Ok so there is this stray cat i have been feeding who was pregnant. Her stomach is back to normal and her nipples are a little longer and 'see-able' how do you tell where the kittens are? she keeps coming back for food but she leaves after. How do i know where she is hiding them? Should i follow her?
please and thank you!!
2006-08-04 12:49:59 · 15 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Cats
and also if you could give me some answers quickly that`d be great because she might leave soon.(more info) she goes away right after she has eaten the food i give her and then she wont come back for periods of time..
2006-08-04 12:54:03 · update #1
Yes i am asian.....dont know what that has to do with anything though? So i was thinking maybe i should just watch where she goes......and see for myself when she isnt there or something.....
2006-08-04 13:01:21 · update #2
is there any way that she didnt have kittens? i mean her stomach was swelled a while ago and then after a month passed it was tiny back to normal......so could that be anything else other than having kittens?
2006-08-04 13:02:40 · update #3
she lets me touch her she is very kind but she would probobly defend the kittens if i went around them then again i dont know..
2006-08-04 13:45:50 · update #4
tink- i dont live by myself i tried to take her in but the person that i live with refused i take her into our home. I tried but they did not allow it. ''Look before you leap''.
2006-08-04 13:50:29 · update #5
She doesn't want you to find them. If you do, she will move them to keep them out of danger. The best thing you can do is to just keep feeding her so she doesn't have to be gone long from the kittens looking for an alternative feeding site.
2006-08-04 12:54:41 · answer #1 · answered by pritigrl 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Okay, good and bad here.
Firstly, bless you for feeding the needy mama. Now, get a supply of KITTEN FOOD, because the nursing mama needs that until she weans the babies. (And, if you don't find the kittens by then, she'll bring them to the food source when she's ready.)
She's not around much because she's with the babies almost constantly. She'll leave them only to eat/drink/elimate for the time being -- and she needs a LOT of food/nutrition during this time, so make sure you're leaving food/water out for her at all times. [You didnt' say if she lets you touch her or not, or if she's afraid, so that will make a difference with the babies]
This calendar will give you a good idea of the timeline and where the kittens should be in growth phases, etc.: www.purrinlot.com/kittenbirthcalendar.htm
The only thing you can do is QUIETLY follow her when she leaves to see where the babies are. Since she's not in a home, she probably won't leave them there all that long, because it's instinct to move them around every week or so -- especially "in the wild". Follow and peek, but leave her alone for the time being unless she's a trusting little soul who likes having you around and comes to you for affection.
Also, keep an eye on mommycat because sometimes after birth females can get pyometra (sp?), which is pus in the uterus, and it needs treatment. Ideally, she should be spayed AS SOON as she weans the babies and BEFORE she's pregnant again.
If you can find where she is, you might want to move the food/water a little closer so that she doesn't have to wander far to eat. She only wants to care for her babies right now. Once they're getting ready for solid food, she may bring them to you if she trusts you. If she's feral, she may still bring them up to find the source of food. The mommy instinct to take care of her babies will guide her to do what they need when they need it.
Karma points to you!!!
2006-08-04 20:03:52 · answer #2 · answered by Shadycat 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When you call her for feeding time, try to see where she comes from... if you can, then while she's eating go to where she came from and see if you can see any kittens, but just don't touch them. if you do she might move them. If you couldn't tell where she came from then try following her after she's eaten.
If she really trusts you, then if you find them, she might let you hold them or pet them. If you find them, then when they are older, try to socilize them and find them good homes.
And don't worry... if you catch the kittens soon enough, they won't be mean at all. I have a cat that is stray but her mother likes me. she had kittens and I found them 3-4 weeks after she had them and they are now the friendliest kittens in the world. they love to follow me around and lick me (both signs that they trust me).
Even if you don't catch the kittens before they are 8-9 weeks old (weening time), you can still get them to be friendly by petting, holding, and feeding them. (you may end up getting stratched once or twice, possibly bitten, but if you don't show that you are scared they will realized they can't scare you). All ways to show them that you care. I know... I do it all the time. I have a ton of stray cats that i feed that used to be mean but aren't anymore, with me at least.
2006-08-04 21:35:45 · answer #3 · answered by draqulyn 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes try to follow from a distance to get an idea where the kittens are. It would be good to know in case something happens to momma, you may be raising orphans! It sounds like the kittens are about 4 weeks old, this is the time when she will go into heat again. She must feel safe coming to you for food, in the next few weeks she'll probably bring the babies with her when she eats.
thank goodness for caring people like you!
2006-08-04 20:36:59 · answer #4 · answered by trusport 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Cats are generally good mothers. They will bring their kittens out of hiding when they feel that it is time usually at about 4 weeks. If you follow her and find where she is hiding her kittens, she will move the kittens to a new location. Leave her be. She knows what she is doing.
2006-08-04 19:58:30 · answer #5 · answered by Irish1952 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, very simple.. Stay in the background and do not let her see you and when she stops eating and goes away, follow her at a distnce.... but you should leave the kittens where they are until the mother decides to move them
2006-08-04 20:34:58 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
oo im a pro at finding kittens!!! ya, after u feed her follow her.. not too close though. she will go to where ever they r..it might take awhile but u have to be patient! and when she gets there, the kittens will probly mew... so u will hear them. and once u find them, dont go there all the time, or handle them alot because the mother will move them or leave them to die if u handle them too much.. but u can still pick them up once in awhile. and pet the cat too so she knows u wont hurt her kitties
2006-08-04 20:27:35 · answer #7 · answered by RebelChild69 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
First y do you care so much ? if you were that concerned you should have taken her in when u saw that she was swollen and not now, they are gonna be mean kittens if she has had them outside, they are wild now and mostly hard to get to them and pick them up. The mother will not hurt you for going by the babies they will do more damage than here as there nails are sharper and they hiss when you get close. If you find them you CAN NOT feed them milk it will kill them, you have to get a formula for them and then get them to eat it out of a pie tin and soak bread in it if you do not have the mother with them. You may have to shove there face in it a lil to get them to get in there they are used to being fed out of a nipple.
2006-08-04 20:43:28 · answer #8 · answered by tink 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Just watch her take off after she eats to see where she's going. Make sure and don't pick up the kittens unless they're a few weeks old. If she's not sharing them she won't like it if you intrude her space.
2006-08-04 19:57:06 · answer #9 · answered by JENNY J 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
No more advice than what everyone's given you. But I do want to say to Tink, what you said was uncalled for. She did a nice thing to the best of her ability. We can't all be Saints.
2006-08-04 22:52:13 · answer #10 · answered by choyryu 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