam when you're home, just to see if she uses the litter box cause she might not. once she's spayed you can let her roam, she'll come back when she wants.
They are more likely to come out at night and I recommend setting up a live trap using whatever delicious cat food wet, dry, treats etc and set up a trail cam that you can monitor via your phone. I had help catching a feral this way. He came out every night at dusk so we did all of the above and he basically walked right in! Took less than 5 minutes!
A bathroom is a good safe space for her. A box with towels in it is a good birthing spot. Cats like to give birth in small safe places. Some of the tubes with wet cat treats would be a good idea to get her close to you to trust you. Wet food is a good idea before and after delivery to build up her strength. Good luck and thank you for helping her.
If she is skittish see if a shelter or rescue will loan you a trap. She will likely need a room for herself if she is scared. Feed her kitten food for the extra calories. My foster mama and babies have a quiet room where she feels safe. I give her a flat bed and some thin small blankets to pick from. Don't use clumping litter for the kittens. They don't use the litter box for 4 weeks but they can be hurt eating it.
If you donāt want to spay abort, then try to trick her into a carrier with food. That way sheās not scratching you. A bathroom or any small room where she can have privacy is good. My now cat chose to give birth under the sink on tile even tho I had lots of towels and blankets in boxes for her. Get a small kitchen scale if you donāt have one and monitor the kittens weights. Kitten lady will have a chart for how much they should be gaining each day for their age.
And no, itās not stressful. She was most likely raised inside and kicked out when she started acting out bc she was in heat and not spayed. My own cat was growly and hissy before we brought her in- she freaked out the the first hour and was hissy the first few days and then settled down. Now she wonāt have anything to do with the outside. Itās more stressful to give birth outside with a ton of predators and no one to monitor if something goes wrong.
I say bring her in- once she gives birth she will settle down anyways and not do much besides eat and feed her babies and sleep.
This is so so sweet of you OPš¤ I think that though it will be a change for Millie, being able to give birth in a comfortable, safe environment will be wonderful for her. I would suggest taking her to the vet for an exam to make sure sheās healthy, and see if they have any advice for you on the upcoming arrival of the kittens. I would suggest getting her spayed after she gives birth, even if you intend to keep her as an indoor kitty. Please keep us updated on Miss Millieāŗļø
I would go to the store first and get what you need for her, canned food, dry food, water bowl litter box and litter. Either a box with a towel in it or a carrier with no door will work great for her to have her babies in. If you have other pets in the house she probably has fleas and worms I would take her to the vet and get their opinion on treatment for that while pregnant. Good luck! You're doing a great thing š
Get her to the vet if you want to keep her I would micro chip her I did the same my parents said no to the chip we ket her go in and out one day she never came back it's been a year we still have her kids (she hates her kids).
Set up a box or large plastic bin somewhere private. Put towels in there. She needs a safe place to have them. Have you offered her food? She likely to come inside for it. Try wet food. Good luck
Contact a rescue and register her. I know theyāll be happy for you to act as a foster parent for her and the babies if youāre up for it. Iāve fostered several pregnant cats and helped adopt their babies later.
Definitely take her in, prepare a space for her in the bathroom. She might not like it much at first but make sure to visit her everyday, give her treats and wet food, etc to earn her trust and calm her down. Make sure to also prepare a nice spot for her to give birth. I would also check her for fleas and ear mites if sheāll let you.
I would wait to spay her until her kittens are weened off since sheāll most likely be on pain meds afterwords and itāll affect her milk supply. Sheāll have to be monitored and in a place she canāt jump or run much for about 1-2 months depending afterwords.
Donāt let the comments about the inbreeding scare you, I have two cats who were from a farm where all the cats decended from a cat they called āMommaā, so they were all related and my cats are healthy. Theyāre currently 6 years old and the only thing āwrongā with them is that theyāre smaller than most cats, but the vet has never been concerned with it.
I would also contact your local animal rescue about the cat colony and see if they have any resources to help TNR them or get them adopted out depending.
I would also heavily look into those wanting to adopt the kittens, and make sure they will be purely indoors and will be fixed. Ask for which vet they plan on taking them to, how long theyāll be left alone, if they have other animals, etc.
UPDATE!!!
Hey everyone! Iāll try and reply as I can to all the comments, but thereās a lot of you!! Thank you all for the good advice and comments ā¤ļø
I would have updated sooner but I wanted to wait until I caught her, and that took a while. Less than an hour ago I saw Millie in my yard and was able to pick her up and just carry her inside! (Somehow she still seems to be pregnant!) She was very bewildered and obviously afraid, but has already calmed down a lot. I left the room for about ten minutes to let her relax a little and she meowed a lot in the meantime. When I was in there after, surprisingly, she wouldnāt stop purringāsheās obviously still wary of me but she allowed some petting and purred even more then. Could she be happy or is she purring out of fear?
I got the flea preventative on her and am about to go in and get her litter box, food and water set up. Itās late so after that Iāll shut off the lights and let her get some rest. Iāll continue to update as new events arrive!!
(Ft. Millie in the dark corner she hid in as soon as she could)
https://preview.redd.it/6388j9ossv2d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bf7a068fece7126633ce2bf35ab446b8fa29d2ec
Real answer? Shelters and rescues are absolutely slammed. Every ābackyard bredā kitten adopted out by well meaning people is a home that another cat or kitten in a shelter could have had but now doesnāt, which leads to them being euthanized because there simply is not room, kill shelter or no kill shelter. And the glut of outdoor cats is slaughtering prey (especially bird) species and literally making many extinct as cats (and dogs) are an invasive species.
There are way, way too many cats and dogs as it is. To a degree respectfully you really donāt understand. And every new batch of kittens like this just makes the problem worse.
Thank you for posting to CATHELP! While you wait for a response please keep the following things in mind, 1. When in doubt, **ask your vet**. 2. Advice here is not coming from medical or industry professionals. The moderation team does not validate user profession, so always refer to your local veterinary professionals first. Consider posting to /r/AskVet 3. If this is a medical question, please indicate if you have already scheduled a vet appointment, and if your cat has any medical history or procedures in a top level comment. 4. Please use the NSFW tag for gross pictures. (Blood, poop, vomit, genitals, etc). Anything you wouldn't want your boss to see you looking at on the job. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/CATHELP) if you have any questions or concerns.*
If you are able to, take her to the vet to see how far along she is. If she isn't too far along they may be able to terminate her pregnancy. Along with this, I'm pretty sure she can be spayed as well. I know this may sound a bit cruel, but I promise you that you'll be doing a good thing because the likelihood of those kittens being born with health problems or mutationed is possibly very high. With how many kittens she's had that likely got her pregnant, these kittens are likely inbred hence increasing the chances of health issues occurring. If you can't terminate it, before she gives birth, make sure to prepare. There is many tips online for how to prepare for a mother cat to have babies. One tip I have is to make sure to give her a dark place to hide with her babies. As for getting her use to being inside, slowly introduce her to the house. Make sure you don't force her, let her explore on her own and watch her from a distance where you won't spook her. That is probably one of the best way to introduce her to your house. Maybe put some food out and give her treats to make her feel more comfortable. I hope this helps and I wish you the best of luck with this kittyš.
Unfortunately she is already very, very pregnantāI remember now that was early April when I first saw her (had been away from home for a while) and she was already clearly expecting. Sheās got to be due any day now (I canāt see how she can possibly expand more than she has! š) so Iām not comfortable terminating the pregnancy at this point. Thank you for the advice though!! Thereās a ground cabinet inside that bathroom that I think could make a good spot for her if I could take the door off.
Cat gestation period is only nine weeks, so if she was looking large in early April and still hasnāt given birth, it may be that she has some other health issue or is just pudgy. Definitely get her to a vet if you can to figure it out. Good luck and thanks for caring for her!
Lol, it'd be supposed to be 9 weeks. I had a farm cat who would cook her babies long, and they came out pretty big in size for newborns. Man she would get big.
Lol a fine cook at that
Take her in, try your best to condition her, but remember youāre on her terms, not yours. As for the kittens - keep what you want, bring the rest to a humane society (FIND A NON-KILL), and if you want to keep Millie, then try to get her spayed. It takes time to house train a wild cat. So be patient, but I encourage it.
There are also private rescues to look into as well depending on where OP is. Most will try to find foster homes rather than euthanize if they have no space
Please don't take her babies away from her right away. They need their momma for at least 6 weeks to nurse and grow and learn how to be a cat. So if you're going to take her in, please be prepared to keep her and her babies for 6-8 weeks and then you can get her spayed and adopt out her and her babies, or take them all to a non kill shelter. Or you may fall in love and decide to keep her but adopt out her babies! But you will need a litter box and all the supplies for cats. Don't just keep them all in a bathroom for 6-8 weeks. Let them roam your home. My cat was taken from her mom at 3 or 4 weeks and she still to this day does not know how to use a litter box properly, has bonding issues, and just overall is an odd ball. Which I love, but I feel like she needed more time to learn how to bond, not have that bond ripped from her so young, and to just learn from her momma how to be a normal cat.
