There is a very sweet cat that has been scooting around my apartment - she is soo sweet and friendly i assumed that she had a home, but every night when it is very cold she is out alone.
when I was rubbing her tummy i felt lumps. she has a saggy belly so- i am guessing she is pregnant or ... she has a tumor.
I'm saving $ for a vet visit- but what should I do untill then and after the kitties are born? I dont have any experiece with pregnant animals and i don't have the money to pay for the kitties, or the vet bills for them. I'm willing to keep the mama cat- but I just cant keep the babies.
What should I do? I was thinking of a rescue but- they already have so many stray cats in my area.
any ideas?
2006-11-10 16:03:17 · 22 answers · asked by Catherine 2 in Pets ➔ Cats
leave food and water 4 her. also leave a box and ablanket 4 her
2006-11-10 16:09:40 · answer #1 · answered by emmachoclab 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
If there is a place outside out of the wind and cold that you could put a small container with some old towels or blanket in for the cat to stay warm and for her to keep her newborns warm when she gives birth, that would be wonderful.
Also keep out food and water for her.
If you keep feeding her then she should hang around and you can keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn't have any problems giving birth to the kittens.
In the mean time ask around and see if you can find out who she belongs to. If nobody claims her then I would give her a good home.
You will have to keep the kittens while momma kitty is nursing and then either give the kittens away or turn them over to the SPCA. New kittens most often find homes fast.
Momma kitty may have a problem being adopted so if you keep her, love her and take care of her............You will have a best friend for the rest of her life and she will reward you in so many ways.
2006-11-18 20:09:21 · answer #2 · answered by ETxYellowRose 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Mama cat will need a large cardboard box with some old towels in it. Don't worry about delivery of the kittens, the mama will take care of everything. No need for a vet if she's just having kittens. After the kittens are six weeks old, they can go to the rescue shelter. By the way, dry food and water are fine for the cat. Most dry foods have everything your cat needs for good health. The cat will eat a little more while nursing the kittens, so make sure she has plenty of food and water.
2006-11-15 07:45:24 · answer #3 · answered by grandm 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I had a similar situation and I called my local vet and they let me set up a payment plan as I was rescuing a cat. The vet also might be willing to take the kittens after the are born to adopt them out or I hate to say it but the vet can also abort them if the cat is not too far along. Or/and the vet, if she is pregnant should be able to tell you how many kittens she is having and you can always ask your friends, family, and co-workers if they want to adopt a kitten when they are born.
2006-11-18 11:36:37 · answer #4 · answered by DANIELLE K 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If she won't come into the house, get a box. The medium size moving box at U-Haul is a good size (and cheap). Shred some news papers, or give her old linens for bedding. Cut a hole in it near the top. That way she can jump in and out, but the kittens won't fall out by mistake. Place the box where is won't get rained on, and show her how cozy it is. Put her in there, and the first thing she will do is jump out, don't worry, let her be, she'll investigate on her own.
If she does come in, just put the box as described above, in your closet. Cats like closets for giving birth. It's quiet and private, really, that's all they need to get the job done. Cats are wonderful mothers, they rarely have problems, she can do everything herself. Leave her alone at first.
Kittens need their mamas for about 8 weeks, then they can get new homes. An ad in the newspaper, and flyers around town will get them homes pretty quickly. Animal control and the SPCA will also take them, no questions asked.
Good luck to you.
2006-11-11 00:16:18 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
You know it's sad when you see a stray animal without a home that what you want to do is try to help them out if you can. But sometimes it is impossible to do it, I don't know from what state you are from but, in my hometown they have an animal shelter that helps the animals that don't have homes, they keep them and advertise on the newspaper so people would be willing to adopt them. If the mama cat is going to have babies make sure and see where she is going when her time comes, then when the kittens are born, advertise them on the newspaper and I'll bet that there are people that are cat lovers and are willing to give them a home. Good luck, and I hope that you can find a solution to your problem.
2006-11-17 22:24:13 · answer #6 · answered by a.vasquez7413@sbcglobal.net 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
if she is pregnant she will feed the kittens till they are old enough and they you can give them to good homes or the shelter. Good for you for wanting the mom, most people keep the cute kitten and over look the pretty mom. The kitten won't need to visit the vet till they are weened and then you will be giving them away. The Friends of Animals has a low cost spay program to help you after the kittens are gone. Bring the mom inside your place to have the kittens.
2006-11-18 09:55:56 · answer #7 · answered by desert_kats 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Bring her inside. The best cats are house cats. Less trouble to get in.
Make sure she has a bed to have her kittens. A box and blanket is fine. When the kittens are 6-8 weeks old put an ad in the paper for the kittens.
Charge a small fee like $5.00 this will pay for the cost of the ad and extra money to help with the cost to have her spayed. Best to get shots before she has her kittens.
2006-11-11 00:12:32 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The most responsible thing would be to either 1) bring her in & commit to having her spayed once you find out if she is having kittens (once they're weaned if she is) or 2) take her to the animal shelter. She might unfortunately be put to sleep but she got in her predicament because there are too many unwanted cats & taking her in where she will be guaranteed to not have more kittens, in the long run does other kittens justice (not being born on the streets, starving, being abused, or hit by cars, etc). Good luck.
2006-11-11 00:25:02 · answer #9 · answered by Sarah P 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Don't take her or her kittens (if she has any) to the animal rescue league. In most cities they kill off several hundred healthy animals every month and think nothing of it. If she has kittens let them learn to use kitty litter (just put them in the box right after they have eaten...they should be housebroken naturally and immediately) and let them nurse off the mother for 6 weeks. They take them in a box and stand out in front of any supermarket and they should get themselves adopted fast, and you will have done well. See if some organization like"Low Cost Spay or Neuter" will spay the mother cat for bargain prices.
2006-11-18 19:12:01 · answer #10 · answered by kasandra k 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Good for you for helping her. Is there any way you can bring her inside? The outdoors is no place for a cat, especially a possible pregnant one!
Try to bring her into any no-kill shelter or rescue. Shelters/rescues have tons of experienced people that can help her. That's what I think- if you can't afford the vet care right now for one cat, it's going to be impossible for the kittens. Who knows how many she can have!
Try calling shelters outside your area as well. there may be open room.
Good luck!
2006-11-11 00:49:27 · answer #11 · answered by keep it real 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