A pregnant stray has befriended me.

[NeedATrim]

On one hand I feel very chuffed and quite honoured that she has picked me out and befriended me but on the other, my sensible and rational head is thinking that it's really awkward and bad timing. I dont know what to do with her.

I haven't tried to catch her yet. I kind of feel like I have one chance to catch her successfully before she gets wise to the carrier. I could very well be wrong though .

Can you lure her into the house? If so, then providing all windows are closed and you can slam the door shut then you will have more than one chance.

I did have a very similar situation many years ago, when I lived in a flat. Very young pregnant cat made her little nest in the bottom of our wardrobe (sliding doors, so we just left them open). She had her kittens, proudly showed them to me as soon as they had been born (I'd left a regular supply of food and water for her, and bought a litter tray). I kept one kitten, found homes for the other two. And the Mummy stayed with us until she died aged 18 (kitten had a heart attack when she was about nine yrs old, unfortunately). My lovely Mummy cat was the most loving, gorgeous little cat you could have ever wished to meet and I never, ever regretted keeping her (actually, she probably kept me)! She was so trusting - on visits to the Vets, she was like a wildcat, they couldn't do a thing with her. As long as I stayed with her for any procedure, she was absolutely fine, calm as anything.

The RSPCA are utterly useless, to be honest - they would be the last people I'd contact for help with an animal in need of attention now. Because on a previous occasion (and with my cat mentioned above) I had contacted them for help and they couldn't have been less interested.
If you don't want to keep her, OP (and it might not be a good idea, with young children, as they can be a bit annoying to animals), could you lure her into a room, with food, water and a cat basket, so that once she's contained you can take her to her safe place? It's not as difficult as you might think.

I agree with the none neutering/ chipped thing being unlikely, but I have known chipped house cats escape, who haven't been neutered to being house cats (I don't agree with not neutering in any case, however, it's a possibility).

I'm pretty sure I can lure her in actually. Its going to have to be done one way or another. I won't leave her.
I haven't seen her today yet. I'll call around the local shelters, none in my vicinity but closer than the rspca hospital.

Best of luck Needa - let us know how you get on.

The RSPCA also seem to be very gung ho about putting animals down if you can even manage to get them to come out at all. Definitely avoid.

Sorry that I'm missi g a few good points that posters have made. I've a full day ahead so haven't time to post fully. Tonight late will be better.

I would contact Cats Protection. I would think they have a branch that covers your area. Well done for caring about this little girl. 💐

I would let her rest up where ever she's comfortable. She's pregnant and may or may not be a stray but she feels comfortable having her litter near you?

Please feed her. Take her to see if she has a chip at the vets . Take it from there X

I can help. I'm in South Staffs x

How do you know she's pregnant, is it very obvious?

There is a chance that she had an owner (just an irresponsible one who didn't get her neutered) so it would be worth checking for a microchip just in case.

I think you should call your nearest Cats Protection, and if they're not helpful, call the national Cats Protection helpline.

Hopefully they can help with getting her vet treatment and a safe place to give birth where she and the kittens will be looked after, then neutered and rehomed.

No don't do what ChubbyButtons suggests, apart from the feeding of course. Letting her have a litter outside would be a dreadful idea. Kittens get eaten by foxes. She may move the litter away and then you've got a feral colony in the making.

She needs to either be spayed immediately if she's not too far gone (a vet would decide) and that would be my choice in this situation.

Or she needs to go into a rescue where they can either make that decision themselves or let her have the kittens somewhere safe and inside.

The third option would be to take her in yourself until she gives birth, but then you'd be saddled with a load of kittens for at least two months after the birth plus the headache of finding good homes for them, when there are already far too many cats for the number of homes available. We currently have over a hundred kittens in our care with the numbers rising daily.

She will not be chipped. If I had a pound for every unneutered cat I've brought in that was chipped I'd have precisely no money at all:)

Sorry, we got in late and I've just read my messages.
We arrived back home at about 10ish and she was lying down in my fron yard waiting for me to feed her (she's getting wise to me, knowing everytime she sees me she'll get fed!). She scarpered when my son approached but quickly came back when I called her over. Ran out of cat biscuits last night, so gave her a tin of tuna instead. Where she has nipped me a couple of tomes before, I'm a little wary of her. I tried to put the bowl down quickly but she kept getting innthe way, and before when feeding her she's nipped my hand depending where it is when presenting the food to her. So Im cautious. Anyway I tried to very gently shoosh her back woth my foot and I think I scared her as she yowled and lashed out at me. Its solidified my feelings that I cant adopt her myself sadly. Not with children. Its not fair for her or them.
So I couldn't find the right time to call the shelters today. We are a self employed family and we had a market type stall to attend to sell our things and I couldn't get away. It'll have to be Monday. I've got nothing planned then and I have to collect my prescription from the vets on that day too.
She is very obviously showing. Full round belly hanging low and protuding oit on both sides of you were to look head on. I first thought worms. However, although slim, she's in no way boney and angular. An acceptable amount of fat under her fur. Plus she isnt as ravenous as when i first fed her weeks ago. But I've ordered the tablets anyway. It'll do her good.
Ive got to get her to a shelter. Its the only option. I would love love love to have her here if my house was bigger/no children/no baby etc.

South staffs is far from where I am in west midlands, justanothernumber? You sure?

Gosh, the catnueturer, how on earth do you cope with those numbers?

I never said let her have the kittens outside catneuterer
Why would I say do that?
I said (maybe in too few words) help Queen cat and to care for her as she obviously sees op as a 'carer'

NeedATrim

I'm in Wolverhampton and fostered for Cats Protection.

Contact them, if they are full and can't take her would you be willing to foster her? The cat does not need to be in your house, Cats Protection do foster in homes but they also have pens if you would have one in your garden.

If you don't have room I may be able to find someone to foster her (friend's son would love a cat and she has fostered before).

CP would then find her and kittens a home.

Oh and CP would provide food/litter etc for you.

Cats Protection are brilliant, they've helped us catch and neuter around 15 feral cats at a property we've bought. With a heavily pregnant cat I think they will trap her and let her have the kittens at one of their fosterers so the kittens can be socialised and rehomed. I found emailing them initially worked best, but the help we've had has been phenomenal. And of course they are staffed by real cat lovers who want the best for the cats.

The only issue we now have is finding homes for our decidedly feral cats, although not so feral they don't come for vast quantities of food. I guess that is another thread.

Well I sent an email tonight. I'll call them tomorrow as well. I hope something can be done. I just need help with housing the imminent brood as I have no where to house them here in my home. I will happily pay up for vets treatment, I dont mind paying to get her spade, the flea stuff, tablets etc. But its the fact she needs a safe place for her litter that I cant help her with. I really wish I could. Hopefully there's good news tomorrow.

Sashh - there is a notice on their Birmingham based website saying they have no places for taking in new cats. I'll still call tomorrow but I feel a little worried.

And thank you to the posters who've offered help regarding fostering. I will wait for tomorrow's conversation with the CP and see what they say before taking up your offers.

FB page for CP Wolves

www.facebook.com/CPWolverhampton/

I wouldn't administer worming or flea treatment to a pregnant cat without advice from a vet tbh.

The cats protection are normally very good, I think if you speak to someone to someone there they will be able to advise at least.

Left messages on answer machine and email, no response. Chasing them up tomorrow. Queen still being fed and watered. She's only showing up at night now, during the day I've no idea where she is.