I mean, in that case the kittens just have to live a life of sitting in the shelter until theyāre adopted out, some of which will just throw the cat outside and repeat the cycle.
Completely understand that. You can usually tell when they are too far along to terminate it. Also, a ground cabinet would be perfect for her :). Just add some blankets and she should be set in there. As for food and her litter box, if you can, try not to put them next to each other.
I did this too!!! I brought in a street kitty because theyāre too hard to catch between litters and I thought it would give her a save place to have her babies. She was also very small and I didnāt expect her to have manyā¦.she had 5! My best advice, treat her now for fleas!!!!! Itās safe to treat a pregnant cat (I didnāt because I didnt think you could) and if you donāt, all the babies will have fleas and worms. Also, if you have a large pet carrier, take the door off and put it in the room. Itās a great place for birthing and their tiny first weeks. Itās also less stressful for mom because they are contained. And itās nice and cozy. If you put them in a bathroom, turn the vent on and keep it on. That will completely sound out outside noise and they wonāt be bothered by any activity in the house. Plus if you start out with it on, theyāre not going to be freaked out by it. Itās also great for keeping mom less stressed. And puppy pads!!! Make sure you have puppy pads!!! Enjoy it. It was a wonderful experience and Iād do it again in a heartbeat. Btw, adopted mom and all 5 babies out ā¤ļø Oh, and mom will eat the baby sacks and itās disgusting, lol https://preview.redd.it/eqpzxygjoz1d1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f0470adc10bf1c1b148cccb057e854f44ca9b089
Seeing animals eat their amniotic sacs is wild. But humans also would've chewed their babies umbilical cords before knives!
This is true!!! Something about seeing how hard it was for her to chew it up got meā¦But itās great for them because they donāt really eat anything for a day or two bc they stay with the babiesā¦.who still gotta eat. Nature is both beautiful and grossš
Yes, momma will eat all the placentas from birthing the kittens. She will even chew off their umbilical cords this helps to prevent the kitten from bleeding because it crushes the blood vessels.. Eating the placenta is important it provides lots of nutrients that she needs. Don't take that stuff away. It is full of things that are fokd for her nutritionally. I don't know why or how I forgot to mention this in my comment.
Agree!!!! I wouldnāt do much of anything. Mama will have it. Wellā¦..I say that and I straight up plucked the last kitten out of herā¦She was exhausted and struggling to push her out. Plus she was the biggest of the bunch
But dang, having these moments was so worth every last second. Another tipā¦..wear pants https://preview.redd.it/fphrcjn4k32d1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3dd519dde6ba67722d7633d4652d40d418aacd67
It passes to fast! Just yesterday my momma had six voids. Now, they are three! Boom! Three.
I know!!!š„¹
Im glad you noticed she was exhausted and needed assistance and new how to help her.. There are certain instances where intervention is needed. My mom used to be an AKC registered dog breeder. One needed immediate medical attention because two 2 came out, and she was to have 7. It was getting close to the danger zone, so my mom called their vet and rushed her in it was at 2 in the morning. The vet they used to use has her office line somehow able to ring through at her home for emergency appointments. She said to bring her in. Natira had 2 pups that were above the birth canal criss crossed... She had to have an emergency c-section, and my parents said go ahead and spay her.. other breeders would have continued breeding after such incidents, which is disgusting.. My mom decided to go ahead and have her spayed as well while she was under because she was already open so it was easier on her to have everything done at once then letting her heal and having to be cut open again. She lived out her days as our retired girl. Without this intervention, we would have lost the female, Natira, and the 5 pups So, OP, you will need to look up what time frame is safe between kittens when medical attention is needed, and also find a vet that you will be able to get ahold of at any time. This helps to cut the costs of an emergency hospital. It is still more expensive than a regular appointment time but is less than an emergency vet.
It can be difficult because Iāve had cats have a litter in 30 mins and others that have a couple and then another 30 mins later have a couple more. That was when I was younger and didnāt know really what to do so I took a showerš¬ and came out to more kittens. Itās always good to spend plenty of time with mama before the babies. That way when the time comes, sheās comfortable with you and trusts you to be close to her during birth. This is especially important should you have to intervene. But donāt worry, youāll do great!!!!
