stray cat heeelllllppppp!!! Please!

[Flaxbee]

There is a new stray cat hanging around, I'm pretty sure she's pregnant (and probably pretty close to delivery) b/c her nipples seem rather distended and she's moving rather close to the ground with a large-ish belly. I haven't been around many pregnant cats, we usually have had ours spayed quite young, or gotten them from the shelter already spayed.

So, she's acting quite weird - chasing away the other strays quite viciously, and if I'm outside, running running running to me, clinging to me, trying to get inside (so much that she flung herself against the door when I closed it behind me (I have three other cats that I don't really want to mix with her until I know she's healthy)... it's like she's in attack cat mode, with the object being near me or inside the garage. I suspect she's trying to find a good place to have her babies, but there are many other hidey-holes around here, and there's also a box (though it smells like our other cats) with a towel and heating pad in it on our downstairs porch.

I don't know what to do. Is this normal pre-delivery pregnant cat behavior? I'd really like to have her spayed asap, before the kitties are delivered b/c I can't take them in, I have no idea who around here would provide a good home for kittens. Should I just set up a nice comfy place on our porch or is that too exposed for your average momma cat?

Suggestions?

[BrklynLiberal]

1. If at all possible..trap her..have her give birth in your basement(?)

If you can keep the kittens and her enclosed for 5-6 weeks...Then get them all to the nearest humane society..they will neuter/spay them at that early age since they are feral. If you want to return them since they are neutered you can..or you can try to find homes for them.
I did all of the above 2 years ago, and ended up finding homes for the 5 kittens and the Mom.

EDIT: If you can trap her and get her to a vet, and get her spayed that would be great. I am not sure if it is too late if she is looking for a nesting location.

[NMDemDist2]

2. yes she is trying to find a safe spot for her babies, too late to "spay"

her or even abort her at this point

can you make up a warm dark place for her and feed her until the kittens are born? once they are 4-6 weeks old you can spay momma

[BrklynLiberal]

3. I was told by my local Humane Society that they will spay/neuter

the feral kittens as early as 6 weeks, especially if you intend to return them to the "wild". If there is any way you can isolate them from your cats, and keep the kittens until they are 6 weeks old, you can take Mom and the kittens and get them all done at the the local Humane Society. Here they did them all for free, and gave them shots as well.

[diddlysquat]

4. If she is trying to attaqch herself to you she will probably be easy to

catch. Then take her to the humane society. They can put her babies up for adoption. Maybe she can get a good home too.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

5. She's sans a good home

Lost or deserted, and she's looking for a secure nest indoors. She was someone's pet at one time, but is now on her own. I'd personally try to find a place for her somewhere away from the other cats, if possible, and inside to keep her and her children out of the weather. If that's not possible, take her to a shelter. She needs kindness from someone, and fast.

[Flaxbee]

6. The way this house is built, the only real place is the

screened in porch downstairs... poor thing. I don't know how late they can "abort" but I'll call the vet first thing in the a.m. Our local humane society just got its funding yanked (there are supposedly lots of financial discrepancies with the place and the county refused to fund them again - how very progressive; I live in redneckville) so that's not an option but I'll see what I can do to make sure she's safe. The way things look, I wouldn't be surprised if she had her babies tonight.

OK, off I go to fix the downstairs porch.

[regnaD kciN]

8. You're earning extra karmic credit...

About 15 years ago, we had a similar situation with a momcat at our apartment complex who was being completely neglected by its owners. (They didn't realize until after they had adopted her that they were allergic to cats. :eyes: ) At any rate, we wound up as the maternity ward for four kittens. After finding homes for them, several weeks later, we returned momcat to her owners, strongly advising them to have her spayed.

They didn't.

Several months later, we found ourselves hosting a second litter, this time counting eight kitties. Found homes for them, too, then took mom to be spayed ourselves.

(At the height of this, the management of the apartment complex went on one of its periodic "round up all stray cats and send them to the shelter" moods, and so we wound up hiding one other adult cat in the apartment as well until the coast was clear. Along with our own three, that meant a total of thirteen felines in a two-bedroom townhouse.)

And, as a final note, a fellow DUer, now living in the same complex, took in a semi-wild and quite pregnant stray Siamese back in January, and has three kittens on hand right now. Adoptions, anyone?

[Merlot]

7. Call a cat rescue agency.

She sounds like she was once somebodys pet, and she's probably pretty close to giving birth. If you can, set her up with a place to give birth. Then call cat rescue, they'll have her and kittens spayed and find homes for them.

The important thing is to make sure someone catches her and spayes her and kittens before they grow up and become feral.

The cats will thank you!