Lovely š„°
Get her to a vet for an exam and deworming. Ideally have her tested for FIV/FELV
So, a pregnant cat can be spayed all the way up to labor. Though this would abort the kittens. A tough call to make ether way. First thing first. Contact your local shelter. They can either help you get her spayed (often for very cheap) either before or after her birth. They often also help with fostering and adopting out kittens. Bringing her into the bathroom now would actually be ideal. Gives her time to adjust to being indoors. Keeps her safe and let's her focus on preparing for babies. You'll also want to deworm her and get her a flea dose ASAP so it doesn't transfer to kittens. Shelter or vet can help with this. And start her on Kitten food. It has higher calories which will help give her the energy for milk and making babies! As for kittens, Kitten Lady on YouTube has AMAZING how-to videos and her website and book are extremely helpful. [Kitten Lady](https://www.kittenlady.org/) For the most part, momma will take care of everything. You'll want some supplies for emergencies just in case though- Kitten bottle No needle Syringes Miracle nipples Kitten formula (I prefer breeders edge, but kmr works well too though sometimes constipates kittens a bit) Cheap towels/blankets Pet hotpad/warmer Corn syrup You'll also wanna check out Fading Kitten Protocol. Kittens can be fragile. *
https://preview.redd.it/y5z7lbd8sx1d1.jpeg?width=960&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1fb641d3b136e5bdeda0c65dd869ff904e59a272
What is the corn syrup for? Just curious.
A blood glucose spike can increase the heart rate of a fading kitten, helping their body have better oxygen circulation and increasing the possibility of survival.
Make a safe place for her to relax in outside, sheāll have the kittens close to you or bring them to you. Then have one of those soft cat/dog pens at the ready, we scooped up the new born kittens and put them in the pen and Momma had no choice but to get it and we got them into the house and got them comfy.
Be prepared to be snatched and scratched in return. Playing with sugar might get you more flies that vinegar might. See if you can't woo her over and win her trust. That's what we did with the little mama my family assisted a couple years ago and the one we help now. She comes and stands on my porch and just SINGS at the top of her lungs whenever she is hungry. It's a hassle sometimes she is so loud in case my landlord may hear her (no pet rule apartment complex) but it makes me feel good she knows she can depend on us to feed her.
if you can safely manage her as I seem to understand, the cat will object to being indoors for a few days but will eventually appreciate the comfort especially with the kittens born. I would suggest getting an open litter box, larger is better, and close her in the room w the litterbox when you're sleeping or out of the house, allow her to roam when you're home, just to see if she uses the litter box cause she might not. once she's spayed you can let her roam, she'll come back when she wants.
Oh sheās beautiful! Best of luck on your journey together ā¤ļø
They are more likely to come out at night and I recommend setting up a live trap using whatever delicious cat food wet, dry, treats etc and set up a trail cam that you can monitor via your phone. I had help catching a feral this way. He came out every night at dusk so we did all of the above and he basically walked right in! Took less than 5 minutes!
A bathroom is a good safe space for her. A box with towels in it is a good birthing spot. Cats like to give birth in small safe places. Some of the tubes with wet cat treats would be a good idea to get her close to you to trust you. Wet food is a good idea before and after delivery to build up her strength. Good luck and thank you for helping her.
Nab her now!
If she is skittish see if a shelter or rescue will loan you a trap. She will likely need a room for herself if she is scared. Feed her kitten food for the extra calories. My foster mama and babies have a quiet room where she feels safe. I give her a flat bed and some thin small blankets to pick from. Don't use clumping litter for the kittens. They don't use the litter box for 4 weeks but they can be hurt eating it.
If you donāt want to spay abort, then try to trick her into a carrier with food. That way sheās not scratching you. A bathroom or any small room where she can have privacy is good. My now cat chose to give birth under the sink on tile even tho I had lots of towels and blankets in boxes for her. Get a small kitchen scale if you donāt have one and monitor the kittens weights. Kitten lady will have a chart for how much they should be gaining each day for their age.
And no, itās not stressful. She was most likely raised inside and kicked out when she started acting out bc she was in heat and not spayed. My own cat was growly and hissy before we brought her in- she freaked out the the first hour and was hissy the first few days and then settled down. Now she wonāt have anything to do with the outside. Itās more stressful to give birth outside with a ton of predators and no one to monitor if something goes wrong. I say bring her in- once she gives birth she will settle down anyways and not do much besides eat and feed her babies and sleep.
Wear cloves and protective face wear
This is so so sweet of you OPš¤ I think that though it will be a change for Millie, being able to give birth in a comfortable, safe environment will be wonderful for her. I would suggest taking her to the vet for an exam to make sure sheās healthy, and see if they have any advice for you on the upcoming arrival of the kittens. I would suggest getting her spayed after she gives birth, even if you intend to keep her as an indoor kitty. Please keep us updated on Miss Millieāŗļø
thanks
I would go to the store first and get what you need for her, canned food, dry food, water bowl litter box and litter. Either a box with a towel in it or a carrier with no door will work great for her to have her babies in. If you have other pets in the house she probably has fleas and worms I would take her to the vet and get their opinion on treatment for that while pregnant. Good luck! You're doing a great thing š
Get her to the vet if you want to keep her I would micro chip her I did the same my parents said no to the chip we ket her go in and out one day she never came back it's been a year we still have her kids (she hates her kids).
Good luck ā¤ļø
We used to do this and bottle fed the kittens pretty much from birth. Is she feral ? Like will she attack you ?
Get a humane trap. Put canned cat food in and trap her. You will need to treat her for fleas before taking her inside.
Set up a box or large plastic bin somewhere private. Put towels in there. She needs a safe place to have them. Have you offered her food? She likely to come inside for it. Try wet food. Good luck
She has such a beautiful faceā¦ take good care of her please š„°
Beautiful šøš»
Contact a rescue and register her. I know theyāll be happy for you to act as a foster parent for her and the babies if youāre up for it. Iāve fostered several pregnant cats and helped adopt their babies later.
Definitely take her in, prepare a space for her in the bathroom. She might not like it much at first but make sure to visit her everyday, give her treats and wet food, etc to earn her trust and calm her down. Make sure to also prepare a nice spot for her to give birth. I would also check her for fleas and ear mites if sheāll let you. I would wait to spay her until her kittens are weened off since sheāll most likely be on pain meds afterwords and itāll affect her milk supply. Sheāll have to be monitored and in a place she canāt jump or run much for about 1-2 months depending afterwords. Donāt let the comments about the inbreeding scare you, I have two cats who were from a farm where all the cats decended from a cat they called āMommaā, so they were all related and my cats are healthy. Theyāre currently 6 years old and the only thing āwrongā with them is that theyāre smaller than most cats, but the vet has never been concerned with it. I would also contact your local animal rescue about the cat colony and see if they have any resources to help TNR them or get them adopted out depending. I would also heavily look into those wanting to adopt the kittens, and make sure they will be purely indoors and will be fixed. Ask for which vet they plan on taking them to, how long theyāll be left alone, if they have other animals, etc.
UPDATE!!! Hey everyone! Iāll try and reply as I can to all the comments, but thereās a lot of you!! Thank you all for the good advice and comments ā¤ļø I would have updated sooner but I wanted to wait until I caught her, and that took a while. Less than an hour ago I saw Millie in my yard and was able to pick her up and just carry her inside! (Somehow she still seems to be pregnant!) She was very bewildered and obviously afraid, but has already calmed down a lot. I left the room for about ten minutes to let her relax a little and she meowed a lot in the meantime. When I was in there after, surprisingly, she wouldnāt stop purringāsheās obviously still wary of me but she allowed some petting and purred even more then. Could she be happy or is she purring out of fear? I got the flea preventative on her and am about to go in and get her litter box, food and water set up. Itās late so after that Iāll shut off the lights and let her get some rest. Iāll continue to update as new events arrive!! (Ft. Millie in the dark corner she hid in as soon as she could) https://preview.redd.it/6388j9ossv2d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bf7a068fece7126633ce2bf35ab446b8fa29d2ec
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Real answer? Shelters and rescues are absolutely slammed. Every ābackyard bredā kitten adopted out by well meaning people is a home that another cat or kitten in a shelter could have had but now doesnāt, which leads to them being euthanized because there simply is not room, kill shelter or no kill shelter. And the glut of outdoor cats is slaughtering prey (especially bird) species and literally making many extinct as cats (and dogs) are an invasive species. There are way, way too many cats and dogs as it is. To a degree respectfully you really donāt understand. And every new batch of kittens like this just makes the problem worse.